A couple months ago I was packing up my stuff to move, and I noticed my digital piano which had been sitting in a corner for some time. I was contemplating if it was going to fit in my car (fortunately the back seat was able to accommodate), but what really got to me was the amount of dust that had accumulated on it. I realized that I hadn't so much as looked at it in nearly two years.
How did this happen? I studied privately for 10 years, played in church, studied in college, and used to play all the time just for the fun of it. Then I started to think, who else does this happen to? How many other musicians are out there that just let it all slip away, or don't even start up in the first place?
Life happens, I know. We get jobs, get married, have kids and then before we know it, the creative things we enjoyed go out the window. I strongly admire anyone who's able to to keep up with their music, in the midst of all that, and if you are one of those people, congratulations.
For the rest of us who either never learned to play, or stopped playing, I want to encourage you to pick it back up or start learning. The hidden benefits of playing music are so incredible. It's a creative outlet that stretches our thinking and helps us better process the world around us.
So dust off the piano, pull that guitar out of the attic, or find that band instrument you have lying in storage somewhere. Don't let another moment go by without playing again or starting anew. I've found very recently that it's like riding a bicycle; you never really forget (a little rusty maybe). It really does a lot of great things for your brain and your soul.
You'll be so glad you did.
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10-13-2009 11:23 PM