When my eldest was in kindergarten, my sister-in-law sent my nephew to Yamaha toddler class. After I went to audit the class as a prospective parent, I took Kenneth to a free session. He was totally not interested.
Like a deflated balloon, I never thought of sending any of my brood to any musical activity until Elizabeth hit three years old. At three years nine months, she talked incessantly about going to school like her idol, Kenneth. We methodically visited two kindergartens, she decided on Canning Garden Methodist Kindergarten. The very first week of class, we walked past a Yamaha Music School. We heard piano music from the shop lot. Elizabeth stopped mid-step, refused to walk on and demanded that I get her "the black thing". It took me a while to realized she meant a piano.
I was then in a quandary. What if I spent a few thousands purchasing a piano but she loses interest after a year or two. One reason for this concern is we are a one-income family, money was never in abundance. Secondly we were still living in a rental house, there is not much point accumulating items. I must have shared the thought and concern in fellowship group. My Group leader's wife suggested that I approach her niece who would be in town for three months to teach Elizabeth music. If the teacher recommends continuing lessons with a permanent replacement, then perhaps I could risk buying a second hand piano.
It's difficult to forget the image of Elizabeth's first music lesson, she was actually sitting on the teacher's lap. Otherwise she would be too short to reach the piano. To summarise her journey through ten years of learning music: she did not sit for any test, neither did she spend anytime learning music theory. She did everything by listening and finger pattern recognition. In her brain there must be compartment specially prepared for this very purpose.
Today, she is in her late twenties. She plays the keyboard in the church music team. She back up sings too. During her Upper Six year she saved up money for voice lessons. She leads worship on Saturdays. If she could voice sing a song, she could accompany the song on piano, keyboard or guitar. I certainly could not figure out how she does it, since I can't even carry a tune in the correct key. God certainly knows how to send different individuals along to help Elizabeth develop her God-given gift.
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