So, the Cheeky Monkey had her Piano Grade 1 exams last week. She is the youngest in her group by a year. While the other boys and girls were getting tensed about what would be asked and if they would get through the exam without making any mistakes, she lost sleep wondering what if the examiner turned out to be a ghost or a kidnapper!
The day of the exam dawned. She had her 3 pieces pat down and played so well that some guests who came the week before were mighty impressed. However, the exam also had some sight reading and aural questions and I kept asking her to practice atleast once before she went into the exam at 10.45.
Stubborn as she is, she simply refused and excused herself to the restroom and stayed there till the last minute. She then went in for her exam, sat in the wrong piano that did not have her track in it -despite clear instructions from her teacher to sit in a Black piano ( she went straight to the pretty silver one!) came out, called all of us in to complain - and once we made her sit in the right piano and trooped out - I sat outside with my heart in my mouth.
She traipses out post the exam and says confidently ' Amma, I think I would get a high merit - not a distinction though - I may have made some mistakes in the aural repeats. By the way, the examiner sounds really posh! :) ' . Well, let's see when the results come, I thought and we went our way for Mehendi and back to back Diwali parties. Given that her half term holidays had started that day, we could afford to relax from all the tension of practising for the exam the previous week.
The results were announced and guess what - exactly like she said - she scored near perfect marks for her pieces, but due to the aural questions, she received 84 - a high merit - when 87 meant a distinction!
I was a bit disappointed and asked her ' See what happens when you are careless, you missed distinction by a mere 3 marks. You need to aim higher kannamma!'. And the wise old one trapped in my cheeky monkey goes ' Azhagiye! Azhagiye! ( a song from a maniratnam movie that we all went to , that means ' Oh my beautiful') calm down amma, you need to be happy with what you have! I am very happy and proud, ok?'
Well, I guess I may not have a concert pianist in my house but I certainly seem to have a cheeky monkey that is determined to be happy to be herself despite her annoyingly critical mum! Given that the critical mum is also one that easily melts for her cheeky monkey, this mum is fondly proud of this fantastic attitude from her young one that is so astonishingly different from her own!
Love you vaalu kutty!
The day of the exam dawned. She had her 3 pieces pat down and played so well that some guests who came the week before were mighty impressed. However, the exam also had some sight reading and aural questions and I kept asking her to practice atleast once before she went into the exam at 10.45.
Stubborn as she is, she simply refused and excused herself to the restroom and stayed there till the last minute. She then went in for her exam, sat in the wrong piano that did not have her track in it -despite clear instructions from her teacher to sit in a Black piano ( she went straight to the pretty silver one!) came out, called all of us in to complain - and once we made her sit in the right piano and trooped out - I sat outside with my heart in my mouth.
She traipses out post the exam and says confidently ' Amma, I think I would get a high merit - not a distinction though - I may have made some mistakes in the aural repeats. By the way, the examiner sounds really posh! :) ' . Well, let's see when the results come, I thought and we went our way for Mehendi and back to back Diwali parties. Given that her half term holidays had started that day, we could afford to relax from all the tension of practising for the exam the previous week.
The results were announced and guess what - exactly like she said - she scored near perfect marks for her pieces, but due to the aural questions, she received 84 - a high merit - when 87 meant a distinction!
I was a bit disappointed and asked her ' See what happens when you are careless, you missed distinction by a mere 3 marks. You need to aim higher kannamma!'. And the wise old one trapped in my cheeky monkey goes ' Azhagiye! Azhagiye! ( a song from a maniratnam movie that we all went to , that means ' Oh my beautiful') calm down amma, you need to be happy with what you have! I am very happy and proud, ok?'
Well, I guess I may not have a concert pianist in my house but I certainly seem to have a cheeky monkey that is determined to be happy to be herself despite her annoyingly critical mum! Given that the critical mum is also one that easily melts for her cheeky monkey, this mum is fondly proud of this fantastic attitude from her young one that is so astonishingly different from her own!
Love you vaalu kutty!
