i've started to teach 2 new students about a month ago.

one is a 80 year old woman, who has a mild dementia and a horrible back pain. her neurosurgeon suggested that she either take piano or chess. she chose the former as she knows how to read music.

the other is a 7 year old girl, who has a major speech impediment, mostly due to mild retardation. her parents didn't say anything about her being "handicapped," but by now, it's quite obvious.

with these two, i'm struggling. with the dementia, the OW (older woman) is constantly forgetting where she is. not only that, she mixes her hands so she sometimes plays the clefs mixed(!!!!) - so right hand is playing the bass clef and the left is, etc. the very first lesson, i was in my "teaching mode," very straightforward, but i quickly realized that's just hurting her - even though the hurt is very momentary, due to her short-term memory problems. so i've begun to coax her, as if i'm cajoling a little kid to behave well just for the moment, so that later that kid can get sweets. i'm really wondering if this really does have any effects? i know that oliver sacks has worked and documented extensively on brain & music works, but i'm a bit helpless here.

the girl is very enthusiastic about piano lessons as i teach her as if i'm teaching a 3 year old. she's unable to read yet so even learning the note's names (7 alphabets) is a tremendously challenging. and (i'm guessing) due to her retardation, physically, her fingers are unruly. i don't know if and when this condition will go away. i don't expect her verbal skills to improve but perhaps physical impediments will not get used to playing the piano as well.

i need lots of prayers!