April challenge 2012
My challenge for April was to learn to play the piano, or spend at least 30 minutes a day trying. I wouldn't call myself a pianist by any means, but I learned a little, and I'd consider the challenge successful. I missed a few days here and there, but I also had days where I would play for an hour, sometimes more and sometimes less, so I like to think that it averages out to at least 30 minutes a day. I think that makes 900 minutes for this month.
There's a piano in my house that nobody plays. My parents bought it when my sisters and I were young. I think they had high hopes. We didn't end up doing too well. I think I might've played for a month, when I was little. Anyway, summer of 2007 Wilson and I took a piano class at Ohlone, and we used this book that is pretty good for self-teaching. I didn't take it too seriously, though.
But this month, I went through the book again, starting from the very beginning. I was more thorough, and I slowly progressed. I didn't finish the book, but I think I did a decent job; got to page 112/143. I also started working on a song that I like and have always wanted to play (Yiruma's River Flows in You). April 30th came up fast; I feel like the piano made the month go a little faster, because I had a goal, sort of. I haven't finished the piece (still on page 1/3), but I think I'm going to keep trying, over time. I don't know if I'll be motivated enough, though. Maybe I'll have to revisit this challenge in the future.
*Just went digging through the piano bench and found the notebook that my teacher wrote in. Apparently, I started playing piano on April 12th, 1997, and ended in April of 1998. Wow, was it really a whole year? I didn't check too carefully, but I think I only went once a week. The first page says, in her handwriting, "Caroline 8 years." I played when I was eight! I'm impressed that she dated things to the year; I guess as a piano teacher, you know that it's something your students might look back on as important. I'm glad she did. I wonder how often she gets students like us, who never practice outside of lesson time and don't make much valid progress. I remember I never learned how to read the notes, so I would write numbers to cheat for finger placement. I see clearly now why this could never work for a real piece.
Anyway, I thought it was kind of poetic, that my first monthly challenge happened to be piano, and that my first piano experience also started in April... 15 years ago.
Tomorrow is May. I'm going to learn to play the guitar. I hope.
There's a piano in my house that nobody plays. My parents bought it when my sisters and I were young. I think they had high hopes. We didn't end up doing too well. I think I might've played for a month, when I was little. Anyway, summer of 2007 Wilson and I took a piano class at Ohlone, and we used this book that is pretty good for self-teaching. I didn't take it too seriously, though.
But this month, I went through the book again, starting from the very beginning. I was more thorough, and I slowly progressed. I didn't finish the book, but I think I did a decent job; got to page 112/143. I also started working on a song that I like and have always wanted to play (Yiruma's River Flows in You). April 30th came up fast; I feel like the piano made the month go a little faster, because I had a goal, sort of. I haven't finished the piece (still on page 1/3), but I think I'm going to keep trying, over time. I don't know if I'll be motivated enough, though. Maybe I'll have to revisit this challenge in the future.
*Just went digging through the piano bench and found the notebook that my teacher wrote in. Apparently, I started playing piano on April 12th, 1997, and ended in April of 1998. Wow, was it really a whole year? I didn't check too carefully, but I think I only went once a week. The first page says, in her handwriting, "Caroline 8 years." I played when I was eight! I'm impressed that she dated things to the year; I guess as a piano teacher, you know that it's something your students might look back on as important. I'm glad she did. I wonder how often she gets students like us, who never practice outside of lesson time and don't make much valid progress. I remember I never learned how to read the notes, so I would write numbers to cheat for finger placement. I see clearly now why this could never work for a real piece.
Anyway, I thought it was kind of poetic, that my first monthly challenge happened to be piano, and that my first piano experience also started in April... 15 years ago.
Tomorrow is May. I'm going to learn to play the guitar. I hope.
coming from a caroliine @ 01:03
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