Sunday, March 29, 2009
Confessions of a Pianist
Both drawing and playing the piano are activities that we can do during our leisure time. Both are purely for enjoyment and entertainment, but being a pianist is not like being an artist.
An artist draws when he has an inspiration or when he feels like it. Being a pianist requires a lot of discipline as he has to practice regularly in order to maintain his current standard.
I first came into contact with the piano during a music lesson in Primary 1. Out of interest, I started my piano lessons shortly after. Back then, I did not put much effort into it. I felt that playing the piano was just another thing to do when I was bored. (I admit that I was lazy.)
Then came the Grade 1 Piano Examination. I had to play 3 examination pieces (they were difficult) and master all the scales. My piano teacher worked out a practice schedule - 1 hour a day - and expected me to adhere to it. It was pretty tough as I had never put in so much effort towards this direction. I had to sacrifice my show time (watching the television). Fortunately, my teacher was understanding and did not rush through the pieces. Instead, she explained the terms slowly and practiced the pieces patiently with me. She even gave me stickers to motivate me to work harder.
I started intensive practice - 2 hours a day - 2 weeks before the examination. This time, it was not as tough as the first schedule and I had gotten used to practicing daily. The intensive practice only meant an increase in hours per day, nothing else.
My efforts finally paid off. I got 120 marks out of 150 - a Distinction. Not only did I receive a cute stuffed turtle from my teacher, I learnt a very important lesson: Playing a piano is not just all about attending piano lessons and playing it leisurely, but it is a kind of discipline that we must have.