Do you remember that song? It's the theme song for the Man of La Mancha. If you don't, it's because it's from a musical based on the book Don Quixote. I was thinking about that song today. It was my mom's favorite song.
I remember when I was six years old, my mom asked me if I would like to play the piano. Of course I did. I grew up in the 60's, watching Ed Sullivan as brought musicians like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, and the Beatles on TV. What a dream, to be able to play the piano like them. I dreamt of running through the black and white keys, pounding Rock n' Roll, playing with my feet, then jumping on top of a Grand Piano to finish my piece.
Needless to say, it was dream. My mom bought my piano when I was eight years old, hired a piano teacher, and I got stuck with classical music. Good old Mrs. Colley was our neighborhood piano teacher. Diligently learning the notes on flash cards, playing to likes of Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, learning the counts, the language, and Mrs. Colley implored the reason why classical was here to stay. Rock N Roll would never survive, it was just a fad.
As I write this, I'm thinking it's the 21st century, the Rock n' Roll greats, Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis phooey... their music not only wasn't a fad, we still dance to their tunes.
Every week my mom would stop by the piano store to make installments on my brand new Estey. Mrs. Colley ever loyal would be at my door on Wednesdays after school, to teach me piano lessons. Even our piano tuner insisted that classical music was more important than Rock n' Roll.
I couldn't stand playing classical music. Mrs. Colley would teach me musical notes, and chords, put the ticker on, advise me to practice every day for an hour. I did. However, during my weekly lessons I would run through musical pieces so fast, it drove Mrs. Colley crazy. I spent many sessions with lectures and disciplinary drills. It was clear, I disliked those lessons. The more I played classical, the more I retreated inwardly. It just wasn't fun. I remember a time, when she tried to pacify me by giving me a few musical pieces that were not classical. I have to laugh as they were songs like "Oh what a beautiful morning" dating 1930's. They just were not Rock n' Roll. I was not dancing on the piano.
My mom would sneak and take me to the music store to buy sheets. I would choose Stevie Wonder, Harry Belafonte, Santana. Then, my mom found "The Impossible Dream!"
Impossible Dream is NOT Rock n' Roll. However, it was whole lot better than my weekly session of sitting up straight, and working the scales with Mrs. Colley playing the twinkle toe beat of C-Major with Mozart.
On top of everything, I honestly didn't like being in front of the public. I know, I know...same kid who wanted to dance on a piano. I wouldn't even raise my hand in a classroom, let alone perform in public. There were times though, I did play for friends and family. It was my mom's dream for me to play piano, and a few other stage worthy performances. Makes me wonder, if Mrs. Colley would have let me have my way, would I have broken my bashfulness? Could she have negotiated a little Rock n' Roll for me, encouraged my fantasy, and then got what she wanted?
I never did a piano recital for Mrs. Colley, even though I went to a few of her events. I witnessed some of her best students who played classical musical splendidly. As for myself, I played for her many years, quietly, hunched over the keys sometimes, waiting for the lecture to be over. Thus my frustration of playing classical music and my desire to be "Rock n' Roll." I purposely delayed a very easy Sonata. Thoughts of me walking to the piano, bowing to the audience, and sitting on the bench erect, and beginning to rigidly play, flowing back and forth....sort of.... freaked me out.
However, there was my mom, and that darn sheet of music she picked at the store, "The Impossible Dream." It really wasn't a problem to perform for her, somehow even though I didn't like my music lessons. My mom made it fun. She brought my friends over and we would play duets, share pieces of music we had in common. I had one friend who played the harp, violin and the piano. There were times we played holiday Christmas songs in the middle of summer. The classical music vs Rock n' Roll dilemma disappeared during those times.
"The Impossible Dream" was at mom's beck and call for many years. I can still hear my mom's voice from the kitchen telling me to play her song. There were times when she stood by the piano as I was doing my drills, and tell me to play her song. My best friends would come over and she would tell me to play her song. The list goes on how many times I played the "Impossible Dream." As I would play the song, she would sing with pride the verses as such:
I remember when I was six years old, my mom asked me if I would like to play the piano. Of course I did. I grew up in the 60's, watching Ed Sullivan as brought musicians like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, and the Beatles on TV. What a dream, to be able to play the piano like them. I dreamt of running through the black and white keys, pounding Rock n' Roll, playing with my feet, then jumping on top of a Grand Piano to finish my piece.
Needless to say, it was dream. My mom bought my piano when I was eight years old, hired a piano teacher, and I got stuck with classical music. Good old Mrs. Colley was our neighborhood piano teacher. Diligently learning the notes on flash cards, playing to likes of Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, learning the counts, the language, and Mrs. Colley implored the reason why classical was here to stay. Rock N Roll would never survive, it was just a fad.
As I write this, I'm thinking it's the 21st century, the Rock n' Roll greats, Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis phooey... their music not only wasn't a fad, we still dance to their tunes.
Every week my mom would stop by the piano store to make installments on my brand new Estey. Mrs. Colley ever loyal would be at my door on Wednesdays after school, to teach me piano lessons. Even our piano tuner insisted that classical music was more important than Rock n' Roll.
I couldn't stand playing classical music. Mrs. Colley would teach me musical notes, and chords, put the ticker on, advise me to practice every day for an hour. I did. However, during my weekly lessons I would run through musical pieces so fast, it drove Mrs. Colley crazy. I spent many sessions with lectures and disciplinary drills. It was clear, I disliked those lessons. The more I played classical, the more I retreated inwardly. It just wasn't fun. I remember a time, when she tried to pacify me by giving me a few musical pieces that were not classical. I have to laugh as they were songs like "Oh what a beautiful morning" dating 1930's. They just were not Rock n' Roll. I was not dancing on the piano.
