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Grace Notes: Performances drew rousing rounds of applause
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Published: June 7, 2009
The pause is as important as the note.
-- Truman Fisher
The Arts Based Elementary School's spring piano recital reminded me of my days playing the piano and a long-ago recital. Like the students in Scarlet Sink's third-grade class, I was a little nervous, too. It was no longer my music teacher, Adele Scott, and my grandmother watching; there were other people there, too, and that added a little pressure.
My sister, Angela, had called me a few weeks earlier to ask if I could attend the recital. My niece, Maggie, a third-grader at the school, would be performing and she could not attend.
The evening before the big day, Maggie made a follow-up call. "Nigel, are you coming to the recital tomorrow?" She reminded me of the time, just to be certain I had all the details. I had it on my schedule and assured her I would be there. Apparently, her Aunt Gloria had been called as well. She was there when I arrived for the 10:45 a.m. performance.
I remember when Gloria and I took piano lessons a long time ago. We used to practice in the basement of my grandmother's house. It was practice, practice, practice. Then it was off to Mrs. Scott's house for lessons to demonstrate our mastery of the material. If we were successful, we received a gold star to stick to the page of the lesson we played that day.
I think Gloria gave up lessons before I did. For me, it was football or piano lessons. Football won out, but not before my recital. I was playing Beethoven's "Fur Elise." I can hear the tune now and still know the first few notes of it. Like the third-graders, I had practiced, prepared and knew the music, but … somewhere near the end, I forgot the ending. So, I made up one. Only three people knew what had happened, my piano teacher, my grandmother and me.
I could relate to each of the students as they approached the big piano to play their selections before a small crowd of mostly family members and their teachers. It was showtime; the moment they had been preparing for.
Allison David, the music teacher, had the students ready to perform. That is, until they entered the room. They were a little nervous, she said. The proud supporters waiting in the small room, many with cameras in hand, probably had something to do with that. With the exception of a few students, each wanted their sheet music, a little insurance for success and a confidence-builder, I'm sure.
The music room is filled with guitars hanging on one wall. Pictures of instruments are posted to another wall and several pianos fill the center of the room. Benches from the pianos and additional chairs were neatly arranged in four rows for the audience.
As the students completed their selections, they bowed to enthusiastic applause, with the next performer waiting to take the spotlight. The music included titles such as "Bugsy and Bette"; "Monkey See, Monkey Do"; "Aruba"; "Nice Pets"; "Handlebar"; and "Loose Goose." Several students played the same tune.
There were a few anxious moments when a student paused a little longer than usual, it seemed, before starting. A prompt from Mrs. David helped ease the nerves.
They had one sheet of music, a few notes to play and they played with one hand. The notes were large enough that I could see them from the last row. It was cute.
Maggie told me she had fun playing her piece, "Oh, No!" "I like playing that song," she said. "How did you decide to play it?" I wanted to know. "That was the one I was really good at," she replied. "Were you all nervous?" I asked. "Yeah, we got nervous." She didn't know why, as she had been practicing for about a week. She said she felt good about her performance.
"The simplicity of the recital was a joy," my sister, Gloria, remarked. I agree. It was "the beginning of encouraging young people to appreciate music and learn the skill," she said. "It was fun to see their personalities." She enjoyed the bows as much as the music.
After the music ended, there was applause, and after the bows and curtseys, a little laughter.
Their performances touched my heart.
■ Nigel Alston is a Dale Carnegie trainer and motivational speaker who lives in Winston-Salem. He can be reached at nalston1@triad.rr.com.
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