From the moment I touched piano keys, I felt joy. Piano is one of the ways my soul likes to connect with music. Mistakes frustrated me but they didn’t taint the love, or slow me down. From the very beginning the piano and I were friends. I have never looked back.

I have played other instruments (Clarinet, Bari Sax). I enjoyed playing them. I was pretty good. But they didn’t connect me to the joy of music quite the way the piano does. I also connect well through singing. I love to sing. But I suspect even singing is slightly–very slightly–secondary to piano.

Piano Lessons are about this musical-relationship discovery. Is playing the piano the way you connect to music?

Over the years, as I have given lessons, I have found that students fall into one of two categories:

• Piano is the way they connect with music
• Piano is NOT the way they connect with music.

Many people love the way the piano sounds and love listening to piano music. Yet, after delving into the world of piano lessons, their enthusiasm for playing dies quickly. Often, to their surprise and chagrin. This is not because they love music any less. It is because piano lessons turn their love of music into a drudgery. It has gotten in the way of that love.

My own daughter is extremely moved by music. She thought she would like piano. But two attempts at lessons revealed that connecting to music through playing the piano wasn’t her thing. Singing, combined with dancing, was her secret recipe. It fills her with joy and excitement.

If a student finds that piano lessons don’t resonate, I often suggest a break. Sometimes going at life, again, without piano connected is revelatory. “I really don’t miss it,” or “Wow, it’s a relief to not have to practice. I just want to listen to my favorite classical soundtrack again.” Often, the revelation is the opposite. “Wow, I really miss it!” or “I really don’t like practicing, but I do like playing more than not.”

This personal insight is key to many tackling piano lessons. You have to know, for yourself, if this is something you want as part of your life. Obvious talent isn’t as important and often it’s a barrier. Many gifted students don’t want to practice because they are used to it coming easy. Once they get past the easy stuff, they fizzle out. This is where those who LOVE piano persevere and end up more skilled and happy than their initially gifted counterparts. That’s why I stress that piano lessons are about the joy of playing the piano.

But not all hope is lost. If you decided long ago that piano wasn’t your thing, it still may be. If you think about it often, or regret quitting often, then chances are, you need to give it another try.

Many people who turn away from piano pull back because they are tackling it with the wrong expectations or perspective. Sometimes, a few years away, or even a decade, changes expectations and desires. Many older learners come back to piano and find that it’s a piece of their soul after all…and they’ve missed it without knowing that was what they were missing.

Why Do I Play the Piano?

• Because it’s fun to discover a song and hear it for the first time
• Because it is fun to release a song from the page
• Because it’s fun to hit the keys and figure out what sounds I can make, and what feelings I can evoke
• Because I love the feel of the keys beneath my fingers
• Because it’s an escape when I’m feeling down
• Because it’s a tool that lifts me up or brings a spiritual comfort
• Because I love to share the above things with others, to do the same for them through my fingers
• Because I love how I feel when I perform
• Because I love to help others perform (accompanying)
• Because it has been a path to learning to write music

Why are you considering piano lessons?