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bestcee

bestcee

In love with places I've never been to
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Dec 18, 2013
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School has started again, and that means I'm looking for piano music to play to drown out my child...I mean to help me concentrate! Yes, that's what I meant. So, it got me wondering...

Did you learn to play a music instrument? Do you still play it?

I took piano for 6 months once. I can still play the right hand, but the left takes a lot of concentration! It helps I learned how to read music by playing the clarinet in elementary (Grade 7&8) band so I can apply that to the piano.
And that is the end of my not so musical talent.

How about you?
 
I used to play recorders in an Elizabethan band at College, but not found anyone to play with since. I've not played much since as there's no purpose of direction to aim at, I juts lost momentum.

I'm constantly surrounded by music. Hubby plays piano, clarinet and drums, and all three children went to an In Harmony primary school - the school is one big orchestra. The older two (now at secondary school) are now part of a youth ensemble, and still do the after school children's orchestra for the keener students. They also joined the secondary school's steel band. My youngest (Joy) does the after school orchestra too. It's nice hearing them practice an orchestra piece together as a trio.

Joy's class are doing African drumming workshops this week as part of their geography class, so later this morning I have a "come see what we've learned" performance.
 
I was in the chorus .. I would suggest turning a music channel on the TV maybe classical music to do the drowning out :)
 
I played the violin. I wish I had kept it up, but there was only one teacher in our town and she was horrid. After two years I quit to spite her. I took lessons again when I was an adult but didn't have much time to practice. I'm thinking about taking it up again, but this time for fiddling. I've also my FiL's grandpa's violin that needs to be repaired, as well as my great-grandfather's instrument, the one I learned on.

At least you're not trying to drown out violin screeching. I'm no help with what music to cover since I tend to love silence these days.
 
I played flute in the band in 5th grade, then quit. When I was in HS I joined the flag corps/color guard with the band and did that my junior year...then the director said that he wanted it to be a requirement that if we did that during marching season we had to be in concert band in the spring. So, I picked up the flute again my senior year and knew just enough to fake my way through most of concert season. I was in chorus all through HS, but I am really not musically inclined at all.
 
I took piano lessons as a kid and wish I had kept at that, but I didn't have a great piano teacher. :( I was in band all through high school and played flute for concert season, piccolo for pep band at basketball games and was in the colorguard for marching season. I LOVED band. Then I went to college and quit all my musical endeavors. In my early 20s I randomly joined the church choir even though I'd never sung in a choir in my whole life, but I love that now too. :) I never would have been brave enough to join since I had no clue what I was doing, but the choir director at the time was my age and his wife played the piano and they encouraged me a lot and the rest is history. They actually because really good friends of mine too and told me later they were just so excited to have some younger people joining choir. Lol!
 
I took piano lessons from my mom's aunt. She was a terrific teacher... one of my friends took from her as well. Several years later I joined band. Chose to play clarinet. Stayed in band from 6th to 12th grades. At the time I was in band, the marching band was all brass so I had to learn another instrument. Our high school was 10th to 12th grades at that time (too many students to have 9th grade in the school building as well). So 10th grade I played alto saxophone. I switched to the baritone for my last 2 years. After that I was done with instruments. Every once in awhile I would sit down and play the piano throughout my college years when I was home on break but not a whole lot since then. The piano still sits in the same spot in my house but I never sit down to play it. I'm not sure my fingers/hands could stretch far enough without hurting!

I was also in choir from 7th to 9th grades and as a 12th grader even though I couldn't sing. No solos for this girl!
 
After wishing for piano lessons for some time, I was signed up for them in 7th or 8th grade and I went for 3 years, until my parents no longer wanted to pay for them. I cried at my last lesson. My teacher encouraged me to keep practicing on my own, but of course without weekly lessons it was easy to let it fall to the wayside.

I got to take the piano with me when I moved across the country though, and my very musically gifted daughter played on it a lot before we got her a better piano several years ago.
 
I played piano for 5 years in elementary and middle school and also played the trumpet from middle through high school. I can still play the piano, but probably couldn't blow a horn!
 
I have my great-aunt's antique player piano; she gave it to us when I was about 8 or 9 years old. My parents got lessons for me at the time, but my teacher moved away after a few months and they didn't find me a new one.

