Celebrating thirty years of music

MAUREEN Davy has loved music ever since she can remember, and this joy and dedication has been fostered by her piano teacher, Lauren Knight, who has taught Ms Davy for thirty years.

Last Saturday the pair celebrated three decades of music and Ms Knight said Ms Davy was the most dedicated student she has ever taught.

“Maureen is my student who practices the most; she practices every day,” Ms Knight said.

Ms Davy is blind, and she said her father found it difficult to find a piano teacher who would agree to help her.

“My father went everywhere trying to find someone willing to take me on because of my disability,” she said.

Although Ms Davy tried a few different piano teachers, Ms Knight showed patience, empathy and adapted well to teaching a blind student.

“For teaching people like me, as the teacher you have to be patient because otherwise we couldn’t learn,” said Ms Davy.

The pair still have the book they have been using since 1994 to keep track of Ms Davy’s progress. “This is a record of all the songs we’ve learned over those years,” said Ms Knight.

“I sort of just put the date in and what song we’re up to.”

Ms Davy also regularly played piano at Vision Australia events including for their Christmas party and Christmas carol event.

When the organisation was going to get rid of the piano, Ms Davy arranged for it to go to some of Ms Knight’s students who didn’t have one.

“I wasn’t going to let them give it away the way they were,” said Ms Davy.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the pair had to stop their lessons, which they said was difficult, but once the lockdowns were over, they picked right back up and they have no intention of stopping.