Piano🎹🎹

SHORT less than 3 minutes      9/18/2028  0513    v13.0

A New Chapter. The Grand Piano Upgrade.

My piano journey began in 2009, while I was deployed in Afghanistan. In the middle of that warzone, I made myself a promise: If I make it home alive, I will learn to play the piano.

I did make it home—but in rough shape, far more broken than I realized at the time. During stretches of homelessness brought on by war trauma, I spent a lot of hours at VA hospitals. 

In quiet corners I discovered old pianos, worn but still alive, and they became a kind of refuge for me. At the piano keys I found something steady to hold onto, a way to ground myself when everything else felt like chaos.

But in 2015, I walked away. I gave up piano for the sake of a marriage that soon collapsed, leaving me worse off than before. 

Looking back, giving up my piano passion was one of the greatest mistakes of my life, a needless sacrifice of something that had always given me strength.

After divorce and heartbreak in the rubble of my life, music waited for me. 

In 2023, while trying to find myself again, I bought a basic digital piano. Nothing special, but enough to spark the fire I thought had gone out.

When I sat down to play again, something in me came alive. I began to rediscover a piece of myself I thought was lost forever.

Two years later, I’ve outgrown that humble keyboard. The plastic keys feel lifeless, the weak speakers flatten the sound, and the limitations make it impossible to express the dynamics my music demands. 

Even something as basic as a crescendo is beyond its reach. My music has outgrown my instrument.

And so, it’s time for a new beginning.

After much thought, I’ve chosen the Casio AP-750 Celviano Digital Upright Piano. For me, this is not just a purchase—it is the fulfillment of a promise I made to myself all those years ago. 

This is the piano I will cherish for a lifetime, the one I will pour thousands of hours into as I keep building, learning, and creating.

My repertoire is always expanding. I'm learning hundreds of pieces at a time. Each one sharpens my technique and deepens my musical expression. 

 My ultimate goal is to master hundreds of songs across genres—classical, pop, jingles, themes, and beyond.

It has taken me more than fifteen years to arrive at this point. Today, I can sight-read with confidence, dive into advanced music theory, and embrace the joy of learning without the fear of losing it again. 

This new piano feels like the perfect partner for the next stage of my journey—a journey that began with a promise in the middle of a warzone, and now continues with a renewed sense of hope.

Let’s explore the beauty of piano—one note at a time.

Let’s wander through the wonder of piano together.

Join me at SunsetPiano. Because music holds the qualities of a sunset—warmth, calm, and depth. It is beautiful, fleeting, and eternal all at once. 

 9/18/2028  0246   v10.0

A New Chapter: The Grand Upgrade

My Piano Journey

My piano journey began in 2009, while I was deployed in Afghanistan. In the middle of that warzone, I made myself a promise: If I make it home alive, I’ll learn to play the piano.

I did make it home—but in rough shape, far more broken than I realized at the time. During stretches of homelessness caused by my war traumas, I spent a lot of time at VA hospitals.

 There, I stumbled upon old pianos tucked away in quiet corners. Those keys became a refuge, a way to ground myself when everything else felt like chaos.

I poured in thousands of hours. I even wrote a 300-page piano book and volunteered at a senior center teaching piano. I loved everything about it—playing, learning, and sharing.

But in 2015, I gave it all up. I sacrificed my dream for a marriage that turned out to be worse than the nightmare of war itself. Looking back, walking away from piano was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

After divorce, heartbreak, and losing nearly everything—my home, my family, my stability—I had to start over. 

In 2023, living alone and trying to find myself again, I bought a modest $400 digital piano. Nothing fancy, but enough to reignite the fire.

I started playing again. Slowly, I rediscovered a piece of myself I thought I lost forever.

Two years later, I’ve outgrown that little keyboard. The plastic keys feel lifeless, the weak speakers flatten the sound, and I can’t express the dynamics my music demands. Even something as simple as a crescendo is impossible. My music skill has outgrown my current instrument.

It’s time to upgrade.

After much thought, I’ve chosen the Casio AP-750 Celviano Digital Upright Piano. This isn’t just a purchase—it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. With its Smart Hybrid Hammer Action and three legendary grand piano voices—Berlin, Hamburg (Steinway & Sons), and Vienna—it will finally give me the expressive experience I’ve been craving.

The sound and touch will change everything. For me, this is life-altering. It feels like wholeness.

This will be the instrument I cherish for a lifetime, one I’ll pour thousands of hours into with practice, exploration, and joy. My repertoire is always expanding—I keep about ten pieces in active study at a time, rotating through hundreds. Each new piece sharpens technique and deepens expression.

My ultimate goal? To master hundreds of songs across styles—classical, pop, jingles, themes, and more.

It’s taken me over fifteen years to reach this point. Today, I can sight-read confidently, dive deep into advanced music theory, and continue the journey I promised myself back in 2009. This new piano is the perfect partner for the next chapter.

