How long have you been playing? I've been playing the piano for about four years. I took voice lessons for a couple of months and I (and other people) could tell that my voice got noticeably better but my teacher stopped and only recently started up again. I should start taking lessons again. My voice isn't the greatest and I'm really self concious about singing by myself.

Have you performed in public? Yes. My piano teacher has two recitals every year. I played at the grand opening of a local store. I have played for the seniors at the senior citizen center several times. I played at an event called Family Fun Night once or twice. I played a trio on the piano with my two sisters at church (Down By the Riverside) for special music. Two songs I wrote and played are on two CD's entitled Hearts and Hands Vol. 1: Maiden Voyage and Hearts and Hands Vol. 2 Encore!

Are there instruments you don't play that you would like to learn? I really want to learn the guitar for several reaons. 1. Guitars are cool. 2. Guitars are cheaper than pianos and it'd be easier to buy a guitar then buy a piano when I leave home. 3. You can take a guitar on a road trip or on a plane and you can't take a piano with you. 4. I just want to.

What type of music do you prefer to play? I play classical music. That's what my teacher teaches and I don't really play anything else. I like the Romantic Period best but I play from the Baroque period and the Classical period too. I don't like the Modern period of Classical music. I also play simplified hymns for my own pleasure. I'd like to start playing contemporary Christian songs and songs by some of my favorite bands.

Do you write music or lyrics of your own? Yes. My teacher is really into the music writing and my songs are on two CD's mentioned above. My teacher made the CD's of songs that all of her students have composed. I write songs but not music to them. When I write songs, I have a tune in my head as to how they should go. However, I can never get it to sound right on the piano. That's one reason I'd like to play the guitar. I think it'd be easier to write guitar chords to a song then it is to write piano music to a song. I've written probably thirty songs or more. About half of them are incomplete because I can only write when I get inspired. And I don't think any of them are any good at all. My friend (winterlife) took one of my songs home and wrote guitar chords to it. She played and sang it for her cousin and her sister (I made her promise not to tell them it was me who wrote it) and they both loved it so maybe it was okay.

@ narnian_at_heart: It's better than OK. That song is awsome! Lyricly, not just musically.

(P.S. I almost never spell lyric or any of its forms correctly. Sorry if it's wrong.)

narnianjedi: yeah i really want to learn drums as well but we don't really have room for a drum set and my mom doesn't like drums in the first place. i'll probably end up buying my own electric set someday...

i wrote one song last summer b/c my piano teacher gave it to me as homework. i came back in two weeks with a decent song which my dad proceeded to show EVERYONE we knew. not a good thing. i haven't written a song since. i'll probably start again soon but i odn't like to have my work shown everywhere...idk i'm wierd...

Yay, Queen Susan, I'm glad you're enjoying your violin lessons! That must be kind of annoying to have to work on something so simple, I'm sure you will move onto something more interesting soon

Ok... so... I tried to cover Fireflies on the harp.. it's pretty sloppy because some stuff in the song doesn't work that well on the harp, and I was getting too lazy and frustrated to re-record xD Plus my camera was being REALLY weird and it's extremely dark and strange looking.. but maybe somebody will like it anyways... so here goes nothing

Yay! I was hoping for another vid soon, Kat.
And I really, really like it! It's very pretty, and you did a good job! (Make that I "great job"!)

Anyways. I'm going to sign in and rate it now.

That was beautiful Kat! I think it's so cool that you did it on harp!
The lighting isn't too bad actually, but the sound quality is good!

that is really good Kat! I hope I can play like that someday you should do more of his songs (piano and harp )

DancingPrincesses: That's cool that you've been taking violin for so long! What book are you on in Suzuki? I started with Suzuki, but stopped several years ago somewhere in book seven. Now, I'm learning out of the Barbara Barber books, which have really helped me. (They are more musical and difficult than Suzuki, and I've really been enjoying them). Have you been teaching yourself that, too?

Hehe, Queen Susan... the very first violin lessons can be... *ahem*.... "interesting". I think one of the most difficult things about learning the violin is having to remember all the positions, posture, and blah-blah-blah. It's rather bewildering in the beginning, but you'll get the hang of it. Do you know what curriculum you'll be studying out of?

Great job on the harp piece, Kitty! You're insanely talented... no kidding.

Thanks so much, everyone!
I was actually just thinking that ... about doing more of his songs on the harp. For some reason the harp seems to fit the electronica genre, at least better than the piano.

I was just asked to get together with part of my youth group's worship team and learn a new song for Sunday. Yeah, right, we can't even get together before Sunday to practice. Sometimes I think I'm the only practical one on the team. But I'm also the only guitarest who knows chords, and they need rythme guitar. I may be practical, but I'm also crazy.

Kat: Hot Air Balloon would be cool.... J/k kind of. I just like that one.

Miss Rosa: I'm using the Suzuki method. Yes, all the little details can be pretty confusing... to say the least. It's hardest probably for me to remember to keep my left wrist straight.

Queen Susan: Ahhh.... I used Suzuki, too, for my first five years of lessons. They have some pretty nice pieces in book six, seven, and up.

Winter: Heh. Well, how did that go? I'm supposed to play a violin duet for a school Christmas program on Tuesday, but the other girl can only practice on Monday. So... a disaster may be in store for us.

Rosa: So far the songs are super boring. Like, um, "Boiling Cabbage" or something. That ones not even in the first book. Argh. *laugh* And why do they give the "beginner" songs such ridiculously stupid names?

what book is that song in? I used Suzuki and my first piece(s) were Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with four variations.

my dad is the worship leader at my church and for a while I was singing with him in the band! now I am playing hand drumb.....and I am just starting to learn to play drumbs! I hope to get good enough to play drumbs in the band some day!