We have a piano. Its an upright one, oldish and probably past its best but we got it from ebay for a little under one hundred pounds with the delivery included. We got one because like all parents we have that ‘idea’ that the kids need…no really need to learn how to play an instrument. 😉

I have to say that watching someone play the piano well, for me, is totally mesmerising. There is something calming and trance like about it. I so wish it was an instrument i knew how to play.

Anyway so two out of our five kids have piano lessons and initially it started as plonking on the keys without any real care you know the way that young kids do *smile in a fake manner, clap hands and go YAAAY*

BUT we have taken it all on the chin, moments when you feel like screaming SHUTTUP then you remind yourself that they have to learn, its for the best and so you get on and stuff a bit more cotton wool in your ears and pop another St.johns wort in with your Pinot. 😉

My eldest daughter has been learning since she was 5 and is now almost at grade 1 and the difference in what she can do now is quite amazing..but sometimes the getting there has been a bit fraught with tears and tantrums.

Its hard for me as i am unable to help her most of the time. I never stuck with an instrument and so my knowledge is so lacking that all of them are now beyond my abilites. Fortunately their father didnt have the same slack attitude to childhood music lessons as me and he can now help them out.

As we have gone past the single finger banging out the notes stage and progressed to playing actual songs..it can be a little bit easier on the ears. But the downside to that has been that once they have ‘got’ a tune and they can play it well, without music, they become fuelled with a passion to drill the song into the unconscious mind of the people who inhabit this house and probably the ones either side.

Often at the most stressy moments of the day, like the school run for example. I will be frantically checking for shoes, hats, bags, last minute calls for that ‘oh so important thing that I really must take to school today’ when suddenly adding to the melee like the crazy soundtrack to my life is a double fast version of the latest ‘play-a-lot’ song.

You know sometimes i resist the urge i mentioned earlier and maybe even marvel again at the incredible talent pounding the ivories and other times i fail…

miserably….

and feel like dragging our battered piano into the street, smashing it with a hammer and cursing the day we ever ‘won’ that bid on ebay. 😉

Lately my son has been teaching himself how to play this song…

Please don’t ever sing this near me anytime soon….. *stares*

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