Do you have girls in your life?

i wasn't kidding. some folks said i was a prodigy as far as the piano was concerned. last time i played i was 11. never have played again since.

 

After I had been in music for years, my parents had an old piano put into the den. The guys who delivered it hadn't been gone 30 minutes when it was suggested I take piano lessons.

Luckily, it was a former choir director that had worked at my church, so that was a plus (she left because we had a chavinistic minister ... I never really forgave him for that). And the theory and such that was usually integral to the process was a non-issue since I had been playing other instruments.

I was doing fine. Then my parents decided that, after a whole 18 months, that I was ready to work a church organ. Since, as usual, I thought they were trying more to live vicariously than do what was best, I rebelled. It ended in a hurry. I already had a weekday job, weekend job, high school and high school band obligations. I was already stretched ridiculously thin.

My love for music didn't go away, but the parents' insistence on so much crap was very trying.

 

I have a six year old daugther and so I encourage her to do anything. She just started swimming and really enjoys it. She also wants to take ballet so I am all for her trying new things but if she ends up trying it and not liking it, then I would support her decision to stop ballet.

 

Been with my significant other for almost five months. She's my everything.

We're going to Times Square for New Year's ... she hasn't the slightest clue I'll be putting an engagement ring on her finger at 12 a.m., Dec. 31.

 

I took vocal lessons from the age of 13 until I was 20. Trumpet lessons one year longer; piano for a couple of years... I was competing in state and district contests where being really good might get you a 2 rating and being outstanding would get you a 1. I was in a group of six who was the only group in our school that year to get a 1 rating at state.

I really thought I would end up teaching music one day, but all the pressure put on me? I had no plans of doing that to other kids.

 

Early congrats!!!!!!!!!!! ... though, that's a lot of time between now and then to change your mind. I'm just saying.

 

No mind changing with this one. Thanks for the congrats though!

 

Poster insight alert: pressbox is confident that his S.O. doesn't visit this site.

 

Not with you around.

 

I don't even know what that means.

 

She doesn't even know SportsJournalists.com exists.

 

But, the NSA does.