After years of obsessive learning, my piano sits silent – and I’m happy with that | Brian Hanson-Harding

After retiring, I finally had time to practise. But I soon realised that playing and making music are two different things

On a hot June day in 2015, I retired after 34 years of teaching high school. I packed up my classroom, went home and tossed my briefcase in the attic. Then, I drove to meet my new piano teacher, Mark.

I had worked for more than three decades as a busy English teacher with an endless stream of papers to mark and precious little time to experiment or learn new skills. Now, I was determined to make up for all I had been missing. I wanted to finally master the piano and learn how to make music.

Brian Hanson-Harding is a retired English teacher living near New York City. He has written for publications including the New York Times, New Jersey Monthly and Working Mother