I would tell you the interesting story of how I transited from a professional Software Engineer to a Skilled Pianist.
I always loved computers right from when I was little and even now I still love using computers and writing apps. But I can tell you its more interesting playing on the piano keyboard than typing on the computer keyboard.
So wether you are an Accountant, an Engineer, a Lawyer, Doctor, Businessman, you can make your home lively by being able to entertain your family and friends with the piano keyboard.
Sure, you can do it!
- How it all Started
- During School Days
- My First Keyboard
- Playing and Singing Along
- My Second Keyboard
- Combining with regular Work
- Final Notes and My Advice
How It all Started
It all started when I was a kid. During holidays, i normally join my dad to places: to see clients, to to office or even to travel long distances. At such times he plays country songs in the car stereo. One of his country artists was Don Williams. He have many of Don William songs in cassettes(not CDs!). Another was Jim Reeves and then Kenny Rogers as much as I can remember now. So I enjoyed these songs so much that I wanted to get involved.
So one day at home, someone bought a toy keyboard (of about say 12 keys). I figured out that this keyboard works just the same like the bigger one, it produces nice sounds when you hit the keys correctly. Then there was this songbook we had in the the house that contains songs together with the solfa notations(do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do) of those songs. So I spent time trying to play those songs using the solfa notations, and interestingly, this small keyboard, have the solfa notation of each key labeled on them. The more I played, the more it gets interesting and the the more time I spent on the practice.
I continued that way until... you guess right!. The keyboard was damaged, and that was where everything stopped. Then come my School days.
During School Days
I gained admission to study Computer Engineering in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology in Port Harcourt in the year 2000. Just like you know, one needs to work hard in school to make good results. That means that, somehow, I didn't have anything to do with the piano keyboard at the time. I even don't remember it due to much school activities. The Computer Engineering Curriculum was really really tasking, involving Mathematics, Electronics, Programming etc. So my love for the piano keyboard died naturally.
Then comes a day I went to a friend's place, Joe, who stays somewhere in the quarters and realized there was a piano keyboard in the room. Though the keyboard belongs to the next room, I now have found a place to continue my piano practice. So from time to time, I would visit just to play the keyboard and I would stay for some time say, 30 minutes, 1 hour or even longer.
In all of this, I still focused more on my studies, but one things is clear, I kept my love for the piano keyboard alive in school.
My First Keyboard - 2008
One year after my school, I have to go for a compulsory 12 months National Youth Service. So prior to the time of the Youth Service, I bough a digital keyboard . I bought it for 11,500(Nigerian Naira) together with the stand, at the time. I think the model is XY, a made-in-china product. Then I printed a few keyboard lessons. That I used for practice almost every day. I also bough a small piano practice book called Smallwood's Piano Tutor.
So when I was posted to the town of Omoku in Rivers State, I went with my keyboard. I had much time to practice at the time. This is because I worked as a teacher and taught for about three days in the week. Every other day was used for my piano practice. I could tell you, I improved a great deal during this one year i spent in this place.
Added to that, I downloaded and printed a few sheet music for popular artists like Celine Dion, Elton John etc, just to have a feel of how it looks like.
Playing and Single Along
One thing I must tell you that is very difficult even for professional pianists is to play and sing along and that is what I've been trying to to but since the time of my first keyboard but it has been so difficult. I got some of the sheet music score that has the lyrics of the the songs. I could play, then I could sing, but the challenge is singing while playing in harmony. I kept trying though.
One thing that helped me improve is a songbook called "Sing Praises to Jehovah", produced by Jehovah's Witnesses. I found out that I could manage to play a few verses while singing but I did that very slowly, and the sound you would here if you were there was really terrible! but I kept trying. I did improve a little, but I knew I still had a long way to go.
Playing at home after work
My Second Keyboard - 2011
I 2010, I got a job to work as a Software Engineer in Saipem, Nigeria. This was an Italian company. After working with them for a little over on year, I bough my second keyboard for 50,000(Nigerian Naira). It was YAMAH PSR E433 series keyboard. I loved it so much as is was much improvement from the small keyboard I've been using. I still use it now but I hope to buy a better one say YAMAH DGX 630 and I hope to do that this year, 2017.
My Second Keyboard- YAMAH PSR E433
Combining With Regular Job
On my job as a Software Engineer, I have to wake up before 6 am, prepare and go to work and come back home by after 6pm tired. As such Its note really easy to cope. Added to that, I also make out time to go out for regular visit to persons in the neighborhood to discuss with them from the Bible. Added to that is the fact that I still have to do some work at home using the computer at home. However I ensure I play the keyboard everyday before I sleep for at least 1 hour. I must tell you this requires commitment and some measure of self-discipline. But that is what it takes.
Working as a Software Engineer
Final Notes and Advice
As of today, though I don't play perfectly, I still consider myself a pianist and be sure you can do the same. Take some of the few tips that can help you reach your objective
You need to make out time to regularly practice, wether in during the day or night.
It may not be easy initially, but don't relent, the more you practice the more interesting it becomes and the less difficult.
If you have the funds, you can get a better keyboard. It would help you to progress faster
Permit me to stop here at this time. But more especially, I would like to thank you for reading.
Also note that you can always reach me at any time with any challenges you may have. Just leave a comment for me below. You can also send me an email, to kidnsonthepianoman@gmail.com
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