March 3, 2009

We had dinner with friends on Saturday and for after-dinner entertainment, their dog Taylor played the piano. I’m sure this kind of thing was common before television, the family in the living room, gathered around the old upright. But this is 2009 and perhaps that explains why I was not expecting Taylor’s performance.

On my way to a seat by the fire, I happened to be passing the piano, and our hostess said, “Lift the cover off the keys.” I did so, and Taylor, a large golden retriever, trotted straight over, dropped his chin onto the ivories and out came music. Not quite “Kitten on the Keys,” but music. While tall, Taylor does not have a broad jaw, certainly not enough to span an octave, but he compensates by rolling his head, creating an arpeggio. And he clearly enjoys it. He played like a kibble-fed Liberace until the cover came back down.

Our dachshund Gus can make his squeaky toy sing like a dying animal, but he’s no pianist. And I don’t think lessons would help.