My first thought, when I looked at these pictures, was that this happened yesterday. I mean, it seems like it happened yesterday.
But it's just as if this concert happened only recently. The truth is that there are a couple of years that separate reality from the creation of these photos. Eleven. Well, eleven and a half. A few moments are immortalized, but much more is what I remember. I will try to write that, though I still don't know how well my inspiration will serve me now. I worked today - had lessons, something that I didn't have to do in the version of myself I see here.
Just after this concert, I got an invitation from a music school's director to give lessons at his school. I was not working at that time, which was not that bad at all. It was a few months of complete freedom, being with my son who was still small and enjoying the environment where we just moved several months before this event.
As I had all the time in this world, apart from being on the beach, walking, playing and living carefree days, I also practised the piano. I learned a few new pieces as I liked them. All, at home, for myself. However, an opportunity came to play those compositions for the audience, and at the same time make a good thing for others.
The building you see in this photo is a little church, namely the Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit. It is a modern-style church, made of wood, concrete and metal and it was inaugurated in 2010. The community was paying every month the mortgage fee for the construction of the building and the money was collected voluntarily, or through charity.
I felt the call to do something for this little town and its newly built church. I offered what I could do - perform a concert, an afternoon of classical piano music and the money that would be collected from the tickets give entirely to the community.
They accepted with joy, and I prepared for the concert with the same excitement. We took the digital piano that I had at that time as there was no instrument in that building the day before the concert. I remember the heat of that day... and the metal construction was adding to that. But anyway, I was there practicing and the man who came to open the church for me was praying while listening to me. I apologised for the loud music when I had to play intense chords and passages but he was fine with that. He was happy to listen to my practising time.
The concert time arrived. I was calm - and it was a good feeling. I didn't feel pressure or expectations - we were all there for a good reason. To raise some money for that church and enjoy the music. Bach, Faure, Debussy and Chopin were in the repertory and the audience behaved so well, they focused and gifted me with loud applause after each piece. It was also a great amount of money that was raised - we were happy for this success.
As it usually happens after the concerts, people came and talked to me, congratulated me and we had extra nice moments. What changed in the meantime? The little girl from this photo is already in high school, I have got many wrinkles, grey in my hair and eyebrows, and a bit of weight, I don't have those funny shoes anymore, nor that piano (I sold it and bought a new one) though I do have the dress. And the church is mortgage-free now.
Now I see... this concert didn't happen yesterday. Those eleven years and the changes can be noticed, but if I would decide to do the same again... yes, I would do it, with all the pleasure!
