Ever since the age of three, the 88 black and white keys have traveled along me on an amazing journey throughout my high school career. From escaping reality to performing in front of thousands, the musical expressive tones have truly been a prominent avocation associated with my life. The fourteen year journey - something I found as just a hobby - allowed me to find what I am truly passionate about despite what others have to say. The wonderful learning experience piano has taken me over the years has taught me many valuable lessons. Starting at the age of three, my aunt had introduced me into the world of music by teaching me a classic tune; Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I fell in love with piano. My aunt had convinced me to start piano …show more content…
A wave of serenity washes over me as I twiddle my hands for a second, deciding where on the keys to start. As my fingertips meet the cool, smooth ivories, my worries vanish. All the cares of the day fade away with the first note; any problem can be resolved by resolving a chord. The world fades to the black and white of the keys in front of me. Playing piano is therapeutic for me because I can take a break from the stress of reality and express my feelings through the music I play. Suddenly, emotions that, in my head, are swirling and confusing can be released through my fingers into musical patterns. I can spend hours at a piano without realizing the passing of time. Lost in music has always been my favorite place to be, and the piano is my favorite place to get …show more content…
During those moments, the piano was a constant source of consolation and comfort. Music has been there for me at times when no one else has. To be able to spread that support and inspiration to others through my own playing is one of the reasons I love to play so much. Piano is an incredibly expressive instrument. It is easy to connect to others while playing, whether it’s through a dramatic, complicated piece that touches on people’s heartstrings or the simple chords of Top 40 tune that get everyone singing and dancing
As duke’s piano lessons faded into the past, Duke began to show an interest for the artistic. Duke went to Armstrong Manual Tra...
The Symbolism of the Piano in The Piano The piano has been inextricably linked with the roles and expectations of women in British society since its advent in the mid 1700s to the late 1800s when rising standards of living made it more accessible to middle class society. Pianos were regarded as "secure icons of social distinction" 1 and a wife was viewed similarly as a possession of "privatization, success and respectability. " 2 Pianos were instrumental in both reinforcing gender roles and as delineators of class distinction, thus perpetuating the class system.
The Piano Lesson by August Wilson is taking place in Pittsburg because many Blacks travelled North to escape poverty and racial judgment in the South. This rapid mass movement in history is known as The Great migration. The migration meant African Americans are leaving behind what had always been their economic and social base in America, and having to find a new one. The main characters in this play are Berniece and Boy Willie who are siblings fighting over a piano that they value in different ways. Berniece wants to have it for sentimental reasons, while Boy Willie wants it so he can sell it and buy land. The piano teaches many lessons about the effects of separation, migration, and the reunion of
In The Piano Lesson, written by August Wilson, Boy Willie devises a scheme for buying Sutter’s land. Boy Willie has one part of the money saved up. He will sell the watermelons for the second part. Then he will sell the piano for a third part. The only debating issue in Boy Willie’s scheme is the piano. Berniece does not want to sell the piano. This is the only reason for a defense in Boy Willie’s scheme. Therefore, I will defend Boy Willie’s issue of selling the piano and how that liberates him in reference to his scheme for buying Sutter’s land.
Boy Willie is the protagonist in the play The Piano Lesson, which is written by August Wilson. He is a foil character to his sister Berniece. He wants to sell the family piano. His biggest obstacle is his past, and his sister. Berniece wants to salvage the piano and keep it as a namesake. The quarrels revolving around legacies is the central conflict of the play. Boy Willie’s “Super-objective” contains two parts: fear and legacy resulting in memory.
In The Piano Lesson by August Wilson, Berniece and Boy Willie are siblings who both want the piano that belongs to their family. Berniece wants to keep the piano because it holds their family history and it reminds her of the hard work her mother put into the piano. However, Boy Willie wants to sell the piano to buy land from Sutter’s brother because to him the land, like the piano, are both a part of his family’s history and both represent being free from Sutter. Both siblings fight over who has more rights to the piano and deserves it. In August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, Berniece struggles with being able to embrace her past and acknowledge its importance. Which reveals that instead of hiding the past we should embrace it and let it help
Racism, persecution, and finally extermination; these were the terrible things that Gypsies, Russians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Homosexuals and Jews had to face during World War II. Hitler took power in January 30, 1933 becoming the prime minister of Germany (Judy L. Hasday p. 12). By 1945, Germans, or the Nazis, had killed nearly two out of every three European Jews as part of the "Final Solution," the Nazi policy to murder the Jews of Europe (U.S. Memorial Museum). More than six million Jewish men, women, and children had been annihilated (Judy L. Hasday p. 12). German authorities were exterminating Jews and many others that were considered inferior to the Aryans. Hitler believed any one that was not an Aryan was inferior to their pure race. He believed in a race that included fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes a pure German blood. The ones who did not meet these standards were considered a menace to the world. The Holocaust was their “Final Solution” (Gerald Reitlinger 1953). In the movie The Pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman and all Jews were segregated from everything they had to share with Germans, this included restaurants, bars, and simple things like sidewalks. When Hitler had gotten to power he ordered to boycott all Jewish stores. This made it harder for Jews to survive. Then the authorities took everything the Jews had away, even their coins were worth less than a regular piece of metal. But why would anyone stay in the place where they are not wanted? The Pianist is a film that is historically correct because it portrays the cruelty that took place during the holocaust; it showed how much families struggled together to survive in the concentration camps.
