I started piano lessons when I was five. I had a pretty intense teacher names Florence Showell. Many of her students went on to play in conservatories, a couple earned full rides to Juilliard (clearly she didn't have the same affect on me :-). She taught out of her home on a tucked away street, in an older part of Missoula, Montana. She would charge me 25 cents when I didn't have my nails trimmed, and an additional 25 cents if my practice record wasn't completed. I had to practice and hour a day, and it was the rath if I didn't. I'm not sure if she was a cornerstone of my ability to work and focus...or of my anti-authority issues :-)

While piano has never been my passion, I managed to gleen some important fundamentals from my 7 years with Mrs. Showell. Even 20+ years later, I can sight read...work out complicated chord progressions...have fairly good relative pitch, etc...And it's just in the past few days that I've really, truly appreciated it.

I've been very blessed to be able to write music for the first time in my life over the past few months, and play that music (as well as a lot of other really cool tunes) in our band. For whatever reason, over the past few weeks my playing has started to open up. I'm beginning to have some confidence and willingness to risk and try things. It has been very cool, and as only whetted my appetite for more. I'm even going to learn the synth part on YYZ (steve, dale, rich) :-)

Have you ever had something like that happen? Have you ever sat on a gift or skill for a long time, or had a desire in your heart to do something and then waited until later in life to try it? How is it working out for you? Why did you wait? If you haven't even tried yet...why not now?