Piano

After a brief (well, let's be honest - about seven year period) period of time away from the piano, I have rediscovered my first love! I've been playing the guitar off an on for about two years, and I have enjoyed it, but not enough to consistently practice (story of my life). My dream instrument is the hammered dulcimer, which I will eventually obtain and learn to play. But the instrument that has been in my life since I was a child was the piano. I took lessons for many years growing up (8-10...can't remember exactly how many), and I HATED lessons, with a passion. I don't know if it's just the idea of someone telling me I had to practice 30 minutes a day, or if it was the fundamentals - the technique and theory of piano - I detested. Whatever it was, I did not enjoy taking lessons, or playing the piano during those years. So, finally, my mother let me stop taking lessons. And I took a break from the piano for about a year.

When I went back to the piano, it was for love of music, plain and simple. You see, I am a music nut. I own more music than most people will ever hear. One of my heroes is Beethoven. I grew up listening to everything I could get my hands on, from classical, to oldies, to ack...country, to rock-n-roll, to blue grass, to folk, to Enya-type music, etc. My ipod today has an eclectic mix of music on there, including a wide variety of Irish music, classical, pop, rock, oldies, one or two country songs (still ack), easy listening (think Enya, Jim Brickman, etc.), Christian, a small sampling of rap and hip hop (not my favorite type of music), acapella, and so on.

But I digress. My point is, I couldn't stay away from the piano. I need music the same way I need to write and the same way I need to cook and the same way I love to draw. It is my outlet. I have a gazillion things going on inside of me all the time, and expressing myself through music, whether it's singing or playing will always be a part of me. I'm not sure how I made it these last seven years without playing the piano, but sitting back down, running my fingers over the keys, pulling out music that to this day, still makes me cry when I play it, lifts my soul!

Some wonderful pieces I've rediscovered:
Fur Elise by Beethoven
Sonata in C Sharp Minor by Beethoven
Prelude in C Major by Bach
Menuetto in F by Mozart
Sonatina by Mozart
Jurassic Park
Jessica's Theme from the Man from Snowy River
Annie's Song by John Denver (my absolute favorite song to play on the piano)
Ballade Pour Adeline (thank you Becca Burda for introducing this piece into my life!)
Pachelbel's Canon in D (my favorite song of all time)
Memory from Cats
Anne's Theme from Anne of Green Gables (can I tell you what JOY this song brings me???)
Watermark by Enya
You needed me by Anne Murray (that one's for my MOM)

I could go on and on. But I won't.
But thank you Mom, for all the years of piano lessons. Thank you for the years of listening to me tool around on this amazing instrument.

And welcome back piano into my life!

I found this really cool video about a 6-year-old piano prodigy (she was six in 2008 when the video was taken). It's a neat story! EMILY