Piano
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My parents forced me to take piano lessons at the age of seven. I refused again and again, but eventually my parents’ superior persuasion skills and physical strength got the best of me. As they dragged me into New England Piano, the store in which I took my first lessons, I was apprehensive of what was to come. All this was for nothing, as I immediately took a liking to playing the piano, at least for a while. After just one year, I was playing Fur Elise, and not the “easy piano” version either. I was a natural to say the least.
For a few years, however, playing the piano became a bore to me. I had lost the motivation to play and I could not comprehend why. The reason for this was actually quite simple; I was not playing the piano for myself. Instead, I wanted to impress my friends and gain my parents’ approval, rather than play for my own enjoyment. Plus, what kind of a girl doesn’t like a man who can play the piano?
Following this discovery, I learned to make piano an important part of who I am. The piano has changed from being a distasteful chore to a true passion of mine. Personally, I use it as an escape from the stress and anxiety that my normal life can often times bring. The difficulties of daily life can no longer affect me when I stretch my fingers across the ivory keys. There is no criticism reminding me what is allowed or acceptable. I can express my creativity and imagination in any way I see fit. The piano is the one place where I have true freedom.
Aside from the purely musical aspects of the piano, it has taught me the importance of one’s attitude towards life. Hours of practice and technical exercises seem like nothing when I remind myself how fortunate and blessed I am actually being able to play the piano. By keeping this mindset, focusing becomes tremendously easier, which I have learned to apply to my studying and just about everything else.
My experiences with the piano have taught me various perspectives to life, something that is unique about me and that I take pride in. Not many can say at such an early point in their lives that they genuinely love something, but I can. My devotion to the piano allows me to be fully committed towards it. I believe that my positive approach towards my endeavors and dedication shown through the piano will be crucial in setting myself apart in the college environment.