Louise Milota, a pianist, teacher, duo partner, and former long-standing President of our MTAC Alameda Branch, dipped into her memory archive and retrieved details of her colorful music journey in St. John, Canada. It included a near drowning of her dreams to be a pianist before her ultimate rescue.
A serendipitous conversation with Louise followed our rehearsal of Schubert’s F minor Fantasie.
It’s worth a listen:
LINK:
My Eurhythmics-centered interview with Louise at the San Francisco Conservatory
I may have told you before. We moved to a large Victorian when my twin brother and I were seven. Mom rented out the upstairs apartment to a woman and her daughter, about 17, who taught piano. Both of my grandmothers were self-taught pianists and could read music. So, we took lessons from the girl upstairs. Except for some simple tunes, I don't remember what we learned. I think the reason the lessons stopped was that the renters moved out, I don't remember.
Later, when we were about 10, my parents wanted us to learn the piano accordion (so we could make money at parties and in bars). They bought ann expensive accordion and had us start on lessons at a local music shop. I remember going to a radio station and playing very badly… So embarrassed because I couldn't play the simple song I planned. When we moved, mom hooked us up with an old Polish guy that liked to stomp his foot loudly while he played--bad teacher. I do recall we learned to play Fats Domino's version of Blueberry Hill, but we never reach the epitome of accordion playing… Lady of Spain. ;-) Ended up quitting because baseball beckoned. Would have liked to have picked up the guitar. A cousin did, self-taught, and started a rock band.
I'm glad I didn't learn to play well with my hands, because when my hands and arms became paralyzed when I was 20, that would've been a huge letdown if I was any good by that time.
Ron