A couple of months ago I was sitting in church listening to some Bach something or other being played, and it occurred to me that I wished I could play the piano like that. Then it occurred to me that I could probably learn how to play the piano. Then it occurred to me that Karolyn, the woman who was playing the piano, could probably teach me how to play the piano like that. I don’t know why it took so long for these things to occur to me, but once they had I was eager to get started.

Today I had my third piano lesson, and it was just a bunch of fun. One thing I’m working on is making a nice sound. I’m by nature afraid to make too much noise. “But it’s not noise, it’s music!” Karolyn said when we were discussing this. OK, so I’ve practiced making more sound. And today I did a relatively good job of it, once I got started. It would be so much easier not to do this because whether it’s your third piano lesson or an operatic solo, making music is putting yourself out there in a way that is not comfortable for me. So I’m kinda proud of myself for taking this step.

Some of the other technical aspects of playing the piano are coming fairly easily to me too. I think all the violin and viola lessons and playing I did has helped. And although I’m not ambidextrous, I’m close. So whether I’m playing with the hands in parallel motion or contrary motion, it feels fairly natural. All that tummy rubbing and head patting has paid off! By golly, I think I’ll be able to learn how to do this.

And today she taught me a scale! Now, I knew the notes of the C major scale – I just didn’t know what to do with my fingers to play the scale. This is how little of the piano I knew prior to this. But now I get to practice a scale. And, the funny thing is that practicing and exercises like the scale and so forth are not as horrible as they were when I was a child. Practice sessions actually go by pretty quickly, and the exercises are kinda fun.

All and all I’m having a ball with this new endeavor. Now we just need to get a piano in the house. Yes that’s right, I decided to take piano lessons – and we don’t have a piano. I go down to the church and practice there. It’s not the weirdest thing on earth – just a little inconvenient. Perhaps in a couple of months we might get a piano or an electric piano – it does make sense to see how I do with this for a couple of months before jumping in to anything. But I think I’m going to stick to this. I know it will get harder, and harder, but I can do it!

Oh, and one more thing. The picture here is of my first piano book. I just love the fact that it has the word ‘Adventure’ in the title. I really feel like this is an adventure I’m on. It may not be a traveling to a foreign land adventure, but it is an exciting undertaking, and that is part of what an adventure is.