The loneliness of practice

The loneliness of practicing piano by yourself is something many musicians know well—but don’t often talk about.

It’s just you… and the keys.

No applause.
No feedback.
No one to say, “Wow, that sounded beautiful.”

Just repetition.
Correction.
Trying again.
And again.

You might feel:

• Disconnected, like your effort is echoing into a void.

• Frustrated, because progress feels slow and invisible.

• Unseen, even though you’re working so hard.

But here’s a quiet truth: this solitude is where the magic grows.

In that stillness, your hands start to know the way.
Your ear sharpens.
Your touch deepens.
Your soul begins to find its voice—raw, honest, undistracted.

You're not really alone.
You're with every composer whose music you touch.
You're with every version of yourself that ever sat at that bench and didn’t give up.
You're with the future audience who will feel what you're pouring into the keys right now.

So if you’re practicing alone—know this:

That room may be silent.
But it is not empty.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are billions and billions of stories out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve