Archives & First Fave

Well, after hours and hours of googling and testing out methods, I'm going to give up on trying to import my old xanga entries to this blog.  Dating back to August 2002, it's funny to see what I deemed necessary to write about - I would never write about some of those things now!  So, I'm going to selectively post my favorite entries.  (At least paying for a month of premium was useful - these files are way easier to go through then paging through my site.) 

Friday, August 9, 2002

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to sit down and play the piano as much as I'd like. Most of my July was spent on flute, specifically on pieces for the band and trying to decide which piece to use for my audition in the fall. (Still quite not sure yet.) Now that it's already August, I'm planning on getting to the piano more often because once school starts, I'll probably be able to get to the music building only once in a while. I was finally able to get back into it a few nights ago. It's weird sometimes because I could be doing one thing, and suddenly just get the urge to get up and go to the piano.

I need to remember to thank my parents for starting me up with lessons when I was about six or seven. Learning at a young age is the best time I think for a kid to get acquainted with an instrument and music in general. My mom told me the story about how my uncle had given me a little pink battery-operated keyboard which was supposed to just be a toy to play with. Then one day my mom suddenly heard me playing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" out of nowhere, and thus she was "inspired" to have me start taking lessons. (Although my parents aren't the typical "hardcore" Asian parents, I think that most Asian parents aspire for their kids to play either the piano or violin.) And so my parents enrolled me in the Yamaha School of Music, and I stayed with that for 2 years. I guess I could say I was excelling beyond the other kids in my class, and with my Yamaha teacher's suggestion, my parents got me a private teacher. Up until right before college, I found myself auditioning and playing in recitals. (Those always got me really nervous, where my hands would be freezing cold and I'd do my best to warm and loosen them up before I had to play.) If it wasn't for the piano, I probably wouldn't be as into music as I am. Plus, I might not have started the flute or joined the band in the 8th grade had I not had the previous musical background. It'd probably be too difficult to catch up with everyone else who had started in 4th grade. (Then again, I did have that one year of recorder in 3rd grade.) So hypothetically speaking, several memories from my life would be missing if it weren't for the piano: those times I've accompanied the choir, the band trips, the halftime shows, the rehearsals, concerts and parties afterward, the musical...The list goes on... 

Nowadays though, I play because I want to. Which piece I start off with is determined by what kind of mood I'm in. I'm pretty much always in a good mood, so I usually begin with Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique, which I'd have to say is one of my absolute favorite pieces not only to play, but to listen to as well. There's just something about the music that's so soothing and it just has the ability to take me away, and sometimes even lift my spirits. Playing allows me to escape from everything else going on in my life to a place where it¡¦s just me and the music. If I¡¦m in a bad mood or just feeling particularly quiet, there are pieces I can play to convey that, without having to take it out on anyone. When there are no words I can use, I turn to music. It¡¦s difficult to describe or completely put into words what I feel as my fingers glide across the ivory keys. Music is definitely an awesome form of self-expression. I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy myself at least a baby grand for my house in the future. (Planning on playing 'til I'm a little old lady; hehe.) Most of the time Beethoven and Mozart can be heard in my house, but every so often I can be heard rocking out on some contemporary music too. =) I consider myself a fan of most genres of music, but good classical music can have such a powerful effect. (Notice the music I have playing on my page?) Sometimes you just need music without vocals so you can fill in the words yourself.