Where my love of music really began....

One of my favorite ways to get out my emotions in a positive way is when I go to play my piano. The thing about playing the piano, for me, is how it is a sounding board. It is just there for me to use when I need it and when I am through letting out what I need to I feel so much better. I enjoy talking things out with friends and family, but sometimes I just want to go to a place where I won't be judged and then listen to advice that is not always very helpful, and that place is my piano. Friends and family have good intentions when giving advice, but sometimes I don't find it useful and I do not want to offend anyone by asking them to stop so I let them talk, but what I need at those times in not someone to figure things out for me, but to just listen.

Thinking about this made me think back to the first piano my parents ever bought me. Awhile back ago, if you went downstairs into the basement you would walk into the den and the first thing that was always noticed was the very old upright "player" piano. Now, this piano was not the most beautiful instrument in the world; in fact, it was very used when it came to my home. It was easy to see that this piano had seen it's better days from the wood pieces that were broken off to the many chipped piano keys. If looking at this old piano were not enough to tell of the ware of the piano, then once someone played it, it would be easy to hear just how incredibly out of tune it was, and one would find just how many hammers inside the piano were broken by pressing down each key. It was not that worn down when I first had it, the hammers inside eventually broke from being banged almost constantly by little fingers that did not know better. Now, when I go downstairs and no longer see that old piano, I miss it.

It was on this old and out of tune piano that I really fell in love with music. I have always liked music, but I became hooked on it and appreciate it so much more after learning the piano.

Sometimes I wished that the piano could talk, because I bet it would have had a lot of stories to tell about the days were it was in it's prime... I wonder how the "player" piano was used, if it was in an old bar or a fancy hotel where people could hear it.

I don't know if my parents ever really realized how much I appreciated having that piano to practice on, because if it were not for them nurturing and allowing me to really enjoy learning about the piano, I do not think I would have fallen in love with music in the way I have.... I am sure, now, though, they may have second thoughts about that because I am sure I drive them a bit crazy with my music....