This post is about my first piano teacher, Reinaldo Whyte, who is a Panamanian concert pianist living in Alabama. I got a chance to visit him and his family for his 50th birthday last weekend. It was a great reunion, and much over due. Seeing him again made me realize how important it is to show love to people you care about, and let them know how grateful you are for their existence and influence.
My curiosity for the piano began in church, watching Reinaldo skillfully play the piano. We remembered a time I used to mimic him, raising my hands in the air as he played. My mother then asked him to teach me and he agreed after discovering my affinity toward music; and there my musical journey began. I learned the fundamentals of music, watching him play some of the most demanding pieces by Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff. There is nothing better than gifting a young person with the inspiration to learn. Looking back on my youth, I don’t remember a day I didn’t want to practice, playing like Reinaldo was my life mission. He never made mistakes, which was magical to me, he made it look effortless. Playing piano is almost like pulling a rabbit out of a hat when you think of it. Fingers glide across the keyboard, creating soundscapes, filling silence with energy, invoking feelings and emotions - all things intangible, magic.
I’ve been immersed in music most of my life and I am convinced of its power to heal. As sound is simply the movement of energy through waves, it emits a frequency equal to the state of being of the person who is transmitting it. I believe it is informed by God, and the power of its impact is dependent on the depth of connection a musician has to God, the universal consciousness, or higher power, if you will. So, if God is reflected through the music, and we believe there is a force of good in the universe, then the only rational explanation for the purpose of music is to heal humanity. Music is a very spiritual experience and I have Reinaldo to thank because my life would’ve taken a different path, had he not take me on as a student when I had the desire to learn. Now, as an artist and educator, I have the opportunity to influence people from all walks of life, exploring together the benefits of a musical experience blissfully. I have realized one of the greatest gifts we can give one another is music, so thank you maestro Reinaldo for the gift and healing.
