Building Community Highlight: Playing Piano for Pleasure

"88 Reasons for a Small Group"

Playing the Piano for Pleasure is a small group that is open to anyone from UU who would like to resurrect/improve their piano playing skills. I offer tips (coaching) on how to learn and improve whatever you want to play. Anyone from advanced beginners (able to read music) to those playing standard repertoire is welcome.

You choose what you play. Folks usually play the same piece several sessions as they progress, depending on the difficulty and how much practice time they have. It’s rarely a ‘one and done’ but it’s your choice.

We are about learning, not performing. Right now our (very) small group ranges from playing early intermediate level music to difficult repertoire.

We meet in southeast Bloomington every Tuesday evening usually for an hour to an hour and a half. There are no attendance or playing requirements.

If you’d like to talk with me or someone in the group for their perspective, please let me know. I’m also happy to share my professional music background with you.

If this appeals to you but Tuesday evenings don’t fit, please let me know.

By the way, the seed of this idea was planted at a UU Habitat Women Build lunchtime conversation on the ‘build’ porch 9 or 10 years ago. When I finally presented my idea a couple of years later to UU music director Susan Swaney she shouted “Yes!”

If you’re even a little bit curious about joining us I invite you to find me some January Sunday—I’ll usher every Sunday so I’ll be easy to find. Or check our church directory.

I appreciate that our UU Connections Coordinator Anabel Watson (and Jo Bowman who has vocal background) asked me to write about our group. Do you know that Anabel grew up listening to her mother give piano lessons and her dad rehearse his songs for community theatre productions as her mother accompanied him? I bet she was really playing the piano for pleasure.

Play on!

Beverly McGahey