After a hiatus from piano lessons due to scheduling conflicts, the kiddos finally had a lesson. Trish took a little longer with them this time due to the long break. Afterwards she pulled me aside to apologize for being a little tough/stern with them. Trish is a delightful, easy going tempered woman who is wonderful with children. Being stern is a bit difficult with her, but she does it when she needs.
Trish proceeded to tell me how smart and gifted the children are and she did not fully understand it until today. Before she had always remarked how the children are doing so well because they practice. She knew Isabella's delight in repeating from ear songs she has heard only asking Trish for a correction to a note she can not figure out. Anton's ear is so sensitive that he will play a piece 20 times in a row to fix a mistake because it aggravates him when it sounds off. This is why I have not totally packed away the keyboard because the three keys that need tweaking cause frustrated grimaces in his expression when he has to use them.
But this time Trish went further in her explanation. She said on a whim she gave Isabella a new piece to test her sight reading. Now she did not give her a super hard one but it did entail the use of both hands and several chords. Apparently Isabella played it almost perfect. Trish said this told her how good Isabella is but she hides it with her desires to "do it her way". I gave her an empathetic chuckle because this sums up my major battles with our darling precocious child. She is too smart for her own good and finds things boring too easily. She tries to compensate for "doing it her way" by making it more challenging. For example, Trish gave her a book of finger exercises to strengthen her fingers and train them for being able to hit multiple chords. Isabella looked right at Trish and in a matter of fact but not really rude way informed Trish she did not like them and wanted to do this instead. Then she proceeded to run her fingers across the piano in a pattern she made up. OH the battle of wills with that child!!!
Trish chuckled with me and told me to be ready for her to push the children harder since she is seeing how good they are becoming and at such a young age. Trish's goal has always been to find a replacement for her at church and told Isabella when she can play the piano, they way Trish does, she can play at church. Isabella has not forgotten.
