Piano Playing

Most members of my Mom's side of the family were expert piano players. Recall Dora, who played as the accompanist at silent movie houses. Her father—my mother's maternal Grandfather—Silvestras had a short-lived career as a high-school piano and music teacher. After he quit that job, he turned to piano repair and tuning. Silvestras evolved into the most sought after piano technician in the city of Mariampolis. He repaired sound boards and carved replacement ivory keys.

My Mom, too, relaxed by practicing a few tunes on the keyboard. Piano lessons at our house were mandatory, and one of the first large pieces my parents bought was that mahogany piano. It looked better than it sounded.

I am sure there were other piano players in the family, too.

I never took to the piano, despite taking lessons for about eleven years. 

Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, January 1957. This is Dora. Someone failed to tell her that peacock feathers carry bad luck.