Once I get all my things to Chicago one of the things I am most excited about is starting to play the piano again. I have a full size keyboard that I recently got and I am ready to start putting it to use. I actually want to take lessons and take the practice seriously. I remember as a child I played for 4-5 years but I always despised practicing. This time around I can hold myself more accountable and enjoy the whole process more overall.

I just want to play Clair de Lune. Beautifully. Once in my life at least. That will be a good goal to strive for that should keep me busy for a while. I can always ask my brother for an endless supply of new songs that I can learn. He would tell me to first prioritize learning my scales and theory. And he is right. I will not be able to pick up sheet music for Clair de Lune and play it perfectly on sight. But I will at least keep that goal in the back of my head.

Music is definitely a gift and skill that I find incredible. Watching talented musicians who have dedicated so much time to their craft is inspiring. It is a beautiful way to experience the art and emotion that humans can produce. It is also so far beyond my reach and understanding that it is mystical in a way. 

While everyone else in my family has always embraced and practiced music throughout their life, it never really grabbed me with the same conviction. My musical education growing up was limited to my years of piano and then a couple years of high school choir. As part of the choir I also participated in two musicals: The Music Man and Oklahoma. I still remember my brief solo as “background farmer #3” in Oklahoma: “I caught a salmon last September in Seattle!” I don’t think I will ever get those words. They are burned into my brain and will likely remain the highlight of my thespian career.

Update: I just looked up that line to make sure I quoted it correctly. I ended up looking through an actual script of the Oklahoma musical. No salmon in Seattle line to be found. So I guess my line was added in by our choir director to accommodate the blossoming career of the important role: “background farmer #3”.

For now, the piano seems like a more tangible aspiration than trying to break into the Broadway scene. If I can practice like 20-45 minutes a day I think that will lead to reasonable growth that will keep me motivated to practice. Hopefully, by this winter I can at least hop in to the family Christmas jam sessions.