Piano recital, version 2

Piano recital

The Steinway B in the recital hall is listed on the program. The rehearsal at 1230 goes smoothly, the grand piano living up to its name. But at 4 pm, two hours into the music, a kid in the front row Velcro’ing her shoe shreds my composure. I stop playing and glare in anger until the Velcro noise stops. The scratch of plastic bags also quiets. Even the babies in the room become silent. My fellow performers include many elementary and junior high school pianists and their parents and siblings.

Three days later, at my next lesson, the teacher greets me with effusive apology. She speaks Japanese, but I understand: “I told them to be quiet.”

I speak English; I think she understands: “They are kids; two hours is a long time; I should have been able to ignore the distraction; it was fun anyway.”

The short simple “For Elise” enters my repertory as the fifth memorized piece, to be played every day, worn and walked in.