In some of my former posts I mentioned that I've been learning how to play the penny whistle. Well, today I made the most shocking, horrific, terrible discovery. I don't play it right!
(Okay, so maybe it wasn't quite that bad. It just felt like it at the moment.)
You see, my little brother got a penny whistle for Christmas (he's determined to play the bagpipes and we thought penny whistle would be a good start) and he wanted me to teach him how to play. I thought, "Great! This will be so fun!" So, I checked out some beginer books from the library and sat him down for lessons. I opened up to the second page of the book and there before my eyes it said, "Cover the top three tone holes with the first three fingers of the left hand." I stopped and read it again. I'm pretty sure that my mouth dropped open. I always covered the top three holes with my right hand! Don't ask me how I got this wrong. I was dumbstruck. I managed to teach my little brother the first couple of notes, but I felt so stupid I couldn't go on. All of this time and I had been playing it with the wrong hands!
So much for learning how to play guitar this year. It looks like I will be re-learning how to play the penny whistle.
It reminds me of a scene in one of my fovorite movies, "The Ultimate Gift." The main character's Grandfather, via the TV screen (he died) basically tells him that you will have to start at the begining more than once in your life. It builds your character and it helps you succceed. I think I have an idea of how he felt. It is no fun to discover that you need to retrain your brain to do the opposite of what you've been doing. Trust me, I've seen this struggle soooo many times being a piano teacher. Honestly, I can't play any of the songs I used to be really good at any more. Ugh!
Oh well, at least I can tell my little brother that I am learning right along with him. I'm sure God has some lesson that He wants me to learn from this. I only wish I would have learned it sooner.
In Christ and for His Kingdom,
Kaila
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