Friday, February 4, 2011

Day 35/365 Piano keys

I decided to take a picture of the keys on my piano today.  This piano is a source of stress for me right now.  I was so excited to get it about 7 years ago!  It was my Christmas present and I had wanted it for so long!  I envisioned me picking the piano back up after many years of non-playing.  I used to be really amazing when I was younger.  I could still read music pretty well after my hiatus, but trying to dedicate time to it was the hard part.  I was definitely out of practice.
I took lessons for about 1 year and decided to quit those because it was getting pretty expensive and of course it's not like we have a surplus of money laying around.  I thought I could keep it up on my own.  After all, the lady just kept "teaching" me things I already knew.
I did work pretty hard at it for a while.  About the time my Grandma was going through Alzheimer's I was actually getting pretty good with "easy" music.  She used to love to listen to me play it.
After she passed away, I would play to try to comfort myself, but it didn't work and I just kept being lazy with making myself work at it.  It became something that I would go plunk around on when I was really bored for about 10 minutes, but I didn't work on anything serious, just played the same old stuff over and over.
Since I got the camera  (my Nikon P90) that I had before this one, my interest has mainly been in photography.  Now that I have my Canon T2i, I'm obsessed and any free time I have is either in front of the computer or behind the camera.  The piano sits.
Well, here's my dilemma.  I could probably sell it for about $200.00.  I paid about $700 for it originally, but I'm sure there are other better pianos out there now.  It still works really well, but I just don't ever use it.  In fact, to take the picture, I had to wipe off a bunch of dust.
If I sell it, I could go buy a new lens for my camera- one that I think would be handy for Costa Rica this summer.  However, if I sell it, then it means I have officially given up on that hobby, one that means a lot to me, because of my love for music.  It means that I'll probably never have another piano again because Rich would never let me live it down if I take a $500.00 loss on something.  I'm not sure that I want to get rid of it even though it just sits there.  What if one of my kids would happen to want to learn how to play one day?  That would thrill me to no end, but if there's not a piano sitting here I don't think it's going to happen.
But then again, that awesome telephoto zoom would be pretty sweet.  The $200 would be about half of the cost of that lens and maybe with my birthday I could bring that baby home.  Ah!!!! Choices!
EXIF info: Canon T2i, Tokina 100mm lens, f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, external flash

6 comments:

  1. First, I like the shallow DOF and the tight focus on the c/c#.

    Second, Tough decision. I say keep the piano. You can use income taxes or do a few shoots between now and summer to get the lens. Or maybe sell something else like...something from the man cave? he he

    For the boys to get interested, they probably need to see and hear you playing from time to time. So, here's an idea. I haven't played much since my grandpa died and when I do it is like you said. I play the same stuff for a few minutes, but nothing serious. so...Another goal? Maybe we each pick a song to learn, work on them for 10-15 minutes a day, then by a certain date we play them for each other. Just a thought that popped in my head.

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  2. Hmm that is a tough choice. I was all for selling it and getting the lens until I read about the kids. The pic is good though and if I had a music room I would totally hang that photo in there.
    Good luck with the decision.
    You know who....

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  3. Thanks ladies.
    Mendy- I'll have to think about that. I honestly have no energy at this point. I'm in the "winter blahs" right now and seriously dragging. If I still have the piano in the summer I might be willing to give it a go then.

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  4. Yes, yes, a recital. I'll provide the wine and cheese platter and applaud after.

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  5. Crap- not yet for a recital. We'd have to have several bottles of wine before I'd start doing that! Why don't we do the wine and cheese and I'll flip some Mozart on the sound system?

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  6. Sounds good to me! Just say when.

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