About My Piano Channels

🎹 SunsetPiano

Sheet Music | Music Theory | Tutorials & Insights

Why SunsetPiano? Because music carries the same qualities as a sunset—warmth, calm, and depth. It’s beautiful, fleeting, and eternal all at once. Here, I share tutorials, deep dives into sheet music, and insights shaped by both technical study and lived experience.

Whether you’re a beginner, a theory nerd, or just someone reconnecting with music—you’re welcome here. My hope is that what I share inspires you, helps you grow, or simply brings you joy.

Let’s explore the beauty of piano—one note at a time.

☾ MoonlightPiano ☽

Why MoonlightPiano? Because music feels like moonlight—soft yet luminous, mysterious yet steady. It reveals what isn’t always visible, casting silver light into hidden corners of the heart. Moonlight is quiet and contemplative, yet eternal in its pull—just like music.

This channel is where music meets both the mind and the soul.

☾ Let’s wander through the stillness and wonder of piano—one note at a time. ☽

 9/18/2028  0246   v9.0

A New Chapter: The Grand Upgrade - Brief Bit About My Piano Journey

My piano journey began in 2009, while I was deployed in Afghanistan. In the middle of that warzone, I made myself a promise: If I make it home alive, I’m going to learn to play the piano.

I did make it home—but in rough shape, far more broken than I realized at the time. During stretches of homelessness that resulted from my war traumas, I spent a lot of time at VA hospital. I stumbled upon various old pianos in those VA hospitals, and those piano keys became a kind of refuge for me. Piano gave me something steady to hold onto, a way to ground myself when everything else felt like chaos. 

I put in thousands of hours. I wrote a 300 plus page piano book. I volunteered teaching piano at a senior center. I loved playing, learning, and even teaching when I could.

Then, in 2015, I gave it all up. I sacrificed my piano dream for the sake of a marriage—a terrible marriage that ultimately failed and turned out to be worse than the nightmare of war itself. Looking back, giving up piano was a needless loss at my own expense, and one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

After divorce, heartbreak, and losing nearly everything I had worked for—my home, my family, my stability. Enough of the sad backstory. All that is what's brought me to where I am at now. Life started over for me in 2023 as I found myself living alone, trying to find myself again. So I bought a basic $400 digital piano, nothing fancy, but enough to reignite the fire. 

I started playing again, rediscovering a piece of myself I thought I had lost forever.

Two years later, I’ve grown far beyond the limits of that instrument. The plastic keys feel dead beneath my fingers, the weak speakers flatten the sound, and I can’t express the dynamics my music demands. 

Even something as fundamental as a proper crescendo is impossible. My music has outgrown my current piano. It's time to upgrade. The best is yet to come.

So now, it’s time for a serious upgrade. After much thought, I’ve chosen the Casio AP-750 Celviano Digital Upright Piano. This isn’t just a purchase—it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. With its Smart Hybrid Hammer Action and three rich grand piano tones  of famous Grand Pianos; Berlin, Hamburg (Steinway & Sons) and Vienna), it will finally give me the authentic, expressive experience I’ve been craving. 

The sound and touch will change everything. To me, this is life-altering. It’s wholeness.

This will be an instrument I cherish for a lifetime, one I’ll use for thousands of hours of practice and joy. 

My repertoire is always expanding—I rotate through hundreds of pieces, usually keeping about ten in active study at a time. Each piece unlocks something in the others, sharpening both technique and expression. 

My ultimate goal is to master 100s of songs on the piano, classical, pop, jingles, themes, etc.

It has taken me over fifteen years to reach this point, but I can now sight-read confidently and dive deep into the advanced music theory I love so much. 

This new piano feels like the perfect partner for the next stage of my journey.

About my Piano Channels:

Welcome to Piano Theory 🎶 Join me at 𝄞SunsetPiano.

🎹 Sheet Music | 🎵 Music Theory | Piano Tutorials & Insights

Why SunsetPiano?

Because music, for me, carries the same qualities as a sunset—warmth, calm, and depth. 

It is beautiful, fleeting, and eternal all at once.

This is where music meets the mind. Here, I share tutorials, deep dives into sheet music, and insights shaped by both technical study and lived experience.

Whether you’re a beginner, a theory nerd, or simply someone looking to reconnect with music—you’re welcome here. I truly love learning and teaching, and my hope is that something I share inspires you, helps you grow, or simply brings you joy.

Let’s explore the beauty of piano—one note at a time.

Why ☾Moonlight𝄞Piano☽?

Because music, to me, feels like moonlight—soft yet luminous, mysterious yet steady. It reveals what cannot always be seen, casting silver light into hidden corners of the heart. Moonlight is quiet and contemplative, yet eternal in its pull—just like music.

This is a space where music meets the mind and soul. 

☾ Let’s wander through the stillness and wonder of piano—one note at a time. ☽

#SunsetPiano

 #sheetmusic

 #sunsetpsyche

 #piano

 #musictheory

#moonlightpiano