Ryu's Blog

Wouldn’t it be nice to entertain friends with music after a meal, jam with others when we feel like it, or just express ourselves through music anytime?

I started learning piano at the age of 37. After about 2 years, I have learned and recorded some music I like (here‘s a link to the recordings). I wish I could play these pieces whenever and wherever I want. But in reality, after finishing a piece, I tend to forget it quickly once I stop practicing. Something that I could play from memory one day, would feel like a new piece after a few week’s gap.

Perhaps this is because I don’t have music training when I was young, or don’t have enough hours of practice. A friend told me he doesn’t forget the music he learned while he was a teenager and can still play them after decades.

Space repetition (refreshing my memories by practicing a piece periodically) is probably the best way to keep them in my long term memory. But given time limit and the infinite number of music I want to learn, I haven’t been revisiting the songs I’ve learned so far.

So for now, every recording is a fleeting moment. Something I can experience but can’t hold onto, a bit like trying to hang onto our peak physical or mental ability as we age. While sad, it’s not as bad as some other aspects of life. Unlike parenting a kid at a certain age, once that period is gone, it’s gone forever. The hope is that as my piano skill gets better, the moment might last longer. Or at the minimum, I can relearn a piece faster and perhaps better.