My daughter’s school has a piano keyboarding program. Twice a week for 30 minutes, a heroic teacher instructs an entire class on basic piano skills. Each child plays a full-size electronic keyboard, with headphones so the teacher can listen in. Kids advance at varying speeds depending on their ability, so they are not all playing the same song or even using the same music book at the same time.
We also, space being at a premium, do not have a dedicated music room. So every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school, parent volunteers (I’m one of them) set up 25 stands, keyboards, stools, music stands, and headphones, plus a complicated network of extension cords. And every Tuesday and Thursday morning before lunch, we come back to put it all away. We are a small, but dedicated bunch. We’ve contemplated “Keyboard Roadie” t-shirts and theme songs. We pretty much danced in the streets when we got some new cabinets that allowed us to store the keyboards horizontally instead of vertically.
Of course, twice a year the kids put on a show for their classmates and parents. For the upcoming spring concert, the teacher asked a few of us setter-uppers and taker-downers to perform with our children. And so next Thursday night, I will be plinking and plunking along with the Group 1 kids–that’s one step up from kindergarten, y’all–as their accompanist for two songs (those beloved classics, “Pumpkin Party” and “The Tooth Fairy”).
I am very nervous.
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This will be great for her. I took piano lessons as a child and really wish I kept up with it. She will appreciate it later, especially all your Roadie efforts to put it together.
I’d be nervous too!
Hey, I meant to tell you that it turns out we have those same bugs here, the ones you video’d the other day. They hang out in clumps, though, so I’ll be walking along, la di da, and then suddenly get a mouthful. Ick.
Awesome! Plink us proud.
I want this recorded. And posted.
Awesome!
Is this your first piano performance? Or did you play as a child?
Good luck, Mayberry Mom! Knock’em dead!
Break a leg!!
Maggie had her 1st recital on Thursday. She’s been taking lessons since last Januray. She played “Morning Mood” by Edvard Greig.
Standing O from Mommy, Daddy, Will, Grandmom & PopPop!
i too want this recorded and posted. you must set an example for the wee folk.
What a great program! I so wish we had something like this at our local primary school.
I hope the spring show goes brilliantly!
I’m not really on the children’s piano lessons scene, but the parent play-along sounds different! Next stop dance recitals?
YouTube! Your fans demand it.
That’s a nice bonus program for the kids. I don’t blame you for being nervous though. I would be too! I just wrote a post about my piano playing experience.
How’d it go?