Grade 7-8

So I recently went through my old piano books for grades 5 and 6. To be honest, the songs in there seemed to come fairly easy to me.
So I opened up the grade 7-8 book and started sight-reading tunes in there.
The first time through each song was slow, but I could use both hands and got a general feel for the timing, tune, direction, and feel of the song. A couple more times through and I was focusing on the most efficient finger positioning, pedaling, and dynamics. A couple more times through and I am fully immersed in the songs, with all of the dynamics, rhythm, flow, dramatic pauses, crescendos, decrescendos, the whole bit!

What I love most about this is that I was only certified in Grade 6 piano.
I had turned my focus to sports and voice once I completed Grade 6, so being able to play these tunes like this means that all of the work that I have done in the past few years with the YouTube channel has really paid off. Learning random songs and getting familiarized with chording, improvising, and sight-reading popular tunes, has all contributed to improved skill. What I love even more is that, although my technique has not been at the forefront of my mind when performing youtube videos, it is amazing to come back and remember the little nuances of proper technique. I love learning a combination of both and I am SO glad I kept all of these former books so that I can constantly revisit the technical side of such an instrument.

It may seem like a very small thing, but going through all of these tunes - some of which I have performed and others I have never seen - has been really exciting. And an adventure. And I love My Musical Life!