Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Great things about being blind. The piano revisited.

I started to play piano at about age 6.  Took lessons for several years but quit in early high school.  I didn't think I liked piano.  That it was boring.  It's odd because when I started, I loved the sounds that came from the piano.  The different textures and colours.  I stayed away from piano but when I studied music and then Music Therapy in University, I had to use it for various courses and as a Music Therapist I used it too.  I'm not a fancy player but have an excellent ear for picking out melodies and can harmonize using basic chords.  A friend has recently begun teaching me piano again.   She too is a Music Therapist.  We studied together.  Yesterday, I dusted off my very dusty keyboard for our first lesson.  We did basic things, scales, technique, chords and simple melodies.  But, I was reminded as to why I loved piano as a kid.  The joy of putting melodies and harmonies together.  The different textures of the various registers of the piano.  Like an old friend talking to me.  I used to create stories and illustrate them not with paints but with musical notes.  BAnging on the low notes for giants and elephants.  Plucking at the high notes for birds, etc.  I'm glad to be spending some time with the piano again.  For me, the piano is like a box of paints might be for a sighted person perhas?

1 comment:

  1. I think you should create a new story and incorporate the piano, Kim. Just like you say you did. That would be awesome! How fun to have the sounds to add further dimension to a tale. Even better than gestures I should think.

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