I know that this sounds weird coming from me, who writes a blog about how wonderful it is to play the piano. It is true that I think playing the piano is a joy, but there is one aspect that I do not enjoy and it is not practising scales or learning new music. For me, it is playing in front of other people and playing for other people, that I do not enjoy.
Just because I don’t enjoy it, doesn’t mean other people don’t enjoy it. For me, playing in front of others makes me stressed and while some may enjoy that feeling, I most certainly do not. I’ve always been this way – it’s not about a lack or a loss of confidence, it’s about a personal preference. While I do not enjoy performing, I learned a long time ago that I could do it even when I didn’t want to.
For me, my joy with the piano comes from teaching – giving information, sharing knowledge and encouraging students. I really get a deep sense of satisfaction when I teach and it is interesting that while I don’t like performing, I don’t have a problem demonstrating the piece of music or specific technique to a student. The reason is probably because the focus is all on the music and therefore I don’t feel stressed.
I also love playing the piano because it gives me personal pleasure and joy. It is when I can be so fully absorbed in the music that the rest of the world just disappears for a while. For me, playing the piano is like spending time with an old and dear friend. Thinking about it, I am like my grandmother, who I have talked about in other blog posts.
Playing the piano gives me joy through playing for my own personal pleasure and through teaching. What aspect of playing the piano would give you the greatest amount of pleasure and satisfaction – it could well be playing music for family and friends to enjoy? Or are you like me and would prefer to play for your own enjoyment? Whatever the case is, try and pursue it because that will be the reason why you keep learning, whether formally or informally, and playing the piano. Just remember that your reasons and your goals are what is important, not someone else’s notion of what you should be doing.
…I also think that the word ‘should’ needs to be obliterated…