Adult Piano Lessons in a Time-Starved World

Enrolled in adult piano lessons, a busy working professional and single mother of two wonders how artists find time to practice, and engage in creativity.

by | Oct 9, 2012

I went back to practicing piano as an adult in part to save time. My piano teacher would come to my house if we had multiple lessons. That saved me from driving into downtown Austin, Texas, during rush hour. So I signed up for adult piano lessons with my sons. I wanted to learn music theory so that I could transpose my favorite sing-along songs into keys I could sing in, or play at a party.

I found the puzzles of music fascinating. I took a little time each day, even adding in a challenging piece by Mozart. Could I learn the pieces? Little by little I began to make progress. Sometimes, though, I would get too far ahead of myself. Hearing my piano teacher play a piece, I was tempted to despair. How can I play like that? And so the excuses for not practicing began to creep in again.

I am a single mother of two teen boys. I am also an international expert in innovation, and I have worked with and consulted for companies such as USA TODAY, Harvard Business School, and the Episcopal Church of Sudan. The senior executives I work with face tremendous pressure from customers, competitors, partners, and beneficiaries. Some face the fact that if they do not get medicines to villagers, those villagers die.

Yet my company’s message is consistent: despite the steady stream of real time pressures and crises, we must renew and refresh ourselves if we are going to be in our jobs for the long haul. It’s a paradox that by taking time away from work, we can come back to tough problems with better, fresher solutions. (This is why we often have great ideas in the shower.)

But even knowing that we must refresh our imaginations through doing different things, like playing piano, I still don’t practice as much as I would enjoy practicing. How can I have integrity in asking busy people to take time out if I cannot do it myself?

One of the most common reasons we do not practice piano is that we can’t find the time. Not surprisingly, the lack of time is why artists and writers don’t engage in their craft. It’s also one of the most cited reasons employees don’t engage in innovation: I can’t find the time. We may not be starved for food or shelter, but we are constantly starved for time. As a result we are at risk of artistic anorexia: a malnutrition of our art and our spirits.

How do artists make the time? We are a creative lot. Some of us get up early, some stay up late. My brother, a military historian, practicing lawyer, and active father of three teens, was recently asked at a book signing, “When do you find time to write?” I was shocked when he said, “I donate blood. When I am giving blood, up to a few hours later, no one will bother me and I can edit my work.” My beloved brother was literally shedding blood so he could engage in art. It’s creative, but not healthy.

If engaging in our art is this tough, we need to be clear on why we are doing it. In tomorrow’s article, I’ll discuss the need for clear goals. This is the answer to “why bother?” I’ll address my own perfectionism, a form of shame that provides me with plenty of excuses for not practicing. Finally, I will conclude with how, by practicing the piano, I am actually practicing healthy living.

Guest Writer Allegra Jordan grew up in rural Alabama. She’s a graduate of Harvard Business School and for 20 years has worked in new product development for international leaders in the for-profit and NGO worlds. Her novel, The End of Innocence, was released in August 2014. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with sons Alex and Michael and her dog Belvedere.

3 Comments

  1. Avatar

    Thank you so much for this article! I know this particular article about making time for your piano lessons is a little old, but I just found it myself and absolutely felt like it was written for ME. This is exactly how I am with my own lessons. I’m not in the beginner stages–more intermediate–but I find that if I don’t continue to sort of “hone my craft,” that I have to start back all over again. For me, it’s not really like riding a bike in that if you do it once you remember it forever. For me, it’s more of “use it or lose it.”

    But like anyone else, I’m a busy person. I struggle to find time for things that are pure entertainment, let alone piano lessons. I just wanted to say that I really appreciated this article and that, at least for me, it was very timely in regards to me trying to balance my time and be smart about making sure I get my lessons in on a regular schedule and STICKING TO IT! Thanks so much, Allegra!

    Reply
  2. Avatar

    As a piano teacher in the Netherlands I can only admire what you are doing. Keep up the good work. I know it’s hard work, but keep on pushing. Congrats

    Reply
  3. Avatar

    Playing the piano is not like riding the bicycle, it’s more like a foreign language. You constantly have to practice in order to maintain a good level. Great article! I think anyone reading this article feels motivated to push forward and accomplish more.

    Reply

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