First Days

I love my job. That is a statement that I have said many times on this journey, and one I am coming to realize many of my friends and family can not say. For this I am extremely grateful for my own bliss, and frowning in contemplation for my co-lifers.

Let me relate just a few sweet morsels of my first day back Thursday.

The Beethoven 2nd movement of the Pathetique Sonata, Andante Cantabile, is gorgeous even when it's not ready yet. There is so much to learn in this piece! And how fun to hear someone who wants to learn it.


"I can't wait to play piano!", said my next student, 2nd grader, with a little Pebbles like ponytail near the top of her head. "I peeked at the first few songs from my older sister's beginning books already. Want to hear me play?" Why yes, yes I do! We learned about which end plays low notes versus high notes, we learned beginning hand position, where the bench should go, said the musical alphabet, forward and backward around the keyboard. We even got started on the difference between quarter notes and half notes in thirty minutes. She actually squealed in delight at getting her first sticker. The bright blue eyes observed every detail.

"Mrs. Wolf, Mrs. Wolf, I wore my Twinkle Toe shoes, just for you! Come to the top of the stairs and see them before I take them off!" My next student has just had one year of piano and went to first grade this year. Her pink Keds had been bedazzled by rhinestones on the top one inch of the toe. She returned with big smiles and lots of stories. I lent her one of my CDs of someone playing the songs from one of her books, and she looked at me wide-eyed and said, "Wow! That means my songs must be famous!" Of course they are! It will give her an idea of tempo and steadiness that we lost in August.

When I opened the door to greet the next student, she and her mother were standing there with a guffawed look on their faces. "Tell her what you told me", said the mom. "Well, I overheard you working with the last student, and well, like, I've never heard laughter in a music lesson before". This will be an amazing transfer student.

Let's get started; there's music in the air.