The Sentinel
Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022
Popp
Continued from Page 30
However, when he retired from his job as a professor, he decided that listening to jazz music was not enough for him. Music had been such a big part of his life, and he wanted to bring it back. He started to attend piano lessons from the Music Academy in State College, and even bought a piano to go in the basement of their house. He began to practice his piano regularly and was able to enjoy creating music again, rather than just listening to it. I would sometimes hear my grandfather practicing, and listen in amazement from the top of the staircase. One day, when I was
Lewistown, PA—31
JUNIATA VALLEY MAGAZINE visiting, my grandfather offered to teach me some music after finding my young self exploring the piano keys. I was overjoyed because I hoped that I would be just as skilled as him. He sat down on the bench beside me and slowly taught me the notes of the tune, “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” It took me a few tries to get it, but I was incredibly proud of myself once I had finally been able to play the whole song with no mistakes. I still remember the smile he had on his face as he looked at me, revealing that he was pleased that I had been so interested in his passion. He went on to play the tune with both hands on two octaves. This completely blew my mind, for
The walk on the beach
I could not fathom how he was able to play two things at once. After I saw this, I got the urge to pursue music with the same admiration and hard work as him. His dedication to what created his joy was the most admirable thing. I began to realize that I could
not live without music either. I wanted to put as much effort into my music as he did. I ended up joining the band as a percussionist as soon as I entered the fifth grade, and have stuck with it ever since. In middle school, I even decided to
join my school’s jazz band to play the bass keyboard, and I am still in it to this day. Even though I might never be as good as my grandfather while playing, I still strive to do my best and work on my passion for music as well, whether it be through dancing,
singing, or playing an instrument. My grandfather, Ronald S. Koot was the most talented, dedicated, and the most admirable person that I had ever known. He passed away at the age of 79 on Feb. 17, 2017, after battling cancer.
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Amelia Smith Every summer my family and grandparents go to the Outer Banks for a vacation. Every morning my grandmother, Wanda Smith, would get up to watch the sunrise and have her coffee. One morning my grandmother decided to wake me up and go for a walk on the beach. When we got to the beach we sat and watched the sunrise. Later we took a walk to go look for sea glass. As I was looking for sea glass she was looking for seashells to make a bracelet. While we were walking my grandma told me that
this would be the last family vacation they are going on. My grandma had leukemia at the time and she was not feeling the best. Due to my grandpa’s back it would be hard for him to sit in a car for at least eight hours. My grandma made sure that I understood that I would still be able to see them. Since I have to work in the summers I do not have much time to see them. Little did I know my grandma and I spent most of the week together since we knew it was going to be our last time at the beach together.
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