My mom would sneak and take me to the music store to buy sheets. I would choose Stevie Wonder, Harry Belafonte, Santana. Then, my mom found "The Impossible Dream!"
Impossible Dream is NOT Rock n' Roll. However, it was whole lot better than my weekly session of sitting up straight, and working the scales with Mrs. Colley playing the twinkle toe beat of C-Major with Mozart.
On top of everything, I honestly didn't like being in front of the public. I know, I know...same kid who wanted to dance on a piano. I wouldn't even raise my hand in a classroom, let alone perform in public. There were times though, I did play for friends and family. It was my mom's dream for me to play piano, and a few other stage worthy performances. Makes me wonder, if Mrs. Colley would have let me have my way, would I have broken my bashfulness? Could she have negotiated a little Rock n' Roll for me, encouraged my fantasy, and then got what she wanted?
I never did a piano recital for Mrs. Colley, even though I went to a few of her events. I witnessed some of her best students who played classical musical splendidly. As for myself, I played for her many years, quietly, hunched over the keys sometimes, waiting for the lecture to be over. Thus my frustration of playing classical music and my desire to be "Rock n' Roll." I purposely delayed a very easy Sonata. Thoughts of me walking to the piano, bowing to the audience, and sitting on the bench erect, and beginning to rigidly play, flowing back and forth....sort of.... freaked me out.
However, there was my mom, and that darn sheet of music she picked at the store, "The Impossible Dream." It really wasn't a problem to perform for her, somehow even though I didn't like my music lessons. My mom made it fun. She brought my friends over and we would play duets, share pieces of music we had in common. I had one friend who played the harp, violin and the piano. There were times we played holiday Christmas songs in the middle of summer. The classical music vs Rock n' Roll dilemma disappeared during those times.
"The Impossible Dream" was at mom's beck and call for many years. I can still hear my mom's voice from the kitchen telling me to play her song. There were times when she stood by the piano as I was doing my drills, and tell me to play her song. My best friends would come over and she would tell me to play her song. The list goes on how many times I played the "Impossible Dream." As I would play the song, she would sing with pride the verses as such:
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or cause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or cause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest
To be honest, it is probably the only song I truly perfected shorter than six months.
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest
To be honest, it is probably the only song I truly perfected shorter than six months.
And so came the day, when my 10 year old little heart wanted to try out for baseball. My mom wanted me home earlier as Mrs. Colley was coming at 3:00 p.m. instead of her usual later time. I forgot. I was playing right field, waiting for the ball to come my way. I went up to bat, and didn't know how to hit the ball, but I was with the girl athletes at my school. I was part of a team, and I was excited. They were yelling at me to just hit the ball, I floundered, but it didn't matter. I was having fun. Afterwards, I mosied my way back with glee, hopes of now becoming a baseball player.
Mrs. Colley was at the house when I finally got home. I remember that poor lady's scowl. My mom was livid. Mrs. Colley grumbled the importance of classical music versus sports. I am holding my five dollar baseball glove that I bought with my allowance. That was a long lecture.
I didn't make the team. I was a nerd. I went back to playing classical music and "The Impossible Dream." My mom at every opportunity requested I play for our guests and her. I can still feel and hear her voice still. I went back to my piano corner. Dutifully, I continued my lessons. I really did not like playing classical. Oh how I wanted to be a female "Little Richard" that can play the keys with even my feet. Needless to say I play classical very well.
Then again, the dreaded recital, Mrs. Colley was finally confident that I was ready to play. I remember our final struggle. She was setting the date, and it was the one and only time I talked back to Mrs. Colley. "I am not playing piano for the recital."
I still have my piano. For sentimental reasons, I can't part with it. My mom made small payments every week until it was paid in full. It will be passed down to my son, who was born a natural entertainer. He has no problem at all pleasing an audience. It's a rare moment, I touch those black and white keys. Instead, I buy a ticket to see "Prince" who ended up doing what I always thought a piano was for, dancing on top of a "Baby Grand."
I am no longer painfully shy to stand up in front of the audience.... there are times I rather not be forefront or noticed. Then again, I don't have a piano recital to worry about either...
Then again, the dreaded recital, Mrs. Colley was finally confident that I was ready to play. I remember our final struggle. She was setting the date, and it was the one and only time I talked back to Mrs. Colley. "I am not playing piano for the recital."
I still have my piano. For sentimental reasons, I can't part with it. My mom made small payments every week until it was paid in full. It will be passed down to my son, who was born a natural entertainer. He has no problem at all pleasing an audience. It's a rare moment, I touch those black and white keys. Instead, I buy a ticket to see "Prince" who ended up doing what I always thought a piano was for, dancing on top of a "Baby Grand."
I am no longer painfully shy to stand up in front of the audience.... there are times I rather not be forefront or noticed. Then again, I don't have a piano recital to worry about either...
Dedicated to Mark.... who preserves memories.
Juliet Vercelli is a travel professional who specializes in "Celebrations in a destination" or Milestone Events. She believes just as much as you create joy in your memories it is important to remember the ones that brought lessons.
Make memories this season and preserve them. Create a Legacy Video.
To learn more about how to do a Legacy Video and help the Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay
visit www.melmedia.net
Want to create a new memory in a special destination? visit www. byebyebirdees.com for more information
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