OMG! It was so incredible! Never thought of how it will be like to start a piano lesson with someone who created the book. When Jane Bastien called me last week that she got an opening spot for Sophie, I was really thrilled.
At the age of 6, Sophie went for an interview with her a couple of weeks back. As a parent, I thought that I would just let her give a shot but never thought that she would be selected. I know, I know. Nows-a-day, interviews started at the age of 5 or 6 years old :P What's a competitive world!
Right after relocating to San Diego and while practicing her piano one night, Sophie noticed that the author of the piano text book from which she was learning her lessons was from San Diego. At that point of time, I know that James Bastien is the author of all those Bastien piano lesson books series which most of the piano teachers follow. But it was all and no more or no less.
It was until then I learnt from one of parents' of Sophie's good friend that Jane Bastien who is the wife of James Bastien and co-author of all those books provide piano lessons. Even at that point, I still didn't have an idea that James Bastien had passed away. I went back home and did a little research about both James and Jane Bastien and I started to find out more about them. I learnt that this couple is a piano Gurus and really renowned people for piano world. Having her contact information on hand, I thought that I would just check with her to see whether she would have time for Sophie.
Even when Mrs Bastien called me back and gave me an appointment to meet with Sophie, I didn't fully understand that it would be an interview to say yay or nay to Sophie to become her student. I knew that she would be evaluating Sophie but didn't even stress Sophie that it was the most important part. Honestly, I didn't even do much preparation for Sophie. Even though I wanted Sophie to start a lesson with her, I guess that I would be fine if she couldn't make it.
The bottom line here is that I wasn't as crazy as other parents whose dreams were to become their kids to be students of Mrs Bastien even though I was hoping that Sophie could make it. Last week when Sophie started her very first group lesson with another girl of her age, I was a little bit surprised by the gesture of the mom of Sophie's partner. When Mrs Bastien gave both of us permission to go in to the piano room to listen to her lessons, the other mom whispered me that it was the moment she had been waiting for all her life and she could not express how happy she felt that her daughter got selected. Her words made me wonder that being a student of Mrs Bastien was an once-in-a-life-time opportunity or something like that :)
Then, I realized that there got so many parents who were dying to make their kids to be students of Mrs Bastien and I wasn't as bad as them :) When Mrs Bastien called me and gave me the time slot for Sophie, I didn't even accept it right away even though I was overjoyed. I told her that I needed to think for a while since Sophie got a conflict with her After school lessons. :P
Anyway, I could not hide the fact that I was really thrilled and was really proud of her though regardless. Even it takes me to wake up and go to work super early on every weekday where Sophie got her lesson so that I could send her there on time, I still feel so worth it. Even it took me to wait for hours outside of Mrs Bastien's house in the heat with both Sophie & Michelle for her interview as Mrs Bastien was running late, I find it was really a trivial thing as well. I have to admit that it was like a dream when I stepped into Mrs Bastien's house for Sophie's very first lesson last week with her. Basically, I could not believe that she was getting that opportunity.
Sophie was mad at me on that day of her very first piano lesson with Mrs Bastien as she had to give up her Chinese and Kung Fu classes for that piano class. She didn't understand that how lucky she was to have that opportunity other kids are dying to get it. But she came out happy of her piano class as she enjoyed it. I just would like to create this post as a memoir for my little girl as a milestone so that she could read it one day when she grows up. Keep up the good work, girl! It's no doubt that I'm one proud MaMa!
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