Putting Meaning Into Your Piano Playing

Hello, readers! This is Kirsten. :)
   I'm not sure if I told you this yet, but I play the piano! Well... at least, I'm learning to play. Mom has been teaching me for about a year now, but I'm nowhere near what you might call an "advanced" pianist. ;)
   In one of my lessons, Mom taught me this tip, and I'd like to share it with all of you who might be piano players. :)

When some people play the piano, they just stiffly push out the music. There's no life or meaning in the song; it just feels stale. And who wants to listen to stale piano music? If you feel like your playing could use a little improvement, then you will probably appreciate this tip.
   While playing a piece of music, in your head, imagine a scene to go along with it. Is the tune bright and lively? Imagine golden-haired children skipping through a sunny meadow, chattering about the cherry trees that just blossomed and the barn cat's new kittens. Is the song sad, slow, and melancholy? Imagine a poor orphan, gazing out the rain-streaked windowpane of a gloomy orphanage, waiting with a slowly-breaking-heart for someone to come an adopt her. Get the idea? Just wait. This gets better.
   If you are currently writing a story (or trying to... like me) then while playing your song, imagine a scene from your story to go along with it. This brings life to the scene as well as the music!
   In a nutshell, when you assign a scene to whatever song you're playing, you give it meaning. And that meaning will flow from your head, through your fingers, and into the music, giving it new depth.
   Try it! You will be pleased at how this improves your piano playing experience. :)

So, there you have it. You'll have to tell me if this works... I'm very curious to know if it will really help you!

-Kirsten

This picture is from Pinterest. :)