Falling Lessons
Part Two
You’re Classical! What were you thinking??
I allowed my inner voice to echo the phrase over and over again as I played my scales and appedgios, warming up for the preceding piano lesson.
Oh it was painful, it was painful indeed. But this was what I needed.
Apart from feeling like I was going to burst into tears any minute, which was definitely something I could do without - considering I had a recital at the end of this month to prepare for.
I still felt I had to force myself to bear the pain, otherwise I would just end up day dreaming about something which would never happen, not in a million years, which would be much more worse. I knew. It had happened before.
Stupid false hope.
“Lisa!”
I jumped, startled. It seemed like everyone was out to scare me these days.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Mr Reid, Professor of Music Performance, and my piano teacher apologised, “I was just surprised you were here so early, that’s all.”
I smiled wryly at him. Had I been slacking off? I wondered. Before, I had always been the earlier one, but I had sworn it was him who had been coming earlier, not me later.
“It’s not a bad thing!” He laughed, reassuring me, “in fact, it’s wonderful to see you so dedicated. I just wish sometimes you’d relax a little, and have other goals as well as just classical performances.”
I nodded slowly, showing that I understood what he meant. I was a little narrow minded.
So does sneaking off to see Jazz Performances count? I wanted to ask, but then thought the better of it. We didn’t have any more time to waste.
But before we could commence with the lesson, we were interrupted by a rhythmical rat-a-tat-tat knock on the door.
“I’m teaching!” Mr. Reid called back,
“It’s a promotion for Lisa!” A female voice replied. I looked at Mr Reid, completely bewildered. His expression matched mine, and I felt a sudden urge to laugh as he raised his eyebrows so high in surprise, they looked like they were going to spread out wings and fly away any second.
“Sir…” I stammered, suddenly feeling nervous again, “Did you nominate me for something else? Because I really don’t know if I can take any more pressure.”
“Actually I haven’t,” he replied. And then, turning to face the door behind us, “Come on in! Be quick!” He called.
I almost fell off my stool as the Head of Jazz straddled in with a broad smile on her face.
“Mrs James!” I exclaimed, standing up to greet her.
Not knowing how to get the conversation going, I began to try out a few phrases in my head.
There was an awkward silence as all three of us stood there, unsure of who to speak first.
Luckily, the bubblier side of Mrs James soon kicked in, and she turned to beamed at me.
“Congratulations Lisa!” She said, “I wanted to personally show my appreciation for you agreeing to help us during this crisis.”
Agreement? Crisis? Helping out?
What was she talking about? I didn’t understand…
“I don’t quite understand,” Mr Reid interrupted politely, if that was even possible, “what has she joined exactly?”
“Well, I’m offering Lisa the pianist role in our top combo of course,” Mrs James explained, turning to face Mr Reid, slightly defiant.
I shrunk back a little, afraid of what I had started. I had heard vaguely that the two professors didn’t get along, but I had never really taken the rumours seriously. Looks like I was going to get it now…
“I swear, I didn’t sign up,” I began, trying to smooth out the tension, “I just wanted to watch, I was just curious.”
Yet, instead of a fight, both professors turned to face me with broad smiles. I wasn’t sure why I found this so surprising; I mean they were two, very mature and talented professors after all…
I fell silent, wondering what they were going to say next. Would they be angry? Angry that I hadn’t really taken any of this seriously?
“I think,” Mr Reid said, facing me, “that you should go for it.”
I gasped, not having quite understood what he said.
“Yes!” he declared abruptly, “That is what we will do! It shall allow you to relax!”
I must have made one of those surprised animal noises, as they both started laughing, causing whatever tension there was before, to melt away.
“So amusing,” Mrs James commented, before turning to walk away, causing me to blush into another one of my famous shades of beetroot.
“Uhh, Mrs James?” I called, just as she reached the exit, “I really can’t improvise though,”
“Oh that’s fine,” she smiled kindly. “You know Shane right?”
I nodded, as my heart flipped at the recognition of his name.
“We’ll just get him to teach you. It’ll be fine”
SHANE??!?
“Uh… Thanks, Mrs James,” I replied weakly, “see you tomorrow night,” I said, seeing her out.
so much for staying away from him now, I thought.
Slowly, I walked back to the lesson room and sat back on the stool. I felt like I was going to faint from shock any second now.
“So anyway,” Mr Reid continued, indicating we really needed to start the lesson.
We worked hard for the next two hours, polishing my pieces for the recital, but as much as I tried to prevent it from happening, I couldn’t help but realise that my mind had never wandered so far away from a piano lesson before.
