Boulder, Colorado public library. AKA the climbing wall. Will be spending some time with my daughter this summer in her new home town.

My Friend

Yesterday a friend visited. She has been busy these past few years exploring various aspects of educational interest and within that journey was ordained an Interfaith Minister just a few weeks ago. My friend the Rev.

She saw the piano out of the corner of her eye. Took off her shoes and quietly walked into the Living Room. "This feels like a Sanctuary," she said, "A Sacred Space." There was such a sense of reverence about her as she explored the instrument and played a few notes.

She sat and listened while I played a little of this and a little of that. Then she stood next to the open lid and experienced the sound and vibration that comes forth only from a grand piano. She paid attention to how her body responded to Bach, to Brahms, to Chopin. Then she said the most amazing thing, "Have a client sit in a chair next to the piano. Tune your playing to have a healing impact on their state of mind and health. It's an extraordinary experience to feel the sound in the body and pay attention to where it is going and what it is doing."

Gee. Never thought of that. My friend the Rev.

"COME JOANNE PLAY WITH US"

Learning the subtleties of 3 against 4. Brahms. Left hand. My teacher (you know who you are) wrote it out for me, used his left and right hand to play the rhythm on the music stand, had me do the same.

Had me say this little ditty along with the rhythm. 'Come Joanne, play with us.' Come Joanne, come Joanne . . . . Come Fido, eat your food. Come Simon, let's do the boogie woogie. Come Penelope, let's get a latte. Go Lulu, get me some popcorn. Come Johnnie, let's bang our head against the wall in the rubber room.

I don't get it. Go away Joanne.

It's like algebra. I freeze. Fright or flight. Rhythm. Math!!! I have to feel it in my body or it just ain't gonna happen. Sorry teacher (you know who you are).

Practicing, practicing, practicing.

Back to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Sigh . . . .

Scriabin Etude. Op. 42 No. 5. An amazing piece of music played by an amazing master of the instrument. Having fallen under the spell of Scriabin I aspire to play this piece with as much skill as Scriabin's son-in-law. Ha! In my dreams. My teacher says I'm not ready for this piece - yet. Am assuming he means in this lifetime.

http://www.lindebladpiano.com/

It's a year today that I drove to New Jersey to visit Lindeblad Piano Restoration and found my Mason & Hamlin to be rebuit and restored. How quickly a year goes by. In that year I've joined an adult music forum, played in a number of recitals, found new friends, played a number of rebuilt pianos and generally rediscovered the joy I felt as a young woman playin' the piana.