P is for Piano

The piano and I go a ways back. We had our split for some time, but I think we are back to a healthy relationship.

We began to get acquainted when my family got our first little electronic synthesizer for Christmas when I was about 9. I started playing on it and made up my first very own songs on that thing. Later my parents got us a full-size electronic piano with all the sounds and rhythms and the capability to record our own music. About that time I started taking lessons for real, and I was able to write even more. Even while I was learning classical pieces and some popular songs, most of the time when I played, I played my own music.

When it was time to leave for college, I auditioned for a music scholarship playing one of my compositions. They offered me $400 if I majored in music and $200 if I minored, and I took the minor (I wasn't ready to pursue it as a career). Then they set me up with who they thought was the best piano teacher the school had. And at first, I believe I held my own as one of her students. I kept up alright, learned the songs she wanted me to learn, and performed a recital fairly well. I'm not sure I remember exactly when the downward spiral began.... but I remember one of our lessons when I was frustrated with a particular piece, and she began to question why I was even at college at all. She asked me what my major was and I said I was undecided. "Well, college isn't for everyone," she said. She even went so far to suggest that I was better off eloping and quitting school. At least she fully encouraged my decision to quit taking piano (and give up the meagre scholarship I had earned).

I think that was the moment that destroyed every shred of creative ability I ever had at music. I have not written a song since I quit taking lessons from her, about 10 years ago.

But all was not completely lost... I later pursued voice lessons and took them for maybe a year and a half, something I have never regretted. And I began to revive my interest in piano, maybe starting sometime last year. I've been trying to add more songs to my repertoire, mostly Broadway numbers that I enjoy singing along to.

But this morning a new idea for a project struck me (ever notice how our best ideas seem to strike in the shower??)... I still have all those songs I wrote those years ago, and they need to be compiled in a little portfolio just for posterity's sake. I have scraps and scribbles of some of them, and a couple of them are fully written out, but I want more of it in nice clean copies. Time to remember how to write music down on paper...We'll see how long I stay with getting this done... :)

And one of my pieces, the one that everyone seems to like best, is unnamed. It's sort of a creepy waltz song but I don't remember what my inspiration was for it. So if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear!

Whew... sorry for the long post today, guys!! :)