Every summer, for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a goal to either relearn how to play piano, read music, or pick up the guitar. Unfortunately, every time summer rolled around, I failed to even start pursuing my musical journey.
My elementary school music teacher, Ms. Digiovana, taught me how to play the piano. I learned how to read music slowly but surely.
After we couldn’t play on the keyboards at school anymore, I took lessons at my friend’s apartment for an hour once a week. An old blonde lady taught me how to play beautiful songs, but ones I don’t remember anymore.
I don’t know why I ever stopped. I lost my touch with music for a while. I hadn’t played a piano again until my senior year of high school, when I took music appreciation with Mr. Koch.
One of the first few days of school, he asked the class if anyone knew how to play Ode to Joy. I — a senior who took this class to graduate — raised my hand, for reasons I don’t even know to this day. From Ms. Digiovana’s class, I didn’t remember “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or “Hot Crossed Buns,” but I remembered “Ode to Joy.”
I was the only person who raised their hand, so naturally Mr. Koch asked me to go in front of the class and play the song. I played the chorus with a flushed face and clammy hands. It was terrifying, but it reminded me of my love for playing piano.
In my first semester of college, I found solace in the piano room. A multipurpose room in my dorm, the piano room was a space for me to hang out with my friends in the late hours of the night.
I listened to my friend Mikey play songs by ear on the piano. Even now, I’m truly fascinated by both her nimble fingers and her emotion, the way she immerses herself in the moment and the funny faces she makes when she plays the wrong note.
I decided it was time to spend some time in the piano room alone, just me and the keys. I spent the rest of the semester learning “Liability” by Lorde, a song I have on my playlist under “songs i wanna learn on the piano/guitar.”
I have continued to practice in that same piano room ever since, and I’m slowly learning how to play on my mom’s guitar.
Now that I’m finally following through with my annual summer goal, I’m content. I never thought it’d bring me so much peace.
I finally learned how to make time for music, Something that Forces me to slow down and be present.
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