Piano – Ultimate Brain Game

We are experiencing gorgeous fall weather here in Central Illinois. I had the privilege of playing the piano for a funeral in Gifford today so I was able to take county highways and see how the harvest of corn and soybeans is progressing 30 miles southeast of our farm. This funeral was for a good and faithful servant of Christ who started farming at the age of 14. As he lived to be 104, the first half of the church was packed with children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. Typical of farmer funerals, community members, fellow farmers and longtime church friends filled the rest of the pews. His first car was a Model A and his Farmall M sat in front of the church.

My favorite service to play for is a funeral. That may sound strange – so let me explain. Funerals are typically short-notice so music has to be found and learned quickly. Often a last minute song is sprung on us right before the service – one the family just remembered. That is my wheelhouse. Since I have played the piano for 48 years and the organ for 42 years, there aren’t too many hymns I haven’t played. I have a vast music library so I can usually find the music right at home. Sight-reading is something I love to do, thanks to the piano teacher I had in junior high and high school who began each lesson having me sight read. I guess it is like solving a puzzle, another hobby of mine. My goal every time I play is to allow God to use my playing as a conduit for a message to those hearing it. That goal is easier to achieve at a funeral rather than a wedding, which is typically a high-stress event for everyone behind the scenes. Finally, I think a funeral can be the most beautiful and meaningful church service, albeit painful. Certainly there is grief, but for a Christian, the funeral recognizes and celebrates the end of the earthly journey and the beginning of the ultimate life eternal.

I have learned to bring my journal along when I am going somewhere to play as I always have so many thoughts to record when the service is over. Today was no exception. I sat in my car in front of the parsonage and wrote page after page. I suffer from anxiety and am a trauma survivor. These things can block my mind from processing things as it should. But when I am playing, both sides of my brain are fully engaged. Left hand and right hand must be coordinated while they are performing very different movements. There are some extremely complex emotional and analytical processes going on. Studies show that the connection between both hemispheres of the brain in a piano player is much larger than in someone who does not. For me, this means my whole brain is needed to perform so there is no chance for trauma or anxiety to block thoughts. I feel such a strong connection to God and am able to gain many insights when I play that I could not otherwise. My therapist has prescribed more frequent piano playing for me. I cannot wait to get started on that.