Ever since I was a toddler, I have been inexorably drawn to music. It is possibly attributable to my older sister who played piano daily before I was born, so from the womb I was raised in a household filled with classical music. Whatever the cause, I began to play piano as early as I can remember and I commenced formal lessons at the age of four.
It was the start of a love affair that would change my life.
While piano was and always will be my primary instrument, a year after I started, I took up the violin as well. From attending theory lessons at Colburn, to private lessons to an abundance of children’s concerts at Disney Hall, I was immersed in music every day.
Although it was originally my parents who urged me to take lessons, music quickly became something that I took initiative in of my own accord. Being able to express myself through a means so utterly different from speaking drew me to music.
As I grew older I realized the significant commitment music required. Not merely was I to spend my weekday afternoons and evenings practicing, but I had competitions, auditions, rehearsals, and lessons on weekends as well. As a young child, I would gripe about missing a friend’s birthday party or having to wake up early on Saturdays, but I was missing the bigger picture. Through the passage of time, I wouldn’t remember half the things I was complaining about. What I would remember were the concerts that would take my breath away and the hours that I spent practicing a certain passage finally paying off.
In short, I would remember the music.
This is certainly how it turned out. To this day, I don’t remember the parties I missed or had to leave early, or how many hours of extra sleep I failed to get. What I do remember is the process of practice and effort that got me to where I am today.
So many thanks to my parents who drive me countless hours to wherever I need to go and listen to all my performances, to my teachers, past, present and future for guiding me and shaping me, and to all who have supported me in my endeavors. Here’s to a lifetime of music to come.