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When I was a child, it was rough, I'm not going to lie. During the hardest times of my childhood, there was always one thing I loved that I could count on, and that was my piano lessons, and my piano. Sometimes I'd practice for hours, just to blow off whatever all was going on. Well, there was a fire that burned down my piano, and left me feeling pretty numb, when I was 3 years into playing, still a child. So, I gradually decreased and stopped the lessons. It kind of killed it for me, unfortunately. I'm wishing today, that I hadn't quit, because due to the arthritis, etc., of old age, and disc/back problems, I could probably no longer play now.

I lost contact with my piano teacher 36 years ago, when I left California for this place. A lot has happened since then, but there was one thing that was always instilled in me during the time of my piano lessons, something very important that I was taught by a very young teacher at the time (she was only 20!); that being the value of music. Yes, even though it's something that may not make us money, or may not be something that we can feasibly do, but it has value in that it comforts us, brings us joy, and expresses the nuances of life so well. A seed had been planted, one that grew regardless of whether I was playing or not.

Some years later, after leaving California, in fact, many years later, I began looking over those times when I was taking those lessons, and began missing being able to play. I also started longing for that kinship that one shares with their music teacher, in this case, as I mentioned, the piano.

There is also, believe it or not, some intrinsic value in social media. Due to my own involvement with it, when I began longing for those old days again when I used to play, I typed in my old piano teacher's name initially into a google search. Later on after that, I typed her name into a Facebook search.

The intrinsic value in social media? Being reunited with lost friends, relatives, and others.

I found my piano teacher, and I'd like to introduce her to you. Meet World-renowned Susan Svrcek, whom I am so glad to have found... seeing the contribution that she's made to the world since she was teaching me, with her wonderful gift of both teaching and playing, has been well more than awesome. At the time, I felt rather intimidated, at first, because I never made it to any status with playing. However, Susan is every bit the human being that she is teacher and piano player. She said that she mentioned to her mother (her mother and father both would be there in the house while she was teaching me; they were old friends of the family), and she remembers me. Quite a surprise there.

And now you know why I love music so much...

Wow so you are almost a star then! Great stuff that. I had piano lessons for 7 years and I pretty much hated it because my parents "forced" me
I was listening to Slade and T-rex and had to play menuets from Mozart all the time. The hippest material were the Wiener Waltzes with Johann Strauss jr.

Yes it is arranged for piano only.

And the icing of the cake - the Sting!


Imagine the cultural shock according to my preferences:

And even worse:

Oh yeah, this is where I appreciate Susan - she also taught me quite a bit of Mozart. She's probably horrified at a lot of the stuff I spam my FB with Yet she seems to be quite tolerant of it.

The thing is, though, you got the exposure, and that's the great thing about it, whatever one plays, it should be a joy to play. The real arts have become lost in this "society" we've created, unfortunately, so consider yourself fortunate to have had parents who saw them, and therefore passed them along to you, even if by force. I took piano lessons after they were merely suggested to me; it was my own decision to do or not. Since I chose to, my grandmother paid for my lessons for me.

Yes later on there have been occasions where it has been handy to be able to play a little. (I still think those Menuets are a disaster though)
But i guess they were less complicated than Grieg:

I did mostly easy stuff like this:

Chopin's frikking GREAT stuff to play, and not really all as easy as he looks.

Yes I am fascinated by Chopin. I have been to the Church in Warsaw where his heart is buried. His Body is buried in Paris.
He described it himself in his testament.
His mother was Polish and his father was French.
And there is nothing easy about Chopin - That stuff brakes my fingers after 10 notes - I was joking.

Oh yeah, and it will, too.

Most think that Mozart is the most difficult to play (he sounds easy but when actually playing is quite difficult). He ain't got nothin' on Chopin.

As an addendum, Earle Voorhies was Susan's teacher, from the time she was a little girl, I'm imagining for as long as Earle could play. One never, no matter how good they get, goes without a piano teacher any more. Susan was well into her career as a piano player, and still taking lessons. She was still taking lessons from Earle when she was teaching me. The instructor instructs the instructor, and on it goes. I think I met him maybe once or twice.

One can probably learn a lot more about him through this google search.