Or to put it another way......(Also from RedBubble)..... ( redbubble.com/people/ozcloggie)

[Jo]

Definition of a gentleman is said to be: One who can play the piano accordion but doesn't! I am so grateful that I can!

It has helped to cheer up pupils in in the primary classes that I taught, from 1964 until 2001. Right from the beginning, at Riverstone Public School, basically ignoring the music broadcasts that we were then meant to follow, via the school's P.A. system, I had the kids sing to _Morning-town Ride, Puff the Magic Dragon, Mummy told me something, a little 'kid' should know_ (Pebbles and Bam Bam song), etc., etc..

Right from the beginning, of the 37 years, (of being a _chalkie_) the day was often started, with louder and louder singing. Soon adding actions to: Let every-one (insert: woof-woof, meouw, shake hands, jump up, etc., etc.) like me would follow. In latter years, We Shall Not be Moved, hummed, whistled, clapped, etc., etc. was almost like the signature tune.
Thank you, Mrs Else Brandman.
My teacher, at the Jan Ligthartschool, Gouda, had helped my parents buy me a little piano accordion only a few months before we migrated.
He'd given me my first lessons. I sat and played, on the migrant ship (The _J.v.O._). I sat and played outside the nissan hut, in Villawood Migrant Hostel and I sat an played in the big backyard, behind our first (old) house, in Flint Street Matraville (Later Hillsdale).

My parents took me to Mrs Brandman's music studio, in her private house, Maroubra, within walking distance of the Flint Street. Did she think she could teach me, she was asked. (I probably translated, at that stage, from Dutch to English, for my parents.) Yes. Certainly - to a reasonable level. She stated that I certainly had a feeling for rhythm. (I like to think that was proved again, all those years, in the ballroom dancing studio of Bob and Dot Poter, at Maroubra Junction.) .... And that's what happened. When, eventually the studio was moved to Rockdale, Mrs Brandman simply told me that this was as far as she could take me (I wouldn't get any better.). I bought an accordion from her, which she had been using to teach and went on my way. ....

I was so pleased to, find her daughter (Margaret)'s website . Has obviously gone on to a career in music, following in the footsteps and in a wide field. I've emailed Margaret and look forward to contacting her mother now. Turns out Mrs Brandman lives not too far away from where I have been attending art classes and where I have just joined the organisation which _runs_ one of the two Dutch retirement villages, in Sydney. .... There you go. That's your bloomin' lot. You know what comes next: ... SMALL WORLD!!!

(There's a great photo of my daughter and friends, raising money after the bushfires that hit southern Sydney a number of years ago, by playing the flute. She also became very competent, playing piano. My son performs, mainly singing and playing the guitar but can be relied upon to play a number of other instruments.)