The prompt picture for Sepia Saturday 566 is of a "living room with grand piano". This made me go looking for pianos in my own childhood photo albums. I can't recall any "grand" pianos from back then, but I know there was a piano in my maternal grandparents' living room. It was an upright black one, and I remember it well, but I don't seem to have any photo of it. In my other grandparents' living room (which was smaller), there was a small pump organ (harmonium). I have no photo evidence of that either - the images of it are only stored in my brain. And who used to play it (besides me, at a very young age) I don't know. I don't think I ever saw my grandmother or grandfather use it, and I can't recall ever seeing my father play either.
The only piano photo I find in my album from my early years is from my father's uncle's living room, Christmas 1957. This is me, 16 months old, playing a duet together with my mum, and then a solo performance. (Be thankful that there is no sound!)
When I was around ten, we moved to a bigger house, and then my parents also bought their own piano. Mum did play a bit (as can be seen above). I took (was forced to take) piano lessons for a while (grade 4-6), but I never had any natural talent for it. My brother did inherit the musical gene, though. Below is a blurry photo of him at the family piano, about six years old at the time. Unlike me, he kept on playing; switching to electronic keyboards up in his teens, and combining that with various intricate computer programs to produce all kinds of sounds. (Put me at a piano now, and I'm no better than at age 1½ ...)
Such great family photos! My family also had an upright piano, which ended up walled in at the end of our basement when my dad built our rec room. My music teacher mom had all of us kids try piano lessons -- and I got as far as being able to play "Moon River" before I gave it up for guitar. Glad your brother went on with his piano playing. There's never any telling who will get a family's musical gene! https://mollyscanopy.com/2021/04/line-dancing-and-long-distance-friendships-atozchallenge/
ReplyDeleteThanks. I tried a bit of guitar too, in my 20s, but I just don't have that musical ear. I like listening but I can't "re-create"!
DeleteOh my goodness, these are ddorable. Standing up, your little hands barely reach the keyboard. I would have guessed that Per liked piano.
ReplyDeleteYou as a toddler in that pretty little dress are so sweet, and all focused on the thing that makes a sound when you press it with your tiny hands!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as my sister was able to write (at around 5), she put "Klavier" at the top of every year's Christmas wish list. It took about 10 years for that wish to come true, when my parents managed to get hold of a cheap, old upright piano from somewhere - I don't really know where and how.
We both had lessons from when we were around 15 until leaving school and starting work at 18. We still love piano music, and when one of our great-aunts died, my sister inherited her grand piano - last but not least because her living room is the only one large enough to hold the grand piano AND leaving enough room for a sofa, TV and so on!
She (my sister) took up piano lessons again a few years ago. I wish I had her determination; most of what I ever learned is long forgotten.
Meike, wow, a grand piano really would require a big room. I don't think I've ever seen one of those in a private home.
DeleteMy paternal grandmother played the piano and gave me and my siblings piano lessons. I still play, but mostly by ear. When I was having my lessons with Grandma, I would ask her to play new pieces for me so I could hear how they went and she'd oblige, not realizing I was watching her hands and memorizing the tune. I'd then sit down and play the new piece rather except I wasn't really looking at the music, and she'd be pleased, not understanding what I was doing . . . that is until after a couple of years when the new music got harder to memorize and she finally figured out my 'game'. I don't remember taking lessons too much longer after that. I did learn to read music though. Even if I couldn't just sit down, look at a piece of music, and play it right off, I could read it and eventually play it BUT committed to memory. Oh well. I can still play and often make up my own compositions.
ReplyDeleteLaN, if I'm no good at reading music, I'm totally at loss when it comes to playing by ear...
DeleteUnfortunately, like you, playing the piano is not my forté. Mum did play and we also had an harmonium in addition to a piano.
ReplyDeleteGraham, I guess we have to be grateful for all the ways of just listening to lots of beautiful music these days without need to be able to play oneself...
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