Practicing, and Thoughts on Spit

Getting ready for college auditions, Mark now practices between two and three hours a day--he's seriously dedicated. Johannah stays after school for Thespians until 5:30, so Mark, being the good brother that he is, stays too so that he can drive her home and she doesn't have to take the late bus. Not only does he practice an hour during the school day, but he spends the time after school practicing. Having spent many years of my life in practice rooms also, I stopped by the other day to take a picture of him.

Classic practice room although this one actually has a window! I don't think I ever saw one of those in my younger years. Notice the uncomfortable fold out chair--I'm surprised there's not a piano bench that sways back and forth when it is sat on. See the pizza that he bought at the nearby grocery store? Food is always good during practicing. Finally, see the piano? I can't resist making a comment here (and if Mark actually reads this post, he'll have a retort, I'm SURE!)

Musicians love to compare their instrument to other instruments, or at least arrogant musicians like to do this. Mark is not above this. He enjoys pointing out why the French horn is so much more difficult than any other instrument. Johannah and Glo too have opinions about the difficulties presented in playing a stringed instrument. The one card that I can always pull out that trumps all of them? At least they can take their instruments with them--to any room, anywhere, to any rehearsal, to any performance. Growing up, I had to take whatever piano was presented at the moment. From the broken keys, to the exaggerated height of the keyboard due to the piano sitting on casters, to the lack of a piano bench, this piano is representative of most of the pianos I played through the years:

I don't know why people feel the need to abuse pianos. Can you imagine someone walking up to a violin and scratching their name into it? Or bending the tubing on a french horn? All I have to say is, I would give anything to just pack up my Kimball in its case, swing it onto my back and carry it everywhere I need to go, including my rehearsal tomorrow morning at the school. Oh joy--I'm so looking forward to playing on the keys that are usually covered in dried spit from too many singers sitting at that piano and practicing too. I'll bring my Germ-X :-)