This isn’t about fishing but I always wanted to talk about this topic so that my readers get to know me a little bit better. It may be off-topic but it’s my site so I can do whatever I want with it.
In addition to fishing, my other hobby is playing the piano. I’ve been doing this for years and I actively spend at least a few hours a week on it. Though I consider myself an amateur as I do not play it professionally (and I do not wish to). I will discuss how I got into it and why it’s my hobby.
Why I Play
For me it’s pretty easy to do. We have a piano in the house already so it wasn’t hard for me to get into. As long as I had a few minutes during the day, I could start playing. Obviously not everyone has that luxury so I was privileged in that regard.
I’ve played piano since I was eight years old but probably only really started to consider it a hobby in the last ten years. With every hobby there is a learning curve where it may feel like it’s not so enjoyable. I was essentially pushed past that curve so the moment I decided to play for fun my skills were reasonably developed. Having a certain level of skill makes a hobby more enjoyable.
The reasons I enjoy playing is because I like being able to create music with my own hands. When I hear music from a show or a movie, I just have the impulse to learn that piece. There is a period where I have to learn the music but then after I’ve figured it out, it feels really rewarding.
Music is also a great escape which allows you to release any emotions that you may have. When I feel nervous, it calms me down. When I am angry, it calms me down. Pretty much like any hobby really.
How I Got Into It
Like pretty much any Asian kid, I had to play piano as an extracurricular activity. I didn’t like it much since it basically took an hour of my day every day for the next couple years. I had to do piano competitions which meant I really had to practice hard. Many tears were shed and there was quite a bit of stress. It’s pretty hard on kids to be honest.
After quitting lessons, I started picking up piano again in university as a hobby. University was a really stressful point in life and piano gave me a little bit of satisfaction.
While I worked in northern MB at a luxury fishing resort, there happened to be a piano there. I played on all my breaks as I really had nothing better to do. Believe it or not, I didn’t get to do as much fishing as someone like me would of liked. Plus the work was ultra repetitive and backbreaking. Obviously those weren’t the best of times for me. Luckily my skills were noticed by the management. I got pulled out of labor work to play for guests and even the owner of the lodge. I got to play for the CEO of Cabela’s once. Honestly without the piano there I would not have lasted the rest of the season. Getting encouragement from the audience and staff was a tremendous blessing. Those summers really solidified my piano hobby.
What I Like to Play
I get asked this a lot. Oftentimes there is a big difference in the music I listen to and the music that I play. Some music is just not meant to be played on a piano. So as long as it sounds good on a piano, it’s fair game.
I have a tendency to pay attention to the music used in shows, movies and games. I’ve often played soundtracks from Japanese anime and Korean dramas because they often produce very piano friendly music that is virtually unknown to my audience. Plus I seem to have a liking for a lot Asian composed music due to their exoticness. I can’t stand playing something too mainstream (especially A River Flows in You or the first movement of Moonlight Sonata). No matter what the source is, as long as it sounds good, the audience will appreciate it.
If I feel like it sounds good on piano, I look for arrangements on YouTube that are within my skill level. If I feel like the arrangement is well made, I try to download the PDF file into my Dropbox account. I keep a tablet at the piano so the file automatically appears via Dropbox. Open the PDF reader and then start playing.
Recordings and YouTube
As much as I like playing for myself, you can’t deny that playing for other people is satisfying. These days there are few opportunities to play for other people in person but the Internet is a blessing for musicians.
I first started out by posting recordings on my personal Facebook. I was kind of shy at the time so I didn’t feel like going on YouTube. I did find that people appreciated my recordings though.
Eventually I decided to go to YouTube and create my channel. I found that it was easier to share with strangers that didn’t use Facebook. My channel at the moment isn’t very big but the important thing is to be able to send links to people to share my work.
This was the point where I invested in quality recording equipment. It is pretty hard to record an acoustic piano well which is something I’m always looking to improve. I have GoPros that I used to make fishing videos so I can give my videos multiple angles.
Relation to Fishing
I guess since this is a fishing blog after all, I better talk about fishing for a bit.
One of biggest benefits of playing piano is to not gravitate towards instant gratification. You play for days, weeks or even months on a piece to make it sound good. If you don’t have the diligence or patience, it’s a difficult hobby to get into. When you first sightread a piece, it will often not sound very good. Oftentimes, the best way to learn is to play is slowly over and over, especially when there are complicated maneuvers. Then there is the task of making your notes sound musical (this is a pretty complex subject so I won’t talk about it too much). Often you will not notice your progress until the next day.
It’s really the same when it comes to fishing. Sometimes it really takes an entire day to figure out a bite. You may have gained knowledge but you won’t be able to apply it until your next outing. It is frustrating but that’s how you get better. You need to be able to accept some failure to progress. This is especially critical when it comes to musky fishing where it can take multiple trips to even catch one. Definitely I can attribute a lot of my determination from all the years of playing piano.
Final Words
Well that’s my other hobby. Definitely not fishing related but I’m glad I can talk about other aspects of myself. It’s definitely played a huge part in my life and gave me important skills.
My journey as a pianist is far from over. It’s a hobby with a very high skill ceiling. There are always constant obstacles and a never ending climb to the top. Plus maintaining motivation is always a struggle.
In general, keep your hobbies close to you at all times. They might be things that keep you going in life. Even when things seem busy, do what you can to devote some time to it. After all hobbies are what make you, you.
