A World of Blessings

Thanks for your patience! I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve posted to this site. My life has been a whirlwind that’s for sure, and so many things have changed. I hear the same is true for nearly everyone I meet. Unfortunately, we all have busy lives, children to raise, parents to take care of. Life moves like a freight train sometimes and will carry us away if we let it!

One of my blessings from the last year was disguised as a curse at first.  (If you think about it, many blessings are…) My mother who has been ill for many years, decided to move to a retirement village. It was up to me, her only sane and responsible child, to help her get there. And we had a month.  The situation was daunting and if you’ve been there, you know how much stuff we can accumulate over the years.

Now add to that scenario and compound it by a multiple of (insert any number here). At the same time, since we had a truck, my grandmother, queen of hoarders decided to give me all of her piano music from seventy five years of piano teaching; music that her mother had, music that friends and students gave her, music printed and copied. Music for 2 pianos, music for harp. Piano music of all the great masters, no doubt, everything that has been printed in the last 100 years…. And then there were musical games. Games she copyrighted in the 60’s and printed on card stock in multiples of 100.

We filled 13 large (30×30″) boxes and four drawer stacks, furniture, full of music. In entirety, it covered the floor of a medium sized U-Haul truck. Once we unloaded it at my house, I felt buried by it.

Months later, I’ve weeded out the xerox copies and music too old to use. I’ve found shelves and cabinet space for it all, but I’m sure in my lifetime I won’t have time to play it. The blessing is that I have so much exciting and beautiful music to play. And, I have you. My 40+ students to help me realize that dream.

For our spring recital, I have carefully selected wonderful music from all around the world. I’ve chosen songs from South America and Mexico as well as fast paced Tarantellas from Italy. There will be music written by American composer, Norman Dello Joio, and from two of the best pianist/composers from Spain, Enrique Grenados and Isaac Albinez.

I am so happy to share this blessing with you at our spring recital. Students have been as excited as I am to play their pieces. And I can’t wait for you to hear it!