I started taking piano lessons at the age of five.  By the age of five and a half, I was loudly bragging to my entire kindergarten class that I could play Chopsticks perfectly.  I am not sure why I was so infatuated with the idea of receiving classical training on an instrument; at the time, I already had about two years of clamorous experience. My favorite activity was joyfully banging away at the decrepit bundle of keys slumped against the wall in my living room and scream-singing every song I knew while mapping out which keys on the piano could sing the same song. I was a passionate mess.  My mom tells me that I would sit for hours trying to find a musical illustration for my abundant energy and emotion, and after years of disciplined daily practice, I realized that my experience with the piano has lead me right back to where I started...