Don’t Tell Me I Can’t… …learn to play an instrument
Bryony Pearce was determined to prove everyone wrong
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been told I was ‘tone deaf’. From being thrown out of the choir when I was eight because I was too loud and out of tune, to being told to be quiet by my mum. But I love singing and music, I always have.
My grandad had been an aspiring jazz pianist and his father played the organ at St Paul’s Cathedral. My mum always said the music gene had skipped a generation, because she wasn’t very musical, and she suspected it’d skipped me as well.
As I got older, I accepted music wasn’t for me and after university, I forged a successful career, writing fiction for young adults. When I met Andy, in October 1996, I was wracked with jealousy that he had learnt to play the violin. Whenever I heard him play, I was envious of the beautiful music he created.
When our children were born – Maisie, in 2005 and Riley, in 2008 – I knew straight away I wanted them to learn an instrument and aged six, Maisie took up the violin, with Riley learning to play the saxophone a few years later. I’d watch Maisie, full of concentration, as she quickly learnt to play everything from nursery rhymes to classical pieces. She looked so happy when she played, and I admired her sense of accomplishment.
Eventually, she and Andy started playing together and in July 2019, they sat their Grade 8 exams. I was so proud, and as time went on, my own desire to play increased, although I kept it to myself.
I was convinced that being ‘tone deaf’, I’d be useless, and at 42, I worried it was too late to learn something new. But the cello intrigued me, especially because it would work so nicely with the violins, and I just couldn’t shake my desire to learn.
So in October 2018, I decided to book a taster session. I borrowed a cello from a local teacher, learnt how to hold it and play a few notes. I enjoyed the lesson so much, I bought a second-hand cello. I started practising every evening, and had lessons once a week. Finding the time to practise was challenging, and getting my fingers right, but I surprised myself by learning to read music and playing a few songs.
In December 2019, I took my Grade 4 exam. I played a folk song and two classical pieces and when I passed, I was so elated, I couldn’t believe it. Now, I’m working
‘I COULDN’T SHAKE THE DESIRE’
towards my Grade 6 exam and Andy, Maisie, 15, and Riley, 12, and I play regularly. Our favourite renditions include The Haydn Quartet by Mozart. I’ve not performed in front of anyone other than my family though, but I hope to build up my confidence soon and my goal is to play in an orchestra.
I’m so glad that I didn’t let my age or being told I was ‘tone deaf’ stop me from doing something I’ve become passionate about. I’ve proved everyone wrong, and I couldn’t be more proud of myself. ✱Bryony’s new adult thriller novel, The Girl on the Platform, is out now (£8.99, PB, Avon Books), available at amazon.co.uk