Music Study Club discusses piano lessons

Special to The Inquirer

The Music Study Club, part of the Texas and National Federation of Music Clubs, met Tuesday evening at the home of Carol DuBose with Barbara Blanchard co-hosting.

Pres. Shirley Spoon opened the meeting asking Vida Burnett to lead “Together We Sing,” which was the old hymn “Whispering Hope.” We learned from the hymn story, the author was a man who wrote under the name of Ann Hawthorne; all joined to sing it and the Federation Hymn.

Pres. Spoon noted there are two corrections to the 2010-2011 Yearbook needed and she provided typed notes to add to the books. She announced the TFMC Dist VI Fall Board meeting is set for Saturday, October 16th, hosted by the Wednesday Morning Music Club of Austin. Three members who are District VI Officers, will be attending.

Another announcement of interest told by Irene Cerny, was to alert Music Club members of Shiner Gaslight Theater’s production set for Jan. 21, 2011. Some 24 of the very limited amount of tickets to be sold, have already been bought to the dinner and theater production featuring folk music, Lone Star Swing, and a focus on Texas State University of San Marcos, Texas.  It is also a benefit program by the Thespians of Shiner for a $500 scholarship to be given to a graduating Shiner High School student.

Social Committee Chair Sarah Patterson reported briefly about plans for the Dec. 14 dinner. Pres. Spoon announced a National Fed. of Music Clubs certificate of Merit awarded the Music Study Club for programs of American Music presented in 2009-2010.

JoAnn Liefeste reported the Piano Made Easy program at Gonzales Public Library is going well and with a long waiting lis. There is need of volunteers to monitor the students as they go through the computer teaching 10-program course.

Pres. Spoon then introduced Part I of the study course program from the book “Note By Note” by Tricia Tunstall, presented to us by Sandra Moore. The author Tunstall is Professor of Piano at a university who writes entertainingly about the many pitfalls of the piano teacher trying to tailor lessons to fit the moods and talents of many children (and their parents).

The emotional hoops children unwittingly put their teachers through as they themselves stumble and bumble in and around the great skills to be learned in music are often a puzzle to be solved. While the rewards are great in music, the skills require a lifelong pursuit and practice, practice, practice. However, the way to be musical is often the very key to release and fulfillment with music.

Learning the skill to really ‘hear’ music is difficult though basic and learning to think in the many divisions of music timing is often the most difficult part. We have medieval monks to thank for the systems we use to write music on paper. Today’s kids are bombarded with music (or could you call it music?) from the electronic devices they hear for hours and hours so they often know some well loved tunes they want to learn and teachers must accomodate. And today’s electronic devices and computers can be fine teaching tools.....adapted to individuals’ benefits.

Mrs. Moore then noted she would play her first three piano solos for recitals and we heard “Country Garden,” “Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers” and “Flower Song.”

Pres. Spoon led members to speak the NFMC Collect and fellowship time followed. Hostesses served chicken salad and pimento cheese party sandwiches, sweet pickle chips, salted toasted nuts, potato crisp chips, ultra carrot cake, coffee and fizzy apple cider from a table laid with a vibrant fall print cloth, centered with mirrored arrangements of colorful decorated potted croton plants and a five-way brass candlelabra holding burgundy tapers.