My Best CI Moment to Date!

Background: when I took my Montessori training in 2002, we were introduced to the Montessori bells. They are beautiful, made by some craftsman in Europe. The goal is to teach the children to match pitch. When they were presented to my teacher training class, I lasted only a minute or two before I fled the room in tears. The teacher asked us to hum the pitch and what my classmates hummed was a totally different pitch than I heard with two hearing aids. When she played the scale, it was a horrendous mush of sound. It broke my heart. I've played in bell choirs and I love the sound of bells.

Fast forward to this week. Not only do I have a CI now, I have the Harmony, and I'm adjusting gradually but steadily. The lead teacher in our classroom put out only one or two bells at a time, to let the children get used to treating them respectfully. I could kind of tell the difference between two bells! This was cool!

But it gets even better. Yesterday, she had four "control" bells out--middle C, D, E, and F. She had added two "working" bells, which the children learn to match. And I did it!! I matched the C
and the D!!! I called out to her, "Agnes! Come check my work! I think I did it!" She checked it and they did indeed match!!

I'm getting pitch back!!! She gave me a great big hug and a high five, and I was floating on air! They still don't sound like pitch like I remember it, but I can tell them apart!

WooHoo!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord God Almighty!!!