The Puzzle to My Piano

One of my goals as a pianist has always been to play for my own pleasure. I find the deep, resonant sounds of the strings soothing. Each note reverberates throughout my mind after it has been played and then it is stored in a box of forever-remembered-tunes. I enjoy shuffling through my memory of songs I have learned in the past years of my studies.

I admit that when I was younger, I did not enjoy practicing the piano. It felt like a simple task, just pressing down those keys, but later I learned different techniques for “pressing down those keys.” Yet somehow, I felt an emptiness when I played. I suppose it was a lack of full indulgence within each piece.

It wasn’t until this year that I was able to find the missing piece of the puzzle. During art classes, our teacher always used the Pandora app to randomize music that was played. I became familiar with the app as the year progressed, because I soon learned that it was both free, and it was very easily customized to one’s own interests.

My first station was called New Age Solo Piano Station. This was an eclectic collection of pieces written somewhat recently. This is where I discovered the South Korean composer Yiruma. I listened to all of his music and videos. His music had a different, light, and fluffy tone of which I really appreciated. I purchased one of his books online and showed my piano teacher. She considers it pop music.

And even within Yiruma’s developed collection of pieces, there is one that protrudes from the others. It’s called River Flows In You. Every time I practice this piece, I feel different. Indeed the piece has the same notes and rhythm, however, how I feel at that moment of playing influences that overall mood. When I’m in an anxious mood, I can feel the slurs speeding by faster. When I am in a slow and torpid mood, I can feel myself emphasizing the highs and lows more often. Sometimes, this piece encourages an image of a meadow. Other times, it evokes the view from the top of a mountain. And every other time it simply brings me peace. I guess this music, because I relate so closely, is a symbol of me. It is my missing puzzle piece.

So I’m going to share this piece with you. Although Yiruma is playing this one version, just try to imagine differently.