The piano is a beautiful instrument that has made its way into my heart from the very first time I heard the magical sound of this instrument. Therefore, when I started playing the piano, there was no choice in the matter; it simply possessed me. I was not able to deny the flowing rhythm, pulsing beat or the surreal noise created by it.
I believe that the piano is not merely an instrument but that it creates a spell. Since the very beginning, I was possessed under the spell of this magical instrument. Since my childhood, I had a dream of playing the piano. However, after a lot of persuasion, my parents made the call to the piano store and my dream turned into reality.
Life-Changing
When I started playing the piano in third grade, there was a dramatic change in my life for the better. I felt as if a part of me was snapped into a piece of a puzzle. Now I was complete. My soul was free and so was my spirit. My grandpa was a great fan of jazz music, so I grew up listening to artists like Louis Armstrong. With Christmas, there always came jazz music and songs like “What a Wonderful World”. If you ask me now, it is a bit more exciting than the average “Jingle Bells”.
It turned out that jazz became my comfort zone. It comes to me naturally on the piano. When I play a jazz song on the piano, the music simply flows through me. I can even say that the music speaks to me. It speaks in a smooth, soft voice, which comforts my nervousness or hesitation. It says, “live it, breathe it, feel it.” And my only possible response is to play and play nonstop. After I have finished playing a jazz song on the piano, my teacher compliments me by saying, “You’re really amazing and you have a great feel for it.” The only realistic response for me is to say, “I don’t feel it, it feels me.”
The Piano Is A Teacher
I realized that the piano is like a teacher. Therefore, it guides me in appreciating the value of my determination and hard work. I also learned the value of time management and realized what I can really accomplish when I put my mind to a particular job.
At the same time, I also recognize that most of the reward is present in the journey and not in the destination. In this way, the piano has shown me the value of self-discipline and dedication. I learned to challenge myself and to look for the desire to succeed and to want new experiences.
Value Of Curiosity
The piano also showed me the value of curiosity. I was curious by nature from the very beginning, but I never thought much about it. When I was growing up, I always wondered how things worked. The piano was no exception. From the very first day, I was exceptionally into the harmonies, scales and everything else that was a part of a piece of music. I also wanted to know everything regarding my first song.
I worked on this song tirelessly. I took the sheet music along with me on car rides, studied the note values, dynamics and rhythms and mentally rehearsed the song. The result was that I was able to learn this song within less than a week. I consider it one of my greatest personal achievements because I challenged myself to be better at something and I succeeded.
Piano imparted me the significance of embracing my curiosity in my studies. Now I know that because of piano, I never stopped asking important questions, like when, why and how, and I used my natural curiosity to guide me through the journey of life. The most significant quality that I learned by playing the piano is to follow my passion. I am the first person in my family to play music. This turned me into a well-rounded person.
Both of my parents are athletic. I also have a friend whose passion involves playing sports and I admired this quality. By playing the piano, I learned that our individual impressions make us unique. Following my own path and interests led me in a positive direction even when it meant that I had to travel alone. Due to this reason, I believe that I am going to be unique and be a beneficial addition to wherever my life takes me.
For me, the piano is something much more than an instrument. It has also been one of my greatest teachers. The result is that the piano had a significant impact on my life, and it has shaped me into who I am today. I have also learned that self-discipline, hard work, and dedication are fruitful, and I use my curiosity to drive myself to succeed and to follow my passions.
I’m also aware that these lessons are going to serve me well in my college years and beyond. Even if learning the piano can be challenging sometimes, on account of difficult pieces and hard practices, I look forward to these challenges because they allow me to grow in several aspects of life.
Even if you may not be aware of it, when you are learning to play the piano, you are also improving a number of skills that can be helpful in becoming more successful in other areas as well. In fact, there are a number of studies in which it has been proven that learning to music increases the chances of success in other fields.
For example, when you play the piano, you need to focus on several things like the rhythm, tempo, pitch, and note duration. Even if you’re doing something that you really enjoy, this is also an exercise in concentration. Relevant studies have revealed that whenever a musician picks up his or her instrument, fireworks start in his or her brain. Perhaps playing a musical instrument is the only activity in which nearly all areas of the brain are activated at the same time.
Playing The Piano Also Teaches Perseverance
It takes a lot of time and effort to learn a new song on the piano. Until you are able to really play a song fluently by heart, you will probably need to spend many weeks practicing the song. As you look forward to becoming capable of playing this song, you remain motivated, learn to be patient and it also increases your perseverance. These skills are always going to be helpful when you have to deal with difficult situations in life.
Conclusion
Playing the piano also teaches discipline, as it can be quite challenging to play this instrument. However, through frequent practice and hard work, you not only learn the lesson of perseverance but also the value of maintaining discipline in life.
