For years, I have allowed an inferiority complex to affect my confidence in the craft of playing the piano. After much reflection (I will write on that in upcoming projects), I was able to unearth my very real lack of confidence and belief in my passion for music, the piano, and the art of playing for the joy of it.
In honour of my Baldwin, which I am coming to terms with that needs to be replaced, I have been reflecting on the genuine art and craft of playing piano
Mind
To my second teacher's chagrin, I had mostly skimmed over piano theory as a young child. To her credit, she imparted in me a relentless study of the art of sight reading and although unable to pick up a complex chopin like a professional pianist and play it without hesitation or perfection, I am able to skim play the most simple and complex of pieces for understanding and follow that up to take each bar at a time, each measure, each hand and break it down.
Without this skill, the pieces I play would lack in their quality.
Body
It’s easy to become self-conscious about how you look as you play. When I play at my best, I often find I look ridiculous. To be lost and fully immersed in music is to be free of self, aware only of the notes, the sound, the cadence, and the moment that you are in. For the body as well as the mind, music and playing instruments are a form of meditation, and letting go and letting go of your physical self is half the battle.
Soul
I play not because I am perfect but because I am fed by the playing. There is a room inside al of us that is warm, breezy and free from judgement. This room I find in music, the sound of the ocean and the weightless feeling of a memorized piece of music falling out of my fingertips.
I have always chased the ability to return to this room no matter how many dark hallways life likes to place in my way.
