Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge by Emma

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge by Emma - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

I was sitting on an uncomfortable piano bench in a brightly lit room, slightly shaking, and racing through the alphabet trying to remember what note came after “E” on the music that stared my second grade self straight in the eyes. My piano teacher sat next to me, tapping her long, perfectly manicured fingers on the side of the piano, anxiously awaiting my response. I looked at her, observing her once grey hair that had since turned white, and fixating on the luxurious cheetah print jacket that sat on her elegant shoulders. She was intimidating, to say the least, and finally, with a heavy sigh of disappointment, she snarled, “G, the next note is G”, closed my piano book, and warned me that if I wasn’t able to learn the notes, I would never be able to play the piano. Devastated, I packed up the rest of my things and began the long walk home.

For the next seven days I did nothing but attempt to memorize those notes, but for some reason my mind couldn’t comprehend the way those majestic symbols were arranged on paper. The night before my next piano lesson I sat in my kitchen, reciting the notes that I had learned in a monotone chant. My mom caught my eye as I did so, and recognizing my frustration she sat down next to me. “Every good boy deserves fudge,” she said. Confused and unaware of what my mother was speaking about, I stared at her blankly. Comprehending my confusion she restated, “You know, every good boy deserves fudge. E, G, B, D, F.” It was the first time I had been introduced to a mnemonic device, and it was the last time I ever attempted to study any other way.

A mnemonic device is a defined as “any learning technique that aids information retention,” but to me it is sets of somewhat silly sentences, songs, and phrases that build the gap between what it is written on the paper, and what my mind remembers. To this day, as I prepare for college level exams, I find myself creating trivial sentences with no meaning and reciting them mindlessly as I prepare for the exam. Whether I chant “please excuse my dear aunt sally” during a math test, or recite “every good boy deserves fudge” every time I sit at a piano, it is through mnemonic devices that I learn best, and it is how I will continue to learn for the rest of my life.

The next day I returned to my piano lesson more confident than ever. I sat on a comfortable piano bench in a perfectly lit room, with steady hands, and calmly responded “G, the next note is G,” when asked what note came after “E” on the music that taught my second grade self how to learn. Although my piano career ended soon after (turns out I was a much more play in the dirt kind of girl) the skills that I learned continue to help me succeed today. Mnemonic devices helped me through long division in 5th grade, learning the planets in 7th grade, getting into college in 12th grade, and striving in my coursework now, and I know that no matter the material, I will always be equipped with the skills to master it.