Besides reading and hanging out with friends, another hobby of mine is playing the piano. I remember the awe I felt when I first touched the keys of a piano. I think I was about five years old at the time. We had friends over that day and I remember sitting on the way-too-high piano bench in our family living room and banging the keys to my heart's content. It felt freeing and relaxing.
These days, piano still remains one of the places where I can tune out the world and just play my emotions out. I began taking piano lessons when I was six years old and haven't stopped since then. So, I've been playing for about ten years. I'm nowhere near a maestro yet I simply enjoy playing.
There's something exciting about beginning a new piece. For example, I remembered when I began Debussy's "Claire de Lune" a few weeks ago. I had heard so much about this piece--I've listened to it on the computer, seen others play it, etc--but I had never played it before. It's a beautiful yet rather difficult piece (I encourage anyone who is unfamiliar with it to listen to it). So, when my piano teacher suggested the piece as my next assignment, I was very overjoyed.
The first week, I practiced "Claire de Lune" and not without struggle. It was difficult trying to understand what the composer intended. I kept forgetting to emphasize certain notes. I put my pedal down at the wrong places and often blurred notes. While I am used to messing up in practice, I messed up a lot more when I practiced "Claire de Lune". It was so difficult sometimes that I ignored it and practiced other pieces. Yet, by the end of the fifth week, I could play it smoothly from beginning to end. And now I understand what the composer wants--I can grasp the abstract feeling of the piece. At the same time, I also add in my own personal signature so that the piece becomes my own unique version of "Claire de Lune". This final product, this understanding of the piece, is the main reason why I practice.
In college, I won't have that much time to practice piano. I'll be busy with different things. I'll be making new friends and exploring new interests. Yet, when I do have the time, I think I'll sit down at my piano and play the pieces I remember. For old times' sake.
Great job in articulating the emotion behind playing an instrument. The emotion is hard to explain well and I think you did a good job. I personally don't play any instruments save for a tad of self-taught piano but I know what you're talking about. The ability to understand and convey the emotion that lies behind a composition is truly amazing. I hope you can scrape out some time to continue during college!
ReplyDeleteI feel exactly the same way about playing piano. There's something hypnotic about seeing your fingers glide across the keyboard when playing a recently mastered piece. For me, there's a certain piece I play when I need to relax or escape from all the stress. Erik Satie's "1er Gymnopedie" always calms me. Great work!
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you mean about finally getting what the composer wants-- when I used to play piano I used to get little snippets of feeling like that. You put it into words really well. In college I think you'll still be able to play piano, even if you don't take formal lessons. A lot of colleges have dorms with pianos in there somewhere :)
ReplyDeletePlay for me sometime!
I also play the piano and understand the pleasure and serenity you get from it. when I play I can stop thinking about everything else and just focus on playing. There was a point when I hated playing the piano and wanted to quit, but I am glad that my parents made me continue to play until now.
ReplyDeleteI really love this post, Serena! It's so descriptive and flows effortlessly! I really like how you captured that feeling of learning a new piece - it's definitely something I can relate to. Good job!
ReplyDelete