Oregon Public Broadcasting

When you think of fun things to do in the summer, learning the piano may not jump to mind. But for commentator Elizabeth Armstrong Moore, nothing says summer fun like Beethoven or Brahms.

A few years ago my landlord mentioned she'd like her two children to pick up piano again. They had learned for a few years, but Austin, who was 10, and Lucy who was 8, were beginning to forget.

I used to teach piano in high school, and so I sat down and began to re-introduce them to my favorite instrument.

In the beginning, the main concern was whether Austin and Lucy would be able to fit this instrument into their busy young lives. When you have as many talents as they do, you have to prioritize.

So I took an uncommon approach: I told them to practice when they had the time, and we'd go at whatever pace they set.

From the start, Lucy was a natural piano student. She learned a new song every week, practiced her scales, and began to sight-read.

Austin, on the other hand, had a specific interest in the romantic whims of Brahms and Chopin. Then I taught him that famous folk song, House of the Rising Sun and it was all over. He played those again and again, and even wrote his own songs.

I enjoyed teaching them so much that I finally broke down and got my first piano last month – an old but beautiful baby grand.

I started to teach several other students, ranging in age from 5 to 37, and quickly discovered that a flexible approach is key.  For every person who wants to be a famous pianist, there are hundreds who just want to learn the basics.

I got a good deal on my piano -- I think because there are so many pianos on the market. Presumably from parents giving up on their kids’ lessons.

I love the piano. I've been playing since I was 7, after three years of begging for lessons. And while I did play competitively in high school, the piano has been, mainly, a way to express myself. Nothing makes me feel more alive than when I’m pounding out one of my favorite songs.

When I first met Stanley Waters, a young, self-taught pianist I profiled for a local paper, it wasn't his exceptional talent that struck me. It was that he had to play.

It was his release; he once told me he didn't want to imagine what kind of person he'd be without it.

To think that so many people never learn the piano because it seems too daunting, or too old-fashioned, breaks my heart.

The piano is good with discipline, math and listening skills, and a sense of accomplishment. But more than anything, I play -- and now teach -- because it’s fun.