Creativity Techniques

I like playing music…I began playing music on the piano when I was twelve years old. I was lucky enough to take lessons with a Grand Musician who had two beautiful Grand Pianos and lived at the end of the block. For the lessons, I would dust the beautiful pianos with a purple feather duster. Mr. Adair didn’t teach me scales. After some easy note reading assignments, we began on a grand composition, “In A Persian Market” by Ketelby. He would play…holding his hands high up over the keys, and the beauty of the sound captivated me. I wanted to recreate that sound. So I labored at home on my rather ordinary piano. When I took a break from it, I found music books and began to discover many different songs and I would unlock the music note by note.

Today when I want to unlock a problem and look for solutions I play music, like the guitar now. I don’t care that I play by reading tabs. That’s like a sort of “paint by number” When I play the world disappears. I have a friend who plays the accordion while I have learned to play chords. Playing chords is newer for me because I was playing classical before. If you can find an instrument, a harmonica, Chinese Gongs, a drum…and lose yourself in creating the sound. I like American Musical Supply because I can make payments with no interest. I highly recommend it.

The neighborhood children who took lessons with Loren Adair were gathered at his house to play for the neighborhood. It was a grand night. I lost my nerve. I ran home. Later Mr. Adair came to our house to urge me to resume lessons. I didn’t. years past…Then I played at SBCC, “In a Persian Market” and you can see it on youtube!!!!