A life of Music

When I come home from work on Tuesday nights, there is a particular thing I look forward to. Two things in fact. The first, is a stop at Wawa on the way home. I work from 12pm to 8pm on Tuesdays and something about those later hours means that when it feels like a particularly long day, there is nothing better than stopping for a snack from a roadside convenience store on the way home. The second thing I look forward to is playing piano for 30 minutes when I get home. 

Piano has been a part of my life for almost as long as I have had… a life. I began taking lessons when I was 7 years old and continued throughout my childhood and adolescence. Like most piano players, I started with basic classical reportoire. Then, when I was 12 years old I was introduced to jazz for the first time when I joined the jazz band at my school. From then on I stayed with jazz and became more and more immersed over time, studying it throughout high school and college.

Now in my late twenties, I think it’s interesting how I never let go of music, even as I currently work full time for a non-profit in Trenton, NJ. I never let go of music, even as other things photography or language learning drew my attention. Music for me, is one of the best avenues to experience a rich and meaningful life. It deepens my emotional experiences whether I’m playing or listening to it. It adds so much beauty to my existence. I started a YouTube channel in 2020 to make similar music to my heroes of piano playing — Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Brad Mehldau. I hope you can join me on this journey, I have a feeling it’s going to last a while.