Matthew Monday: First Piano Recital

Ever since Matthew could pick things up and play with musical toys, I seemed to see musical talent in him.  He always seemed to love to sing.  I gave him musical toys which he seemed to enjoy making coordinated sounds.  I gave him my harmonica, which he seemed make songs with.  I gave him a recorder, and though he hasn’t learned the notes yet, he seems to play like he knows what he’s doing.  I bought him a ukulele from a yard sale, and he loves strumming it.  Of course I got him a key board and we tried learning on our own, but that’s rather difficult, mostly because I can’t play.  However, he loved to make believe he was a pianist and playing concerts for me.  With all that I was intent to get him into a music class.

I finally found a music lesson place for children, a class where children and parents interact as the child learns.  It’s at the local JCC, but the unfortunate thing was that a beginner’s class ran after school when I was at work.  There was one that I could just make but it was for a stage above beginners, and they allowed Matthew to join since he seemed to be bright.

After six months, the children had a mini recital.  Besides singing and dancing for the guests, they had to play a song on the piano.  Here is Matthew playing a song out of his music book called “Dinosaur Dreams.”  The woman is Leah (I don’t know her last name) his music teacher, who I have to say is remarkable in her patience with the children.

The thing of it is that he played it flawlessly at home earlier that afternoon.  Still considering he’s playing with both hands and shifting chords, it’s not bad for just six months of lessons.