It is true that music has a compact link to our emotions. Music assists people to overcome the bad situations in their life, just like it did for Sonny, the barmaid, or some other people in the Harlem. Music has a tremendous effect on people’s minds because it makes them feel relaxed and comfortable, especially with the soft classical music. It helps distressed people stay smooth and peaceful. In fact, music is a remarkable way to ease stress.
Music is everywhere we go; we listen to it in the car, while doing work, and there are even people who pay to listen or watch an artist perform live. Yes, life goes on without music, but music has such an impact on our lives. Life is a rollercoaster of emotions and we have music to fit our emotions to be just as we feel. Music has a great deal of importance of many people. It can have a meaning that they cannot explain to others and are able to connect with the song. By doing so experts are able to help patients overcome many sicknesses with the help of music. Music therapy is capable of being an advantage for many individual patients, it can encourage responses from patients that other methods of therapy cannot get from them. Also, it improves the patients in distinctive ways other than for an illness.
Adding notes, increasing the already-rich sound, and going from taking up lots of space to scientists now working on making pianos on your phone that don’t sacrifice anything, the piano has changed greatly yet not too many changes have been made. Though the piano is one of the world’s most popular instruments, not many people know it’s origins and the changes it had to go through to continue to keep us entertained. Although the piano has gone through so many changes it has still always kept one thing, and that’s the endless possibilities it
The piano—originally known as the fortepiano or pianoforte—is one of the most globally recognized instruments in history. Its unique timbre distinguishes it from preceding keyboard instruments and even from modern keyboard instruments that attempt to imitate it. The pianoforte has made many changes and contributions to music, which can be seen through how it came to be, what composers first thought of the instrument, and how it affected orchestral music.
Bie, Oscar. A History of the Pianoforte and Pianoforte Players. trans. by E. E. Kellett
However, it would be a big lie for me to say that my appreciation for playing the piano came immediately. From the time I was ten years old until I was twelve or thirteen, I absolutely detested Sunday afternoons. Of course by then, it was not called Sunday for me but the torturous "piano day." I had to practice all the morning before the lesson in the afternoon, and became totally exhausted in the evening. When it was finally over, I had great relief, as if an incredible amount of weight had been pulled from my shoulders.
Music has always been a big part of my life. Music is not just a bunch of melodies, rhythms, and vibrant sounds. It is a comfort to me. The lyrics of a song challenge my intellect and the rhythms and beats affect my emotions. Music understands me when people don’t. At times it takes me back to an event in my life or even in history. Both consciously and subconsciously my mind remembers the emotions that are attached to a certain song. It can make me feel on top of the world or the complete opposite; music can change the atmosphere and also set the mood. Music has power over my human soul. It soothes it. I cannot imagine not having music to listen to. It is a powerful force and my love for it is incredible.
After great practice, Josh Clark learned to spell his last name. This may not seem like a grand accomplishment, but for Josh, it is. Josh has down syndrome. He attends weekly music therapy sessions and his parents are seeing great progress. Mother said, “Within a week, he learned how to spell ‘Clark’. Without music therapy, it would have taken several weeks or several months. So how does music help Josh to learn at a faster rate than without music? Josh’s music therapist knew that Josh was accustomed with the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” so she used that to help him learn. Josh listened to her sing each letter of his last name to the familiar tune. His mom thinks, “Music therapy helps him to focus. He loves it. He’s always loved music.” It is true that music is a large part of everyone’s lives, whether it is listening to it or playing it. Josh also loves playing the maracas, so his music therapist uses the maracas as a reward for spelling his name. To the average person spelling a name is no big deal, but to Josh’s family and friends, it is much more than that. “He takes a lot longer to learn, but there are a lot more small triumphs,” his mom says (AMTA 2014). This family has seen great results from the music therapy and they are not the only ones. As more people with various therapeutic needs begin to see the benefits of music healing, it has become one of the best forms of treatment.