Even though we’re spread across continents and countries, my family has always
remained connected through music, especially the kind we make gathered around a piano. It doesn’t matter if we’re singing Christmas carols, iconic musical theatre ballads, or just “Happy Birthday” to a relative over the phone, music is what brings us together.
When my grandmother immigrated in 1966 from France to America to start a new life
with my grandfather, she insisted they have a piano in their home. She couldn’t imagine living without one. Though she had moved an ocean away from her family, she brought with her a deep love of music. Her passion passed down through generations. Today, every member of the family has a piano in their homes, from Canada, to America, to France, scattered across the globe.

My entire family reunites in Saint Michel de Chavaignes, France every other year,
gathering for a week in the house my grandmother grew up in. Every family member, young and old, French and American, gathers around the grand piano in the parlor to play and sing the songs that we all love. Whether it’s “I Will Survive” with my grandfather taking the lead, or “Les Champs-Elysées,” where the Francophones thrive, those shared musical moments reaffirm my family’s connection, reminding us that despite the migration that has taken place, we all share a common identity.

– Ana

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant