Pianist

When one of the Laura girls discovered that I played piano, she wasted no time in asking me to teach her. I was more than happy to agree. I couldn’t help but wonder what I would do if all the girls wanted to learn…how would I manage to teach them all! At the same time, I would feel horrible turning anyone down. The Sisters come up against this dilemma daily in the choices they make to serve the poor.

I asked Sr. Dory if I could use the piano to teach and she immediately took charge. She told me where the keyboards were kept, which girls I would teach and at what time. With the details arranged, we were ready to begin.

A challenge I had not fully foreseen was the language barrier. Not only was I trying to explain new concepts to the girls, but I was doing so in another language. While they all knew English to some degree, it definitely necessitated some added creativity. The girl’s eagerness to learn was catching. I soon discovered how deeply words of praise and encouragement affected them, which they fully deserved.

Many of the girls are very close to me in age, yet to them I am “Teacher”. During the first lesson, I kept thinking what a privilege I had to study piano growing up, let alone attend college. These opportunities now place me in the position of teacher to girls of my own age.
One of my students, Bory, is learning in leaps and bounds! She is excelling way beyond her classmates, even though she speaks very little English. She has nearly finished her first piano book within just a week. I can’t wait to see how far she progresses by the end of the year! She hopes to one day be a famous pianist. While I encouraged her, I couldn’t help but think how it would be next to impossible for her to achieve this dream. As Sr. Ophriini reminded me yesterday, I am here primarily to teach English; a life-skill that will benefit the girls in finding jobs and earning a living. Despite that, I plan to make time to continue these piano lessons. Music is so enriching. Who know, despite all odds, perhaps Bory will become a famous pianist one day. And besides, I discovered I really enjoy teaching piano!