15th Ymiden, 718
That morning, Vega had met her piano teacher, Cecily - a woman who was, quite frankly, snooty. Vega had to admit though that the woman could play and she really hoped that she was going to learn from her. So, Cecily had shown her the keys on the keyboard and how to sit and hold herself. But other than a few random presses of the keys, there it had stopped. Vega didn't understand why, but equally she knew that she had to trust this weird woman to teach her.
"Very well," Cecily said and she motioned to the piano as Vega arrived. No greeting, no such pleasantries. Cecily was here and she meant business. "Your ability with the violin is not in question. However, we need now to determine your baseline with the piano. Hands into position, please."
Vega assumed that meant position for playing. So, she sat down and lifted her hands, placing her fingers on the keys. Looking at the keyboard, as Cecily took hold of Vega's hair and moved it over to one shoulder. "Hey, gerroff. Whatcha doin' back there?" Cecily chuckled and shook her head. "It will be easier for you, I promise. Now, the keys. White key are the notes, what are the black ones?" Vega looked at them and considered for a few trill. "Well, they've got to be the flats an' sharps, haven't they? Five in eight. An' since this is C, right here in the middle, then that makes sense." Cecily smiled. Maybe there was more to this woman than a brash accent and a colourful turn of phrase.
But only maybe.
"So," Cecily said with a smile. "I will call out a note, you will play. Then, we will move on. The secret to playing the piano is to play multiple keys so you will use the correct fingers." There followed a good ten bits of Cecily calling out first single notes and then things like "Together, a and c" and so on. She did it and followed it well enough and Cecily looked at her. "You understand scales?" Vega nodded. "Play then."
Cecily was moderately convinced that there was no way that Vega would be able to translate from the violin to the piano, but her fingers immediately moved with confidence and she began to play scales. Cecily watched her in something akin to amazement. The woman just did it. She had not played the piano before and yet, she understood it. There were still issues, and that was to be expected, but frankly, it was in that moment that Cecily started to believe that maybe, the woman was a musical prodigy.
Which would be, she considered, just about typical. Why the Immortals and the Fates saw fit to give talent to such a coarse and unrefined creature and yet there was no doubting it. The woman had talent. Cecily had worked with some very talented people in her past, but even she would have to admit that sitting at the keyboard and simply playing correctly was beyond rare, yet that was what this rough-talking individual was doing. Cecily was a bigot and overtly prejudiced in one way. Yet, in terms of talent? When she saw it, she wanted to encourage it.
Even when it came in this package.
549 words
Musical Instrument: Piano: Scales
Musical Instrument: Piano: Following verbal instructions.
"Very well," Cecily said and she motioned to the piano as Vega arrived. No greeting, no such pleasantries. Cecily was here and she meant business. "Your ability with the violin is not in question. However, we need now to determine your baseline with the piano. Hands into position, please."
Vega assumed that meant position for playing. So, she sat down and lifted her hands, placing her fingers on the keys. Looking at the keyboard, as Cecily took hold of Vega's hair and moved it over to one shoulder. "Hey, gerroff. Whatcha doin' back there?" Cecily chuckled and shook her head. "It will be easier for you, I promise. Now, the keys. White key are the notes, what are the black ones?" Vega looked at them and considered for a few trill. "Well, they've got to be the flats an' sharps, haven't they? Five in eight. An' since this is C, right here in the middle, then that makes sense." Cecily smiled. Maybe there was more to this woman than a brash accent and a colourful turn of phrase.
But only maybe.
"So," Cecily said with a smile. "I will call out a note, you will play. Then, we will move on. The secret to playing the piano is to play multiple keys so you will use the correct fingers." There followed a good ten bits of Cecily calling out first single notes and then things like "Together, a and c" and so on. She did it and followed it well enough and Cecily looked at her. "You understand scales?" Vega nodded. "Play then."
Cecily was moderately convinced that there was no way that Vega would be able to translate from the violin to the piano, but her fingers immediately moved with confidence and she began to play scales. Cecily watched her in something akin to amazement. The woman just did it. She had not played the piano before and yet, she understood it. There were still issues, and that was to be expected, but frankly, it was in that moment that Cecily started to believe that maybe, the woman was a musical prodigy.
Which would be, she considered, just about typical. Why the Immortals and the Fates saw fit to give talent to such a coarse and unrefined creature and yet there was no doubting it. The woman had talent. Cecily had worked with some very talented people in her past, but even she would have to admit that sitting at the keyboard and simply playing correctly was beyond rare, yet that was what this rough-talking individual was doing. Cecily was a bigot and overtly prejudiced in one way. Yet, in terms of talent? When she saw it, she wanted to encourage it.
Even when it came in this package.
549 words
Musical Instrument: Piano: Scales
Musical Instrument: Piano: Following verbal instructions.
