[Unit Project 1] My Treasure Piano.

 My artifact is piano made from YAMAHA. These types of pianos called “Upright Piano.” This type is compact because the depth is short. Its color is black, and it has two legs, one chair and three pedals. The height is about 120cm. The width is about 150cm. 

  YAMAHA is a most popular instrument bland in Japan. My parents bought me when I was first grade of elementary school. Since I entered elementary school, I wanted to take lessons something. And I heard that piano lesson school placed at nearby my house, so I decide to take piano lesson. I wanted to play piano well, so I was excited! Therefore, my parents give me this big piano to play the piano for many years. 

 

 I started piano lesson when I was first grade of elementary school. I started it with songs which I can play easily. I forgot what songs I played when I started, but I remember that I played with one finger. It is difficult for me who are 6 years old to play with all fingers. It is because my hand was so small, and I couldn't open my hand widely at that time. The keyboard is heavy to push, so I had a hard time getting used to it. I gradually improve, I was able to play difficult songs such as "Turkish march", "Arabesque", and so on. YAMAHA hold a piano concert once a year, so I practice difficult songs for it. I played my piano every day during the preparation period for the concert.

 

 In concert season, I had to memorize piano sheet because I can't see piano score in concert. It was difficult works. On the day of the concert, I couldn't memorize piano sheet enough, then I was nervous at behind of stage.

 "Oh my god! I can't remember piano score." I spoke. "I forgot first sound because I am so nervous now."

 "Calm down, if you can't remember sounds, your finger remembering it." My piano teacher said. "You can do it!"

 After short conversation, I was pushed to the stage. I'm not mentally ready!

 My both hands are trembling. 

 I sit down the chair. I must start my performance. However, I don't know what finger first? What is the movement of the left hand?

 Audience is watching me. I must perform right now!

 I didn't have confidence in myself, but I started. Fortunately, my finger remembered how to move! I can perform.

 Sometimes I mistaken, but I get it done! I felt relieved.

 Piano culture began to spread to the private sector in the late Meiji period. The first domestically produced piano in Japan was made in 1900. Pianos were expensive at the time, so pianos were owned by the upper class or some wealthy families.

 The piano became popular in postwar Japan. In 1980. Japan produced 390,000 pianos. Every Japanese school’s music room has piano. Japanese people are familiar with the piano from an early age. So, Japanese like piano and piano sounds. Japan's popular lessons that parents want to give children (most of girls) is piano. There are 2,000,000 people who play piano in Japan. Also, the 80% of them are children.

 In addition, the popularity of electronic pianos has been increasing over the past ten years, and the penetration rate has also increased accordingly. Electronic pianos started to make in 1960s. Electronic piano is cheaper than nominal piano, however it has the sound of nearly grand piano’s sound.