“Piano Lessons with Grandma” | POEM of the week

by Jonathan Ashurst

written October 2018

My Grandma Ashurst taught me
To listen for the chords
When playing the piano,
When walking with the Lord.

Some notes sound well together;
Some chords have hints of strife.
There's lots of life in music;
There's music in each life.

Here's what my Grandma taught me,
The piano player from Wales:
Look for the bigger picture,
The story each song tells.

Be mindful of the pattern,
The sequence that unfolds;
Awareness of this framework
Will make your playing bold.

Maintain a steady rhythm
Through every changing mood;
Bring joy to all who hear you
Through each vicissitude.

Find beauty in the thickness
Of life's cacophony,
And celebrate God's goodness
In this grand symphony.

When genius comes out clunky,
Just laugh and keep your poise.
Have fun while you are playing;
Bring melody from noise.

The key to making music,
The secret to life's art,
Is more than hitting notes right:
It's playing from the heart.

"sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left"

Itzhak Perlman