"Art and life are not two different things."
Felix Mendelssohn
Hey Y'all,
I am back with another post and this time it is about something that is very near and dear to my heart - music. If y'all do not already know, I am a Piano Performance major heading into my Junior year of college. I have been taking piano for 13 years, and it has honestly been one of the biggest things that has grown and developed me as a person. I am a firm believer that, no matter how old someone is, they should be playing an instrument. Why? Because it is without a doubt much more than the music itself. Here are my reasons that everyone should learn an instrument of some kind.
First of all, it teaches you to keep going and persevere even when things are difficult & not coming as easily as you'd like. I cannot tell you how many times I have been learning a new piece or practicing scales/arpeggios and have felt like giving up and quitting. I have also witnessed most of my piano students feel the same exact way. Let's face it, piano is hard. Music is hard. Learning difficult things is hard. BUT, the reward of finally learning whatever you have been struggling with for days, weeks, months is so rewarding and gratifying. Hard work and determination pays off.
Not only does it teach you how to get through difficult things, but it also teaches you how to independently problem solve. Whether you are trying to figure out notes, fingering, rhythm, a weird time signature/key signature, it is important and quite necessary to be able to do that on your own. Obviously, you'll probably have a teacher to help you through some of those tough spots, but your teacher won't always be there to help. In a world of google, music actually makes you think about what you are doing!
Learning an instrument forces you to actually listen to yourself and to receive constructive criticism - whether you want to hear it or not. This has probably been the hardest part about music for me. It is not always fun to work really hard on something and finally get it to a point where you think it sounds pretty good, only to have your teacher or a peer tell you that it sounds terrible and you need to rethink everything you have just practiced for a week straight. Yes, it is hard to hear, but it is also necessary in order to grow. I think sometimes it is easy to be in denial about how we really sound, but taking the time to ask someone and ask for their genuine, honest opinion is very important.
Instruments teach personal discipline. Even as a music major, waking up and wanting to sit at the piano for several hours is a rare occurrence. In fact, it probably never happens. I have to make myself sit at the piano and practice sometimes. It is not always fun or easy, but in the end, it is worth it and it's the only way to grow as a pianist. Procrastination is not an option with music.
Music requires perfection. Sometimes it can be hard to push yourself to get it right. I have often caught myself glossing over mistakes I have made and thinking to myself that I will come back later and "fix" that wrong note or rhythm, but 9 times out of 10 it never happens. I have found that it is crucial to stop and fix the mistake and really analyze what I am playing incorrectly and why I am making that mistake so I don't make it again at a later practice session.
Learning how to fail is also probably one of the biggest things that I have gleaned from my career in music. It is painful and embarrassing as well as frustrating. It is not fun to fail especially when it is front of tons of people. There have been times in recitals or in rep class that I have blown it and I have felt like just walking off the stage and straight out of the music building never to return... Although it is absolutely terrible, it has taught me that is ok to fail. It is only in failure that you really find growth in most cases. It is important to know that it is ok to fail, but also to know that you need to learn from those mistakes and failures so you don't repeat them. It is also extremely humbling, but at times it is really healthy to be humbled by way of failure. No one is perfect and to think otherwise is so unrealistic.
It also teaches you that you are not always going to be the best at something. Sometimes that is super hard to swallow, but the fact is there will always be someone better than you. That doesn't mean that you should quit and never touch your instrument again, but it should motivate you to do your best regardless of who is better than you. The comparison game is so dangerous, and I have found myself thinking those thoughts. Those thoughts do nothing productive, but only feed into lies that your ability to play is less meaningful because you are not better than someone else. Realizing that we all have different strengths and abilities is so helpful.
Why should you play an instrument? All of the things I have mentioned above are not exclusive to the world of music. Personal discipline, perseverance, problem solving, hearing and receiving constructive criticism, and learning how to fail and knowing it's ok are all super important character qualities that I feel my generation is lacking. Music is not an overnight accomplishment, and there are certainly no short cuts (even though I totally wish it were). Music requires time and energy and dedication. It is important that we take the skills that are required from music and put them into practice in our everyday lives.
So, have I convinced you to learn an instrument? Piano is such a great start - no matter your age. The life skills gained from playing an instrument are invaluable and will stick with you throughout your whole life. You can take what you've learned and apply it to other areas in your life! If you play an instrument, I'd love to hear about it and some other benefits you think it has!
Sydney
No comments:
Post a Comment