Flashback Friday

Saturday, when we were at Tina's celebrating Mac's birthday, Baxter was sitting at the piano playing.  It brought back memories of me when I was younger.

I started piano lessons when I was 8 years old.  My teacher's name was Mrs. Shrock.  She had taught my Aunt Eva voice lessons and I think violin.  Mrs. Shrock also took lessons from my Great-grandmother Blake.

When I started my lessons she didn't have a studio so I took my lessons in a room upstairs in her house, but she had a grand piano that I took on.  Then later in her basement she had a studio built and she had a grand piano there and a regular piano off to the side.  When we would play duets she would play on the regular piano and I would play on the grand piano.

In the spring all her students played in what Mrs. Shrock called an ensemble.  It was in the top of the Hotel Sacajawea ( which now has been torn down), and we played in our age groups.  First we would play our solos on the grand piano that was on top the platform.  That was quite the walk, across the floor and then up the stairs to the piano.  Then after our group would perform our solos we would then play a four piano quartet.  The last piece I played was "Swaying Daffodils"and the quartet was "Tales from the Vienna Woods".

Now I'm taking lessons from my daughter Tina and I get to play a grand piano again.  It is so much fun. I'm learning so much from her and I'm enjoying playing the piano again.