Musical Musing

I have played the piano since I was six years old. I took lessons until I was nineteen, and I taught piano for eight years. This fall I choose not to continue teaching in order to have more time for my growing family. (It turned out to be a wise decision. I found out I was pregnant again in October!)

I love practicing piano --- though it wasn't always so. Through my teenage years practicing was often more of a chore than a pleasure. I almost quit lessons a few times. Looking back, I am very glad my parents encouraged me to continue. Piano is now a part of my core identity. It is a leisure activity I enjoy. Also, my ability to teach music has equipped me with an employable skill.

This September I started taking piano lessons again for the first time in many years. I started out slowly with one lessons every two weeks. I saw it as a trial --- getting my feet wet again after many years. I wanted to see if I could find the time to commit to quality practicing.

I've been taking lessons for eight months now, and I love it! I am studying towards my ARCT Teacher's Diploma. (ARCT stands for Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto). It is basically equivalent to a college diploma.

Attaining my Teacher's ARCT certificate is an ambitious goal. Most students require at least two years of study before they are ready to take the exams. I estimate I will need more like four years. The requirements for the diploma are quite daunting --- two practical exams and five written ones. (Though, I need not take them all at the same time.)

Why would I choose to do something like this?

I already had enough certification to teach piano in Alberta, but I felt that I was not the best teacher I could be. If / when I decide to start teaching again, my ARCT diploma will be very useful. But more importantly, I wanted an academic goal to work toward.

Sometimes, as much as I love being home with my children full-time, I feel like my brain is going to mush. Practicing a challenging Mozart sonata, or working out the complexities of music harmony, give me a creative outlet and identity outside of "Mommy". The greatest reason I am pursuing this diploma is for myself. It is satisfying to have a lofty goal to work towards.

Is finding time for practice a challenge? Every day! Many days I am only able to squeeze in a half-hour or forty-five minutes. Some days I can't practice at all. I often have "helpers" as I play, plunking away on the high notes. I often practice for an hour in the mornings while the boys play trucks at my feet, or they run around the living room as I try to ignore them!

However, I feel it is healthy for my children to see their mommy working towards a goal. My preschooler, especially, understands that practicing piano is "Mommy's work". He seems to enjoy listening to me play, and often makes special requests. "Mommy, can you play Baa (Bach)?" he often asks. He is very much looking forward to starting music lessons himself in the fall. Some mornings, the most wonderful ones, my boys are so mellow they will cuddle on the floor and listen to me play for more than an hour. Those are the times I love.

With the new baby coming, I am unsure how I will continue to eke out the time for piano. Next year I will be studying under a new teacher, and my lessons will increase to one-and-a-half hours per week. After my "trial year" I have decided to go all out toward my goal. I don't believe I will progress as quickly as most students, but I figure "slow and steady wins the race".

I believe it is better to take baby steps towards a goal, rather than decide the finish line is too far away and never try at all. It may take several years before I finish all my exams. At the end of it all, though, I think I will look back and say, "It was difficult, but I'm glad I did it!"