amidst all my piano lessons and practice sessions with the various instruments, and worrying about piano exams, i think i've forgotten where i started off with my love for musical instruments.
and sitting at bernice's twelve thousand dollars piano(what the hell she's only started learning for 1 year AND she is only 8. my first piano was a hand-me-down. life is not fair) and feeling the very expensive black and white keys at my fingertips, i had time to reflect, and go back to where i came from.
i remember being only 5 when my aunty gave me my first piano. i stood at the doorway of my house and watched four big men lug the big thing in. i wanted to ask them to hurry up. i wanted to sit on the black seat and see what was under that wooden cover. when i finally did, i found black and white stripes staring back at me. black and white stripes that produced sound. happily, i sat there for hours everyday, trying to make a tune out of the stripes. i no longer took my bike out for rides. i just sat at the piano. day after day i tinkled at the piano, and finally i could play a tune. it was "As The Deer". being five years old, i played the entire song with my index finger, in C key. as far as i was concerned then, the black keys were untouchable. they were for seperating the white keys. once i could play my first song, i ran about the house, making sure everyone knew it. soon my mum got me a piano teacher, and i was the happiest girl alive.
i used to stare at people playing all kinds of instruments, just bringing music to all around. i stood at the orchard road underpass for a long long time, just listening to the blind uncle sing and play. and that was my very ambition since i was 4. to learn how to play any instruments i could get my hands on, to be able to bring music to all those around me with any given instrument. i wanted to be able to praise God with any instrument. i wanted to be able to serve Him in many many ways. to serve Him with the guitar, piano, etc. and so began my love affair with music, borne out of a child's desire to serve the Lord.
but somewhere along the way, i began to lose track. caught up in the frustration of having to go for lessons every week, practising the same songs every day, almost getting heart attack on sight of the examiner, i lost the plain, simple desire to just want to make music to the Lord. making music almost became a chore. then things got better when i picked up the drums and the bass guitar. i rediscovered the joy of simply just making music. much as i enjoyed the drums and bass guitar, playing the piano still remained a chore. i seemed to have lost that feeling of my first love with the piano.
umtil i sat at bernice's piano today, fingering the keys, and letting the music flow. once again the euphoria of being able to make music with my fingers surged through my veins. i have finally rediscovered my love for the piano. i hope it lasts.
maybe i need a twelve thousand dollar piano to make it last.
