I sometimes wonder why people even bother taking piano lessons. I
suppose the hope is that one day, with a lot of practice, they too
will be able to play Beethoven, Mozart, etc.
The idea of creating one's own music seems to be a foreign notion
to most piano students. They believe it is beyond their ability. And
with this belief they limit themselves. In fact, I think music may
be the only area where students are not encouraged
to be creative. Not only that, but the majority of piano teachers
want you to learn how to note read before you learn how to play
chords - that is, if they teach you chords at all.
You see, classical piano teachers can stretch their curriculum
out forever. You could literally spend 10 years learning how to play
other peoples music. And while there's no denying this music is
"good," it's also been played and recorded by people who have
dedicated their entire life to getting it right.
Contrast this with visual artists. Do you think someone studying
watercolor will spend years learning how to create another artists
picture? It's ridiculous right? Yet this is what is
done in the music world over and over again.
A student interested in learning how to paint in watercolor does
not want to spend time learning how to paint the "masters." They
want to be able to create their own beautiful paintings. So why
should music be any different? The answer is - it shouldn't
be.
