I Know that’s a Rest Sign

I Know that’s a Rest Sign

On the difficulties of parents, getting an education in music, translated…

Although it was an understanding of both my husband and I, to get my children to their piano lessons, but, zooming in on them to practice naturally, landed on me.

From before I’d heard, that as children learned a musical instrument, it’s a turning point for the parent-child relations to become more conflicted. I’d accompanied my children as they practiced on the piano, I’m not worried about the number of conflicts we would get into, because I have bigger things to worry about—I can’t read the notes, don’t know the rhythms, how, can I accompany them to practice? As my friend learned of my worries, she’d consoled me, “Don’t worry, just learn alongside your children.” My friend didn’t know how to play the piano from before either, but, after accompanying her three kids to their lessons, she’d picked it up too. Paying only three sets of tuitions, but, four people had, benefited, such a good deal.

This example had, greatly encouraged me, I’d wanted to learn with my kids, to grow, and I look forward to one day, being able to play those pieces we loved so much aloud together! I’d started smiling uncontrollably, I will totally have more unimaginable good interactions through music with my children that’s for sure!

My children started with “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Frère Jacques”, the songs were simple and familiar, I’d accompanied my kids along singing and playing happily, and, fully experienced the joys that music brought to our lives.

But, this didn’t last, because not long thereafter, I couldn’t keep up. Those were the days when my children started practicing the pieces in majors and minors, it all sounded the same to me…yup, playing the two segments right after another, I can’t tell the difference. Looking at the sheet music with all the notes, I can’t even tell where my children had played to, let alone, catching a wrong note, or teach them the right fingerings.

a whole rest…

At this time, if I forced myself to keep up with the lessons, my life would surely have turned black and white. And so, before my children complained of how they’d needed to practice playing again, I’d raised up my white flags first, made my exit, and ever since, I’d watched them playing in the black and white fields of keys.

I thought, that by not caring how my kids are playing the piano, I can finally be rid of the curse that is music. But, as my son entered into the fifth grade, he’d asked to learn to play the violin, and, I’d taken him to his lessons. As the classes begun, I’d, started missing how familiar piano was. At least, you’d not needed to worry about pitch with the piano, the keys are right there, whatever you pressed down, that, is the note, no way you can get it wrong; but, not so for the violin, the right notes are different for every player. As my son is a beginner, the instructor asked that I accompany along, to make sure that he’s on pitch, but, I’m, tone-deaf, no matter how the teacher demonstrated, I just, couldn’t tell which note is right or wrong. Seeing how I was, struggling between right and wrong, and couldn’t tell, other than feeling helpless, he’d learned, that if he wanted to learn to play the violin, he needed to be self-reliant, that his mom is no help.

half rest…

But, two years later, my daughter asked to learn the oboe too. This time, I’d decided, to NOT make troubles for myself, and just allowed my daughter to sink or swim on her own, and, I’d gotten so careless that I’d never asked how she’s doing in her oboe lessons. The kids knew I can’t read music, can hear the pitches, they’d need not fool me. It’s fine by me, saving me the time and energy, to pretend that I actually understood.

One day, I’d started talking with a classmate of mine about accompanying my children to play music, and learned, that being bad at music is not the worst that can happen. My classmate accompanied by her daughter as she played the piano too, one day, she saw how her daughter stopped right in the middle and not played anymore, she’d asked why she didn’t keep playing, the little girl answered, “Mommy, that’s a rest, I need to pause here a bit.”

a quarter rest…

To this very day, I still can’t read sheet music, but, I do, recognize the rests.

Yup, this, is many mothers’ experiences, isn’t it, sitting beside your kids as they practiced piano, and that, can be grueling, so, why did you, mommies put your kids into those classes in the first place? Oh, it’s to help them become more artistic, to gain that extra edge, or to become calmer, because music has that sort of an effect, as it takes great concentration to play a piece from top to bottom, and, this, is what you’d sacrificed for your children, to give them better things in life, isn’t it???

and an eigth rest…