MUSIC AT THE ROOT

 

Sometimes, through the hustle and bustle of life, we forget or maybe put to one side the things that have essentially made us who we are. There is always something to prepare or do that can distract us and lead us off course from the values or the goals we may have temporarily brushed under the carpet. There is by no means anything wrong with changing direction and working towards new things, but there is equally nothing wrong with occasionally remembering where we came from and what makes us unique.

Since I was six and had my first piano lesson, music and the piano have played an important role in my life. They have a way of grounding me and keeping me firmly planted in the direction I mean to go. There can be a thousand voices pulling me in different directions, particularly around the beginning of the pandemic, but then I sit down at the piano and I have a clarity and peace that I would not change for anything. For some, it is capturing the essence of a landscape in a painting or for others, it is writing and recording the history of their lives and experiences.

Whatever is at the root of who you are, there is value in it. It can hold the key to why you do certain things or reason in a certain way. Don't block it out. It is worth taking time to consider the values and things that really matter to you and how your life reflects these things. Roots are not only from where we come, but also who we are inside. Nowadays, in the age of social media, there is constant pressure to carefully construct the correct image and how we are perceived on the outside has become so important. Images eventually break down, but the foundations remain if we will take the time to see them.

When the pressure used to hit, I would sit down and write music at night. Not only was it a productive way to deal with things, but it helped me clearly see situations for what they were and work out a solution, often whilst at the piano. The piano is like a good trustworthy friend and is more that notes and music, it has become a way of life and this was even more evident during lockdown when it became the focus of my time. Whether I am doing a translation or writing an article (like now), I often have music on in the background, at the moment it is the soundtrack from the film 'the theory of everything' and the '18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition'. I listen to all sorts of music and I enjoy discovering new genres that are great for staying open minded.

Having a pianist as a husband means that I get to continue my roots and develop them further. With music and the piano, life is never dull. There is always another project or idea that comes from sessions at the piano or a lesson with my husband. Life is ultimately what we make it; there are factors that can affect the direction in which we go from or to our roots, but ultimately it really is down to us to decide and allow those around us to also benefit from our discoveries.