MUSIC & ME (PART I)

Music has chosen me. All of my life, music has been part of me.

I remember the very first musical instruments I had were a pianica and harmonica. I started playing with them when I was still a toddler. Sometime ago, to my delight, I discovered my long-hidden-away pianica. Although it looks worn out, it is still in good working condition. It is the instrument that ignites my interest to learn the piano.

I started learning the piano when I was 6 years old. In today's time, 6 years old is considered a late beginner. It is amazing that the age for learning musical instruments for children are getting younger and younger. Music schools are making bucks coming up with music courses for toddlers as young as 2 years old.

My piano lessons were held at my piano teacher, Ms Lee's house at Old Airport Road, where I used to live. I couldn't remember much about the house, but I do remember the times when my mum used to walk me to Ms Lee's house for lessons. The walks were blissful, with green trees along the pathway leading to the 4-storey old estate. Or maybe I found the walks blissful because I was happily looking forward to having lessons.

When I was older, my mum got busier with her work and she couldn't send me to Ms Lee's house anymore. So Ms Lee came to my house for lessons. We used to stay at Dakota Crescent which was later demolished and replaced by new condos.

I was not always an obedient student. During my Grade 3-4 years, in my attempts to skip lessons to avoid being reprimanded by Ms Lee for not practising, I actually hid in my bedroom and refused to come out for lessons. Ms Lee would wait patiently in the piano room, until the lesson time was up and leave for the next student. At the end of the day, Ms Lee never scolded me, but I received good scoldings from my mum - for being naughty and wasting the lesson fees.

It has become another motivational story to tell my students when they don't practice enough: "See... Teacher Charlyn was playful back then, I didn't want to attend piano lessons. But in the end, I made it to become a piano teacher. How did I do it? Through practice! If you practice hard everyday, you can play well too!"

Ms Lee moved to Marine Parade a few years later. When I was old enough to travel on my own, I went to her new house for lessons. It was great to be out and about, looking at the scenaries, going to the library at the nearby Parkway Parade after lessons. Back then, attending piano lessons was one of my favourite weekly activities.

Then, I passed my Grade 8. Well, I was happy and sad at the same time that "all good things must come to an end". It was sad that the many good times spent going for piano lessons came to a finish, at least I thought that was the finishing line then (until I went on to do my Diploma).

Grade 8 was the end, but also the beginning of an even more exciting musical journey for me and I believe for many students as well.

*P/S: I met Ms Lee many years ago at a piano teaching seminar. She was surprised that I became a piano teacher. I wasn't her best student, maybe one of her lazier ones. Still, I could see the satisfying smile on her face. She didn't tell me, but I guess I might be one of her first students to become a piano teacher.