The piano and I

I played the piano today for the first time since before the Christchurch earthquakes. After February 22nd 2011, we sold our piano because it was an earthquake hazard and Elizabeth was only 18 months at the time and easily squashed and killed by heavy items of furniture toppling over during aftershocks. We haven’t had one since … until now.

The house we’re renting in Aberdeen came with a piano. I’m sure this biased me in favour of this place but it does have many other great features too, the piano was just a bonus. On Wednesday this week all our stuff arrived from New Zealand and with it my piano music. I don’t know any songs off by heart, I’m not a particularly good pianist, and I’m really rusty having not played for more than three years now, but this doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy playing. In fact, I love it. I’m so grateful to my parents for giving me piano lessons as a child so that now I can lose myself in music. I love listening to music but playing music yourself is different. It’s the only time my head is completely empty of thoughts and solely focused on one thing – the music. It’s wonderful.

I don’t think this piano has been played for years as some of the keys are a bit sticky. The more I press them the less sticky they become and the less rusty I feel. It’s as though we were meant for each other, this piano and I.

Posted

January 16, 2015

Journal

Rachel M

Tags:

christchurch, earthquake, earthquakes, music, piano

Comments

14 responses to “The piano and I”

indianmacgyver

January 16, 2015

is it an upright, or some grand style piano? my upright sits alone most days for no good reason. i still have one song i can play by memory. i’m grateful too for the lessons i had to take. it taught me more than an appreciation of music though that would have been enough.

Reply
1. Rachel M
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  Yes, it’s just an upright one. Nothing fancy. I’d love a grand piano but they take up too much space. They’re also quite expensive.
  
  Reply
trablog

January 16, 2015

Isnt it the same place you mentioned as the ghost town?!!

Reply
1. Rachel M
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  Yep! The very same place: Christchurch. There’s some video footage of Christchurch taken two years after the quakes here – http://www.3news.co.nz/Another-year-of-quake-coverage/tabid/367/articleID/281066/Default.aspx
  
  Reply
  1. trablog
    
    January 17, 2015
    
    So you used to live there?!
    Thanks for the link 🙂
  2. Rachel M
    
    January 17, 2015
    
    Yes, I did. I lived there for about 6 years and then the earthquakes happened and so we moved to Auckland but we never really liked Auckland. That’s how we came to Scotland 🙂
Chait

January 16, 2015

It must be cool to play a piano. I will try some time although I am a music illiterate. 🙂

I read somewhere, children who learn music will have great vocabulary.

Reply
1. Rachel M
  
  January 17, 2015
  
  Yes, it is cool to play the piano and I don’t think it’s ever too late to learn if you really want to. I definitely want my kids to learn an instrument.
  
  Reply
scifihammy

January 17, 2015

I could relate to so much of what you wrote about the piano 🙂 It is a gift for life to play a musical instrument, and as you say, to become lost in playing. I’m pretty rubbish but get so much enjoyment out of it 🙂
Interestingly Maths and Music so often go hand in hand. I hope you pass on the music to your kids 🙂
Also, I smiled when you said you and the piano were meant for each other. I am sure of it 🙂 As a student, my friend and I found a ground floor flat to share. The back room had a lovely view of the garden, but the front had a Baby Grand! She said, “Well, I think it is obvious which room is yours!” 🙂

Reply
1. Rachel M
  
  January 17, 2015
  
  Haha, that’s so funny! A baby grand in your bedroom. How wonderful!
  
  Elizabeth is really keen to learn the piano and keeps asking me to teach her which is fantastic. Daniel is not so keen but I still want him to learn an instrument and he at least has an appreciation of music and a lovely singing voice.
  
  Reply
  1. scifihammy
    
    January 17, 2015
    
    That’s great your kids are already musically inclined 🙂 Maybe a recorder for Daniel? 🙂
ladysighs

January 17, 2015

I am so jealous. I am ever grateful for having piano lessons. Music lessons of any kind are so enriching. I never was good or accomplished with any music but always enjoy.

Reply
simplyilka

January 17, 2015

This is wonderful Rachel! I know exactly what you mean with being empty of thoughts enjoying and loving the piano.I am very happy the piano and you found each other 🙂

I had an electronic piano for years but last year with my first salary as a freelance writer, I bought myself an acoustic piano – even people said I was supposed to put the money back into the company. No regrets!!! Loving the Piano (And having had more paychecks 😉 )

So Rachel enjoy enjoy enjoy!

Reply
1. Rachel M
  
  January 17, 2015
  
  That sounds like money well spent to me 🙂 I’m so glad to hear you’re loving having the piano. It has always been our plan to get another piano but we were waiting to find a new home as they’re tricky things to move.
  
  Reply