Why do you play piano?

[bernadette60614]

Earlier discussions about teaching children made me think about why I play piano.

Just wondering why others have chosen to play piano....

[ranniks]

Because I'm weird. :p

[danhuyle]

To write my own songs and I'm still a newbie at that.

My days playing classical piano music has come to an end.

[hfmadopter]

Because music is screaming in my head, if I play the piano it spills out into the keys and quiets way down in my head. It's my way of expressing music that I love since I can not sing, even if it meant saving my life. However, since aquiring the digital piano I'm finding that it could be more than just piano that could help me get this music out in the open. Strings and also certain wind instruments are attractive to me as well. This I had not antcipated happening.

All that said, it's the very expression of music that nails me ! That's the part I love most and it is possible that most any instrument might help me express and different instruments in different ways, even though I have decades of time invested in piano.

[brogers70]

Because the best way to appreciate a great piece of music is to learn to play it yourself.

[bernadette60614]

For me, I was very lucky to see Van Cliburn perform..I don't know how his tour came to our little Indiana town and also very lucky to be within the radius of one of the best classical music radio stations in the country (and one of the few remaining ones.)

The range of a piano, to me, is like the range of the human voice. It is the "voice" of the most powerful and emotionally moving music I've heard.

I think I'm incredibly lucky to have this way of accessing music in a primal way.

[pianist1976]

My days playing classical piano music has come to an end.

Don't give up! Why?

[unimaster]

I just started again. I briefly considered taking up an entirely new instrument (had my eye on the cello, actually), but that would require lessons, which in turn would require a music budget, which helped put that idea to rest. But I'm also deep into the study of music theory, and I don't think I could get the same results from a single-note instrument. I need to be able to explore chord progressions and the like.

But I'm finding it an entirely different experience this time around—probably because I'm more mature and can apply the approaches I've learned in studying other disciplines (particularly writing) to this task. And I'm having a ball with it so far. . . !

[patrickd]

Because it entertains me.

[hfmadopter]

Because it entertains me.

I hear that from several people around the forums. Proving that it means different things to each of us, possibly based off each persons life phylosophy. We all play the same notes, we each feel something different.

[ming304]

My English professor asked me once; why do I like playing the piano or just music in general?
I said because it's entertaining. And he started questioning me with things like, not self-expression?
Then I began to wonder, hmm why do I like playing the piano?
Well, no not really self-expression, I don't feel like I'm expressing MYSELF when I'm playing at the piano. Its really just... fun? to play. I enjoy it. Or maybe it's cause I like showing off... hmm. I do enjoy practicing in front of others for some reason.
I've also recently discovered all the depth that comes with piano playing, and I haven't explored that much yet

[hfmadopter]

I've also recently discovered all the depth that comes with piano playing, and I haven't explored that much yet

You're growing into your piano experience, if it's started coming that you are recognising depth now, it will continue. And, you will enjoy it all the more in the long run.

[danhuyle]

Don't give up! Why?

I have trouble "keeping my dog on leash". 

[roseamelia]

Because I know God put that talent in me!   My teacher was amazed how fast I learned.  So then, I knew God was calling me to do what I  love!

[g_s_223]

To annoy the neighbours?

 

[mahlermaniac]

Because I couldn't quiet that little voice inside of me that kept insisting for years that I needed to play piano. That just because I gave up the guitar and the flute didn't mean I wasn't meant to learn an instrument, but that I hadn't found the right one. Because I've been in awe of the tremendous depth and range of the instrument, and the graceful beauty of a person playing.

And because now that I'm playing, I love it as much as that little voice told me I would

[birba]

After 60 years i'm still asking myself that question...

[m1469]

I play the piano for the same and sole reason music exists ... to express humanness.  That is all music is about, it's about people's emotions.  That is why.

[outin]

Hitting my head to the wall literally was causing too much damage 

[hfmadopter]

I play the piano for the same and sole reason music exists ... to express humanness.  That is all music is about, it's about people's emotions.  That is why.

Interesting, I find spirituality in music. I never really thought about that being humanness but I imagine it could be related. Music itself has a sense of spirituality to me. To me that's how it invades the body and emotions in a good way of course. I think a lot of that has to do with ones outlook on life in general though. If someone is not spiritual by nature, I suppose it would be difficult for them to see music from my view.

Notice I keep saying music and not piano. Piano is the means of conveying music. Music is much like beauty, you can't nail a real description to either, they exist. Notes are not music, you can play notes on the piano and never play beautiful music. Beauty and true music coexist in my world. Obnoxious noises played as music is not music to my ears, that's noise. Big difference, again, in my world and I suspect a lot of other peoples world as well.

[m1469]

Interesting, I find spirituality in music. I never really thought about that being humanness but I imagine it could be related. Music itself has a sense of spirituality to me. To me that's how it invades the body and emotions in a good way of course. I think a lot of that has to do with ones outlook on life in general though. If someone is not spiritual by nature, I suppose it would be difficult for them to see music from my view.

Notice I keep saying music and not piano. Piano is the means of conveying music. Music is much like beauty, you can't nail a real description to either, they exist. Notes are not music, you can play notes on the piano and never play beautiful music. Beauty and true music coexist in my world. Obnoxious noises played as music is not music to my ears, that's noise. Big difference, again, in my world and I suspect a lot of other peoples world as well.

