Wanted: A Time to Learn | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Wanted: A Time to Learn | Previous Challenge Entry
By Mary Lisa
01/21/08
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Starr had been taking piano lessons for the past six months and enjoyed learning to play music on the piano. She even liked to practice that half-hour every day that her parents and her piano teacher required of her. For years, she had admired Mrs. Simon, the church pianist, and had recently begged her parents for lessons. At 12, she was planning ahead and hoped to learn to be an excellent pianist one day so she could play on Sunday mornings at the church after Mrs. Simon retired.

What she did not like about the piano was playing in front of an audience after only a few months of lessons. Once the pastor learned that she was studying the piano, he began asking her to play for special events and solos on Sunday mornings. Her parents were so proud when she tried to play. She wanted so badly to accommodate them all but she knew she just wasn’t ready. She made too many mistakes when she played and playing in public made her terribly uncomfortable.

Last week, the pastor had asked her to play a couple of songs for the Sunday morning service. She practiced and practiced until she thought she had it just right. When she got up in front of the congregation, she froze. She forgot the notes and made a terrible mess of the songs she tried to play. It was incredibly embarrassing for her although her parents seemed to be pleased that she tried so hard. The pastor also was very kind and reassuring. And, she was very upset with herself. She lost hope that she could ever one day play as well as Mrs. Simon did.

She thought about ending the lessons. Maybe the piano had been a bad choice for her. She talked with her parents. When they were reluctant to let her stop the lessons so quickly, she pleaded for time to learn to play the piano better before making any public appearances. She told them that she needed to be more comfortable playing the notes as well as playing in front of people. She wanted time to practice and learn.

Her parents said they had not realized the pressure she felt to perform. They were very understanding and told her how proud they were of her. They helped her explain how she felt to the pastor. He apologized for making her feel so rushed and uncomfortable. He told her that she could play the piano when she thought she was ready and they would be glad to have her perform whenever she was ready for it.

A bright smile came over her face when he also told her that one day they would need a Sunday morning pianist when Mrs. Simon retired. He said he was glad that she was looking so far forward and he was sure, with her current dedication and love for music, that she would become an excellent pianist someday who would be a big help to the church as a young adult.

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