At eight-thirty in the morning, I began my day at the Giving One Tenth Community Garden, a quiet and beautiful sanctuary in the heart of Newark. Walking in, the smell of rich soil and sweet flowers engulfed me. A kind lady soon greeted me, and after telling her I was helping out with Keys 2 Success, she directed me toward the foldable benches, and we began to set up for the incoming class. Once my director, Ms. Krska, and other staff members arrived, we continued to set up, quickly gathering and placing items just in time for class.
To begin, we taught many first-time piano students a five-finger pattern in the key of C, and for those who showed extreme efficiency, we progressed onto the C Major scale. That morning, several of the students I worked with had advanced to scales. Having only met most of the students that day, I felt extremely proud and happy about their success! There, I also assisted students in starting our new piece, “We Don't Talk About Bruno.”
After packing up, at around 11, we left for our second location, Pennington Court, where coworkers and I enjoyed lunch and excitedly discussed Harry Potter houses. As time approached for students to arrive, we again set up. Given we had spare time, Ms. Krska took the opportunity to teach us background knowledge and information about the pieces the students were working on. Even as an employee, I continue to learn and grow in my knowledge of piano.
Finally, the students arrived in large groups and eagerly waited to be seated. Just like we had done before, we began by teaching the five-finger pattern in the key of C and even in G! After practicing scales, we moved on to a piece titled “Longing,” which was a blues piece. Again, many of my students caught on very quickly!
At around 3 PM, near the end of the class, we encouraged students to practice and play any song of their choosing on their own. Finally, as students began to leave, we packed up and got ready to debrief. All in all, my first day as an employee was a success! I met a ton of new faces and learned so much about myself and others!
