December 14, 2012

A Christmas Update

I thought I would try a more personal approach for this blog post. I want to give an update on my piano progress so far and maybe a few of my aspirations for the new year.

First up, piano. Let me provide the full background story for those who don't know. At this point I've been playing since roughly the middle of June. I started with a private teacher who was recommended to me by a friend. It was a good introduction and I liked the laid back nature of it all. Eventually, however, she was too flaky for me and unable to keep an appointment so I had to get rid of her. I have not regretted that decision.

Starting off was difficult. I had no experience save for a little bit in high school music class. Basically, I was starting from scratch. I didn't know what any of the keys were, knew nothing about sheet music or reading it, I didn't know how to hit the keys properly, nothing. I progressed slowly but surely. Then I put in more and more time and got better and better. I introduced the left hand into my playing and found that it was ridiculously hard for me at first. So I practiced and practiced and it got easier.

Over time I've built myself up. By September I was playing Desperado by The Eagles. When I first started, I did NOT think I would be able to do something like that so quickly (keep in mind that I had to miss a lot of lessons with my first teacher so I might have even came further than that). Success is contagious. I've gone beyond that and I have a mantra wherein I try to challenge myself every time I pick a new piece. If it's not challenging for me in some way then it's a step in the wrong direction. That's how you get better, I decided, hard work and having the masochism to never play anything that's easy for you.

It's been really difficult to juggle piano with the MBA, what little curling I've done this season, and work with three firms. But I find that you make time for the things and the people who are most important to you. Sometimes things have to take to the back burner for a while but I've managed to juggle as well as any circus performer might have.

Which brings me to my next point: I'm pretty much done with juggling. My busiest term is behind me. Next year I've got three classes and one I'm already in. By all rights, it won't be as time consuming as this past term was. This is great. It means I'll have more time for the other things that matter in my life that I've been neglecting somewhat. I can improve even more and faster in piano, actually practice for curling again, give 100% to anything that school deals me, and maybe even try to reclaim a little bit of a social life.

I'm pretty excited for this holiday season and this next term. We always go through life saying that someday I'll do this or that you just want a little bit more time. Well, now I have time. I have already started doing the things that I always said I wanted to do but never felt I had the chance to until now. On a side note, doing all those things has enriched my life and have resulted in so many changes in myself that I almost feel like a completely different person than I was about a year and a half ago. All the petty things I was worried about then seem trite when compared to, not worries that I have about things now, but more like ambitions that I want to carry out and won't be stopped in doing so. I aim to carry out all my ambitions and prove myself even more than I have already. If they give me an inch, I'll take a foot.

0 comments:

Post a Comment