Yes. I am multitasking this year and #theernieproject isn’t the only project I’m tackling. This is the initial installment of The Mernie Project. In this project I am endeavoring to record my mother, Mernie, playing her piano. For those who may not know me, or them (my parents), or us – here is a little background:
- My father’s name is Ernest and he was always called Ernie.
- My mother’s name is Marilyn and her childhood best friend nicknamed her Mernie in grade school, a name that stuck.
- My parents are Ernie and Mernie. Fact.
- I am named Karen. No one calls me Kernie. Well, no one who wants to be my friend…
- My mother started playing the piano and organ professionally in the 7th grade.
- My father could not play an instrument. At all.
- I take after my father.
A few years before my father died in 2012 he bought my mother a piano because she had not had a personal piano for over 25 years, and she had only played the piano at church during that time period. He bought her an upright Steinway. Steinway uprights are rare. His reasoning was that my mom is a rare talent and as such deserved a rare instrument.
Since I want to document her talent, hence #themernieproject, we had the piano tuned today. (I will post all the Mernie Project videos on YouTube.) Here is no. 1 –
