Be the Piano: 
Make the time to do what you love.

At some point during my childhood my piano became a part of me. Maybe it was during one of my daily, early morning practises before school. Maybe it was during my exam preparations or during an Eisteddfod, the one chance where piano kids were able to stand up upon a stage during the year and shine. Originally I had started playing to strengthen my fingers after childhood epilepsy came and left me when I was a toddler, leaving all sorts of developmental delays behind. I stuck with the piano, practising rigorously from the age of six to nineteen simply because I loved making music. To reach a level of skill where you can bring a song to life and then let it carry you from the beginning to the end is nothing short of absolute bliss.

The songs that I learnt during my teenage years in particular became a part of me as well. The classical pieces like Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, O Mio Babbino Caro and Elvira Madigan. The jazz pieces like Harlem Nocture, Stormy Weather and Satin Doll. The music from films such as the Muppets, Disney and Studio Ghibli. These songs became so dear to me that whenever I was facing an emotional block all I would have to do was sit down and play. I liken this release to be similar as screaming. Any built up sadness, stress or worry would flow into the music, run its course and then be carried away with the final notes. From there, happiness and contentment would follow because playing the piano was something that I truly loved. At times I needed my piano as much as I needed oxygen.

When I was nineteen, my oxygen changed. Surrounded by a peer group of writers in high school, I was at last inspired to give creative writing a go. Soon my first character voices started chattering away in my head and they haven’t stopped since. Writing became another safe place to retreat to in order to express myself. These days my days are all the richer because I make time for daily writing. I have also made time in my schedule for reading novels; another childhood love which I had let slip away. Unfortunately, one casualty that came about from getting older and busy was my first love, the piano.

While music is still a part of my life (I belong in ensembles where I regular get to play the violin, hand bells and my alto saxophone), with no exams or performances to work towards my piano is the instrument that often comes last. This needs to change because my piano and those songs are still a part of me. For the first time in months, this afternoon I sat down, screamed my frustration into my piano and let that indescribable bliss of creating my own music carry me away to a brighter, happier place. Residing there never fails to calm me down and delight me and it is a little crazy that I tend to forget how badly I need to connect with this part of myself until I am away from it for far too long.

I believe that we should all take to time to pursue our happiness, that thing that shines a light upon the darkness, helps you to find your bliss and gets you excited about life. For me that is music and writing. I hope that everybody out there has their own ‘piano’ to turn to. Remember to be the ‘piano’ and make time to do the things that you love.