A musician makes music.  There are many kinds of musicians.  There are pianists, there are trumpeters, drummers, guitarists.  There are singers and composers, who write the music.  Indeed, it may be said that everybody who hums a tune or whistles a jingle is a musician.  However, when we speak of musicians, we generally refer to those who play musical instruments.
        There are many different types of musicians and many types of music that they play: classical, popular, new age and others.
        The training for a musician is as varied as the kinds of musicians.  However, the one thing that all musicians share is the need to practice almost constantly.  Even the greatest musicians, even the most popular, even the coolest musicians must practice almost all the time.

GLEN MILLER 

        Suzy Chu practiced the piano every day.  Even weekends were not permitted to pass without her practicing.  All of her activities were planned around it, all of her wishes took second place to it.  She was gifted.  Everybody said so: her music teachers, the critics who had heard her play and, of course, her parents.  She played classical music before large crowds in famous concert halls all over the world.  Audiences gave her standing ovations for her playing.  Because of her talent, she was a celebrity.
        Though she was only twelve, she was an expert at the great masters of classical music.  But it was work.  For fun she played Glen Miller.  Glen Miller was a big band leader many years ago.  Suzy loved his music and bought CDs to listen to him and other big bands of the time.  Then she played the music that she had heard on the piano.  She particularly liked the music of the World War II period.  When she was not practicing, rehearsing or playing for an audience, she would be playing "Long Ago", "Moonlight Serenade", "I'll Be Seeing You" (She thought the young Frank Sinatra dreamy.), "Apple Blossom Time" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".
        Her parents disapproved at first but when they saw how happy it made her, they became happy too.  It was a release from the pressures of performing and her endless practicing.  Her teachers did not agree, but she persisted.
        Suzy's dream now is to play a night club when she grows up, so that people can dance to the love songs that she plays and that she likes so much.

Click here to return to the homepage