How It Started…
It all began with an idea (and some motivation).
At the height of the pandemic in 2020, when everything was shut down and the world practically stood still…while the majority of us were cooped up inside our homes, something moved me to sit down at my piano and just start playing. Call it my gut, intuition, inner voice, third eye, God… I felt moved. We had all the time in the world with no where to go and playing seemed like the best logical idea to help time move faster without resorting to binge watching shows (or over indulging on wine). I thought if we’re going to be locked down for “two weeks”, I might as well make good use of it anyway. Playing the piano was something I hadn’t done in years and yet here I was. The first time playing again felt absolutely foreign, however,
Was I out of my mind to pick up where I last left off? Where to begin? It was over a decade since I really tickled the keys and hadn’t taken lessons since I was eight. I legit had to dust a few things off before putting my feet to the pedals and start trying to figure it out again. I stared at this 800 pound instrument, focused on the keys, gazed at my mom’s portrait overlooking the piano channeling her for guidance and strength, and just went for it. The journey into the unknown had begun and my soul was becoming more at ease each note at a time. The notes were healing energy resonating throughout my body.
If you ever watched HBO’s show, Westworld, where the piano sounded like it was from an old saloon, completely out of tune with no gusto… that’s what mine sounded like! Anyone who’s ever played an instrument knows that if your instrument is out of tune, it sounds like nails on a chalkboard rendering it unplayable.
I could have easily thrown in the towel early on, but something just said, “keep on going and don’t give up.” Soon after I started, it was necessary to call in back up (the piano tuner, the musical healer, the Doc, the miracle worker)…despite being in lockdown, despite there being no vaccine, despite modern day life starting to feel like biblical times and despite the fact that having guests come inside your house was an absolute no-no. Was piano the medicine I needed to help get me through? A resounding YES! This was an emergency and it was necessary to help resuscitate my soul back to life. He arrived at my house with practically a hazmat suit on and went to work.
When he left, I plucked the same keys I did beforehand but this time the difference was night and day. I brushed off one of the only songs I had in my limited repertoire, Beethoven’s Für Elise, and started to finesse it. Playing is practically like riding a bike. You never really forget and the first couple tries might be wobbly, but once you get the hang of it, look out! Middle C became my North Star. My first attempt was unquestionably RUSTY but I kept believing that practice and consistency yielded results. My muscle memory was there, but my fingers were doing an entirely different choreography. Quitting was easy. Progression and change required dedication and time. Finally, time was something I had. My daily commute into the city no longer existed and my daily gym routine were things of the past.
What did I get myself into?! Deep breaths. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was this song. Patience. Chopsticks sounded better at this point. As an old adage goes, “to lose patience is to lose the battle.” One note at a time, one measure at a time. My piano luckily held its tune for a good two weeks before sounding like the old kerplunked monstrosity it was. So before it fizzled out, I posted some music on my social media. People were posting tons of Bread pics so why not switch it up and share a little calorie & guilt free tune?
And just like that, my piano journey began. Who knew that posting one mini video would generate so much response? The majority of my friends (and family) never knew I played because I was NOT confident in my playing abilities back then. It wasn’t something that was worth talking about…until now. As soon as my post became live, the comments came pouring in. They wanted more. What was helping me to cope was also helping them. Music in general is a universal language which helps to heal, soothe and reduce stress. Classical music was the calm we all needed and became our sound therapy.
The more I played, the more the atmosphere resounded with a sense of calm while melting away the anxiety the pandemic caused and its domino effect.
One of the silver linings throughout the last couple of years has been getting back into my musical roots. With the help from my family, friends and supporters, I dug deep and began to alter mood, shift my energy in ways I could never imagine.
Sometimes you have to trust yourself and know that while you may not see the progress today, with consistency and time, things start to shift. Be consistent. Find your MoJo, your magic and find out what you’re truly capable of.
Until next time! Love.
