When I was 5 I started taking piano lessons. I remember begging my parents for piano lessons. It's funny - Kat kept asking to take violin lessons a couple of months ago and I caved. I figured if the girl wants to learn an instrument then who am I to stand in her way. My parents must have felt the same thing. Piano was my instrument until I entered 6th grade. It was at that time I needed to make a decision: continue with piano or take up the other instrument I was smitten with, the flute. My parents could only afford one set of lessons, and I chose to go with the flute. Sure, I still played the piano off and on at home, but my focus almost entirely shifted to the flute, and when I left for college and didn't have a piano anymore, that just really fell away.
I would approach pianos during this "separation" phase (which lasted, oh, 23 years) and kind of yearn to play like I had played before. I remembered parts of pieces I had memorized or had favored. I'd tinker around with some music if I was at someone's house. But without one at home I had to let that muse go. I was happy with the flute and piccolo, and I spent years practicing hours a week to get to the level of proficiency I am today (32 years in total, 12 of them with intense practicing).
But my muse came back in 2012 at Thanksgiving. We were in Seattle and having Thanksgiving at Charlie's stepbrother's house. They had recently gotten a steal on a baby grand piano and their two kids who were taking piano lessons now had this amazing instrument to play on. You know the saying in Jerry McGuire, "You had me at 'Hello'''?. Well, I was totally enamoured from the second I layed my fingers on the keys. I played some duets with their kids and fiddled around with some of the music, and I left Seattle longing for a piano again. So much so that I started trolling Craig's List and for literally 18mos tried out various pianos I had found online but never found "the one''. I wasn't on what I would consider a serious mission, but it was in the back of my mind and I endulged those thoughts by trying out pianos every once in awhile.
Then Kat had to go and ask to learn to play the violin. I got so excited in getting her new instrument (which seems like a toy it's so small!) and hearing her practice that I couldn't resist. The day before my birthday I bought myself a wonderful birthday present: a Yamaha upright piano. And friends, I am in love.
I tried out probably 15 different pianos that day that were in my price range and piano type, and this was "the one''. I had in my mind the type of sound I wanted, and with some I knew after playing three notes that it wasn't the piano for me. The one I ended up purchasing had just come in to the shop the day before and wasn't even in their system yet. The sound is a mix of warmth and brightness, the keys easily played but not too easily that the seem like they are slipping. The piano itself is *gorgeous*.
It was destiny. :-)
I started taking piano lessons again and my teacher this week told me that I should have had piano as my main instrument instead of flute. And I said - well, it *was* my first instrument. My first love, really. And I love playing it. I love playing scales, and finger exercises, and the pieces I learn each week. I love that I can just sit down for 5 minutes and hammer out something, even as dull as an arpeggio or chord progression. I am having so much fun playing again. I don't know - it's kind of a joy I don't get from playing flute. Don't get me wrong, I love playing my flute; I love the sweet and clear tone I play with; I love playing in a band with it, but with piano it just seems more communal and ready to play all the time. You don't really see groups of people gathering around a flute player singing songs, but you do with piano. My goal is to have the family gathered around singing Chrsitmas carols at the end of the year (but I'll still bring my flute Christmas caroling!!).
So I love it. And thanks to my in-laws for kickstarting that love again. And thanks to Kat for starting violin and pushing me into re-learning again. I am reliving the joy I had as a kid playing piano.
What a beautiful story. It is so hard to be a musician and feel like you have to choose between one instrument or the other. I am a million times grateful that you chose to play the flute all those years ago; otherwise, we might not know each other now! That being said, I'm also really excited for you to have the chance to fall in love with the piano again and have those experiences. When I heard you play on that gorgeous piano, I couldn't believe how fantastic you sounded. :-) :-)
Posted by: Karen Schuster | May 26, 2014 at 17:04
What an awesome story. We could not afford a piano either. I played on my friend's piano. Dianne still in contact with me since 3 yrs old. She was my first teacher. She never practiced and I played there all the time, taught me my notes. I played Around the World in 80 Days for dad & neighbors. Dad got me a piano and my mom went through the roof, as he was on unemployment. The piano is the full orchestra, and I hope you get to play for your family and have them all stand around and sing. Unfortunately, I'm totally concert classical, but it's all the same. Angels play music. And you are one. You can hear it in your flute solo!
Posted by: Cherielebrun | June 30, 2015 at 08:42