Scouting, Volume 78, Number 5, October 1990 Page: 53
74 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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but I insisted on playing tunes too quickly,
exercising my familiar style of short-cut-
ting. He went along with me because time
was running out on our lesson plan: He
only had eight or nine months before he
was off to serve in the Army Air Corps in
1942.
With much reluctance—and no little
chagrin—my uncle went into the short-
cut business, teaching me the runs, rills,
and tricks that professionals use for im-
provisation. He would demonstrate these
devices, slowly at first, placing his small,
sensitive fingers quietly on the keys to
indicate position. Then he would play
slowly and carefully, running through one
of his favorite introductions to a popular
song. He had a different intro for each key
he played in and taught me tricks in the
simple keys—C or F, for example. These I
could handle.
It was a special treat when he played a
song from intro to the end of the piece, at
first with buttery slowness so I could fol-
low the technique. But when he played a
fast piece like "The Twelfth Street Rag,"
his hands seemed to have a mind of their
own, darting up and down the keyboard
at a dizzy pace, the notes sounding
clearly and softly.
A short, wiry man, he was called
"Skinny" by his boyhood friends. Be-
neath a mop of curly black hair, he had a
brilliant smile that could light up a band-
stand. His good looks, of course, encour-
aged a lot of young ladies to long for piano
lessons.
"How can I ever play like you do?" I
asked one day, my voice sounding like the
toll of defeat.
"Practice!" He made a face as he said
this. "Then you will be able to do it. You'll
see." He cautioned me though, "These
tricks I'm showing you, they're no substi-
tute for good basic training."
' 'Greatest mayor the town
ever had—never cowtowed to
any pressure group!"
I would need, he insisted, to study
technique with a trained teacher. Natu-
rally, and regrettably now, I never fol-
lowed through on his recommendation for
training.
Still, it has been a lifetime joy to be able
to noddle away on the keyboard. Playing
any kind of musical instrument is fulfill-
ing and an experience all children should
have. The sharing of music strengthens
the bonds within a family. How quickly a
favorite melody brings back a memory of
a family event, a wedding or birthday, a
graduation or a baptism, and what a lovely
way to recollect!
The day before I left for service in the
Navy, which was the day before my 18th
birthday, I extended grandma's 50-minute
hour to 90 minutes, finishing the session
with half a dozen hymns. The last was
"Abide With Me," her favorite. When I
finished playing, she was standing in the
doorway of the parlor, smiling but witVi
tears in her eyes.
"Did you like it, Grandma?" I asked.
She seemed overwhelmed, this tiny pi-
oneer who had emigrated from the prov-
ince of Dalsland, Sweden, alone in 1890.
I knew she was deeply touched because
she forgot herself, and lapsed into Swed-
ish, "Jag, Bobby, det var mycket bra. "
("That was very good.")
I thought so, too, Grandma. ■
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 78, Number 5, October 1990, periodical, October 1990; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353666/m1/53/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.