Some parts of your life don’t disappear, even when you move on from them.
For me, piano is one of those things.
I played piano for about 17 years, and for a long time, music was not just a hobby — it felt like a path. At one point, I was even planning to go to college through piano. That was how seriously I took it. I practiced for years, performed in many competitions, and spent a huge part of my life in front of the keyboard.
In the end, I chose a different direction because I started thinking more deeply about my future. It wasn’t an easy decision. When you spend so many years building yourself around one thing, stepping away from it can feel like leaving part of yourself behind. But life is sometimes like that — not always choosing between good and bad, but choosing between two meaningful futures.
Even though I didn’t continue piano as my college path, music never stopped shaping me.
I played mostly classical and jazz, and I think that combination had a big impact on how I hear and feel music. Classical music taught me discipline, structure, and patience. It taught me how to respect detail — phrasing, dynamics, timing, tone. Jazz gave me something different: freedom, color, and personality. It taught me that music is not only about precision, but also about expression, interpretation, and courage.
Looking back, piano trained more than my hands. It trained my mindset.
It taught me how to stay with something difficult until it became natural. It taught me how to perform under pressure. It taught me how to listen — not just to notes, but to emotion, space, and silence. Those lessons have followed me far beyond music, into how I work, how I think, and how I approach challenges in life.
Sometimes people think that if you don’t turn a passion into a career, it becomes “just a phase.” I don’t see it that way. Piano was never just a phase for me. It became part of my foundation. It shaped my musicality, yes — but also my discipline, sensitivity, and identity.
I’m sharing a video of one of my favorite piano pieces that I use to work or study, because this feels like a way of honoring that chapter of my life. Not as something I left behind, but as something I still carry with me.
This reflection is really moving, and the way you describe piano as part of your foundation rather than just a phase feels powerful and honest.
But can you play or though
comment was meant to say “But can you play Mary Had a Little Lamb or 곰 세 마리 though”
Very impressive reflection. 17 years is a really long time. Do you still play occasionally as part of your hobbies even though you didn’t choose piano as a career path?
Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us! I completely agree that when you are trained in music and even explore playing music in other ways, it definitely changes the way you hear and interpret it. I played in orchestra for 5 years in grade school, but unfortunately I ended up leaving because I decided to go on a different path to finish up my high school credits. While I stopped playing in orchestra, I still had a love for music and was able to focus more attention on learning the guitar and playing with friends under a bunch of different corny cover bands into my early adulthood. I don’t play as much anymore, but just like you it’s something I still carry with me.