Music Lessons

About one year ago, I started giving piano lessons to Sis. Marisol. At first I doubted my ability to do this because of never having taken lessons myself. I'm sure if some people heard me playing the piano, they'd snicker at the fact that I am teaching others. I am in no way, shape, or form a professional! But our church needs more musicians, people that can keep things running smoothly when we are out of town. We also need to equip people for ministry...I was pretty excited about the fact that I could possibly be preparing Marisol for a future position of "preacher's wife" (her husband is a great preacher and I would be surprised if he did not eventually become a pastor :) To motivate her, I'd tell her how cute her and her husband would look - him preaching and her playing for altar call. She'd turn all red and make some excuse about never playing in church. My response was always the same, "The only reason I'm taking the time to teach you is so one day you will take my place!!" (Or get your own church, but I didn't say that - lol.)

We are having a youth meeting in July that is going to be held in Cuautla. A couple of weeks ago Marisol's husband, Bro. Juan, was asked to preach for the day service. I was positively giddy to inform Marisol that her time had come. She's going to play for this altar call! Heh heh! Maybe this will be a sweet bonding experience for Juan and Marisol. I am no matchmaker, but I am all for strengthening marriages in any way possible - hahaha!

Sara is also one of my students. She is the girl that won the piano in the Sunday school promotion we did last trimester. She is my first student on Wednesday - she comes as soon as school ends. 

She told me that she practices at home and when she is done she puts the piano back into it's box to keep it in tip-top shape. That made me laugh!

Last week she was having trouble getting her fingers to work. We've had fun using different techniques to get her wrist and fingers to go into the correct positions. Pencils and tape work great! :D

Sara's little brother is showing an interest lately in the drums. Who knows, maybe we will have a brother-sister duo running the music in a few years... :)

If you read this blog with any frequency, you know who Ailyn is. Our curly-headed little Miss Personality of Sunday school! I started teaching Ailyn about two months ago. She is a natural! I think anyone can learn to play an instrument if they have the desire for it, but some people were just born to play. Ailyn is one of these people.

Each class, Ailyn will come in and show me a few lines of whatever new song she's been working on. Her first week of class the song she was trying to pick out was Las Mañanitas (the Mexican happy birthday song). After prayer meeting a couple weeks ago, she came up to me and said she was having trouble with one of her scales. She wasn't sure if something was wrong with her piano or if she was doing it wrong. We went up to the piano on the platform and she played the scale for me. After this, she ran through Las Mañanitas for the fun of it. There was a handful of people in the church still visiting so when she finished the song they all burst into applause, oohing and ahhing over her brilliance. I, too, was beaming, even though I couldn't take any credit - this girl is a prodigy!

Ain't she just adorable??

We all have our "look of concentration". I make funny faces while I play! Ailyn, however, has the cutest concentration face - a little smile :) Piano is a breeze for her....

I am even less of a guitar player than a piano player, but this picture goes along with the topic...

Austin is attempting to learn to play the guitar! He comes up before school each morning and practices. At this point he knows three keys - G, Em, and C. Pray for his sense of rhythm - that is something I don't know how to teach! It's something you feel!! I struggle with explaining this to Marisol as well...

Close your eyes and feeeeeeeeeeeeeel de music! Ha!

I never would have thought I would be teaching piano, but I've come to really enjoy it. I love all of my students! I hope these three little ladies (and little man) will all use their talents for the Lord when the time comes - that would make it worth every hour spent!

~Bethany~