Personal Experience Essay about Love: the Ignition of my Soul

Childhood Memories: The Black Piano in My Youth

A cool, summer breeze air was blowing in through a window of our five thousand square foot house that day. The sky was a clear, baby blue, with the fluffiest white clouds as I followed my parents into our living room. In the corners of my memory, a black piano takes up space on one side. In the corners of the house of my youth, a black piano lay. I remember that time.

I longed for that black piano that was much taller than me. It was a grand structure that I stroked with one small finger and said, “I feel so nice, Mom, I feel so nice.” The keys that only sautered where my hands went. I did not know its meaning then. At that time, I was happy, only looking. Its meaning was that wherever I am, it will always be.

Teenage Years: Reconnecting with the Piano

When we met again in my teens, I lifted the dusty, smooth lid and awkwardly caressed the keys. A plethora of thoughts, emotions, and memories swarm my mind. Even though I left the piano for a long time, it accepted me without repulsion. Each stroke of a black or white key encouraged me not to give up. In every single key, my senses are ignited through the piano. A song I play can ignite visions of creativity one may not have come to invasion yet. If they close their eyes, they can see the scene being laid out before them. The tempo of the piece one hears is andante, or walking tempo. It’s gentle and calming and relaxes the listener like the sip of a hot tea or coffee one takes in the morning. It is the toe dip and settlement inside a hot bath in the evening. Or one hears the opposite tempo, allegro, or fast tempo. It is energetic, fleeting, and unsettling with how the melody changes.

Emotions Flow Through the Keys

It’s like the feeling of euphoria and in love, and then an argument arises. It is like a bright summer’s day, only for it to begin storming with hail coming from the grey sky. While I play, I can taste victory, happiness, and acceptance. It’s like biting down on an ice cream cake. You get the top layer of icing, the next layer of ice cream, the middle layer of cookie crumble and syrup, and the bottom layer of ice cream. Altogether the combination is satisfaction and praiseworthy. When I lift the top of the piano, I get lost in the smell of the wood. The world and today’s worries vanish into the black-and-white keys before me. Emotions that I cannot express out loud come pouring right out of me. The notes and I share mutual feelings of aching to be heard.

The Piano: A Mirror to My Soul

Unanswered questions about rejection, pain, and struggle come out in a song. Sitting on a stool in front of the piano is like being in front of a mirror. It reflects from the inside out, leaving you bare for anyone to find out. Melodies pour out like water spilling over a dehydrated plant, enabling you to create your own garden to tend. At night, the ivory keys shine like the moon on a starry night and bring me serendipity. During the day, they give me energy and warmth like the sun. The foreign sounds of vibrating octaves cause me to tear up without knowing why. Familiarity, an extension of my better self, is the black piano. It is like seeing an old friend and speaking with one another, like time was never lost. Perhaps the feeling is closer to discovering your soulmate and becoming one with them.

Conclusion: Celviano, the Black Piano that Ignites My Soul

My heart races just with one single look. One sound emitted leaves me longing for more. One more second, minute, hour; give me another day. It isn’t obsession or infatuation but love. The piano is a part of my every being and makes up my characteristics. What makes me tick and burn with passion? What makes me feel, think, and dream beyond possibility? A special instrument that is the reason and cause of why I love myself. Celviano, a black piano, and the cause of the ignition of my soul.

References

1. Sacks, Oliver. (2007). “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.” Alfred A. Knopf.
2. Levitin, Daniel J. (2006). “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession.” Dutton.
3. Koopman, C., & Davies, S. (2001). “Musical Meaning, Emotion, and Expression.” In The New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and
4. Learning. Oxford University Press.
5. Juslin, P. N., & Sloboda, J. A. (Eds.). (2010). “Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Applications.” Oxford University Press.

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