For a long time the “about me” section on my Facebook and MySpace (remember MySpace?) profiles included something along the lines of “teaching myself to play piano.”

That prompted more than one person to ask the obvious–did I eventually learn how to play?

The answer I guess is in the ear of the beholder. I can punch the keys in an order that makes songs. I have retained a small bit of my ability to read music from my elementary school foray into playing the violin. So in short, I can kind of play the piano.

In fact, I know one complete song that can be found on a commercially successful album. I’ll give you a second to try to guess which song it is. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

Think you know it? Well, you’re wrong. It’s Vanessa Carlton’s “Twilight” and it is ridiculously easy to play. Here’s her version, with a little help from some additional instruments.

Now my international music debut, which only includes the piano part (she wouldn’t come over and sing for you):

Wow, that was amazing. Of course, I am no one-trick pony. As I said that is the only complete song that I know. But my repertoire includes a number of song beginnings that for one reason or another were never followed by learning the rest of the song. For your enjoyment, I made a medley of such songs:

In order, that was:

-Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” in some sort of key
-Missy Higgins’ “They Weren’t There“
-Delta Goodrem’s “Not Me, Not I“
-Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”
-Norah Jones’ “Not Too Late“
-Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” (with extra joy!)

A standing ovation is not necessary, though if you want to politely applaud I think that might be appropriate.