All in the mood for a melody

Brandon Shin, a seventh grader at Annunciation Orthodox School, says playing the piano makes him feel alive.

When I play piano I feel an amazing surge in my body. This surge is filled with joy and excitement. I began piano lessons at the age of 5 with Ms. Nenita Ho. I am 12 years old now, and through the years, I have experienced both love and fear when playing. I love how the notes play out to make a song, but I admit that I feel fear when I have to perform. For example, this year I took a test for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, which assessed my playing and listening skills. At first I was very scared, but when it was over I felt relieved and at the same time proud. This is the same feeling I have every year during the spring recital where the pressure is on and everyone is watching. It is an exhilarating experience.

Learning to play a piano piece takes quite a bit of practice. Although I enjoy practicing, it can sometimes be too much when added to my school work. The way I look at it is that it’s the one task that takes me away from the school stresses and allows me to be free. It’s like a nice escape. Often Ms. Ho teaches me some songs that I enjoy learning such as “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter, “Star Wars Theme,” and the song “Daylight” from Maroon 5. Some of the pieces that I learn are more challenging and require more practice and focus.

What I really like about playing the piano is how the notes blend together to make the piece. I have tried writing pieces myself. I enjoy trying to make a melody from a bunch of random notes. I will then determine if it is a good piece to listen to or a bad one. Some of the pieces that I feel are good enough, I share with my piano teacher. But let’s just say so far none of them have been worthy of being shared publicly. Maybe one day. For now, playing the piano is a joyful experience that makes me feel alive.

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