Today I Did Something I’ve Never Done Before …

A First Time For Everything

Today I did something that I honestly never thought I would do in a million years …

No, it wasn’t anything illegal, or bad, or even downright silly! (mind you, I’ve done enough silly things that I could write an entire book about them! lol).

No, what I did, was upload a video onto the internet of myself playing the piano!

I get “stage fright” most times when I’m playing the piano when I know that anyone other than my kids are listening!! Yes, I even feel nervous when I know my husband is listening! (silly and all as that sounds!).

And yet, here I am, having put myself on the world’s stage!

Funnily enough, I’m okay about it now. And guess what? I can’t wait to do another one!  Ironic. lol

They say that the best way to overcome your fear is to face/do what it is you are afraid of (or words similar). “They” are very wise, aren’t they?!

Music has always been a big part of my life. I started learning to play the piano when I was about 8 years old. Mum started to teach me, but we all know what kids are like when a parent tries to teach them something! So then I had lessons from Mrs Collins for the next three years.

Both my grandmothers played the piano magnificently, although neither play much anymore (one is 95, the other is 84). Mum has always played, and so does my aunty, Maureen.

I’ve always had a good ear for music and for the first year that I was having lessons with Mrs Collins, I could barely read a note!

“How can that be?”, I hear you say …

Well, you see, I could remember what the music sounded like (Mrs Collins would play it for me first) and so I could play the songs I was learning without actually reading the music! (I could read some notes, but not as many I should have been able to!).

It wasn’t until Mrs Collins decided that I was going so well, that she gave me harder music, only to find that I couldn’t read it! Foiled! lol

I certainly wasn’t out to trick anybody. It just came easy to me and I honesty never thought about it!

So once that little “problem” was sorted out, I learned to actually read the music I was playing and I haven’t looked back! Mind you, I still often work out music myself without the actual written music. It’s quite a good party trick, not to mention, it’s lots of fun and I get great satisfaction in being able to do that!

Anyway, fast forward quite a few years, and I bought myself a piano for my 21^st birthday. I hope that in time my children will want me to teach them to play.

I play my piano whenever I get the chance. Sometimes it might only be for a few minutes, sometimes it might be for a few hours – whatever takes my fancy! (just one of the advantages to me being a stay at home mum).

Sometimes when I was a kid (and then a teenager), I would get cross about something or another, and would “blow off steam” by giving the piano a “hammering”!

Mum has always said that I played my best piano when I was angry – hehe!

So what made me decide to record myself playing the piano for the world to see?

Well, yesterday I was online (as per usual) and during the time I was having a little break from the work I was doing, I thought I’d watch some videos on YouTube (as you do! lol)

Anyway, I love a particular video that Jodie Thompson recorded a while ago and went back to her channel to find it again. I noticed that in her “Favourites”she has “Annie’s Song” by John Denver.

“Wow!”, I thought. “I love that song too!”.

I saw that Jodie’s husband, Jason, was online, so I skyped him to tell him that I love “Annie’s Song” too. During our conversation, Jason told me that it was his and Jodie’s wedding song. I knew then that I wanted to play it for them, but given that we live in different states in Australia (I’m in Victoria and they are in Queensland), the only way that was going to happen was if I “bit the bullet” so to speak and videoed myself playing it for them. So that’s what I did.

“Annie’s Song” holds a lot of sentiment for me, including the fact that it my paternal grandmother’s name (she turned 95 in July this year I might add!). She is a beautiful lady and I love her to bits! I have played this for her on her piano many times over the years.

My best friend sang “Annie’s Song” at my wedding back in 1996 and we also performed it together at a community concert many years ago – me on piano and Wendy singing (she has the most beautiful voice).

So, I’ve done it now and there’s no going back. Mind you, I nearly gave up on the idea of doing it!

You see, the first time I played it, I was shaking so much that I couldn’t think! What the?! Gee, I’ve only played it literally hundreds of times over the years! lol And note perfect most of the time too!

Then, the second time I played it, it was note perfect until my husband came in the back door and frightened the begeebers out of me! (I startle very easily – not a good thing. It gives me an instant headache sometimes!).

So once I’d settled down from the fright and started playing (and recording) again, one of my kids flushed the toilet … aargh!!

Between all that and the kids just being kids and making noise (just playing, but very noisily!), I nearly called it quits!

But we all know that saying, “Winners never quit, and quitters never win”.

And I’m no quitter.

So after many attempts to get it right, here it is. It’s not perfect (I can thank my nerves for that!), but then as my friend Eliza says, “Good today is better than perfect never”.

Kylie Playing Annie’s Song by John Denver:

I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please consider sharing it with  others and leaving me a nice comment, both here and on YouTube

© Kylie Doak 2008

Tagged as: annie's song, attraction marketing, denver, eliza mcnamara, jasonandjodie, jodie thompson, john, john denver, kylie doak, kyliedoak, law of attraction, learning to play piano, love of music, piano lessons, playing piano, work at home, work at home mum