I want to start off by thanking all of my lovely friends & followers for the support and love over the years. For any of my new followers, welcome. My piano journey has brought a new happiness into my life and I was nervous at first to share the beginning stages of my progress but the positive feedback has been so overwhelming that I felt it was the perfect first post to share on my new blog.
I always get asked how I started to play piano and truthfully, growing up, I had no musical inclination. In fact, I was probably more musically challenged than anything else. The only experience I had with music involved playing the recorder in grade school (which I was not good at by the way, ha!). After Dashboard Confessional’s “Hands Down” and Red Hot Chili Peppers “Can’t Stop” came out, I wanted to learn to play the guitar, but it didn’t happen, although I am hopeful to learn in my near future. What did happen was Medical School, then Residency, then Fellowship and then multiple board examinations. Maybe I just didn’t balance my time well back then which left very little room for exploring passions and hobbies. But over the years, I started to become fascinated with piano. I’ve always found it to be a beautiful instrument with the ability to intertwine simple and complex music, making it so versatile. Once I finished all of my medical training and started my first job as an Attending Physician, I found myself with more free time after work and knew it was the right time to rekindle old passions and explore new hobbies. My piano journey began.
I started looking into private piano lessons when one of my friends asked me if I wanted to take a group piano class in January. I signed up right away. The first class was a bit overwhelming. As a Physician, I am used to challenges and constantly learning and evolving in my practice. I actually found that learning to play the piano challenged me in new ways that I found so refreshing. The concept of using both hands simultaneously but for different functions took awhile to get used to but with weeks of practice, I slowly learned and found myself wanting to play more and more. With COVID19, the last two classes were cancelled and I made the decision to transition to private lessons. For me, piano has been a huge stress relief especially with everything going on in the world. I find it calming after a busy day at work. I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist but have been learning to embrace my imperfections and the challenges that come with learning something new. It’s a process, but one you must trust. Part of the reason I was drawn to Sleep Medicine was the ability to learn to read intricate sleep studies. Maybe this is partly why I was also drawn to piano as learning to read sheet music has felt like learning a brand new language. As an advocate for health and wellness, I think it’s important to truly find passions and hobbies that make you genuinely happy. With the stressful transitions of COVID19, indulging in things that you enjoy is essential for physical, mental and emotional health. I can’t say for certain where my piano journey will take me over the course of the next several months but I am hopeful to continue to share it with you all and continue to grow as a student. Thank you again for all of the love and support, always.
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