Yes, my friend, this gorgeous instrument is sitting in my music room at this very moment! I can still hardly believe it. While I had dreamed and hoped, I'm not sure that I ever really believed it would happen. Everytime I look at this piano, everytime I play this piano, I am reminded of . . .
My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - There is not a day that goes by that I do not thank Him for giving me the GIFT of music, of playing the piano. I am humbled beyone measure that He chose me for such a blessing as this. I will always play for Him and Him alone. All of this . . . is because of Him!
My Mama and Daddy - I had to learn how to play . . . I desperately wanted to learn how to play! So they spent 10 years paying for piano lessons! Most Mondays my mom left work early so she could come home and take me to my lesson. And I have no idea how many countless hours of practicing they endured! When I was competing during my freshman and sophmore years in high school, I would often times practice for two hours at a time. And it wasn't always pretty either! At this point, I should probably mention my brother, too. Unfortunately, the piano was in the hallway just outside his room. I don't know what was louder - my playing or his radio!
My Granddaddy - If you're going to take lessons, you have to practice. And you can't practice unless you have a piano. My Granddaddy had purchased a piano for my MeMama in 1978. She later got an electric keyboard, and I think she enjoyed her keyboard moreso than the piano. I can still remember the day in 1986 that MeMama's piano showed up at my front door. I'm not even sure that I knew it was coming or exactly how it all came to be. I just know I was begging for lessons, and I needed a piano. So my Daddy backed the truck up to the front porch and rolled it right out and into the house. In 2000 that piano even made its way to Louisiana (again, thank you to my Daddy!). I will always cherish that ole Kimball console piano. One day I envision Hannah Kate (or even Mason!) on one piano and myself at the other. I have lots of memories on that piano, and I'm sure there are more to come!
Mrs. Jamie - She was my first piano teacher. She was so sweet and gentle and kind. She did such a super job teaching me the fundamental aspects of playing the piano. I was very sad when she told me that she felt like I needed to "graduate" to another piano teacher.
Mrs. Sallie - I can not even tell you how much fun I had with Mrs. Sallie. I'll admit . . . I was scared. As a matter of fact, I was real scared. I had heard (and I don't even remember from who!) that she was hard. Real hard! So I didn't know what to expect. All I can say is that she was passionate about playing the piano, and I could only hope to play like she played! Not only did she teach me, but she played with me, too. My absolute favorite was the Christmas concert we hosted. She was on one piano, and I was on another. We put an ad in the local newspaper and asked folks to RSVP their attendance for seating. Yes, I'm serious! And this wasn't the first time. We did another concert in the spring. Anyway, we had planned to do a 5:00 performance and another one at 8:00. We had so many responses that we had to add a 6:30 performance! I still have the RSVP list . . . and I still have that music because I keep looking for someone to play it with me. When I was in 8th grade, Mrs. Sallie chose "Shortnin' Bread" as my recital piece. Can I just tell you how much fun that one is?!? I can still play it (mostly) from memory today. As a matter of fact, I think the first time my husband really noticed me was when he heard me playing that piece. I didn't know he was listening. But that's another story. Anyway, Mrs. Sallie and I played a one piano four hands duet arrangement of "Exodus" for one of my later recitals. I can still hear it today, and it just sends chills up and down my spine. Love that one, too! She just had a way with those black notes and lines and dots and slurs on the page . . . she could teach me how to make them come alive! Because of her, I won the regional piano competition two years in a row and placed second at the state piano competition when I was a freshman in high school. Bach's "Invention No. 8" and Chopin's "Nocturne in E-flat Major" won that. The next year it was "Golliwog's Cakewalk" and "Invention No. 13." I'd love to sit and play with her again one day . . .
Sara Beth Turner - I started playing the piano in church when I was 12 years old. Sara Beth was the organist. But she wasn't just that. She was also the choral director at my middle and high schools. And she was my FRIEND. When I was a freshman, she immediately recruited me to play for the One Act play competitions. I played for the quartet, trio and solo competitions. I played at the Baccalaureate services each year. And I loved every minute of all of it, especially One Act! She gave me every opportunity possible to play the piano wherever I could and however I could. And she spent so much time hauling us off to different venues to perform . . . the Concord Jubilee, Christmas concerts, church concerts, New York, Disney World, the cruise . . . I still remember selling candy bars at school to raise money for all of those trips . . . and the big purple egg (not really . . . it was just a purple bus, and it just so happened that we left on Easter Sunday so the name stuck) we rode on for 16 hours to get to New York . . . she loves music, and she loves the Lord, and I'm so glad she shared that with me and took me along with her, too.
My husband - I have my Baby Grand. But he still doesn't have his boat yet!
