Lessons learned

I took N to his piano lesson again last week.  I hadn't anticipated this - when I took him the week before, I thought it was a one time occurrence.  Even though I had paid attention during the lesson and taken copious notes, once we got home I left the practicing up to N and his mom.  Deep down, I knew I probably should have sat with him when he practiced, making sure to remind him of anything his teacher had mentioned during the lesson.

Instead, I let it slide.  N missed a day here and there and would have missed them all if not for my wife.  I heard him occasionally playing from the other room.  The tune sounded vaguely familiar - close enough, I reasoned.  On Thursday morning, I learned that my wife had another obligation in the afternoon and that I'd be doing piano duty.

As a child, I remember countless saxophone lessons where I hadn't adequately practiced.  I remember struggling through a lesson and then assuring my teacher that, indeed, I had practiced.  Every day.  Well, almost every day...or maybe just most days...okay, maybe only once, last night.  I hated that feeling.  I knew before I started playing that I was going to sound about the same as I had the week before, or maybe worse.  I knew my teacher would know it as soon as the first squeaky notes blurted out.  I left each lesson resolved to do better in the upcoming week.  I would practice each and every day.  Except today, of course.  I mean, I just had a lesson, doesn't that count for practicing?  By the next day, my resolve had waned and I was back in my old pattern.

As N sat down at the piano, I recalled all these old feelings from my past.  In my mind, he hadn't been practicing because I hadn't really been paying attention to it.  I wasn't sure how he would do, but I was nervous nonetheless.  When I was young, I had always felt the burden and shame of not practicing were mine alone to bear.  With my son I was learning that some of the responsibility falls on the parents.

As the lesson progressed, N did a fine job.  He earned a number of stickers for having mastered certain pieces.  We left with a new set of exercises and a sense of accomplishment.  He was happy, I was relieved.  Over the weekend, I sat with him as he practiced and reminded him of the things his teacher had mentioned to work on.  I may not be at his next lesson, but I still want him to be prepared.