All four siblings in Forever Music play the piano. All four of our children play also as well as several other musical instruments and are the inspiration behind the Daniels’ family musical talents. Music plays an important part in the story, especially piano music.
In one of the early scenes, readers discover that Ches also plays and plays well. He doesn’t really like to play, however.
When he sees a familiar piano book at Josie’s piano, he sits down and plays The Spinning Song by Albert Ellmenreich by heart. Go to that link and have a listen. I like this video because we get to watch the pianist’s hands flying over the keys.
The Dreaded Piano Book
Does this pink book look familiar to any readers? It must be a staple in many households that still have children who take piano lessons. I say that because years ago when a former neighbor’s daughter visited us, she noticed our book, sat down at our piano, and began to play “The Spinning Song” just like Ches. I remembered that visit and her easy rendition of a fairly challenging song, so I incorporated it in Forever Music.
Something for Everyone!
Josie’s mom tried to find music books that would capture the attention of all four of her children, and their books ranged from pop music, Broadway musicals, to country music. Here’s a picture of some of our books. Josie’s mom may or may not be based on a real person I know!
Celebrate the Piano!
Playing the piano adds joy to the player as well as the listener. Learning to play also hones math skills. Here’s one article that shows a correlation between learning music and higher math scores. I wish more children learned to play nowadays. That may be why I write about music and made it so important in Forever Music. Go here or here to read other posts about the topic.
September is Piano Music Month. I never heard of it before, but I think it’s a great idea! What’s a great way to celebrate this special instrument?
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