Piano Practice

....note for BettyEdit...this is the same as my email to you except a few changes like "you" to "my teacher" etc :)But your email came first ;-)

OK so tonight I felt like I was bombing big time in practicing! It seems like sometimes when I practice I seem to get all my notes right and it sounds great and then other times I feel like I am messing up a lot! I even tried to go back to some of the other songs my teacher already signed off and I was messing up on those too! So than I began thinking that maybe the only reason I am getting songs signed off is more because I have memorized that particular song well enough to play it but then when I go back to it I am not really reading the notes right.... maybe I am just a nerd and this is all part of the learning process.. I just wonder sometimes if someday I will be able to pick up some sort of music sheet and play what it says mostly ok without messing up.... I have started noticing a lot more during hymns in church that I am looking at the music as well as the lyrics and following along "reading the notes" noticing whether they are whole or 1/4 or 1/2 or 1/8 and stuff. And looking how you hold one key but not the others etc. anyways I hope I don't sound like I am whining or anything (although I kind of am) I am not getting as frustrated as before. I am learning to make notes in the music that help me to know what I need to be playing even though the notes may not make any sense to others. Its like my teacher said I can mark what I want to help me identify my trouble spots and so its good. I really appreciate her patience with me in teaching me the piano. I kinda feel sometimes like I fit in that saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" but than other times I am completely surprised by what I have learned so far! Its incredible! I love that I am learning this! It feels like I am learning so slow sometimes but I know that I am learning and that is all that matters! I know it takes time and I am doing my best to practice daily and for now that is all I can do. But I am looking forward to that day when I can pick up a hymn book (or get the Nightmare Before Christmas book)_ and be able to open it to any page and pretty much just play it! :) I know that day is a ways away but its coming thanks to a wonderful teacher! :) She is amazing! So then just now when I wanted to get online to email my teacher that I feel like tonight I was struggling when I had an email from this online LDS site that sends me daily scriptures and quotes and my next one was in my inbox and this is what it said:

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY:
Moroni 10:17-18
"And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ."

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
George Albert Smith
"On every hand we can find opportunity for the use of the talents our Father has blessed us with. Let us do individual work with our brethren and sisters. If we find a man or a woman who has not succeeded in life, one who is weakening in his faith, let us not turn our backs upon him; let us make it a point to visit him, and go to him in kindness and love, and encourage him to turn from the error of his way. The opportunity to do individual work among us as a people is present everywhere; and there are few men and few women in this church who could not, if they would, reach out a little further from the circle with which they are identified, and say a kind word, or teach the truth to some of our Father's children" (The Teachings of George Albert Smith, p. 139-140).


So I thought that was kind of cool that it was talking about gifts of the spirit and talents when I was kinda doubting whether I have either! I know I do and I know that it is all in the Lords time! I knew I wouldn't be able to just pick up a hymnal after only a couple months of piano practice and play anything. I shouldn't be expecting miracles from myself but I am doing so well and that is all that matters. I am learning and growing and its awesome! Playing piano is really amazing!