An AuDHD man is definitely not going to give up on the piano, no matter what everything else about his life and prior experiences may suggest, optimistic sources have reported.
Mac Wheatley, 47, has committed to becoming a virtuoso on the instrument, the playing of which is known to require hours of dedicated focus, a comfort with spending a lot of time doing things with no reward whatsoever, and an ability to stick to a daily routine for several years, all of which are attributes Wheatley is now convinced he has suddenly attained in late middle age.
Wheatley commented: “Yes, I know I tried to learn the piano four other times, when I was seven, 13, 25, and most recently just last year, and gave up each time because it was hard and boring and I wasn’t any good at it, but this time will definitely be different. I bought a book.”
Asked if his dyspraxia might also pose a problem, manual dexterity also being generally considered a prerequisite for the instrument, Wheatley responded: “I don’t see why it should. It didn’t stop me learning the mandolin, banjo, clarinet, and theremin, did it? No, what stopped me was putting them down and forgetting where I put them. And you can’t misplace a piano, they’re too big.”
Shortly after the conclusion of our interview, Wheatley posted to social media, saying “lost my piano book, so have to give up. Anyone want to buy a barely used piano?”
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