“But I'll have to ask you to wait a long time, Anne," said Gilbert sadly. "It will be three years before I'll finish my medical course. And even then there will be no diamond sunbursts and marble halls."

Anne laughed.

"I don't want sunbursts and marble halls. I just want YOU. You see I'm quite as shameless as Phil about it. Sunbursts and marble halls may be all very well, but there is more `scope for imagination' without them. And as for the waiting, that doesn't matter. We'll just be happy, waiting and working for each other -- and dreaming. Oh, dreams will be very sweet now."

Gilbert drew her close to him and kissed her. Then they walked home together in the dusk, crowned king and queen in the bridal realm of love, along winding paths fringed with the sweetest flowers that ever bloomed, and over haunted meadows where winds of hope and memory blew.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

As a piano teacher I often get asked,
"What age do you teach?",
"How old does my child have to be to get started?",
"How young is too young?"
and other questions along those lines. 


​
Here's an article I wanted to share with you who are wondering
about getting your children started on piano lessons.
8 SIGNS THAT YOUR CHILD IS READY FOR PIANO LESSONS

This list is a helpful tool and not a checklist. Each child is unique.
We offer a FREE consultation here at BethanyStudios.com
for those interested in taking harp and/or piano lessons.
Adult students are welcome.

How old were you when you started piano lessons? ​
I was nine years old.

​'There's a first for everything' and I experienced not one, but two this past weekend!

​"This is the first time I've seen a real live harp!", "I've never heard someone play the harp in real life," are comments I hear almost every time I play the harp in public. 
I enjoy hearing which tune is a favorite, which song gets the loudest applause, and watching to see which selection is recorded. 

It was an absolutely gorgeous day last Saturday and perfect for a stroll downtown. Children enjoyed playing Jenga, squealing when the giant tower fell over,
couples competed on corn hole, families enjoyed ice cream, friends enjoyed chats while rocking in the rocking chairs placed around the garden and tourists took photos with the Choochoo.

The Segway Tour came through and enjoyed a little background music
on that part of their tour through Chattanooga! I had yet to perform for a group on Segways! 

And then there was the time when I heard parents yelling a boy's name followed up with "NO!" Before I realized what was happening the child ran up to the harp, as I was playing, and played along with me. Well, maybe not exactly ALONG with me, but you get the idea. He grabbed at the lower strings and shocked everyone around who was enjoying one of Mozart's compositions - "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" K.525.

After dampening the lower strings I continued playing.  The parents quickly caught up with their son, offered an apology and took their son away. 
A minute later the father came back with the young boy and I stopped playing in order to give them my full attention. The boy looked at me and said "I'm sorry." I thanked him for the apology and his dad nodded at me and they walked away. 

To the dad who brought his son back: Thank you!
No harm was done to the instrument and I appreciate the apology. 

Parents: Children enjoy listening to live music. Watching someone play what they hear on TV, the radio, in movies, or on a CD is fascinating. I encourage you to find places that provide live music and besides giving your children a great experience, use it as a time to teach them. Teach them the values of music, good practice, how to treat an instrument, and what to say to a live musician when they walk by.
​(A simple "that's pretty" or "thank you for playing" is great!) 

Playing for SidewalkStages has been a fantastic experience.
A learning experience!
And for that, I'm grateful! ​​