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15 August 2019, 17:20 | Updated: 10 July 2020, 15:34
In this piano teacher's house, someone always jumps in wanting free lessons (and an occasional head scratch).
Laura Elliott has been working as a piano teacher in Glasgow for more than seven years, but her music lessons are often put on ahem, *paws*.
In the video (watch above), we see Elliott introducing one of her students to Scott Joplin’s classic 1902 rag, ‘The Entertainer”, but it’s not long before her black and white cat, Jasper, hops onto the musical instrument.
And perching himself over the keys, two-year-old Jasper clearly has no intention of moving anytime soon.
After being asked repeatedly to “get down” by the 29-year-old piano tutor, the cat’s commitment to relaxation (and locating edible treats) seems to pay off as the lesson comes to a halt.
Elliott’s pupil laughs: “He couldn’t be more in the way, that’s incredible!”
But it’s not the first time Jasper has disrupted piano lessons – the Glaswegian teacher explains to PA: “I used to feed him when he did this, so now he thinks if he acts up he’ll get fed.
She continues: “He just doesn’t care. He’ll lie across the keys when we are playing.
“He goes outside and he could be miles away but he will hear the piano start playing and he knows that that’s his cue.”
As mischievous as he may be, the kitty’s efforts seem to help young learners stay calm and loosen up during lessons.
His owner, who runs Laura Elliott Piano School, admits: “Students think it’s great. He makes people feel more at ease and relaxed when they are learning.”
Well done, Jasper. As far as we’re concerned, you were just feline the music...
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