THE PIANO

I was driving in my car today, listening to a CD I had burned. On it, was one of my all time favorite songs... Janis Joplin singing ME AND BOBBY McGEE. God, that's a fabulous tune. Naturally, I had it blaring and was basically singing a killer duet with Janis. About 3 minutes into the tune was an UNbelievable piano solo and it was at that point that it was confirmed: the piano is by far, my absolute favorite instrument.

It used to be, for many years, that the drums were my favorite. I was WILD for great drumming. But, I eventually had to give that up after 1.) careful consideration and 2.) recognition of the asTONishing pleasure Elton and Billy's pianos brought me. Listening to either of these guys, makes me realize that I am SOOOO damn jealous of their fingering talent, it's crazy. Most people love what the guitar brings to rock and roll... I love what the piano brings. And, I'm not talking the Ira Gershwin or Cole Porter style, either. I'm talking the kind of style where the fingers are magically hopping all over the place, pounding out some of THE best hard core rhythm and sound you ever did hear.

I was about 13, when I myself had piano lessons. Omigod... talk about a disaster. I had NO CLUE which notes were which... and the by the time I converted the musical notes into the actual lettered notes, you can be SURE no one would ever know what the hell tune I was supposedly playing. The conversion time was whoa... maybe 2 minutes per note? Uh... so not the trick set up. I was a pro at reading the English language and even the Spanish language. But reading the musical language?? Forget it.

Which is way too bad. I would have LOVED to know how to play the piano and read music. As a matter of fact, those people who can play the piano withOUT knowing how to read music... GENIUSES! Not to mention little baby 7 year old Mozart who heard entire SYMPHonies in his head and boom! They flew right out onto his fingers. How does THAT happen??

My own little baby genius, my son, got his first little baby digital keyboard at the age of five. It was his Kindergarten Graduation present from Mommy and Daddy. And, within a week I had hired Elizabeth LaPrese to begin his piano lessons. In no time FLAT, my son was reading music like a pro. HUH?? How did he DO that? Within a couple of years, we upgraded him to a full sized Yamaha digital piano and next thing you know, my little darling was banging out Rockin' Robin like an 8 year old pro. Mrs. LaPrese was crazy about my son and quickly moved him right up the the top of the list of her favorite students. Talk about music to a mother's ears.

By 14 however... the piano was put on the back burner and replaced with a new instrument. Care to guess which one? Get this... THE DRUMS!! I deserve a medal for living through THOSE lessons and sessions. And, as great as my kid was on the piano, he was equally great on the drums. Of course, the drums were eventually replaced by his FAVORITE new toy... a car, on his 16th birthday! Funny how quickly the piano and drums were a thing of the past.

Well, sort of. While packing up for college... the drums were DEFINITELY a must have for the frat house. Thank God. It meant MY house could reclaim an entire new room. Of course, my house also had no beer, no girls and no rush parties. Well... none that I know of, anyway.