Piano Torture And The Three Little Pigs

Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you the greatest piano player in the whole wide world, Master League! Watch as Master League plays a beautiful sonata without making a mistake!! Listen to the wonderful melodies effortlessly pouring out of the hands of a musical genius!!! Master League, Master League...wake up Ian. Ian you are day dreaming again. Ian stares at me blinking a little bit and then smiles up at me with a sweet smile. I can imagine this is what my son is thinking as he is drifting off during a piano lesson. Ian has an ear for music. When he was two years old he could hum the entire Rhapsody In Blue. As Ian got older he could hum out song after song of video game music....never missing a note. I thought Ian would benefit from learning how to play the piano. Ian took off right away, memorizing notes and timing. He would learn songs so fast that his teacher had to change books with him and put him in an older adult book. Then something happened. I do not know if he got bored or if he just has to work a little harder than normal, but now he is tired of piano. He desires to play music, but has to learn how to play cords and scales. He cries and pouts that he wants to play Beethoven and Mozart not drab little pieces of music. He complains and then doesn't want to try. I told him music is like learning a new language....you do not know Japanese right away. I told him he has to learn word, by word, sentence by sentence to know how to speak. The piano is the same way. Ian is sullen. He wants to please. He wants to learn, but oh how boring. In the mean time we hear cracking notes, ear piercing thunks and whimpers from a boy who has the love for music, but needs to learn the love of practice.



"Mommy, can you read me the story of The Three Little Pigs?" Sashi asks me. "Why yes I can, is my response." Sashi and I sit down in a comfy chair pull up a blanket, we open the book and start to read. "Mama, remember to use all the voices, ok?" Sashi tells me. I take a deep breath and start reading the adventure of the pigs and Mr. wolf. I talk of the mother sending the children away. I read of the pigs deciding where they want to live and how they make their humble homes. I talk of the wolf who is watching their every move. Sashi is silent the whole time listening. Then comes the part in which her little body tenses up..."And I will huff and I will puff and I will B L O W the house down!" I say in a rather deep and loud voice. Sashi leans forward just and inch or two waiting to see what will happen. Whooosh! The house is down the pig is running. Then starts the story again. "Mommy, will you read a little more slowly when the wolf comes to the house." Sashi asks. "Of course" I say. Then....I....Will....huff....and... I ... Will....puff....and.... I .... will....B L O W the house down!!!! OOOOOOOOOWHOOsh! Sashi's hands are by her mouth now, eyes are glowing with excitement, she is so excited. Down went the house and TWO little pigs are running!!! "Mom, the wolf won't blow down the brick house, it is strong." Sashi says with big eyes. "We will have to wait and see, I say." Well, as we know the wolf can't get in and he is blowing his head off and stomping his feet with frustration and the whole time Sashi is cracking up laughing and jumping up and down on the couch. She is happy that the wolf can't get in. "See, I told you mom...see!?" Then comes the boiling water and the wolf falling into the water and the wolf running away with his tail on fire. Sashi is so delighted that the wolf is hurt and running off and that her piggies are safe. "Mom, read it again!" "Um, Sashi can we read it again tomorrow?" I ask. "No mommy, I think it is best to read it again." Maybe she is right.