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A Very Brief Year in Review

In mid-December of last year, I posted my first real piano post since 2019. I was feeling very tentative about coming back to piano. I've taken lessons over the years and have become a pretty good pianist ... but would I ever be able to play jazz? Could I ever learn to play the blues? Would I be stuck playing the same broken chords in the left hand for the rest of my life?

My, how things have changed. When I posted, I had just joined Tonebase. A month later, I would join Piano With Jonny, and that's when my piano life would take off. Here are my piano hours from February (when I started tracking my hours using the PWJ log).

July and August were not good months for piano. I spent part of July on vacation, and much of August in North Carolina when my dad was sick. September and October also took a hit, thanks to Hurricane Helene and ten days with no electricity. How I wished I had an acoustic piano during that time! Anyway, onward to my 2024 accomplishments ...

2024 Accomplishments

After more than 500 practice hours in 2024, I've accomplished a few things.

  • I have two new classical pieces by memory (Chopin's F minor nocturne and Mozart's Rondo alla Turca).
  • I have three Scott Joplin rags by memory (Maple Leaf Rag, Solace, and The Entertainer).
  • I have two PWJ ragtime pieces by memory (Bare Necessities and Jingle Bells Rag).
  • I have a fun gospel arrangement by memory (Amazing Grace) and wrote another arrangement (The Old Rugged Cross), which I also have by memory.
  • I can play and improvise on the blues (at a basic level) and am learning more every day.

In addition to all of that, I am in the midst of learning Liszt's Liebestraume No. 3 and have made it through the most difficult parts.

A Change in Dreams

My dream of learning jazz and mastering jazz theory is no longer there; I lost interest in jazz as soon as I realized that it's really the blues that I love. I still want to learn enough of jazz to be able to play interesting arrangements from lead sheets, but that isn't my priority at this stage of my life.

My priorities for now are more in the area of blues and ragtime. And, of course, I always want to be working on a classical piece.

Bring on 2025!

I am so happy about my piano progress over the past year. I am so thankful for Piano With Jonny and the community that comes with it. I love learning music and challenging myself to become even better at playing, arranging, and creating. I'm excited about what 2025 will bring!

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