Mrs. Lucy

My piano teacher, Lucy is a short plump middle-aged lady. She has plenty of laugh lines around her eyes and mouth from years of smiling. Her face is round with a pair of large sparkling blue eyes, a big nose and smiling, thin lips. Her died red hair reaches her shoulders in a slight bob usually with a bit of brown visible at her hairline. She always wears red lipstick and dark eyeliner with dark eye shadow and mascara on her short lashes. Her nails are frequently painted or varnished. She is always dressed to the nines, elegant shirts, floral over shirts, flowing skirts and fancy shoes. Each finger is adorned with elaborate rings with large colorful stones encrusted on, usually paired up with a matching necklace.

Lucy greets everyone with a smile and open arms. She moves in smooth, exaggerated movements, as if she were dancing. Her English is afflicted with a heavy Russian accent and frequently forgets to say “a” of “the”. She thinks before she speaks and says “Um” absentmindedly when pondering of a different way to explain her thoughts in a way that can relate to the student. Lucy has a habit of losing pencils as she places them on a different shelf when distracted. She has a weakness for coffee and usually has a small round Tim Horton’s cup filled with coffee next to her; she would sip her coffee quietly before and after long explanations. As she is susceptible to heat and sweats a lot, she is always equipped with a box of Kleenex.

Unsurprisingly, as she is a music teacher, Lucy easily gets caught up with the piece her student is playing and sways to and fro with the beat, inhaling sharply at long rests. If a student can’t catch up with the beats, she would tap her wooden upright piano in the correct tempo until the student catches up or slows down. If the student makes constant mistakes, she would play the part and coax the student to play that part correctly. Lucy always points her students in the right direction and only gives a little nudge. She tries to entice her students to answer questions or play a scale correctly, always dropping hints but never giving away the answer.

Lucy always gives her students memory tricks for remembering sharps and flats. She always tries to make sure her students understand the idea she was trying to put forth and frequently asks if there was anything that her students did not understand in the notes and she always encourages her students to try new parts of the piece. For ear tests and sight-reading, she would explain each concept over and over and never getting frustrated. Lucy would always let her students hear the difference in tones whenever they make a mistake and always gives them another chance.

She would choose pieces based on the students likes and dislikes and gives them a preview. When giving her students a preview, she would rock with the music. If she makes a mistake, she would say “Ouh” in an amused way and raised her hands in mock exasperation. If a younger student were distracted by their surroundings, she would let them explore her house until they could concentrate on the music. After every music class, Lucy would reward her students with colorful, cute and comical stickers. She always wants her students to follow the key signatures and expressions and wants them to enjoy music.

Lucy is a gentle and jolly woman. She is warm-hearted and tries to make time to answer each and every question that is thrown at her, no matter how tight her schedule. She is always cheerful and can put a smile on anyone’s face.