Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Just some piano thoughts....

I was going back through this forum to read old posts (since I'm new to the forum). I happened on a story about how someone got their piano, which led to others talking about their experiences getting their first piano.

What struck me was the emotion expressed in all the responses. It made me a little teary myself to read how happy just getting a piano made them.

Then it reminded me of a friend that plays very well (from a small child, etc.) When I began taking lessons as an adult I would make comments to her about how much I loved to play. Just practicing made me happy. If I saw a piano somewhere I would be compelled to go to it and sit and play. It was like a magnet. Anyway, the sad part was her response. She said, "I used to feel that way..now I can't stand it and don't care if I ever play again." I was astonished. Apparently she burned out after all those years of playing.

I really love all the expressions of joy and happiness on this forum. I don't ever want to be "tired" of playing...How sad for her.

I've heard similar stories. One person at work said she took music for many years growing up and now has no desire to ever play.

Another has a piano at home that she inherited from her mother and when I asked her if anyone played she said. "After listening to my brother being tortured by lessons I didn't want to take them and never encouraged my children to"

Sometimes when I wish I had started earlier so I could be at a more advanced level now I stop and think about how much fun I'm having and I think I'm actually happier to be struggling through intermediate piano at my advanced age!

Wow - that's so incredibly sad. I wonder what happens?

And for the record - I *cried* (tears of joy) when I got my good digital piano. When I manage to get an acoustic, I think I'll need a few days off work - I'm sure there will be lots of joyful sobbing too

Never say never. I got sidetracked by a different hobby during Q4 of 2007 and Q1 of 2008. Hardly played at all, didn't care if I did or not. But the current ABF recital pulled me back to the bench, and I want to play again. Good thing, because there's this enormous, expensive black beast in my living room...

I honestly can't imagine ever *not* having a desire to play.

I hope I never get to that stage. I'd be truly dreading the empty nest in a few years if I didn't have piano.

Hi pianoobsession,

Good post. I enjoy all that emotional stuff too.

I've sung this song before.... but I believe that maintaining the enthusiasm, freshness and motivation for playing is the single most important aspect of the whole musical journey. More relevant than whether you ever get to master a particular piece or technique. Far too many people get bored or jaded and just stop.

I have a neighbour and friend who recently retired as Head of Jazz Studies at the local Conservatorium. Soon after he retired I asked him how his playing was going now that his time wasn't clogged up with administrative work. I was staggered when he said that he hadn't played at all since he'd left, and that all those years of concentrating on teaching and talking about music had left him feeling rather burnt out and disinterested. He'd immersed himself in community activities instead. I can only hope that, after a good break, the enthusiasm will return.

You can see it here if you visit the teacher's forum. Some (Currawong springs to mind) seem to have successfully retained the love of playing and sharing their knowledge with students and forum posters alike. Others appear decidedly jaded. The heady wine of music seems to have become somewhat vinegary over the years, and they dart round busily red-pencilling each other's posts (and occasionally dropping in here to pass a quick dismissive comment when things are getting dull...). One or two rather remind me of spiders who can't resist darting out of their webs and nailing yet another fly, and then pretending it's for the good of the fly.

I try to make sure that I don't join the Burn-out Brigade. In my opinion, the world already has a copious supply of mediocre renditions of the great music, it's not in a desperate hurry to add mine to the list. It can wait a while longer. So if something is starting to feel like a struggle, I put the tricky stuff away for a bit and just belt out something simpler for the pure joy of it. Some people might say "re-discover your inner child" but my child has stayed on the outside for 60 years and shows no signs of disappearing inwards just yet, thank goodness...

Chris

Though it is undeniably sad that a once talented and even gifted pianist should give it up after getting "burned out," I believe I can understand it.
For us in the ABF, the piano is a great joy which we're just discovering, and every piece, even if it's "Away in a Manger"--simple version--is still a delightful challenge.
But the professional is a different animal altogether. My other big hobby is chess, and I read a lot of anecdotes about the great players. Samuel Reshevsky, probably the greatest player never to have been world champion, was once asked about playing chess for fun.
"I never play chess for fun," was his reply. "Chess is work. It is my profession." For fun, Reshevsky played bridge.
So I can understand the professor who just gave it up and now does community work. If it brings him joy, then that is his new bliss, as Joseph Campbell would have said. Hey, Jimmy Carter was President of the United States, and now he builds houses. We don't find it sad that he no longer "Presidents."