I love playing the piano. I'm not real great at it, though I used to be fairly good. Back in high school, when I practiced for an hour every day, and had been taking lessons from my mom for twelve straight years. Then I went to college and only played things I knew by heart on the piano by the cafeteria while waiting for people to show up for supper or whatever. After we got married, my mother-in-law stored her piano at our apartment for a few years, but I only played once a week or so. I had a full-time job working at night, and I didn't want to play late at night during my nights off because we lived in a duplex and I didn't want to bug the neighbors. Then we moved away and left the piano with Cowboy's sister, who had room for it herself by then. And I had no piano until we moved to Tir Asleen a little over two years ago.
When we moved here, my mom gave me her piano, which had originally been her mom's. (And don't feel so sorry for her for giving up her piano -- my dad replaced it with the baby grand he'd been promising her for decades.) And I was preggers with a giant belly in the way, then had a newborn... and it wasn't until this past spring that I started finding time to play again. Usually just a few minutes in the morning while the kids finished breakfast after I was done already. But my goodness, was I rusty! I played for a couple months that way, then quit over the summer. This is all
The Lone Ranger's fault -- I listened to the soundtrack every morning while making and eating breakfast, which meant I wasn't playing music myself.
But then last week, I found
The Lord of the Rings for Easy Piano on Amazon while searching for something else. I bought it on a whim, got it early this week... and I love it! I've slowly been playing through it, backwards because the last song is about Gondor and I was all sad right then over
"The Departure of Boromir." And this music is exactly right for my slowly-returning skills. I can play the songs well enough to recognize them, but I stumble just often enough to make me want to truly practice them. I'm almost done playing each song once, and then I'll begin at the beginning and work on one song at a time until I'm able to play them all well.
It has several songs from each movie, with most of my favorite themes represented. I've actually teared up a bit as particular themes I love so much come to life under my own fingers. So delightful.
So anyway, those are my happy Friday ramblings. Have a lovely weekend!
I really love your focus on things that you are passionate about. You are very inspiring. I grew up with a piano in the house too. My father was a musician. He played mostly the drums and the xylophone a little bit. Yes, there was a set of drums and a xylophone in our house as well.
ReplyDeleteI was "forced" to take piano lessons when I was in grade school. Every Wednesday I had to stay after school for lessons. I was not interested in playing the piano. I prefer to sit back and listen to someone else play it. :-)
:-) Thank you! I think that by finding time to do things I enjoy, I show my children that it's important to have hobbies and practice skills. I know that my mom read a LOT when I was a kid, and that showed me that reading was important and fun much more clearly than just being told, "Reading books is good for you."
DeleteIt wasn't until I was 10 or so, and could play songs that weren't just made up to teach you better fingering, that I really started to enjoy playing the piano. Until then, it was just something I practiced because I had to, like math.
Xenia, I forgot to say that it's so cool your dad played the drums! That's one instrument I've always wanted to learn, but never have had the opportunity. Yet. Maybe one day!
DeleteI have that book, (if I remember the cover correctly) except for flute and piano! I play the flute and Lizzie plays the piano, and we used to play duets from that book all the time. I love it. :D
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I used to play the flute, and my mom and I would've enjoyed that if these movies and this music had existed back when I was living at home. That sounds so fun!
DeleteThat's great, that you can combine two things you love!
ReplyDeleteI have several books of Broadway showtunes, oldies, even some movie themes from classic Hollywood. And a couple of classical music. But once I master this book, I may see if I can find another book of movie music like this one, because like you said, the combination of two things I love is just wonderful!
DeleteLOTR music is great, and most of the piano arrangements are done very well! My favorite is still Concerning Hobbits, though. :)
ReplyDelete"Concerning Hobbits" is one of my favorites too, which explains why I keep practicing it even though all the staccato drives me crazy :-)
DeleteI love listening to LOTR music and want to play all of them on the piano. I can play "Into The West" on the piano though. Its one of my favorite songs!
ReplyDeleteI've discovered from this book how very fond I am of Gollum's Song. Who knew? It's so haunting and wistful.
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