A Memorable Lesson

Amusing things that happen at lessons and recitals

Sometimes our students do or say things that are just too funny or memorable not to share!   Often they will tell us things about their parents or families that I’m sure they wouldn’t want to be a topic of conversation -- if only they knew!

One of my students (a 6 year old girl) came to her piano lesson very distraught.  I asked her what was wrong and if she needed my help with anything.  She immediately began to cry very hard and told me that her mother left them!   She said that now she had to live with her older brother.   I replied that I was sure their mother didn’t really leave for very long but the little girl insisted that she was “gone forever and went very far away.”   Generally she had wonderful lessons and was a very happy child. 

Since my studio is in a school, after trying to reassure her, I walked her to the guidance counselor.  After talking with both of them for awhile; I went to my next student.   The counselor worked on getting her more settled down and then took her back to her classroom.  After trying but failing to reach her parents, they set in motion an investigation of the situation.  

A couple of days later, we found out that her mother went to another son’s graduation from basic training in the Army.   It was in another state and she was staying for the weekend, hence the “far away and for a long time” comment from the little girl.  We were so relieved when we found out the truth.  This poor little one felt like she was deserted!  If only we had known the whole story right away, we could have been much more helpful to her.   She had me, the counselor, and her teacher feeling so bad for her and really coddling her for a couple of days! 

This little girl is now an adult with children of her own, and we have a good laugh about it now.  Some of what we hear from our little students is preciously exaggerated but also very real to them!