December 27, 1998

President Truman taught his daughter, Margaret, to play the piano. By the time she was six, he had taught her to play The Little Fairy Waltz. On Sunday afternoons Grandmother Truman would show Margaret how to play simple tunes on her old upright. She also taught Margaret to read music. Her formal music lessons started with Mrs. Story, the church organist at Trinity Church. Margaret liked music but hated to practice and found ways to avoid it. However, due to her lack of practice her mother suggested that she stop lessons. This woke Margaret up---and she began to practice.

Margaret and her father enjoyed playing duets.

Information taken from Souvenir by Margaret Truman (NY: Mc Graw Hill, 1956)

Glendale Elementary School
Independence, Missouri