I Didn't Learn to Play the Keyboard

Yann Tiersen's Comptine D'un Autre ete L'apres Midi is an amazing song. Every time I hear it, I wish I could play that song.
I started an adventure to learn that song. I didn't know how to play the keyboard, though I had played an instrument in band class decades ago. That was all of my experience.

The journey lasted six days. I didn't necessarily want to learn to play the keyboard, I just wanted to replicate that one song.This had a bearing on my downfall.

Youtube helped me out with the song played much slower. I tried to memorize the song, practicing everyday. Well that was the plan, it didn't quite happen.

After six days, it fell apart. Scheduling time between my various projects became difficult.

I missed a day, then another, and at that point I wondered,
do I even go back?

In the midst of that one glorious week, I could hear the song play in my head throughout the day. I could see my fingers hitting notes, but one problem was I didn't actually know the notes. I didn't know the keys on a piano.

The biggest impediment I didn't overcome, is that I needed to sit down and memorize the keys. I started practicing by marking the keys, but this was the first barrier that I didn't overcome.

Another issue is that I chose an incredibly difficult song to learn. Even slowed down, it's not without difficulty.

I needed to make it a priority.

I needed a set time to practice. Once you do something a few times, it becomes a habit. My practice time, was wherever I could find the time. With so many projects occurring at once, finding time was difficult.

The result? I wasn't learning as fast as I had hoped. I needed to put in more time per practice, memorize they keys, give it more than a week, and the biggest thing of all, I needed to make it a priority.

I learned a lot in that week, but I didn't learn to play the keyboard. I won't go back. It's little more than a party trick with no real benefit or purpose.  I didn't have the time, and once a project stalls,  I tend to move on and then it becomes incredibly difficult to go back.

It's important to attempt new skills or creative endeavors, but question why you are doing it and why you continue to do it. I enjoyed this short lived endeavor and it helped cement the projects I like and why.

I ultimately decided that it provided too little benefit.

It was a fun exercise to set a time to practice and play the keyboard... well attempt to play the keyboard... for all of six days. It isn't what I wanted to do. I lacked passion. It's easy to get swept up in the idea of a new hobby, but is it infatuation or is it love? I chose to spend my time molding and casting a prop. That's what I like, making things. I like creating videos. If I had a choice of music or videos, it's easy, videos. There is no reason to spread myself thin on something I'm not passionate about.

What did I learn? It's important to try new things, but know when to call it quits. I don't regret my attempt, but after two weeks (one week playing, one week thinking about playing) I asked myself the simple question, "Would I rather spend my time learning prop making skills and video tricks or would I rather continue attempting to play the keyboard?" The answers was easy, and I packed up the keyboard.

The best sound I can produce on a keyboard is silence.