The passion for music

At age 10, I remember my Aunt Ingrid from Manila gave my mom a Yamaha keyboard. Back then, it was just a very small piece of instrument where it had only few octaves and voices. It only carried a few. If my memory was right, I could recall only 4. But thinking about those time, my passion didn't focus on that right away. I had the interest first of stroking the guitar, learn to know the chords by heart. As young as I was, it was kind of difficult. No one taught me how to play and I was only self learning through the song book where we called it in Philippines "song hits". I didn't master any piece nor not even memorizing the chords. It was too hard for me and every time I pressed my left hand with the chords at a certain frets, the tiny little fingers I have got so much trouble and it was painful. I only knew then the basic chords and just plainly stroking notes in very simple way.

After days trying to know how to play, I just quit. I gave it up and on the other hand my big brother Aldin suddenly got interested. From then on, he never stopped knowing how to learn it. Days and nights he reads and understands every pieces of it. When he had all the informations he had on how to play with it, he changed to bass guitar where his passions lies on up to the very present day.

Going back to the day I gave up learning the guitar, the keyboard from my Aunt came. My mom decided to have me enrolled to home school for piano lessons. I wasn't to keen or not looking forward to it 3 times a week after school. That time, I would always want to play with my schoolmates. So I felt my childhood past times were deprived because I needed to come home. I got an old teacher but a very nice lady. She'd always gave so much praises for me. I was attentive to for I wanted our lessons to be quick and fast but not knowing it, the more I could do it fast the more lessons I could have. It was tougher day after day. I was given so much exercises that at a very young age, I did able to play less than a year with a song. The repertoire was classical but not as complicated. I was just given pieces that suited to my ability. My parents were proud of me and I could always remember the first song "More". That time, I was complaining because I didn't know it. I always got mad when they want to let me play. I got the hang of it til I forgot it.

In some point, the lessons were cut in short due to finances and burdens as well of getting the time in school as the years gone by. I stopped going to lessons and when I tried to come back, I kept on starting from very basic and the interest that I have when I was a child had gone. I don't feel the music in me but I still am learning to play when I got the chance. There was not a time, I didn't stop knowing to play. Yet, only just very simple pieces. But I came across in time, where I just shut it off.

Today, I am happy that my hubby gave me a present for Christmas which is a Yamaha. I didn't expect he could think back to search my passion. He will always looks something for an element of surprise and this time was a big shot. I cherished this moment and I love him even more.

A proud owner - present from hubby