🎹【Final Episode of 5th Grade Finals】The Runaway Princess and Steel Mentality: A Bittersweet 5th Grade Summer Vacation
Days where I dedicated my entire summer vacation to the piano.
Every weekend, we rented a grand piano and, quite literally, 'sent Yukichi flying in grand style' to get her ready.
As for the perfection of the piece... honestly, I can't proudly say it was 'perfect,' but holding onto the conviction that 'we did everything we could,' we welcomed the morning of the finals.
The atmosphere at the venue was incomparably heavier and sharper than at the preliminaries.
Today, only two or three people would be able to grab a ticket to the national competition.
My daughter was completely intimidated by the aura emitted by the fierce competitors who had put in blood, sweat, and tears to pry open that narrow gate.
“...I can't. I'm scared. I can't stop shaking.”
Shaking uncontrollably, my daughter even began to shed tears. Instead of me, who couldn't find the right words, her father pulled her into a firm embrace.
“It's okay. Mom and I know better than anyone how hard you've worked. You'll do great today. It will definitely be okay. We'll be watching you the whole time, so go on with peace of mind.”
At those words, my daughter nodded as if she had resolved herself to something, saying, “...Okay,” and disappeared into the darkness of the wings.
And so, the performance of destiny begins.
My daughter appeared on stage. Even from the audience, I could see her legs shaking.
The first piece, Dussek from the Classical period.
...The moment she started playing, I screamed in my heart.
“Fast! Too fast!!”
The 'graceful princess bowing' we had pursued so much was not there.
What was there was an uncontrollable 'princess riding a runaway horse, whipping it desperately as she sprinted.'
Her tempo was bugged by nerves; she couldn't stop, she couldn't go back—it was truly a non-stop sonatina!
The bell for the cut rang during the recapitulation, and she moved on to Merikanto's Waltz.
This, too, was running, running, running in tempo.
I could tell she was trying desperately to sing. But the graceful triple meter of the waltz now sounded like the pitch of a sprint.
But, strangely enough.
Deep within that overly fast performance, I saw a 'will to connect the notes' that hadn't been there before. It was different from when she was just moving her fingers. Now, she was starting to find her own music.
That alone was enough to fill a mother's heart.
Objectively speaking, it might have been an immature and rough performance unsuitable for the stage of the finals.
However, seeing my daughter standing on stage alone, struggling to cling to a difficult piece with all her might while being crushed by nerves—
I was so incredibly proud of her that my vision blurred and wouldn't stop.
Tears welled up in my daughter's eyes when she returned after finishing her performance.
“I ran through it... I didn't know what was going on...”
Seeing that frustrated face, I answered with the biggest smile I could muster.
“It's okay. It was wonderful. To Mom and Dad, you were the best in the world.”
Naturally, my daughter's name was not on the results announced online.
The judging scores that arrived later by Letter Pack also confronted us with the harsh reality that she was below the passing line.
And so, our 'bittersweet 5th-grade summer' came to a close.
“Great job! Summer vacation is almost over. Let's play to our hearts' content starting tomorrow!”
To me, who said this brightly, my daughter replied with a serious face.
“Mom... This year, I was truly not good enough. So I'm going to work really hard from now on.”
“I'll challenge it again next year. Next year, I'll definitely win a prize in the finals!”
...Huh.
You're doing it again next year!?
Even after shaking so much, crying so much, and being such a 'runaway horse'!?
My daughter's steel mentality of turning setbacks into energy... or perhaps it's 'piano love' or 'hating to lose'...
Ignoring her mother's worries, she had already started running toward her revenge a year from now.
Bravo, 11-year-old.
It looks like Yukichi will be going on another journey, but I have resolved to support this 'Steel Princess' with all my might once again.
Thank you so much for reading this '5th Grade PTNA Struggle Diary' up to this point.
The sight of my daughter crying, running, feeling frustrated, and yet still returning to the keyboard has become an unforgettable treasure for me as a parent.
The PTNA 5th-grade chapter is a wrap.
But the piano journey continues. I plan to keep updating slowly and write about the PTNA struggles of 6th grade and beyond as she becomes a middle schooler 🎹
I would be happy if you came back to read it again.
I look forward to your continued support 🌸
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