“ It hardly seems appropriate to include an album of Chopin (1810 – 1849) in a series of ‘Easier Piano Pieces’, since none of his works can be considered easy to play, either technically or interpretatively; but no collection of music for the piano would be complete without some sort of introduction to one of the greatest composers for this instrument.”
Alan Jones – London 1985
Music has become such a big part of my life that I didn’t wait for this assignment to start my “secret class” the first day I got here. I registered on the piano list and, since then, I’ve maintained an impressive streak of consistent practice. Truth be told, my “secret sessions” aren’t at all that secretive. The thing I love most other than practicing music is thinking about music. Whether I’m studying a score in my room, listening to upcoming practice material, exploring the works of new composers, or just engaging in musical discussions with my friends, not a single day passes without my mind escaping through music.
Normally, people that hear me play the piano are surprised that I’ve been only playing for a year. What might surprise you is that I don’t necessarily practice piano every day solely because I want to improve my skills. The progress is merely a side effect of my passion for conveying my thoughts and emotions through music. That’s why the typical question – “ how long have you been playing for?” – doesn’t mean anything to me.
“One more time” I say to myself for the 47th time. The darkness outside provides me with a vague estimate of the time I’ve been sitting here. Strangely, if I resist from checking my phone for the time, it’s as if the passage of time loses its reality, and I don’t have a concrete reason to abandon my work. Sometimes I start over even though I didn’t make any mistakes. It’s just not how I want it to be. My height doesn’t quite suit this piano. My knees don’t fit comfortably beneath it and I find myself contorting into unnatural positions to press the sustain pedal at the right moment. After 47 tries, and who knows how many hours later, the pain from my back extends to my neck. Undoubtedly, the chapel’s piano is definitely of better quality but that didn’t ever stop me from practicing. There are times when I will spend days on two or three bars, 10 to 12 notes. Other times, I will learn half of a song in hours. Sometimes I would find myself playing some old song and I would quickly remember that I have something to practice. Other times I would walk in circles in the small practice room, just to clear my mind.
It is said that you can only reach the “grace” state of mind by doing the thing you like the most in the present. Not the thing you think you like most. Not the thing you wish you liked most.
Last night I got the chance to play the Steinway piano in the Chapel. Because it was a Saturday, no one was there. The tall walls of the Chapel kept all the unnecessary noise away from my ears. There was only one light on, the one right above the piano. When I started playing, the sound was almost surreal. It was like I was suddenly playing another instrument. It was somehow smoother and, at the same time, brighter than any piano I’ve ever played. It felt like my soul, my heart and my ears have been hungry all this time…
I wanted to stay in that moment forever.