how can my fingers do that?

I am a piano player.  I have 3 degrees in music, I have taught private piano, music theory, music classes and more for 45 years (I began as an infant....).  I don't ever remember not being able to read music.

My mother was a brilliant pianist - competition winner, guest soloists at community events, etc.  She taught lessons when I was young so I began to pick it up at 3 years old.  But I did not have consistent piano lessons until I was in Gr. 7.  Then I had 5 years of the whole meal deal: festivals, competitions, exams, music theory classes and exams, recitals, famous teacher with crazy lessons at 7 in the morning or 10:30 at night.

But because I had such a fancy shmancy teacher, he had a whole stable of thoroughbred students and I always felt like the pony with one short leg because I had gotten such a late start and I didn't practice as long and hard as the rest of them.  I never won a medal, or even a festival class.  Once I came real close:  I played my best, then the last student was blind!  They led her up to the piano, let her feel middle C, then she played some Bach Invention woodenly to thunderous applause and won the class.  I can't catch a break!

However, somewhere in the middle of that I taught myself to play by ear.  I played horribly for Sunday school singing with some spectacular breakdowns, but gradually I got more and more dependable.  In those days there was no written music for "choruses", just hymns, which were also played with improvised accompaniments and soon I could do that too.

Much later my husband and I joined a gospel group and we had so much fun with those guys - singers, rhythm and brass.  We traveled, played the Pacific National Exhibition every year and even recorded an album.  Dave and I still play together at events, and in church and weddings etc. In fact, we're doing a thing this Saturday with a bunch of old friends.

I realize now that most of those thoroughbreds with all their medals and certificates of merit were no longer playing the piano, unless they were teaching.  Also, not one of them could sit down and play Happy Birthday at a party without music.  Even though I never won a competition, my ability to play the piano opened doors for me, created friendships, supported me, and gave me true joy.

Even now, I'll sit down to play some scales or arpeggios that I have not practiced for years and years, and my fingers can still do that easily.  I watch them go and wonder" how can you do that"?  Maybe I practiced more than I remember, and maybe I was a better pianist than I thought at the time, but if you have a need for an Eb major scale, I'm your girl!