The Last 27 Days of Being 27: Just Call me Alicia Keyes

A little known fact about me, Alison Elaine Davis, is that I took piano lessons for years as a kid and teenager from none other than my amazing Grandma, Diana Davis. It was like a rite of passage for Davis grandchildren--all of us were required to take SOME form of music lessons (all seven of the Davis grandchildren took piano lessons from 2nd grade and on with the exception of Wes. He's always been a rocker at heart, so he got to take guitar and drum lessons instead!) Joslyn actually was traumatized by about a year of "voice lessons" and learned how to play the harpsichord. I stuck to the piano. So, while this is not a "new" adventure, it IS a skill that I have let go by the wayside over the years and always say that I want to become better at again. And, there is no better time than the present...right?



Through the encouragement of my friend Adrian I decided that this year was the last year that I would spend SAYING that I was going to start playing again and I would actually start DOING. So, I went home and dug through all of the sheet music that my family has acquired over the years to find some of my old piano books. And find them I did! I was actually really excited to sit down and see what I could remember! I practiced some scales, and finger placements, and then delved into the books.


I was very excited to come across the sheet music for my favorite church hymn, "Be Thou My Vision", and I was even more excited when I was able to READ THE MUSIC AND PLAY IT!!! It IS true what they say "If you don't use it, you lose it"....I'm a but rusty, but it was so refreshing and actually very relaxing to sit down and play the piano for a little while. My mom even asked me to PLEASE come back and play again soon! Small sidenote: I am NOT amazing, I am NOT Beethoven, but I am good enough to not be bad! :)


Check out that posture! I could hear my Grandma's patient voice in my ear: encouraging me, reminding me not to pound on the keys, correcting my flats and sharps, telling me to keep my eyes on the music and not on my hands--she was SO PATIENT! As it is with many childhood/teenage experiences, I did not fully appreciate the time that I got to spend with my Grandma while I was in the middle of it--and I even admittedly dreaded piano lessons from time to time. Now, as an adult I can see that experience for how priceless it was; I got to spend 45 minutes of one on one time with my Grandma--and in my family, as the youngest granddaughter in a brood of 7 grandchildren, solitary face time with G-Ma was not in abundance. In retrospect, I think it was probably very special for her to be able to impart her musical abilities (and she is an extraordinarily talented musician/pianist--she still plays accompaniment for the church choir every Sunday!) upon her grandchildren.


That all being said, this one is for you Grandma. You rock. My favorite thing to do with you is STILL sitting on the piano bench, singing while you play, or playing a "Heart and Soul" duet. What a lucky girl I am to have this ability--she taught me how to read music, to be able to tell when something was too sharp or too flat, to sit up straight on the piano bench, and to embrace my musical abilities. This is not something that many people have, but they often desire, and I got it for free, from my Grandma--all she asked for in return was hugs and kisses as her payment. I love you Grandma! And, just for you, I promise that I will endeavor to go home and play the piano at least once a week for 45 minutes. I know it's not a lot, but it's a start--and maybe next year for my last 28 days of being 28, I can play in a recital or something??? We shall see!