All of my life, I have played the piano. As a child, I took years of music lessons.
I went to university and studied music. I even ran my own music school where I had hundreds of students who came weekly to learn piano, organ and even guitar. In addition, for a short time, I played professionally for weddings, funerals, and at upscale restaurants.
Then, life got busy. I was raising children, taking care of a house and working full-time in a career totally removed from music. Through those years, I seldom found myself sitting down at the piano or organ. I remember my Mom telling me you should play more often so that I wouldn’t lose my touch.
This spring, we purchased a piano as a wedding gift for my son and now daughter in law. We went down to the local piano store and tried pretty much every piano in the showroom. This brought back many good memories of my piano teaching days and selling pianos in my own store.
I went home and dusted off my old Bach, Beethoven and Mozart music books. It is with a little chagrin that I confess that I am extremely rusty. My fingers simply do not move over the keys like they used to.
Practice makes perfect!
Talent, I believe must be nurtured. I neglected to foster my music knowledge. I know that I will never play professionally again. However, as I practice my scales and pieces each night, I can feel my technique slowly returning. This gives me a sense of accomplishment.
It is never too late to go back and work on a something you were once good at. It connects you to your past and will make you realize that your talent must not go to waste.
N
Nice article Jan!