The photo of the guys jamming it up outside the Mount Royal Metro brought back memories
of how I tried to infuse fun into the piano lessons I was giving little children..
I started teaching piano at the age of 12.
That's when I started taking piano lessons with a renown Montreal teacher.
And I needed the money to pay for her lessons - at that time the impossible sum of $5,00 an hour!
So i started stopping little children on the street and asked them, "Do you want to take piano lessons?"
Those that were interested ran to their mother and pleaded, "Please mom, can I, can I!"
At $.50 cents an hour, how could the mother refuse!
One day, rummaging through music at the now defunct International Music Store on St. Catharine St.,
I found a piano book for young children which combined the story of Beethoven on one side in large font.
And the old war horse - Fur Elise - on the page facing.
(Is there one piano pupil in the world that hasn't played Fur Elise! )
I bought copies for my pupils and said,
"Why don't you read the story, learn the piece, and then act it out at our annual recital."
The "play" written and acted by two of my pupils was memorable.
It went something like this:
Beethoven opened the door of his home. ..
Despondent.
His wife was sweeping the floor.
(Beethoven never had a wife but what does accuracy matter when you're creating great art!)
She looked up, saw how sad Beethoven was, and got alarmed.
"Darling, what's the matter."
Beethoven replied, in a voice that was barely audible,
"I'm growing deaf!"
His wife began screaming, stricken with terror.
"What will we do for a living!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Beethoven pulled himself up to his full 4 foot 3 inches height.
And in his best cowboy accent said, "I reckon I can compose!"
"Beethoven" swept to the piano, sat down, and triumphantly composed.............FUR ELISE!"
A professional writer and director couldn't have written a more original script directed with such flair.
Beethoven never had a wife! But what did that matter. Great writing is great writing, with or without historical accuracy!
could the mother refuse!