When I was a freshman in college, I found a new piano teacher, but she wasn't sure where to start me and had me working through some beginner books. Summer came before she placed me (she didn't work summers) and since I didn't think I had learned much (if anything) from her, I never went back.

A few months ago -- just before school started -- I bought an adult piano learning book, but I haven't tackled it yet. I have considered signing up for lessons again (more on that in a bit) but I don't know when I'd fit in the practice. I bought the book thinking if I could make time to work out of that, then it might be worthwhile to sign up for lessons.

I did not play an instrument in band; the salesman came to my school and I couldn't get any of the instruments to make noise. I don't know what I was doing wrong and, looking back, I don't know why he wasn't more helpful to get me started. I did take choir every year that I was allowed and I was in the church choir for a couple of years after I married. However, the driving (an hour from work to church, then another half hour from church to home) became too much for me, and when they took a break for summer, I did not return in the fall.

My kids all have lessons at the local music studio; my oldest does electric guitar and he is also in the studio's rock band program, my middle plays drums, and my youngest plays piano. Several of the teachers teach piano (including my daughter's drum instructor) and my son's teacher has offered to add me to his schedule, but I want to be able to commit to practicing, and right now I also don't want to be used as an excuse for my third grader who enjoys piano but doesn't like to practice ("I would have practiced, but MOM was on the piano!")

All that to say, No, I have not learned to play a musical instrument, although I would like to learn. :)
 
I learned piano as a child, played for several years. I was always stronger with my right hand (treble clef) which is good because I took up flute when band was offered in middle school. I switched to oboe (I know, right?) because there were too many flutes. I kept playing oboe in high school, but also did colorguard for marching band. These days I don't do much playing of any kind. DH also has quite the musical background; he's a music teacher!
Now that DS has been playing with the school Mallet band, I think I'll get some free lessons over the summer and get back to playing! ;)
 
I always wanted to learn how to play the piano, but my parents didn't want to invest in a piano or lessons...seems really relaxing to me.
 
I played the flute in band for my middle school years. Heading into high school I really wanted money for school clothes so I sold it for that. :blush
 
I play the piano. The desire to learn how came at the early age of about 10 or so. Lessons over the years were very hit and miss and we didn't always have a piano. When I was about 16 my Mom and Dad surprised me with a brand new one after years of being without one in our home. I helped to make the payments on it and eventually it came into my home. I gave it to our second son a few years back as part of his inheritance from us and then wished we had hung on to it a while longer. But after getting a job at Church to play for the children on Sundays my Honey took me out and bought me a beautiful, gently used piano which now graces our home. Music has always been an important part of my life. I won't be giving this piano away any time soon. :) Although, our 5th son has asked for it to be his someday.
 
I played the flute & piccolo all thru middle & high school. My mom made me practice my piccolo outside!

My daughter starts with recorders this spring! I would love for them to do piano lessons but we just don't have the time with all their other extra curricular activities!
 
I tried to play a keyboard my mom had for a while as well as the piano my grandma (and then my mom) had . . . just teaching myself - way back in the early 80's. I could play Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair, Beautiful Dreamer, and Old Folks At Home. I couldn't play a thing now . . . LOL!

As far as drowning out sounds though, I do love environmental sounds. There are some great apps for it now!
 
I think I started on a keyboard (electric piano) around 2nd grade. Never official lessons. 4th grade I did violin, and then cello for 5th/6th grade. I can read music in so far in I could tell you what the notes would be, not that I can hear it just by sight (if that makes sense). I used those music reading skills for choir after that - was in a choir class every year of junior high and high school - I didn't want to carry musical instruments to school, or practice.
 
I played the Viola in 4th grade, then moved to the tenor sax for 5th grade, then alto sax for 6-9th grades.

I probably can't play any more. I haven't done it in so long
 
Boy there are a lot of us flute players here! I played from 3rd to 8th grade and then in hs. I was always the only flute player as most of my girlfriends wanted the clarinet! :cornfused I stopped when I went to college and yet still have the worn out, not usable flute. A friend's granddaughter considered it but they told Nana it wasn't worth repairing. I also played the piano for a while.

Now the only musical connection is my 2nd son who went to Berklee in Boston for two years. Then he quit when he realized he wasn't good enough to be professional. He plays guitar and writes music and plays the piano by ear and with music. I wish he had a piano and the space for it. btw, he's the chef and linguist. Like his Mama is this 'boy'!
 
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