Last night was the annual piano recital for Vicki Zemke's piano students. Vicki, who has dozens of students, teaches from her home studio. Her students love her - as do their parents. She is gentle, quiet, firm - and the results of her technique show in her students' performance. The recital was at her church, Southern Baptist at Saguaro Ranch in Glendale, where she plays on Sundays and also works with "wee ones." She plays at Glendale Community College as well.
This is a remarkable person. I say that about all my friends - and here's a glimpse at why it is true of Vicki.
Since she has been big enough to mount a piano bench (true - she isn't very big - but back to my story) she's played piano in church. She is careful always to give God the credit for her talent, and it is considerable. At last night's recital, she also honored her parents who had just celebrated their anniversary - her parents who provided lessons for her and who have encouraged her always.
She's not limited her service to church or to her piano students. For many years Vicki and Dan were foster parents - a story all by itself.
Our friendship developed one summer when stress levels were particularly high. We clocked a lot of miles walking the perimeter of a park near where our homes - and spent lots of hours in water aerobics. She found out that summer that she had breast cancer, pretty advanced, and together we researched the disease as she made decisions that were right for her. It was a pretty traumatic time, and she determined that she'd tell her story at every opportunity. She's since counseled one-on-one with women pre-and post-surgery, shopped with them for wigs, showed her scars, passed out educational literature, hosted business lunch and learns on the subject of breast cancer, served on the Susan G Komen board of directors, and on and on. Today she is healthy, and based on last night's performance, I'd say stronger than ever.
Her daughters Jennifer, Elizabeth and Katelyn played with her in the recital. Sorry about the picture quality - but the performances were outstanding.
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