Personal Narrative: How Piano Music Changed My Life

“Flex your fingers as if you’re holding an egg,” my piano teacher, Mr. Emerson, said in his deep, husky voice. All I could decipher was “hold an egg.” Did he mean it in literal terms? He reached out for my fingers and gently bent them at an angle. I couldn’t quite feel it naturally and resorted to flexing out my fingers as if it were on a tabletop. He was patient with me, but I knew from the look in his eyes and the wrinkles that continuously pierced through his forehead that he was frustrated. He was frustrated with me.
I was only five years old when I was first introduced to the sweetness of a piano’s tune. I would often stare at the keys, noting how distinct it changed from white to black and how thin and thick the keys were. I would place my ears by the keys to differentiate the different pitches and tones that can be produced, but most of all, I wanted to learn how to create music. Fast forward to a few weeks after the first meeting, lessons were …show more content…
That change could only be initiated by me. No one could take my place and suddenly display the perfect posture and hand position to impress the teacher. It was at this point that I realized I didn’t possess a natural talent in piano. I couldn’t visualize the note instantly without counting the individual lines dividing them up. I couldn’t stay in beat without tapping my foot which shook my thighs. I wasn’t naturally predisposed to become the next Mozart, born with the ability to become a prodigy. But I was given the mindset to work for it. I learned the principle that any effort matters. Effort makes a difference, whether it be an insignificant result. Nothing can be accomplished nor achieved if the determination to change something isn’t present and effort isn’t initiated. This mindset wasn’t an acceptable option for me. I decided to do something about it to impress my teacher, but most importantly, to better myself in piano and as an individual who could apply it to everyday