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I played the saxophone from elementary school through high school, then switched to the flute. However, living in apartments made practicing difficult because the time when I have to play is usually late evenings. I gradually stopped playing the flute altogether. :-( I was busy with work and graduate school, but always felt a longing to be playing music again. It was a quiet sort of sadness. When I finished grad school, I decided I wanted to start playing again, but the flute still was a problem in an apt. I've always loved the piano, so I decided to try playing a digital one, which I can turn down very softly when I play in my apt. I have fallen in love with the piano- madly, deeply in love! It's only bee a short time, but now I can't imagine not having this in my life because it brings me such joy. :-)

When do hear of pianists that say ... Ohhh, I've always wanted to learn to play the oboe! Or the flute! Or the clarinet!

Generally never.

But the opposite is quite true.

Piano is the secret desire of most musicians I think

The greatest vocalists I have found also happen to be fairly efficient in piano. So they can learn their own music.

When does learning to play the saxophone develop your overall musical abilities ...

It was in I think August this year, I had lunch with some old university friends. We got to talking and I realized that I never became good at anything requiring a highly practiced skill.
While I have many (decidedly anti-social) hobbies, there wasn't anything I could say I am actually good at. So that afternoon after lunch I sat down at home and forced myself to bang on an old Yamaha PSR-240 for a whole day and I was surprised that there was a noticeable difference in my ability by the end of the day - and the rest is history.

I suppose I should add, perhaps I am also compensating for the lack of a woman... but I really do enjoy piano and it takes my mind off those matters but surely the biggest reason I play is that it's very rewarding to hear some nice songs coming from my own fingers.

It's a nice hobby, it stimulates my mind, it's very challenging, and it gives me something productive to do with my time (though I'll never make money at it, it's something that will stay with me for the rest of my life).

That, and I like the way pianos sound. It's interesting to hear an accompaniment and melody coming from one instrument.

It all depends on what circles you hang around in. I always wanted to learn the Sax. While it may be true in classical circles, where the piano is so often a more integral part of the scene, I would say there is a less of a desire to learn it in more modern genre's.

(You'll have to forgive my attitude as I came from a community (think Red and Neck) where playing the piano was considered far from Masculine....and yes, it is one of the reasons it took me a long time to re-discover it)

I wanted to be a "do-er" and not just a "listener"!

Not only is the sound entrancing, it's a vehicle for communicating emotion and creativity. Nothing else I've indulged in can do that in such a comprehensive and immediate way.

When I was a student, the only thing I was good at was academic work--by which I mean getting good grades and doing well on standardized tests (both of which were, in my opinion, dubious signifiers of whatever intellectual or practical abilities I was purported to have. Regardless, this was several years ago; whatever academic skills I may have possessed have atrophied, and I'll quite well aware that I am now stupid and ignorant (so there is no need to point this out to me ).

Anyway, for non-college bound students, such as myself, so-called academic ability has little real world application in the vocational world, nor does academics lend itself particularly well toward a vocational pursuits (other than the not insignificant sense of satisfaction one gains from learning new things.)

When I was in school, I was always in awe of those who had artistic talent: those who could draw, or paint, or sculpt, or play a musical instrument. These were the skills, I believed, that were truly worthwhile and intrinsically satisfying! And the hours people devote to their artistic crafts, honing their skills! Even now, whenever I am privileged to share in another person's art, I always reflect upon the countless hours that were devoted to refining the craft. I am amazed and humbled by the dedication this signifies. And, those who have cultivated their artistic talents have learned a skill that can never be taken away. It becomes a part of the person.

So, music study has been my own attempt, perhaps a futile one, to find a way I can express myself artistically and derive a sense of mastery over something. I love music, and I love the piano, but I suppose I could've just as easily chosen a different instrument--the violin perhaps. Even more generally, if I could express myself in a medium other than music, such as drawing, I would do so, but I have even less aptitude for the visual arts than I have for the piano.

I've now studied the piano for long enough for me to know with a reasonable degree of certitude that I have no innate ability for playing the piano. But, I've also found out--I don't particularly care! I will study the piano for as long as I live! For the first time in my life, I feel as though I am learning something truly worthwhile; something that has become a part of me; something that I will have for the rest of my life.

I used to do math proofs for fun! Though I've found, for me, piano is a more enjoyable hobby than doing math proofs

I didn't know people do math for fun

Well, I think all the people choosing to do math as a job actually have fun doing it

A.

I used to have fun doing photography. Now after five years of doing wedding photography I have ruined what I loved. I feel now like I don't even want to touch a camera anymore.

I have always loved the piano, even as a child. However, I have also always had severe anxiety when performing in front of others. I have performed many times and have worked very hard at overcoming the fear, and while I can do it, I just do not wish to perform anymore. I don't mind informal playing the piano while others are listening or anything like that.

I see myself not as a pianist, but a singer, and yet, I love piano and I love my piano students and I love teaching it. If I don't play piano for a while, I get antsy. It's something that I need to cope with stress, but the act of performing causes a lot of stress for me. It's a strange combination of emotions, but piano will always be just for me. Singing is for everyone else.

I think this is a bit different.
Turning an hobby into a job may actually destroy the pleasure of the hobby...

A.

Not only can maths be fun to do, but like music, mathematical proofs can also be works of great beauty.

I play because I want to, I need to, I love to, I have to. Piano feels like an essential part of my being. As important as air or food. I play because that is who I am.

I practice so that I can play.

Earlier this year I was teaching myself 3D maths using matrices and vectors and spent a happy weekend working out on paper the mathematical formulas to position a cube in 3D space, rotate it and then view it from a different angle (sort of like cutting to a new camera) and was really chuffed when I had it right!

Which brings me to my reason for playing the piano. Last year I graduated as a mature student from uni doing programming and animation and since a lot of time is spent in front of the computer with my technical hat on I knew I needed a hobby that got me away from the desk and would challenge me in a different way to work.

The piano is a beautiful instrument which captivates my mind every time I sit down and I can forget briefly about other things. As others have said, now that the journey has begun it's clear this is going to be a big part of my life.

As a senior-senior postdoc in mathematical statistics I completely agree. Mathematics may be mind challenging and "consuming". Even to me nothing like piano seems to have the ability to give rest to my neurons and synapses, despite actually they should be working a lot while I am trying to learn to play

Cgyan, as a Phd in programming and animation, do you know the story of Randy Pausch and his last lecture?

It has nothing to do with piano, but it is a wonderful, sad story a graduate student in your subject (or maybe anybody) should know...

(Sorry for the OT)

Just seen your "No more tears".
Really great and nice playing!

A.

Ashat,

No, I wasn't aware of Randy and his story so I just googled it and found the wikipedia page on him. What an amazing and inspirational story. I think his last lecture in some form or another is on YouTube too so should be well worth a glance at. A close family member of mine was diagnosed with 'C' a couple of weeks ago and so is doubly poignant.

Thanks for the nice words about the song, I think its a beautiful melody and I'm pleased to have done it some justice, (I hope!).

Yes,
the entire Last Lecture is on YouTube, since 2007, despite
it is one hour and twenty minutes long, (YouTube gave a special permission to it) and it has, until now, something like 12 million views...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

(Sorry for your close family member, hope it is one of that "C" with big chance of healing)

A.