Piano Lessons

When I was a kid, I took piano lessons for about 8 years.  I liked playing well enough, but I never loved it.  

And I never looked forward to practicing, either; I remember sitting on the hard wooden piano bench in our living room, feeling restless and uncomfortable.  It really wasn’t my idea of fun.

Did I learn to play the piano?  Well, yes and no.

I developed a basic proficiency, but I didn’t go much beyond that.  I couldn’t play by ear, embellish a piece, or get too fancy.  My skills levelled off, and that’s where I stayed.

And, once I got into high school and found new interests (and a boyfriend), I stopped playing altogether.  

However, by that time I was playing the saxophone in the school band and jazz band, which I really liked.  I also sang in the chorus and the select singing group (although, to be honest, I’m not a fabulous singer, either.)

Looking back, it’s ok that I quit the piano, but I’m glad that I found other musical outlets that suited me better at the time.

Studying the piano helped me develop a foundation that allowed me to enjoy other types of music.  And, though I don’t play any instruments anymore, I’ve always been grateful that I grew up with an understanding of, and appreciation for music.  

Also, I’ve always been thankful that my parents encouraged my musical education, paid for all of those lessons, and sat through years of recitals. 

One of the most amazing dreams (the sleeping kind) I ever had involved writing a piano concert.  When I woke up, I was amazed that I could write a piece of music like that … and disappointed that I would never be able to recreate it in waking life. 

It only happened once, but in that one dream, I knew what it felt like to be a truly gifted pianist.  It’s been decades, and I still remember that dream, and that feeling.  I had a brief  glimpse of what being a true musical artist was like.  

But I’m ok with the fact that it was a dream and not my reality.  I just find it fascinating, more than anything, that I was writing music and playing the piano in my sleep.

Knowing ourselves and our true talents is a long process for many of us.  But when we do know ourselves and appreciate our unique creativity, we are free to be less-than-gifted in other areas.  And we recognize that it’s fine to learn and practice various skills, leaving open the possibility that through exploration, we will find new talents that are yet undiscovered.

That’s what I learned from my piano lessons.

Oh … I picked up one more thing.  I can type like lightning.  I guess my brain really did learn to communicate with my fingers while I was playing piano.  

That worked out fine, since I type a lot more than I ever played the piano.