Sometimes the "obsession" is what is known as dedication. Sometimes it's called discipline. It's the courage, passion and sustained unrelenting application that one needs to succeed at something very difficult. I would hate to think that these qualities have become so foreign to our voyeuristic, entitled and consumer driven culture that they seem somehow pathological and "creepy." (Unless you're Lang Lang and can make mega bucks at it.)

This is very true and just what my teacher told me. The more you slog the more you tire and the more you fail to play right

That's what I have been hoping my obsession is.

Was always fairly proud of it. Certainly never considered it in any way a bad thing.

Which reminds me what my Russian friend said about my piano playing, "It's better than vodka," meaning it keeps me out of bars!

Played a bit of piano last night after a couple of days break and played the piece I have been working on much better. It is true to say that if you have a break from a difficult piece and go back to it, you find you play it better and enjoy it more.

Happy playing everybody

Hope you feel better soon Toastie. Whewn can we see your new piano's photo?

I don't know because I genuinely can't put one on. I'm not technologically minded. It's just too much to get it from the iPad, to the computer, to the Internet, to here. You might just have to imagine what it looks like.

I'm not technical either but you could try photobucket if you want to show us your lovely new piano. Photobucket is easy.Must be if I can do it LOL.
Merry Xmas to you and new piano!

You get up an hour early on christmas day to get an hour in on the piano because its the present every day..... yaaaaay!



MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIENDS!!!!! X X

"I find this thread a little disturbing ....."

Your point is well taken - there is more to life than thinking about the piano - when I turned 58, two guys I was having lunch with - 30 year olds - said they played half-court basketball every summer. My only question was - would they teach me how to play basketball because I never had a chance as a kid and I always wanted to play basketball. They agreed - for a few designer coffees - and I said it was a deal. People at work who hadn't played basketball in years or tens of years joined in. After learning some of the skills - I wasn't that great, of course, because it takes a lifetme to be that good. I couldn't get to sleep at night after basketball because I was so excited just playing the game, not to mention that when I made a rare basket, there were roars from everyone in the gym because of the accomplishment - and the odds. Understand that when I returned to work every morning I would tell the guys at work how it went and it was all I could do to hold back the tears from the joy and excitement. I was ultimately playing 5 nights a week at different gyms, pickup baskball. Weighed 240 pounds and sweated my way to 165 pounds. So, yes, basketball, was on my mind all the time.

Now, about the piano. I was told at a hospital emergency that I had leukemia cancer in 2006 and I was told I was not allowed to play basketball because if I ever had a accident, my blood and immune system would not support an operation/surgery. I didn't drop a tear about getting fatal cancer in the 4th stage, but I dropped a tear when they told me I could no longer play basktball. In 2012 after being treated for cancer for 6 years -and still alive - but weak, I sat at my dusty electronic piano where I never ever played much if anything on the piano - I had a piano book 1 how to play the piano but never opened it. So one day I thought that if I sat on the piano bench and tried to play a tune from the book, I might distract myself, to build up my strength sufficiently that I could sit up for a little while. I could walk a bit, stand a bit, but I could not sit up for very long. Well, sitting at the piano didn't help much with sitting up but in the process I fell in love with playing the piano. So like basketball, all I can think about is playing the piano. Staring at the dusty eletronic piano for over 10 years and considering my situation as a whole, I never ever thought there would be even a remote chance of ever playing the piano. I live in a shack, holes in the wall, 450 sq ft, tiny, never painted since I bought the place 35 years ago. Bought an acoustic piano and can play the piano 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year - nobody can bother me. I am only working through John Thompson book 2. I can play about 60 little tunes from playing for a year. Most of the tunes are only 8 measures long, just as you would excpect from a book 1 piano book. In the way that I would take a moment to try to shoot a basketball at the hoop, is the same concentraton that I use trying to play my 60 tunes musically, rhymically, and accurately over a couple of hours. As a grand, I open and close the top and cover the piano everyday when I go to bed. The piano also came with a valvet piano cover so I cover it as well with that every night . I always wash my hands before I touch/play the piano. I love to play the piano. I am humbled to have the opportunity to have a piano to play. After I play for a while, I go for a walk down by the river to get some fresh air and enjoy the beauty of life. And then back to the piano because I am missing the sounds of the piano. Now you understand why life can be distrubing....

Thanks for sharing, Michael. "Great oaks from little acorns grow."

Indeed.

Lovely post Michael- you have such a way with words, almost poetical. I could imagine you writing poems or fiction.

When we have 6" of snow outside... its taken me 3 hours to get home and im packing my rucksack to walk to the family barn for a practice session because were snowed in.....

15 minute walk. Though my practice session effectivness is reducing in direct comparison to hw much jack daneils tennessy honey i am consuming in preperation for the walk....

(Im taking the bottle.... it may be a long walk :-) )

...to think about it day and night...
Sounds like the definition of love, of which obsession is an important component. Good things are not destructive.

I live among passive aggressive dullards who make it a point to destroy or belittle beautiful things. They're not permitted to touch my piano.

It's my precious.

When you go to a sheet music sale with 45 C (113 F) degrees outside and while you are carrying books on your back at hellish temperatures you see your piano surrounded by a halo.

I've packed up my piano in its box ready to move house tomorrow....

And right now I don't know what to do with myself as I usually spend 1-2 hours playing.

Justpin must be a BIG box! Hope you get settled in your new house and feel at home there.
You are dedicated in your playing. I'm not up to one hour a day even...