My grandmother, Dora Koch, used to play the organ during church service at the West Denmark Lutheran Church. Her husband, Holger Koch, was the pastor. She had an upright piano at home she practiced on. My parents bought my grandparent’s house and the piano (and bench) stayed. Over the years it got a bit out of tune. It is what my sister and I used to practice on when we took music lessons.
The piano teacher in Luck, Wisconsin was Mrs. Charles Madsen. Her husband, Charles, was a long-time politician. They lived in a historical house next to the high school and Big Butternut Lake. We practices on a grand piano in her living room.
She was real strict about the posture of our hands above the keyboard. When she got frustrated with me resting my wrists on the piano, she got out her ruler and slapped them! When I wasn’t remembering the ‘finger numbering’, she got out an ink pen and write the numbers on each knuckle!
The very first song I learned on piano was called “Hot Cross Buns“. It was in the beginner’s lesson book : “Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns”. It only required the use of three keys and the right hand. Years after I stopped taking lessons, I would occasionally get out all the lesson books from the compartment in the piano seat and play songs from beginning to end. Even the easy ones.
One year we had a recital at the piano teacher’s house. Afterwards ice cream was served. One of the other students, Brian Randall, was picking on me outside the garage. I ended up smashing my ice cream cone in his face!
I took lessons for about 3 years. At the peak of my ability, I memorized a song called “The Little Dog That Chased Its Tail”. I think I remember seeing the sheet music at my sister’s house. I played the arrangement at the Polk County Fair and for a senior center audience in Luck. For the next few years I only played piano at my parent’s house for my own entertainment. One day I played a classical piece very well and amazed my mom, who was listening in the next room. She had not heard me play it before.
After I moved to Detroit, Michigan in the early 1980s, I bought a portable electronic keyboard with full size keys. I wanted to refresh my skills and have something fun to do in my free time. I bought sheet music for Paul Simon’s album, “Still Crazy After All These Years”. I spent less than 40 hours on the keyboard before I got bored and stored it away in the closet. Eventually I gave it away to relatives.
A few years ago my wife and I were visiting her relatives for Christmas. My sister-in-law has a baby grand piano. I sat down, plunked away slowly at the key’s and played a few Christmas songs. I was surprised I still remembered how to read music. But I wasn’t playing fast enough for the people in the next room who could hear me. After getting heckled, I got up and did something else. My performance days are way behind me!
With piano or any other instrument I used to play (clarinet, saxophone), if it wasn’t on the score, I didn’t play it. In contrast, I learned to appreciate people who can improvise or play-by-ear. I just don’t have the MUSIC IN ME!
