An Intro to My Journey with Piano

 

When I first started playing piano, I couldn't have imagined myself getting to where I am now.

Playing piano has definitely been a long journey for me - that's for sure. There were certainly times where I didn't feel like practicing, and the endless encouragements from Mom to keep doing so, especially during the first several years of my piano journey, felt like agony for me. Mind you, I'm sure Mom saw something in my playing that I couldn't even begin to see in myself.

"Why bother? What's the point? I don't want to keep going," I would often say to myself in those first years.

And yet, here I am today, continuing to pursue the discipline and gift of piano. 

When I look back at the beginnings of my piano journey, I am so grateful to my mom, who continually encouraged me (yes, sometimes firmly) to keep going, to keep practicing. And I am so glad she did, because in all honesty, there were probably times where I wouldn't have kept going if it weren't for her encouragements.

And that is oftentimes a part of life - though it doesn't have to be; we are so quick to cast judgements on ourselves, on our own progress, either comparing ours to the "quicker" or "faster" or "better" progress of our peers around us, and yet, we aren't supposed to be comparing to others. Instead, I think it is better to compare ourselves to who we were yesterday, so that we can look back at our own journey and see how much we've improved.

Because the time that it takes to progress further is not universal - each journey to progress is unique, and the amount of time, the amount of effort put in is personal and real. As a music student, even though you might not be progressing or learning as "quickly" as others, it doesn't mean that you're not getting somewhere. If you continue to practice, to strive to put an effort in, you will grow.

If I could sum everything I have just said up until now into two sentences, it would be this:

Every person's music journey is unique. And that's a good thing.

What I am striving to offer through piano lessons is not an attitude of perfectionism or comparison, but truly a place where growth is fostered, where a person's skills and abilities can be expanded, and where progress, in a very personal and tangible way, can indeed happen.