An Afternoon at the Piano

A Saturday afternoon at home, November 10, 2007. It was a quiet day, and we ended up at the piano. This was her first real interaction with it, moving beyond just seeing it as a piece of furniture.

I sat with her at the bench, and she was immediately drawn to the black and white keys. Her hands were so small on them. She tentatively pressed a few, then a few more with more confidence, clearly delighted by the sounds that came out. There was no melody, just the pure joy of discovery.

For a while, she was completely absorbed, pointing at specific keys as if asking what they did, then pressing them to find out. I just watched, guiding her hands a little here and there. It was one of those simple, calm afternoons that sticks in your memory. I'm glad I had the camera nearby to capture her expressions as she conducted her first concert.