Berkel 1 f Gervaughn Berkel Instructor Alexandra Soya COM 1101-15, Form. zip. iE The Journey into Music ‘ y or at 4 ae cu pow! = eye oy -— >The first time I fully displayed my musical talent was at our 1 aor, day, “Statia Day”. I MM Pe played the piano for my island’s anthem, along-with other pieces on’ on the stew ne steelpan and the 7 trombone witha brass band. I wasn’t nervous at all; playing in church in front of a VT congregation every Saturday help permanently calm my nerves when I perform anywhere. ahi a to Another big event was playing marching drums for the Dutch queen’s visit to the island. It a ; Foe OOS a ee ; ‘ [a fs was fun, Our band did perfect. Other times I used my talent were playing the bass guitar in o soporte go we the school’s band and the piano at a retirement home during the Christmas holidays. As I at or? ; an gu . wiv aw ee, thought about those performances and events, it came.clear to me, I would not have been able | we Oe ak to do these things if I hadn’t learned to do it. My experience learning to play musical oat a pr a instruments was a very unusual, interesting one. a oof aio e or a vs, ee 5 At the age of 5, I started playing the piano. My grandmother got me one of those small 12- key Casio pianos that work off 3 AA batteries (it still works to this day), Having so much fun wt - Wen fh <7 With my litle piano, [started piano lessons to Team how to play. My teacher, Mr, Dennis, a As ANS on arordimotnes! small Filipino man, with jet blackehair, and speaks rough English, He was a master at any a instrument his hands came a¢ross; literally, any. Although he was sometimes a bit harsh on hisBerkel 2 students, we all would master the instrument we came to leam to play after we were finished a ets : : ; Nt ealvte this School. I cleared the first three learning books in no time. AS I played the pieces that at iS WAS "were assigned to me for homework, he would tell me “Very good, Gervaughn! Next song!" ool — “1 a Little did he know that I wasnt reading the notes on the paper, but rembered his sic Setvel? demonstration of how the song is supposed to sound. vt yw 7 The main way I played was by ear. If hear a song a couple times, like a printer, I could copy vw Ge that song exactly the way it'smade, Some people would say that’s a gift, and in some instances, it is But in the case of leaning to ple latetcat nea read a piano Piece, it was an mobs, Every new piano piece reached, Mr. Dennis would tell me what to yr Took out for and then he would demonstrate how it's supposed to be played. I would just eo Hew te Pic, NEL eapvageaph. listen keenly and memorize the Sound, nother PROBLEM was that I spent no time at home practicing, The only timBkwould practice the pieces would be one hour before my piano lesson. Somehow it worked every 4 nk (nt Jyyatched a super-skilled pianist on we Te was 8 or 9. It clicked to ae T wanted to bg like him, Fiyould have to stop being a cheater, practice more, and put in more effort —y As I put in more time into practice, I began to amaze myself with how I played. More and more I began reading notes on a paper as if I was reading a book. So, from the beginner's books, to the intermediate, to the advanced, things became aed and easier until [ played at weet MaASition my final ‘ectgged Ino longer had to go Mr. Denis Tea. piano pgs (Okay. Piano Music School? off the list. What's next} Private lessons? —> The school started a band. I wanted to join but there was already a piano player. No one knew how to play the bass guitar, so I took it up. The good thing about leaming any other instrument after leaming to play the piano as your first instrument, was that you know theBerkel 3 basics of notes, and how music works in general. So, learning how to play the bass guitar was Pp easy for me; instead of pressing keys on a piano you pull strings. o > ne 41, | From there, Lmoved to the drum set and marching drums. Now, one thing about Caribbean 55 ov r. people, is that you must have a good sense of rythm by default 1's justin our DNA; so, that » leis that y0 Ais P wasn’t a problem to lear either. In a few months of joining the island’s biggest drum band I ‘was moved to the position of one of the drum leaders. I played the quad (A marching drum ez with 4 toms b mounted on a metal brace), After the drums, I moved to the trombone, which e ‘was just mastering the technique of breathing and the position of the slider. a —y As Treflect on my musical joumey, I think on that vital moment where I saw that pianist on the TV. IT hadn't have seen that, I probably wouldn’t have gotten inspiration to put more effort, to practice more and would drop the pizno lessons, Music has been very beneficial to ‘me. Ithas mostly helped ine tse aig in my daily life, and has given me opportunities that I would never have experienced had Lni6t known, xe j SS [ ‘Thank you, grandma, for getting me that small 12-key Casio piano that worked on 3 AA batteries. This is a great Stet. Now, time 70 wate i+ more fcusel Here ore = some Suggestions ¢ “Choose just LS instrument — prone? — to focus on, You might need to merton The ofherS, but the experience you explore stould be relaed ft 4A aStrumert only. * Focus on 1 Siga'Acant exporerce. In pwagraphs Z ork 3, it seems tke youre sething ap fe tell wow yor: learned 40 Yeas music ins lead of plag by ear. Perhaps you Could varhaue in that aAivecton? # Choose tne one mest Crucial momert —~wos it Seeing thePIMBE on WUE Nour grandneine buying You the Fey toad? Your teacher daspiring Yor ie Some way? “As a fade, | am mest interes in, Finali'ng out what evprince lea you to learn how to reac music on why the ee perience iS important. How dick i+ Change you or Shape you as a mucin? Mm your daily We?