“There was a time I found piano to be boring. I got complacent in my freshman year of high school, where I then had an experience that changed everything
That year, I competed in the United States Open Music Competition. I prepared two pieces, and placed…. in none of them. Even worse, I had a memory issue for one of my pieces – my left hand just went blank! Be it nerves or lack of practice, I tasted bitter regret, and drove back repeatedly listening to Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools”.
After the competition, I felt a fire within me. I wanted redemption. I practiced, practiced, and practiced even more. In doing so, I learned the true intricacies hidden within the sheet music. I had realized that being expressive did not just mean following the indicated dynamics or my emotions; it meant becoming the composer him/herself. It meant incorporating the emotions I felt from my life experiences and combining them with the composer’s intended message. Ultimately, it meant that I wasn’t the only one on the stage anymore; it was anyone and everyone that had influenced my life.
Two years later, I headed to the United States Open Music Competition again. On the stage, I was no longer Steven Gong. I was a messenger for the composer’s grief, and in incorporating my experiences in life, the music was delivered through my language. My hands became autonomous with the keys, and all I had to do was simply empathize with the notes.
Later, I walked out of that concert hall, immensely mentally drained, with a gold medal. In the car, the first thing I did was put on “Swimming Pools”. Redemption, at last.
– Steven Gong, Freshman at University of California, Irvine, USA.
