“So how’s piano going?”
What is that even supposed to mean? Well, at least they asked. Sometimes you would be lucky to even get asked. Here, “piano” is synonymous with the very act of playing and learning the piano, but not the actual instrument itself. Semantics.
To summarize an extremely time consuming, physically challenging, and emotionally draining part of your life with simply the word for the tool that helps you get there— how diminishing. Though it’s not meant to be. It’s only diminishing because you have no idea how to even begin to answer this question. For instance, what aspect of the “piano” would they be referring to? The part where you were supposed to have your Sonatina memorized two days ago but haven’t? The part where your theory homework is sitting underneath your desk because it fell on the floor last week and you still haven’t picked it up? Or the part where you have so much homework there is absolutely no time to practice, yet you have your lesson tomorrow? Or, is it the part where Christmas is coming soon and you’re finally excited to play “Grown Up Christmas List” for the fifth year in a row?
“It’s good.”
That’s all you have the courage to spit out. In all honesty, it is good you suppose. It’s definitely not going badly, that’s for sure. At least, you don’t think it is. The thing is, it’s not their fault for asking. It’s no one’s fault. But what lies behind the word “piano” are blankets and blankets of challenges and moments of hard work that are worth way more than the span of a four-worded question. You wish for once that there might be some person who would ask you “How are you liking playing piano?” or “How do you find practicing these days?”
The problem is people don’t see the value in learning the piano as much as they see going to a math tutor or swimming lessons. Taking music lessons is “superfluous” to most. So we fear. We fear that we may be looked down on. We fear that what we have to offer is inadequate and will always come secondary to whatever else is being taught in the world.
So they ask and wonder, but truly it’s out of courtesy. And that’s fine, but to say that we are invincible to the let-downs of our immediate community’s curiosity, to our musical well being—well, we’re not.