Yes.  To me, life is darkness, more or less.  And sound is matter, and music is scientifical sound.  The way you move and such.  If your ear does not hear it, it is like that tree into the forest where it fell but nobody knew ... it is, music I mean, is manhood made and dependent upon manhoodness and guy parts.  Not girls parts.  Only guys parts with which to play the piano.  Not even ears, I mean those parts that are guy's's.  But, that is material, not spiritual, just like music and just like humans.  Woman was made from the rib of a man, not from anything else.  And, we are made of dust.

Prob'ly, you just think one day and see that you made some dirt and dust.  And then you've got water there, too.  Of course the world also has fire and wind, but those are less than dirt and water.  And one day You just get pretty bored while looking at life, and so you stir those dirts around on the ground and do some water drips in there, maybe even your own loneliness tears?  And so you start to make then this little drippy sand/dirt castle, and then you move around a lot.  Then, you take a stick and shake it at that dusty things, and you say "POW" and then it's  man who is a sinner and moves around on a big circle of dust and rocks in the space. 

And anyway, then you just notice it now has ribbolas, and so you take one of those and put more and longer hair on it, and it's a woman.  Then those guys just live around on that big, giant circle which also goes in a circles around other circles.  That is the Universe, the material universe.  It is material, and so is music.  Music was made from man coughing up his own dust.

[lloyd_cdb]

Why not.

[birba]

Yes.  To me, life is darkness, more or less.  And sound is matter, and music is scientifical sound.  The way you move and such.  If your ear does not hear it, it is like that tree into the forest where it fell but nobody knew ... it is, music I mean, is manhood made and dependent upon manhoodness and guy parts.  Not girls parts.  Only guys parts with which to play the piano.  Not even ears, I mean those parts that are guy's's.  But, that is material, not spiritual, just like music and just like humans.  Woman was made from the rib of a man, not from anything else.  And, we are made of dust.

Prob'ly, you just think one day and see that you made some dirt and dust.  And then you've got water there, too.  Of course the world also has fire and wind, but those are less than dirt and water.  And one day You just get pretty bored while looking at life, and so you stir those dirts around on the ground and do some water drips in there, maybe even your own loneliness tears?  And so you start to make then this little drippy sand/dirt castle, and then you move around a lot.  Then, you take a stick and shake it at that dusty things, and you say "POW" and then it's  man who is a sinner and moves around on a big circle of dust and rocks in the space.  

And anyway, then you just notice it now has ribbolas, and so you take one of those and put more and longer hair on it, and it's a woman.  Then those guys just live around on that big, giant circle which also goes in a circles around other circles.  That is the Universe, the material universe.  It is material, and so is music.  Music was made from man coughing up his own dust.

I'm wondering if the person who wrote this really believes in the gibberish they're writing or is just fishing for an esoteric discussion on the symbolic creation of human mankind.  Which makes me wonder if anything this person ever wrote came from a sincere belief in their  ideas.  Even the whole PS competition thread.  Create waves.  Rock the boat.  That sort of thing.  See latest discussion on Stubworn Student.  If such is the case, we're the ones who have been duped...

[hfmadopter]

Yes.  To me, life is darkness, more or less. 

m1469, the little bit of your post that I left in quotes pretty much says it all. All I will say in response is I hope that some day this changes for you and that you find your way to step into the light.

[virtuoso80]

I have a unique motivation: Revenge. Once upon a time, I was made to feel like I was crap and that I couldn't play piano. It thusly became a life goal to prove that person wrong.

[dynamobt]

New to the forum. Why do I play the piano?  Initially it was because lessons were forced on me and I had no choice.  I'm not sure when playing became the joy that it is.  But, I'm 61 years old and back taking lessons.  On my own I play the same music over and over.  Then get tired of that, so stop playing at all for a while.  I need lessons to motivate me.  I am also terrible at choosing music appropriate to my level of playing. 

Anyway, playing makes me happy.  I'm in awe of the great composers.  How did they come up with this stuff?  From a lot of listening I know what quite a lot of music should sound like.  I try to do the music justice.  And the process of learning and playing is satisfying at a very deep level.  I couldn't imagine myself not playing!!

[m1469]

See latest discussion on Stubworn Student.

How do you think she got so stuborn, birba?

[j_menz]

Stubworne Studente

stuboorn student? 

How do you think she got so stuborn, birba?

Clearly without the assistance of a dictionary or spellcheck.

[quantum]

Because I like making weird noises.   

[kriatina]

Because I have listened to classical music/concerts all my life, including piano music
and more often than not I have felt that I would express something here or there
a little differently -  or I would play this or that a little bit more slowly
to express more of the beauty and tonality (harmony) etc.

And then came the day when I was given the chance to get a piano
and start learning/reading scores/studying from scratch how to play the piano...and here I am.

Mind you, it is a very slow progress, but I enjoy it all the same.

[jollisg]

Without the piano, my life wouldn't have that much of a purpose. (I don't mean that i don't appriciate my family or something like that).