I don’t know if you recollect, I started taking guitar classes some 8 months back. I was hoping to strum out a few chords in a few months and turn out as the new Bryan Adams wooing the college girls. I later came to know that the man I took as teacher taught only western classical and he was quite obsessed with it. That was a dreams shattered for me.
I had to take the Trinity college exams every six months. As the exam day approached I was quite nervous. The teacher egged me on, persuading me to practice more. I managed to pass with great difficulty. The examiner didn’t write any hopeful remarks about my future music career in the feedback. I realized music is not fully talent. There is a lot of hard work and dedication that goes along with it. The less talented you are the more you’ll have to practice.
The exam days were very strenuous on me. The reason being you’ll have to compete with little kids whose fingers move faster than you. I hated the decision I took. But I came across an old lady who took enormous effort even in outing together the basic notes. She went on doing it for hours. The teacher spent long time with her. She used to apologize profusely for the trouble they took. I silently laughed at her.
Then one evening the teacher told me her story. She used to be a master pianist who passed many grades of Trinity College. Then she came down with a stroke and lost all the memory. She is now fighting hard to piece together her passion. Her brain cells cannot retain much information.
Fighting one’s destiny when you have the world laughing at you, when you have no chance of success- I don’t know how to describe that.
8 comments:
John, I liked this post for the different perspectives it projected: Yours, the old woman's and the young children's.
You have rightly said that music requires a lot of perseverance and time. I also admire the way you are quite honest about declaring your difficulties in learning music.
Quite in good taste to start Saturday morning.
I wish you the best with the girls (winking).
Joy always,
Susan
this was touching... to fight destiny, one definitely has to be determined.... definitely cheers to the will power f tht old lady, even at this age!!!
gud luck for u r furthr xmz !!!
Jon - I admired your honesty in this piece. It is true that none of us pick an instrument and play it perfectly immediately, we don't learn to dance, to run fast, to throw a dart accurately without hours of practise.
It's difficult not to take everyone at face value - until you learn their story, now you know the old ladys you will be more sympathetic.
Such an honest and crisp post.
I wish the lady all the best..emotional honest post. I am sure you are a wonderful musiican. My neighbours son Utsav Lall also went to Trinity. He is a young pianist now in Ireland Dublin.
There is story behind every person and when we look closely we can find inspiration in every nook and corner. Very touching blog Jon
congrats
hard work and dedication is agree
truely inspiring story there..
and that made me pity myself for not touching that instrument I love a lot for the past many months..
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