My parents gave me 8 years of piano lessons and it has brought me great joy for many years.   For many years I have played off and on.  When life got crazy busy, piano would go by the wayside.  Then suddenly I would have a desire to play and you couldn’t keep me away.  I guess I did it enough because one of my sons recently told me it is a nice memory of growing up for him, my piano playing.  And I didn’t think anyone was paying attention!

I can read just about anything.  Some things require more time than others, but most music you plunk down in front of me I can make sense of and delight myself, if not you. I still struggle with pushing myself through music such as the original score of my Grandma’s favorite song Liebestraum by Franz Liszt.  However, with a little practice I would be able to work my way through that as well.  Just haven’t done it.

Recently I decided I wanted more.  It has always bugged me that although I can wow people with my playing when I’m reading music, if I walk into someone’s home and they have a piano I can’t just sit down and play a ditty or two unless there is music. I decided this was ridiculous and it was time.  Fortunately my voice teacher is an all around fabulous career musician so he agreed to switch me from voice to piano.

I have been set free!  Not from playing with music, that will always bring me joy.  I have been set free from not being able to play without music.  Of course you musicians out there know it was just a matter of learning my chords and a bit more music theory.  Like a person who can play by ear who doesn’t bother to learn to read music because it’s too much work, I never bothered to really learn the theory because, hey, somebody else had already written it down for me and I can just play that.

As you can imagine, it didn’t take long.  It’s all in there, deep in my psyche.   I feel like my wonderful teacher, Perry Carter, is just opening one treasure box after another for me.  Every lesson is like a present and I can’t wait to get home and review what he has taught me for the day.  There is always more to learn but it already feels so good to sit down and just…play.  Today I was playing and heard something outside and caught myself looking out the window while I was still playing!  Not possible while you are reading from a page of music.  Magic!

Another unexpected benefit is that my casual music reading is easier.  I told Perry at the beginning that it’s ridiculous I should have to stop playing completely while I turn a page because I don’t even know what key I’m in.

You know that scene in The Miracle Worker where Helen Keller “gets it” and starts flying around wanting her teacher to spell out everything around her?  That’s me, flying around the internet, looking for chord charts for my favorite songs.   Walking in Memphis, Downstream, 100 Years, Against All Odds, anything Joni Mitchell.

Thanks Mom and Dad and Joan McLean (my forever piano teacher) and my godfather Howie who played piano professionally and would give us a concert after Thanksgiving dinner, mesmerizing his little goddaughter.  And thanks to my very special Chickering piano which Mom sent to me a few years back. I learned to play on her, and it was like being reunited with an old friend – the keys just melt under my fingers and it responds as if it has missed me, too.

I am so blessed.