An exciting new addition to our family

No, it's not what you're thinking. Geez, folks, Daniel's only 5 months old. Give me some time here!

But it IS the next best thing. After a bachelor's, two masters' and 2/3 of a doctorate in music, I finally finally own a piano! My new baby is a beautiful walnut Yamaha that was built in 1968 and was delivered to my house at 1:00pm while my other baby was sleeping. Pictures to come later.

I'm not sure if you understand just how much easier my life will be, now that I can practice at home. No more scrounging for quarters to feed the hungry, hungry parking meters on campus and setting Daniel in his car seat down on a dirty floor in a practice room with mold and gum and that unidentified gooey stuff on the walls. No more driving to the church whose music director kindly allowed me to practice there (because the parking is not an issue like it is in downtown Madison) and spending the whole time playing with a baby who refuses to entertain himself. No more fretting on the weekends that "if only I had a piano here," I could get some work done while Stuart is home to watch the baby (because if Stuart's home, I have no desire to commute all the way to campus just to practice).

This also means that come the fall semester, I can work almost exclusively from home and I'll only have to commute to campus for a weekly lesson and masterclass, plus some rehearsals (but, I would suspect, not all). Even if I have to hire a babysitter to be here while I work, I can still be at home. I am so happy about all of this.

Daniel has already napped through one practice session, so I am optimistic that the noise won't be an issue. If it is, he's simply going to have to get used to it. Besides, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of sibling rivalry, is there? I imagine that he'll soon learn to get along with the piano and even learn to play it one day.

Comments

Becca said…
That is so awesome! Fantastic news.
Pam said…
I am SO happy for you!! Does this mean you can even TEACH at home, too? Yay for you!! I grew up in a house where my parents were always practicing and teaching music lessons and I never thought anything of it. I guess normal is what you know!
ann said…
That's such exciting news! Congratulations! And what a great excuse for not blogging earlier in the day.

I had a sister who practiced piano at home, and I have very happy memories of that (though I'm sure I nagged her about wanting to watch Punky Brewster, or something). We even had a Barbie graduation ceremony on the piano once (at least once), complete with robes, if I remember correctly. So, you'll be able to provide background music for play time. You could even give him his own theme music, like superheros have, for every time he enters a room (when he's able to do that by himself). You could make a Stu theme song, too.

I want one.
Suze said…
i love the idea of theme songs for every member of my family. and if daniel chooses to play with barbies and have a graduation ceremony for them, so be it. i can play pomp and circumstance.

pam, i don't plan to teach here. the house just isn't set up very well (read: too small) for that and i'm happy with going to the one posh house in my students' neighborhood. but i'm hoping to have some rehearsals here for my next recital.
That's WONDERFUL! Congrats. And the theme song idea is totally cool!
Becca said…
I rememer once when Lydia was over to my house--I think I had a sleepover with some friends, and we were in the middle room. Mandi was reading aloud dramatically from one of Mom's many romance books, and Lydia was playing my grandmother's old eletric organ as Mandi read. Right when Mandi got to the, uh, climax, of the section, Lydia broke out with "The Entertainer".

I still hear that in my head sometimes, if I'm reading a book and two characters get together.
Ha! That's sooooo funny. Now I'll be thinking of that, too!

Oh, and I was up until 1:30 a.m. reading HBP. See what you made me do, Suze?

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