As many people find themselves working from home, we’re suddenly inundated with time we never knew we had but was nevertheless always there. As uncanny as it may be for many who live in a constantly moving and busy world, this is a wonderful opportunity to reflect, spend time with family, read new books and old, catch up on new TV series, and perhaps reminisce about series of old.
For me, I have spent this time reading, writing, painting, playing, and composing new music on my piano. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that having so much time playing my piano has been the most rewarding and satisfying out of each of them. I’ve had more time to play old and new music and have dedicated a considerable amount of time to learning additional arrangements by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Frederic Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nikolai Medtner, Ludwig van Beethoven, and others.
It’s been challenging and frustrating, but so rewarding that it’s difficult to not keep going.
Music has a unique way of uplifting and uniting people. While stuck in the house, this is the perfect time to pull out the old keyboard or sit at your piano and learn something new (there are even affordable keyboards for about $100 sold on Amazon). You could even challenge your family to also learn to see who could learn the quickest. Either way, you won’t regret it.
One of my favorite pieces that I recommend for all beginners, and even advanced players, is Tchaikovsky’s “March of the Wooden Soldiers.” Learning the beginning of this piece is fun, and it isn’t very long. You could learn it in a week if you dedicated enough time to it. For those of you who may want to show off for your friends on FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom, it sounds more complicated than it actually is, so you’ll sound like a virtuoso.
You’ve probably never heard of Medtner, but he was an amazing pianist and composer, whose name is slowly increasing in popularity among classical pianists. Medtner was close friends with Rachmaninoff, and after he left Russia, Rachmaninoff helped Medtner tour the United States and Canada. The first half of Sonata Reminiscenza in A minor, Op. 38, No. 1 isn’t overly difficult. The fingering can be a little tricky at first, but it’s not impossible, and you’ll enjoy learning this serenading theme.
For my final recommendation, I have selected Giacomo Puccini. Puccini is considered one of the greatest Italian opera composers and has composed such masterpieces as La boheme. However, as it relates to the piano, I want to recommend Puccini’s “Musetta’s Waltz.” It is a perfect piece for beginners that you’ll enjoy. It’s clear, memorable, and has an easy flow to it that makes it both enjoyable to play and listen.
Many people typically think of classical music as boring and not relevant to today’s culture, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. Sure, there are many modern songs you could learn, and many aren’t that challenging at all, but there’s something beautiful about classical music that sets it apart from all other genres.
You may be someone who never listens to classical music. In fact, I’m willing to bet that most of you who are reading this almost never listen to classical music, and that’s okay. But out of the three compositions I have chosen, most of you will enjoy listening or playing at least one of them.
My hope during this time is that you take up the challenge to push yourself to learn something new that you’ll always be able to take with you and pass on to others. Also, it never hurts to be able to impress people randomly anytime you see a piano by showing off a little of what you know.
Shermichael Singleton (@Shermichael_) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is a Republican strategist and political analyst regularly appearing on MSNBC.
