Before I met you, C – a back seat story

me and my Suzuki acoustic guitar

I learned to play guitar, when I was 12/13 years old. My dad bought me an acoustic string guitar –Suzuki. It fit so well on my small arms and worked perfectly with my tiny fingers.

I joined a course, but left on the second month. I felt so lost in that course: everyone at that class was already got busy with Fur Elise and Romance something, while I was still figuring out which strings to press. That was too much for me. And playing chords was fun and enjoyable for me. So that’s the point where I left with my guitar.
No further than that.

Ah, I forgot to tell you, that before acoustic guitar, I also learned to play piano. I was 7 at that time, and my mom put me in a course together with my childhood friend . She, her younger sister and her older brother, were forced to take piano lesson by their parents

The teacher, Ms. Rika, was the a pianist in our church.
Boy she’s damn good.

My friend’s mom and dad, asked my mom to let me join the group.
They believed I’d make my friend learned better.
Well honestly, I am not sure about that, but what I knew then, I caught up pretty quick regardless we didn’t have a piano at home.

It was such an expensive instrument, back then. Well until today, I guess.
My dad wished to buy one. But no money for that luxury at that time. Also we our house was so tiny. Having a piano at that time might led us sleep outside the house.

But then my dearest friend left to Holland, for good.
So piano lessons stopped.
At least for quiet some time, until once upon a time, a friend of a family, decided to send one of his pianos to our home! He has three pianos, one for his wife, one for his son, and for his daughter. The that he sent to our house belonged to his son. My mother believed it’s time for me and my sister to have private piano lesson again.

We had two teachers. Pak Gogo and Ms. Rika (again).
Still I failed to continue. Somehow having able to play one or two pop songs satisfied me. I lost interest in pursuing classical piano. Lazy as an old dog I was.

Honestly, until TODAY I regret that decision.
Looking back on WHY I decided to stop playing the piano, I guessed it’s because I had no vision on what a piano player can do later in life. OH MY GOODNESS, I was so stupid.

Well, my mom told me that I could be a pianist for our church.
Unfortunately that was not appealing picture for me. Nor become a piano teacher: stay at home, welcoming children with stiff fingers who had no ideas of what they were read on those sheets… not my idea of getting money. Not my dream job.

How about playing in an orchestra?
I knew now that my dad tried to plant a bigger dream than become a piano teacher/church organist by taking me to classical concerts, opera at National Radio Hall or watching NHK Classical Shows in National TV Program. But picturing myself in those scenes… somehow just didn’t work. Am sorry Dad.

I wished I found an inspirational story or picture or movie on playing piano for something different.  The movie “FAME” kind of scene, maybe.
I blamed on being born too soon, hahaha…

But the things–I think— were so different in our home, back then.
Classical was the best. Jazz was absurd, and pop was rubbish. Not in favor at all. (I listened to Beatles for the first time when I was in college!)

Anyway, the fact that I play an instrument today (just started learn to play one), should be celebrated by ME.
I am crossing my fingers to stay focus and keep on going.
No matter how hard.

Heaven help!