Why is everything always a race?
My son loves to race. He always has. When he was little he raced anyone and everyone and he raced everywhere he went. Everything my son did somehow became a race.
“I’ll race you up the stairs,” he’d proclaim as he dashed off with a grin, or “I’ll race you brushing my teeth!” “I’ll race you tying my shoes!” “I’ll race you to the stop sign!” It didn’t matter what the task was. If it could be done, it could be raced. “I’ll race you to the mailbox,” he’d declare, and we’d be off. In the morning on our way to school, “I can click my seatbelt before you do!.” Every time, he’d shout triumphantly, “I won!” And the truth is, he usually did win. That young boy was fast.
He learned quickly. He worked hard to be first. He wanted to be at the front of the line. He was a super fast swimmer, and boy oh boy, could he ever run?! I recall his P.E. teacher, the coach on his Little Gators flag football team hollering, “whatever you do, don’t let that boy get around you or he’ll be gone and he will score!” (cue the face palm - did it again - ran right around those kids and down the field he went. Can you say, “touchdown!”)
This love for speed wasn’t limited to running around the house, beating the clock on chores, or even running down the football field. It spilled into my son’s piano playing too. He practiced carefully when he was forced to, but all too often, when I’d ask him to repeat a section of his music again, but slowly, he’d grin and zip through the section even faster. I’d take a deep breath, ask again, reminding him to take it slow, and he’d play at the exact same tempo and sometimes even faster. I really wondered if he was imagining me saying, “Beep! Beep! Play it like the Road Runner!” instead of, “Play it slowly.” Sometimes I would demonstrate a slow tempo, sometimes even really dragging out each note like molasses, and with the same sly mischievous smile, he’d play it again at the same tempo or maybe even faster this time. It was like he couldn’t help himself!
As both his mother and his teacher, this really tested my patience. But I had to remind myself that learning to play at a slow and steady pace takes time. I was determined not to break my little race horse. I just wanted to help him learn to run efficiently in his lane. Whew! Talk about a test of patience for a mom who is the piano teacher!
Today, as I listen to other teachers, I realize this is not just limited to me as a teacher. I hear many piano teachers out there have experienced this at one point or another. The impulse to race through music is strong, especially for young students. For children, everything in life feels like a race!
Remembering the struggles of getting my own son to practice slowly birthed the idea for my Elementary Piano Solo, The Sloth Ballet. My own son as well as so many students often treat the words “play slowly” like it’s an optional suggestion. But they don’t mean to. They really do not know how to play slowly and I it is actually very difficult for them to do. The elementary piano solo, The Sloth Ballet is all about embracing the art of moving really REALLY slowly, the same way a sloth moves through the trees.
Many students and teachers alike, have seen the movie Zootopia and know the DMV sloth who moves at the speed of a barely dripping faucet. The scene is absolutely hilarious. Adults who have spent time in a DMV line can hardly watch the scene from this movie without seriously rolling on the floor and laughing hysterically. If you have not seen Zootopia and the sloth seen, be sure to look the scene up on youtube and watch it. The scene will bring a huge smile and probably tears of laughter to your face.
Young students may not yet appreciate the pain and agony of waiting in line at the DMV for what feels like an eternity, they surely understand the agony of being told to move slow, slow, SLOW! Now, if only they will apply it when asked to play their music slowly. This piece, The Sloth Ballet will help!
The Sloth Ballet is part of my Songs About Animals collection, and the song is not just about taking things slowly. The lyrics include fun sloth facts that students can’t get enough of. For instance, did you know that sloths spend most of their lives hanging out way up high in the trees? Did you know sloths regularly fall from heights of 100 feet? I learned this while doing my research! But no worries, because they’re totally built to survive the 100 foot drop! When I found out about their accidental skydiving skills, I was amazed. I always try to weave interesting and fun facts as well as cute little punch lines into the lyrics of my elementary animal pieces so my music is educational as well as fun to play!
The Sloth Ballet is crafted to teach students to play at a slow and steady tempo, which is so much more challenging than it sounds. But who doesn’t love a sloth? With their laid-back attitude, what a great reminder to slow down, linger, creep along and enjoy the music! My own students absolutely love this piece and guess what? THEY ACTUALLY SLOW DOWN!
You can now get The Sloth Ballet and the rest of my animal pieces in my Songs About Animals Collection on my website. Keep reminding your students that sometimes the best race is the one that’s taken at a slow and steady pace — just like a sloth… and now, as I type I am reminded of another - The Tortoise and the Hare. Perhaps that will be a piece in a future collection?! 🤔