Both of my kids love music, and (after their elementary school music careers that included recorder, violin, saxophone and flute), they learned to play much cooler instruments than me as well - my son learned guitar & bass guitar, and my daughter started as a drummer and then added guitar & bass.
I've always wanted to learn the piano - I have an electronic keyboard that I have plinked around on, but have never really committed to really learn it, mainly because I've always felt it was a little intimidating as there is so much to learn before you can be any good.
Later in life, my dad plinked around on the Ukulele. He used it as a prop for some of his comedic presentations during the years he was a volunteer at the hospital, and he joked that his best song was "My Dog Has Fleas" - which is actually how you tune the thing.
I hadn't really ever thought much about the Ukulele, as you don't hear a lot of it on the radio, however one song that has always affected me is the Israel (Izzy) Kamakawiwo'ole version of Over the Rainbow & What a Wonderful World. A few years ago I also stumbled onto the TED talk done by Jake Shimabukuro and was sooooo impressed with what he could do with a Ukulele, and the soulful way he plays.
Since my dad passed, whenever I hear the Izzy song or hear Jake playing I am reminded of my dad. I ended up with his Ukulele, however passed it along to my daughter since she was much more likely to play it than me. Last summer she surprised me for my birthday and played the Izzy song for me and we had a nice cry. She was given her own uke as a gift from a friend, and my dad's uke is back with me, and has been sitting here gathering dust.
Soooooo....early this year a catalog arrives in the mail from Saddleback College with some community classes, and when I flip it open, what page does it turn to?? Why the page with the "Beginning Piano" course. Hmmm.... I also have a keyboard sitting here gathering dust. And right next to the piano class is the "Intro to Ukulele" class. Hmmmm...
And the excuses began - I don't have time, I don't have the money, Saddleback is not convenient to work or home, it's too late, it's too early, when would I practice, if I'm going to take a class it should be something I need.... Sheesh.
Looked at the piano class again, and it felt like it would be a lot of work, and the class time was not ideal. Looked at the uke class again. Hmmm. It felt more like fun. And the day and time was doable - and it was only 5 lessons. Surely I could make it through 5 lessons. And if I hated it, no big deal, I didn't have to keep going.
So, I did something I never would have done before, something I normally would have talked myself out of - it's completely out of my comfort zone, and it doesn't make any sense - just because it might be FUN.
Tonight was class 3 of 5. The song we were given is a simplified version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Yes, the Izzy song. (Hi Dad!) We first reviewed the simple songs from the first two classes, and then struggled through Rainbow a couple times.
Funny thing about these classes. I start off OK, then during the middle I'm completely frustrated because I seem to lose all of my finger coordination and ability to look at the page and play at the same time. I then remember I AM HERE TO HAVE FUN. I relax, breathe, and somehow my fingers start working again.
And I actually look forward to practicing. I have been pretty successful in finding a few minutes almost every day. Am I any good? Ha! Of course not. I had never even held the thing until 3 weeks ago. But I am having fun, and it's a great challenge. Who knows? It's a happy instrument, and maybe I can use it later on to spread the happy. You know, if I ever get brave enough to play in front of another human being. Right now the cat is not impressed with my abilities.
The lesson? Take a chance and try something totally out of your comfort zone. If you get a little niggling feeling that it would be fun to try - especially if it doesn't make any sense - then go ahead and do it!! It's possible you might hate it, but what if you love it and have fun???
Light, Love, & Laughter