I allowed my inner voice to echo the phrase over and over again as I played my scales and appedgios, warming up for the preceding piano lesson.
Oh it was painful, it was painful indeed. But this was what I needed.
Apart from feeling like I was going to burst into tears any minute, which was definitely something I could do without - considering I had a recital at the end of this month to prepare for.
I still felt I had to force myself to bear the pain, otherwise I would just end up day dreaming about something which would never happen, not in a million years, which would be much more worse. I knew. It had happened before.
Stupid false hope.
“Lisa!”
I jumped, startled. It seemed like everyone was out to scare me these days.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Mr Reid, Professor of Music Performance, and my piano teacher apologised, “I was just surprised you were here so early, that’s all.”
I smiled wryly at him. Had I been slacking off? I wondered. Before, I had always been the earlier one, but I had sworn it was him who had been coming earlier, not me later.
“It’s not a bad thing!” He laughed, reassuring me, “in fact, it’s wonderful to see you so dedicated. I just wish sometimes you’d relax a little, and have other goals as well as just classical performances.”
I nodded slowly, showing that I understood what he meant. I was a little narrow minded.
So does sneaking off to see Jazz Performances count? I wanted to ask, but then thought the better of it. We didn’t have any more time to waste.
But before we could commence with the lesson, we were interrupted by a rhythmical rat-a-tat-tat knock on the door.
“I’m teaching!” Mr. Reid called back,
“It’s a promotion for Lisa!” A female voice replied. I looked at Mr Reid, completely bewildered. His expression matched mine, and I felt a sudden urge to laugh as he raised his eyebrows so high in surprise, they looked like they were going to spread out wings and fly away any second.
“Sir…” I stammered, suddenly feeling nervous again, “Did you nominate me for something else? Because I really don’t know if I can take any more pressure.”
“Actually I haven’t,” he replied. And then, turning to face the door behind us, “Come on in! Be quick!” He called.
I almost fell off my stool as the Head of Jazz straddled in with a broad smile on her face.
“Mrs James!” I exclaimed, standing up to greet her.
Not knowing how to get the conversation going, I began to try out a few phrases in my head.
There was an awkward silence as all three of us stood there, unsure of who to speak first.
Luckily, the bubblier side of Mrs James soon kicked in, and she turned to beamed at me.
“Congratulations Lisa!” She said, “I wanted to personally show my appreciation for you agreeing to help us during this crisis.”
Agreement? Crisis? Helping out?
What was she talking about? I didn’t understand…
“I don’t quite understand,” Mr Reid interrupted politely, if that was even possible, “what has she joined exactly?”
“Well, I’m offering Lisa the pianist role in our top combo of course,” Mrs James explained, turning to face Mr Reid, slightly defiant.
I shrunk back a little, afraid of what I had started. I had heard vaguely that the two professors didn’t get along, but I had never really taken the rumours seriously. Looks like I was going to get it now…
“I swear, I didn’t sign up,” I began, trying to smooth out the tension, “I just wanted to watch, I was just curious.”
Yet, instead of a fight, both professors turned to face me with broad smiles. I wasn’t sure why I found this so surprising; I mean they were two, very mature and talented professors after all…
I fell silent, wondering what they were going to say next. Would they be angry? Angry that I hadn’t really taken any of this seriously?
“I think,” Mr Reid said, facing me, “that you should go for it.”
I gasped, not having quite understood what he said.
“Yes!” he declared abruptly, “That is what we will do! It shall allow you to relax!”
I must have made one of those surprised animal noises, as they both started laughing, causing whatever tension there was before, to melt away.
“So amusing,” Mrs James commented, before turning to walk away, causing me to blush into another one of my famous shades of beetroot.
“Uhh, Mrs James?” I called, just as she reached the exit, “I really can’t improvise though,”
“Oh that’s fine,” she smiled kindly. “You know Shane right?”
I nodded, as my heart flipped at the recognition of his name.
“We’ll just get him to teach you. It’ll be fine”
SHANE??!?
“Uh… Thanks, Mrs James,” I replied weakly, “see you tomorrow night,” I said, seeing her out.
so much for staying away from him now, I thought.
Slowly, I walked back to the lesson room and sat back on the stool. I felt like I was going to faint from shock any second now.
“So anyway,” Mr Reid continued, indicating we really needed to start the lesson.
We worked hard for the next two hours, polishing my pieces for the recital, but as much as I tried to prevent it from happening, I couldn’t help but realise that my mind had never wandered so far away from a piano lesson before.