Brava, Carla. Excellent story from start to finish, especially your musical accomplishments.
I have to share a piano story....shortly after they were married in 1960, my parents chose the house they still live in because of a baby grand piano. My mother was a gifted concert pianist as a young woman but, though my father bought this piano, and tried to get her to continue her studies at Carnegie Mellon after they got married, she quit lessons and competition at age 22 and that was that.
I feel like that piano was the root cause of so much discomfort to our whole family. The house is a small ranch, with 3 tiny bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a kitchen and a living room on the main floor (laundry in the basement). It was a tight fit for a family of 5. But, fully 2/3 of the square footage is wasted in the living room, solely to accommodate the piano!
Yeah, my siblings and I all took lessons. We learned to read music, and I got to some level of accomplishment, but I hated to practice and didn't have any actual talent. Mom would play from time to time, late at night after we'd gone to bed, but that tapered off in the '70s. I had to dust that stupid piano twice a week!
The piano was never tuned, at least since I can remember. It's beyond repair. Yet, it has prevented any rearranging of furniture, or consideration of home renovation for better living, over all these years. I cannot describe how dysfunctional the house has been at every stage of our/their lives. And, back to the point, this piano will go to the dump the day that house is finally sold.
We have an upright that we bought used from the music dept of a local university many years ago. Our older son is extremely talented and still plays any time he is home. We keep it tuned - at least every 2-3 years at this point. I can still play, and every so often remember it is there and spend 30 minutes making sound. As soon as our son lives in a space large enough to fit the piano it will be his.
