Music & Me

Foundation:

I am by no means a great musician, far from it, but music is important enough in my life to warrant a page of its own.

I like music very much, listening to as well as playing it. Since the age of 5, I started taking piano lessons. At that time, I had wanted to take ballet lessons but my parents felt that music lessons would have been more suitable for me. In a way, I guess they were right. The lessons probably instilled in me the deep love for music and I am really glad that I can play it.

I have had 3 different piano instructors. Each of them left a lasting affect on the development of my musical skills. One taught me the technicalities, another the chord improvisations, and the last the emotions. It is only now that I realized how important it is to have different teachers, who have different approaches in their methods of instruction and emphasis. It keeps the interest alive and makes a better pupil.

Although I like playing the piano, I detest the practice. That's why I seldom look at scores and just play by ear and feel.

Experiment:

Having established some musical foundation, I went around experimenting with other instruments. In my 4 years of secondary school, I was in the Guitar Ensemble. Despite painful fingers initially, it was a fun time. Through our teacher, we got to meet fellow student learners from other schools and that enhanced our interest and experience in guitar playing.

The next instrument I tried was the Chinese flute, also known as the dizi. The reason was that I wanted to know more about Chinese music. Besides, I wanted to learn a woodwind instrument now that I already play a keyboard and string. So I joined the Chinese Orchestra in my junior college. However, I was not very committed and thus have only rudimentary skills in this area.

Perhaps the most fundamental instrument of all is the voice. Consistent with my love for music, I love singing too, to the detriment of my family's ears. Luckily, all those years of music learning enabled me to carry a tune passably well. Although my singing voice is none too great, at least I am not tone-deaf ;)

Music has been and still is a great influence in my life. It is also a great stress reliever. Many times, especially during the exam period, I found myself in front of the piano instead of at the study desk. I encourage anyone who has thought of picking up a musical instrument but never did, to do so. Providing a great avenue for expression, playing music allows you to show how you really feel. The benefits you will receive will be well worth the effort.

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