I recently started taking piano lessons again after a brief hiatus of about maybe 15+ years. Quitting piano was always a big regret of mine, but then again maybe if I did stick with it I wouldn’t have the same appreciation for it that I do now. Who knows, but anyways all that matters is that I am where I am now.
My current teacher is really awesome. The lessons are fun and I’ve been learning a lot. She is kind of a stickler for form and technique, but it’s actually been really helpful. And not gonna lie, when she demonstrated a piece for me it was so beautiful I just about started crying.
Ahem — anyways
There are plenty of things about starting to learn piano again that I think are applicable to life in general:
- When things get difficult or frustrating don’t give up, take a breath, break it down, and take it slow.
- Proficiency doesn’t just happen overnight, it takes time, patience, and focus.
- Proficiency kinda happens overnight, make sure to get a good night’s sleep.
- The small stuff matters, but don’t be upset if you forget about it every now and then, and just be more careful next time.
- If you’ve been doing it wrong this whole time, it’s never too late to fix it (turns out I had no idea how to properly use the pedal).
- Find joy in everything you do, even the mundane and tiresome.
- Just because something is simple does not mean it lacks depth.
- Just because something is complex does not mean it has depth.
- Doing something the same way over and over doesn’t mean you are getting better at it.
- Know when it’s time to take a break.
These are the big ones I can think of now, if more come up I may add them in later.
What hobbies do you have and in what ways does it affect other practices in your life?
nANIMOv 