When it's really never too old to learn...

Further to my May 7 post, I'd committed to learn 张惠妹's "听海"... I've done it! This is a wonderful piece I love so much. It wasn't easy when I started, almost got my fingers twisted with all the sharps and flats, and strange fingering positions. Whoever arranged the piano scores must either be a genius or a bully. But alas I managed, somehow through brute force, my fingers are conditioned and 'memorizes' all the nooks and crannys. Though not perfect, I can at least throw the scores away and play at will.

Through my piano adventure, I discovered a strange phenomenon. I cannot play it with deliberate consciousness. The moment I focus on my finger movements, I screwed it up! The moment I focus my mind on something, anything, I screwed it up! So in a way, it is the fingers that 'memorize' the pieces, not my mind. To play well and smooth, the mind needs to be 'off-duty'. No wonder I feel that playing piano can relieve stress, because the mind goes 'off' for a while.

The piano really is an instrument that you either love or hate. My 4 year old got so pissed that he surrendered and wanted to stop his lessons. My 5 year old girl needs to be coerced before she would practise it. I think you need to fall in love with it first before even thinking about touching it. I must confess that I am in love with the piano, and unless my fingers got jammed between the keys, I will continue to do so for however long it may be. I certainly hope my kids are as in love with it as me, so I started them on a ritual to hug and kiss the piano before their daily practise... silly eh?

My adventure isn't going to stop here, more to come. For every piece that I am learning now, I prepare the next. So my next in line is... "那年夏天". I don't even know who sang it, but is another beautiful piece that I can't wait to get my hands on.