Making music

Music has been a large part of my life, listening to it, but also making it. My grandfather and his brother were rather well-known musicians in their day and my dad had some musical talent also. It made sense I was leaned that way also and at the age of four and a half I began to learn to play the piano; I played for many years and became pretty good at it. High school saw me enrolled in a music school and I began to learn the trumpet and bass guitar, both of which I was average at, but I played in a jazz band for a few years whilst at school and enjoyed the experience.

Life happens though, and things change. My life took different paths and the trumpet and bass guitar got put away and I played the piano less and less.

Since then, I've rarely played for anyone, yes I can still play the piano, but only felt the urge to play occasionally and almost never where others could hear. There was always something else to do and, despite enjoying playing, it happened less and less.

There were times I'd select a piece of music to learn, which I'd do in secret, and then play it for my significant other as a gift of sorts, and it was amazing at how quickly it would all come back to me. I'd spend a week or so doing nothing but scales to get my fingers working...believe it or not, playing the piano is nothing like pulling triggers on guns, so I had to get them back on the program, and then I'd learn the music, deploy it at the right moment, and not play again for a while.

Lately, over the last year or so, I've been incredibly busy at work and with general life - it's the same old story - but I've felt the urge to tickle the ivories, meaning play the piano, and have done so a little more over that time. No folks, the keys on my piano are not made of ivory, but in the old days when that phrase was coined, they were. I've enjoyed playing a little more and again, amazingly, my skills seem not to have gotten too rusty. OK, they're a little rusty, but they're starting to shine up and get very good again.

I always have music around me and often it's playing softly from my Sony Bluetooth speaker (pictured) as I work, write or relax...I play it loud too. Or through my earbud head set or in my vehicles...I am always listening to music, and to a very wide variety of genres and artists too. It's been really nice to add the piano back in though. I think my neighbour doesn't mind, except when I do endless scales...although I've been thinking of breaking out my trumpet once again so he might change his tune when I start blowing on that thing!

Do you play an instrument? If so, and you feel like it, let me know below and tell me why you chose it, the process of learning to play and whether you do so regularly or sporadically. Also, below is some music I like...Feel free to shares yours in the comments below.

Some music I like