January is just about over and I'm halfway through learning my first song out of the 40 songs I'm attempting to learn on piano by next January 2012: John Lennon's "Imagine". Needless to say, it's a beautiful and inspiring song and a great first choice for Beginner-intermediate players. The song is in the easiest key: C maj. Once the intro, verse and chorus are learned, they all pretty much repeat throughout the song, so learning it shouldn't take that long unless you're a procrastinator like me!
Playing the bass notes is pretty easy...if that's all I needed to do! What I find a challenge is getting my right hand to do the fancy footwork at the same time my left hand attempts to keep a steady rhythm. I need lots of time to get my fingers (and my brain) working properly and harmoniously.
The song has a very powerful message but doesn't sound like Lennon's dictating to us on how things should be. He's humbly suggesting that we see the world in a different way. Perhaps he's also encouraging us to reconnect with the child at heart and to imagine being human without all the labels and identities that separate us from one another. It's not to say that what defines us - our race, culture, class, religion, etc - is not of any worth. Indeed, we need to embrace all those elements. However, having those elements does not make us any better nor any worse than others. We simply are. I simply am.
Imagine that with all those needs, identities, and labels, we see beauty in those differences instead of feeling fear. Imagine equality. Imagine humility. Imagine peace among all the diverse communities in our world.
John Lennon's IMAGINE.
Thank you for being part of my journey. Stay tuned for the next song choice in a week or two...
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