From Keys to Sticks: Part I — White Tuxedos, Wrong Notes, and Strong Foundations

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 Music was always playing in the background while I was growing up. Whether I was making a simple meal in the kitchen or working on a school project, there was always a rhythm filling the room. But I have always been a hands-on person. Just listening to music wasn't enough for me—I wanted to understand how it worked and create it myself.

2014/my first piano stage
My musical journey started with a simple question from my dad when he picked me up from kindergarten: "Would you like to learn how to play the piano?"

Most kids at that age might hesitate or wonder if they would be any good at it. I didn't think for even two seconds. "Yes!" I said instantly. To me, it sounded like a fun new adventure, so why not try?

The Finger Emoji Hack and the First Stage

When I sat in front of the piano for the first time, the 88 keys looked overwhelming. I constantly mixed up the order of the notes—Do, Re, Mi—and struggled to remember which finger belonged on which key.

2016/my last stage

Instead of getting frustrated, I came up with my own visual trick: I grabbed a marker and drew tiny face emojis directly onto my fingertips to remember each note. A funny face with its tongue out stood for Do, and a smiling face stood for Re. It turned learning into a game.

Equipped with my fingertip emojis, I prepared for my very first official recital. I wore a tiny white tuxedo, stepped onto the stage, and played a popular children's song (Ceviz Adam) with the focus and seriousness of a professional pianist.

I fell in love with performing right then. I was so proud of playing that I even insisted on bringing our electronic home keyboard to kindergarten. I set it up in the classroom to show my friends—and secretly hoped to impress a girl I had a crush on back then. But beyond the childhood fun, the piano taught me my very first lesson in discipline. As a hyperactive kid who could never sit still, sitting at a piano bench and practicing slow melodies trained me to calm my mind and finish what I started.

The Two-Note Mistake: Learning to Accept Imperfection

2015/piano stage 
Over the next few years, I performed in a couple more recitals. But my last one ended in a way I will never forget.

I walked onto the stage feeling confident. Midway through my piece, my fingers slipped, and I hit two wrong notes in a row. To my young mind, those two bad sounds felt as loud as thunder. I was convinced that I had ruined the entire performance and embarrassed myself in front of everyone in the auditorium. The second the song ended, I burst into tears and ran off the stage.

My piano teacher ran after me, sat me down, and explained something that changed my perspective forever: most people in the audience didn't even notice the mistake. They didn't know the sheet music by heart, so to them, it still sounded like a complete song. My panic wasn't caused by the mistake itself, but by my own pressure to be 100% perfect.

That moment marked the end of my piano years. Losing my excitement after that recital made me realize something important: the piano was a great starting point, but it wasn't my true passion. It didn't give me the raw, high-energy rhythm that I eventually found when I picked up drumsticks years later.


The Base Operating System

Even though I moved on from the piano, it built the mental foundation for everything I do today:

  • Understanding Music Logic: Learning sheet music at a young age gave me a clear, logical framework to read and analyze musical structures.

  • Brain Coordination: Forcing my left and right hands to play completely different rhythms trained my brain to handle multi-tasking and parallel focus.

  • The Value of Mentorship: My piano teacher became one of my first real mentors. She taught me how to learn from mistakes—a mindset I still use today when solving complex tech problems.

I always encourage anyone getting into music to start with the piano. You don't have to become a concert pianist. The piano simply gives you the foundational structure, and from there, you can build any passion you want.

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