Passing on the Music

This is a picture of me at six years old. That little piano there is probably a few months old, and I'm playing a little tune in my first grade music class. I absolutely adored that piano. I played it nearly everyday until my grandmother bought me the real thing. Then that piano sat safely underneath my real one, still treasured.

When I went off to college, got married and then moved away from home, that little piano was still sitting underneath my big piano. When I moved back to Nashville and bought a house, my big piano came with me, but the little one stayed behind.

Then the girls came along, and I started to really think about that little piano. When they got big enough to really be interested in banging on keys, I knew it was time to bring the little piano to my house.

Alas, my parents didn't love it as much since there was no one to play it. This is what it looked like when I finally rescued it--water stains on top, dust and dirt in nearly every crevice, exposed staples and nails, plus stickers that were put on around the time that picture up there was taken. This little piano needed more than just a little cleaning.

I knew I wanted it to be something special for my girls. I figured I couldn't save the finish and replacing pieces the water stained wood was pretty much out of the question. So I decided to go bold.

After lots of scrubbing, sanding, scraping, priming and painting, and painting, and a little more painting, Lillie and Dani now have a little piano to call their own.

It will not sit safely underneath the big piano, but instead beside it. I hope they play with it well and learn to love music as much as their mommy.