I started to learn to play the piano when I was very young. My mom taught me, and when we visited my grandma, she would also give me piano lessons. Piano has always been a part of my life. When we moved to Pocatello, I started taking lessons full-time from my grandma.
I enjoyed having piano lessons, but my grandma was a tough teacher. I remember getting so frustrated one day because she kept pushing me to improve a certain spot, and I just wasn't getting it. I started crying and ran off the piano bench to go to my mom. We took some calm-down time, and then I finished my lesson. Over time, I got used to how my grandma taught, and I'm better because of it. She wasn't willing to let me stay mediocre. She wanted me to excel, and I did because of her.
When I was 9 or 10, I participated in my first piano festival. For months, I worked on two pieces of music that I would then perform in front of a judge. I did festivals for years. I did well at all of them. Thanks to my grandma. My very first year, I performed well, received the highest ranking. Later that day, we got a phone call inviting me to play at an honors recital that evening.
Judges listened to kids play the piano for an entire day. When they were done judging, they could choose two students to perform at the evening recital. I felt so amazed that I had been chosen.
For the concert, they had all the kids performing sitting together near the stage. There were stairs to the side of the stage that we would go up when it was our turn to perform. When it was my turn, I went up, played my song, and then went to walk back to my seat. When I got to the stairs, I started walking down them. I don't know if my shoe slipped on the stairs or what, but I tripped down the stairs and smacked into the wall at the bottom! I was mortified! I'm sure my face was bright red. I found my seat and sat down. I was so embarrassed and wanted to disappear so badly.
For years, I couldn't even talk about it. I finally hit a point where it was just funny. I think it must have been hilarious to have watched me fall, or maybe it was horrifying watching me fall. I don't know. I'm glad I didn't get hurt. Just my 10-year-old pride. I survived the embarrassment either way. I learned that you can't die from feeling embarrassed.
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