Perserverance

I play cello at a beginner’s level. Emory plays piano at a beginner’s level. Over time, we want to increase our skill levels to an upper intermediate ability. Today, we made an agreement with each other – to play Matt Riley’s arrangement of “It is Well” on or before January 15, 2030.

It’s a difficult arrangement – beyond our current abilities to even begin practicing it right now. Here’s a section of the sheet music:

2030 is seven years from now. I’m 49 and Emory is 9. Seven years seems like a long time to me, but to Emory, seven years represents nearly her whole life! I’m impressed that she is motivated by and willing to invest in delayed gratification – something many adults struggle with.

Not all the gratification will be delayed though. We’ll both master new techniques, learn new songs, and encourage each other as we work toward our ultimate goal. Each practice gets us closer to playing this song together in 2030.

I already enjoy how Emory plays the piano – she plays with a lot of confidence. Over the next seven years, she’ll not only continue to grow her skills through lessons and practice, but her emotional IQ will sky-rocket during this time too. As a pre-teen and teenager she’ll experience emotions – all the emotions – and at times, at intense levels. I look forward to teaching her how to express those emotions through the piano. Her emotions will better allow her to play music rather than just notes. She and her music will mature greatly over the next seven years. I just hope I can keep up with her pace of improvement!

We both want to improve our skill levels – for our own enjoyment, but also as worship. I “pray piano” more than I just “play piano”. I want to be able to do the same with the cello – to express my emotions toward God through the cello when words are inadequate. Emory and I want to worship God through this song – and through all the other songs we’ll have to practice on our way to mastering it.

Get ready – in seven years or less Emory and I will treat your ears to this special duet! Click HERE to hear what we’ll sound like.

In the meantime we’ll work on easier songs together, so you may just get to hear our progress along the way.

Looking forward to our journey together Emory!