Last week, I wrote a 'love poem' of sorts to the pipe organ. Yes, I think that makes me an official musical nerd. However, as any musician knows, there's sweat and struggle tied up in the love for an instrument. Passion is nothing without practicing (That nugget of wisdom took me a over a decade to learn, so here it is for your edification. Please learn from it.)

This week, I'd thought I'd excerpt a poem I wrote about the struggles of learning to play an unfamiliar instrument.

Excerpt from "Organ Bench"

I tried to become a real musician here.

Practicing, crying, practicing, trying, hoping,
Squirming my legs
in my tightly strapped organ shoes over a keyboard on the floor trying not to fall off
this bench as I played beginner exercise, after beginner exercise, after exercise, after exercise, after exercise,a shaky hymn, more exercises,
a halting prelude that lead to nothing,
more beginner exercises

I loved it there on that bench slippery with varnish, it became
a temporary home
I grew up a little there.

Now I play on strange benches

Faraway from home.

Are you a musician? Share the stories of your musical toil below!