Descriptive Para Piano

Zachary Solini
English 111
Descriptive Essay

Sitting on a hard wooden bench, the world around me fades away and my full consciousness focuses only on what lies before me. My eyes close and breathe in the scent of maple wood and ivory keys that rest beneath my hands. Their elegant cool feel on my fingertips both calms and excites me, as the butterflies flutter ecstatically in my stomach and the rush of the adrenaline flows through my veins. My attempts to remain calm are feeble; I am nervous and excited, knowing that I sit before hundreds of people who are expecting greatness, perfection. I open my eyes, and as I do, I suddenly become aware of the various sounds around me, that I had been blocking out. The constant shutter of the lens on my parent’s camera, the cheers of those who have come to support me, but most prominently, the banging of my own heart against my chest; it screams for freedom, trying to escape from its cage. My eyes grow wide with admiration as I gaze over the beauty of the majestic grand piano that rests upon the stage, begging to be played but wanting only a graceful touch. As my instructor nods her head, telling me to begin, I take one last deep breath in a futile effort to control my nerves.

The breath does little to calm me, but then I play and everything fades once again. The music takes over my soul. My fingers moving gracefully and elegantly in perfect harmony, my feet pressing on the pedals with ease, I am perfectly content and in perfect harmony with the magnificent instrument that I am play. It responds to my every touch; not just to the mechanical touch of my fingers, but also the to touch and the embrace of the emotion and feeling that I pour into it. As the harmonic melody sings, I am able to taste the ever-growing tension of the crowd, the excitement; they are painfully silent, not wanting to disturb the song, yet desperate to talk, to cheer, and to scream. The song draws to an end and begin to be drawn out of the trance, by the noise of the crowd.

As I play the last few notes, as I sit on the stage, I am painfully aware of the hundreds of eyes that have been burning into me for what has felt like an eternity. I feel exposed. I have shown them my soul, my emotions, my thoughts, my consciousness in its entirety, and I am waiting to be judged. My stomach is doing back flips; I am going crazy waiting as the spotlights shine down on me. I stand up and bow; the crowd erupts into cheers or clapping and screaming. My nerves fade away, the butterflies vanish, and their place is taken by joy, excitement, and an extreme sense of relief. I glance around, searching for that one face; I find it. My instructor smiles and nods, and I am elated, knowing that I have made her proud.