Realizing a Dream

When I was a kid, I had this dream. One day I was going to grow up and write music and perform and one day be good enough to play with Jon Schmidt. He was my idol. I would listen to his music all the time and I wanted to be just like him. One day, when i was about twelve or so, during a piano lesson my teacher, who at the time also happened to be my sister, decided to have a discussion about where I wanted to go with my music.

“I want to be exactly like Jon Schmidt,” I told her. “I want to write music, I want to see my sheet music next to his on the shelves at the store, I want to hold my original C.Ds in my hand one day, and I want to play with him. I want to sit down on the bench next to him and play a song together.”

 She kind of laughed and said, “Well that’s a nice dream, but lets look at the reality of it. I’m not saying you cant do it, I just want you to see what its gong to take. First off, you’d have to meet him, and you would have to take classes from him, and the chances of that are very slim, and you don’t even write music yet.”

She was right. I knew she was, but I couldn’t help myself from wanting it. I wanted it so bad, and for awhile I gave up. But I still dreamed about it, and finally I decided that I would at least try. I began writing music. I began going to Jon Schmidt concerts every time I had the chance, and most importantly I began hoping and believing that maybe I could make my dream a reality. 

The summer I was 18 then I signed up for a week of music classes up at the University. When I got my schedule I was surprised and beyond pleased to see that Jon Schmidt of all people was going to be doing a class on music composition! How lucky can a person be? That week was one of the best of my life. I learned so much and my music abilities improved tremendously. On the last of class, Jon asked for a volunteer to come sit at the piano and compose a song with him. I couldn’t believe my luck. Of course I volunteered and as I sat down by him on the bench I realized that some of my dreams had come true. Here I was sitting at the piano with Jon Schmidt. Here I was taking classes from him. I had finally met him and I was composing music! He played the left had and I played the right and together we played a few measures of something made up right there on the spot. It was incredible to me to see my dreams being played out. 

After that, he began to recognize me at his concerts and when I was 19 I had the opportunity to play with him again. I was participating in a 10 piano concert and the song my group was playing was called “All of Me.” One of Jon’s most popular ones. On one of the last days of rehearsal Jon showed up, much to our surprise, and played with us. I could hardly contain my excitement. He asked me if i had gone to a studio yet to make a c.d. I hadn’t yet but just by asking he motivated me to do it and just after I turned 20 I completed my very first original cd entitled Without Words. ( You can read about it or buy the cd from my website; www.johannahnielsen.weebly.com).  

It had taken awhile, 7 years, but i had finally realized my dream and now it seemed like it was all going to be taken from me. As I lay in my bed I wondered if I would ever be able to play again, and if I did, would I ever be as good as I had been?  My sister came into my room and sat down.

“You will never believe who I got a hold of,” she said. “Jon Schmidt, and he is coming here to visit you!” 

All traces of my nostalgic depression vanished. I could hardly believe her. As the day wore on though I was having a hard time and i asked her to call him back and postpone it. I just couldn’t handle it, I was having such a rough day and i wanted to feel the best i possibly could when he came. 

Finally though he came. It was a Sunday evening and I was so excited. He walked into my room and it was almost like a dream. He stood by my bed and talked to me for a bit. He was doing a concert the following Saturday which i had planned on going to but obviously couldn’t in my currant state. I was still under the influence of drugs though and i told him that i would try and come and in my mind i seriously thought it might be a possibility. He laughed and said he would dedicate a song to me if i actually made it. I didn’t of course, but the thought is what counts I guess. I was even able to give him one of my cds, which later he told me he loved. It was one of the highlights of my whole hospital stay. It lifted my spirits and gave me the motivation to keep pushing forward and get well. It also said alot about him that he was so willing to take time out of his busy schedule to visit someone like me. 

Since then I have been to several more concerts and each time I go and say hi to him after and he always gives me a hug and we talk a bit. I have learned through this experience that anything is possible. No dream is to big, and with the proper amount of hope, determination, belief and hard work you can accomplish anything. In realizing that i had actually accomplished the biggest dream that my twelve year old mind could conceive I realized that I also had the strength in me to accomplish a new dream. The dream to heal and to become whole again. Just like my other dream it would probably take awhile, it would be hard, but i could do it. I knew I could, because I had done it before. 

Now it is my dream to share my experiences with the world. To help others, if I can to realize their dreams. To show them by sharing my experiences that anything is possible. To inspire and to motivate them to continue when they feel like they can’t go on. To help them somehow, to never give up.