Butterflies swarm inside. Hands sweat and shake. The teacher towers in front of the class. Remember the first day of class? School for the first time is an exhilarating experience.

Music lessons and recitals provide the same vibe. To see the music director soar over the small room frightens us all, yet a choice to persevere keeps motivation from shrinking. In order to learn skill and talent one must choose to pursue their dream.

Until a person turns 18, they are required to go to school. In music lessons there is no boundary that holds a person back from quitting. Yet, too often, a young individual is pushed to their limit. School is twice as boring as practicing music at home, yet we never truly stop school. Students are faced with the choice of learning or just the product of a tired enviroment.

Many adults regret quitting music lessons once they get older. Often they realize all the opportunities they were offered if they stuck with all the practice required for success.

Playing an instrument benefits a person in many ways. Scholarships are offered for a high level of excellence. Job opportunities in multiple lines of work will open up. Because of situations, we learn perseverance, commitment, and work ethic. Music lessons are intended to motivate younger generations to stick with it.

Yet when a musician has a poor performance, embarrassment floods their minds and lingers. Some feel they should give up their dreams and quit, while others use it as a new motivation to do better. The fear of messing up again may drive the student mad until they can’t handle the stress any longer.

Recitals are part of the packaged deal of music lessons. Before each recital I am extremely nervous. Often my hands tremble as I lay them over the piano keys. Despite my best intentions I make mistakes and often forget notes.

Most people wouldn’t notice, but I am my biggest critic. Although I made many mistakes, my music director asked me to play at a recital. At first I thought it was just an average recital, but then I was informed only two students per music director are chosen to perform.

The honor of being chosen out of a great number of people can outweigh the embarrassment of the mistakes that are made during a recital.

Just like school assignments fluctuate from easy to hard, so will music lessons. The content takes time to master. The difficult part in school and music lessons are temporary. Success comes only through overseeing challenges.

This even parallels math. There are many formulas one must memorize. They all seem to become jumbled and incomprehensible.  But once a concept is understood, then a new formula or equation is thrown at you. The only thing that keeps me learning is the motivation to keep my grades up. I may get bored and annoyed in the class but I am still learning.

School progressively gets more complex just like music lessons. Unlike school, music lessons are a choice. This opens the door for quitting which many student do. Just like in school, motivation is the key to success.

Graduation in music is not known to most people. Some consider getting a job in the arts industry or becoming successful and well known. I regret losing my biggest chance to become more successful. I quit piano lessons in 5th grade. I have lost the knowledge that I learned through the six years of learning.

I wish I could still read the sheet music and listen as the music notes float off the paper through my piano, as I can read words from a page.

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