The Piano Teacher by Valerie

The Piano Teacher by Valerie - July 2014 Scholarship Essay

A teacher that has affected me positively towards education is my piano teacher, Tom. Even though he did not teach me algebra, English, or chemistry; he impacted the way I learn, which helped me throughout elementary, middle school, high school, and my future years in University. He taught me how to practice until I can play the piece with excellence and he taught me the accomplishment I’ll receive when I try hard enough.

I started attending piano lessons in 5th grade, thinking it’ll be a great skill to learn. That’s when I met Tom. He was, no doubt, a natural pianist. His fingers glided over the piano keys with such fluid and precision. And his memory was impeccable, able to memorize multiple complex pieces. I was honored to have him as my piano teacher. Little did I know that he will be part of my life, from watching me mature to giving me lessons I can carry on for the future. When I first started out, I was a quick learner; however, I was ignorant on fixing my mistakes. I never played to the right beat. I was always too quick. This made me frustrated that I wasn’t able to fully satisfy my teacher’s expectation and it made me even more frustrated that he’ll make me go practice the particular song again until I can play it correctly. He one day told me that it wasn’t practice that makes perfect but practicing well makes perfect. That I should learn how to do it right the first time then move on. I’ll constantly think back to the day he said that because it helped me accomplish my way throughout school. I’ll constantly practice math problems until I felt prepared for an exam, or practice essays until I was ready for the HSPE.

He also taught me that if I worked hard then the accomplishment will show. I’ll constantly practice the music pieces he’ll assign to me until I’m confident enough to play it in front of him with as much perfection as he plays. I’ll practice a longer and more complex piece with determination until I felt confident enough to perform in front of a crowd. I then use that skill to work hard enough in school until I receive that accomplishing test grade. He taught me that everything is within reach, but you just have to invest time and determination into it.

I no longer attend piano classes, so I no longer am able to see him on the weekly basis. But the skills he taught me are what will last throughout a life time because it helped evolve the way I educate myself.