So I have been playing more piano in the last few days than I have played in a decade. Actually, more like thirteen or fourteen years. It’s been fun to look at some of my  [very] old music from my final few years of taking piano lessons. I’ve been playing away – Grieg, Bach, Beethoven, Beauty and the Beast, some church hymns…even some Billy Joel thrown in the mix. There’s a lot of work ahead of me to brush up on some of the pieces I used to play so well but haven’t touched since my junior year of high school (or even earlier). I’ve had to be really patient with myself and not get frustrated that I have lost some of my technique and skill in the decade plus that I’ve played very little. I’m just trying to enjoy the time that I have to play right now, and trust that my efforts will bring me back up to the level that I was – and even that I will become a better pianist than I was. It’s such a blessed distraction from everything going on, and has been at times a rather emotional reminder about how far I’ve come musically and as a person since the last time I really sunk my teeth into some of these pieces.

Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.
– Tom Lehrer

For now, let me leave you with one of my all-time favorite piano pieces: Grieg’s Concerto in A minor. It’s a fantastic showy piece that is a ridiculous amount of fun to listen to. Enjoy!