The teacher becomes the student

They say that in life you never stop learning. Or should never stop learning. Or maybe it's that you should never lose your child-like thirst for knowledge.

Well, I never claimed to be good at quoting "them". Who are "they" anyway?! Nameless people that act as authorities on life and how to live it. :-) And we give them so much credit, these nameless, faceless people! "Well, you know what they say..." And we LIVE by that!

Too funny.

But back to learning. Sorry for the tangent!

I did something last night that I haven't done in close to 13 years. I had a piano lesson -- but as the student, not the teacher! Talk about scary! It's hard to go back to being a student after you've done things independently, and even been paid to teach others what you know!

But learning is good. I get stuck in a rut. I've been stuck in the same rut for 13 years. Getting better at it for sure, but it's the same old rut. My goal is to take lessons for a few months and really branch out. Learn some new styles, some new techniques, and expand my abilities!! Be more creative.

But the downside... wow that's the hard part! I have to actually practice now! Just sitting down and playing whatever is in my heart to play doesn't cut it when you're reporting to someone each week! It's back to scales and boring exercises.

(ugh, gag me)

And the worst part of all?! I had to cut my fingernails!! My teacher really harped (nicely, but still harped!) on my technique! Apparently my relaxed fingering is part of what is holding me back from fancier styles and improvisation. My wrists are good, my posture is good, but my fingers are too relaxed. It's great for the ballad-y type stuff I play now, but not for the stuff I want to learn.

I watched him play, and WOW. I vowed to do whatever it takes to try to learn how to play more like him. So tonight I had a little ceremony with my nail clippers and a garbage can---

OK, not really. No ceremony. :-) I just cut my nails and went to find a piano to practice on. I practiced for a while, realized how F A R I have to go to get where I want to be, and promptly got discouraged!!!

But then I remembered that Rome was not built in a day, and then I reminded myself that I've learned a lot of new things lately, and it just takes time and effort -- and then I wasn't so discouraged.

So...there's a lot to learn. A lot of hard work. But I'm excited!! I feel like I'm on the verge of a whole new world musically. And THAT, my friends, just thrills me to the very core of my being!

Too bad I can't take my piano to the banks of the river and play there!! Maybe I'd better dust off my guitar too...