Play It Again: An Amateur Against the Impossible

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As editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger navigates the relentless twenty-four-hour news cycle, but he increasingly feels drawn to music, particularly the piano. He sets himself the ambitious goal of fluently learning Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor, one of the most challenging Romantic pieces. This task is daunting under normal circumstances, but the year he chooses is filled with intense events, including WikiLeaks' release of state secrets and revelations about phone hacking at News of the World. Rusbridger reflects that if he had known the dramatic challenges ahead in his professional life, he might have reconsidered his musical commitment. The year also includes significant global events like the Japanese tsunami, the Arab Spring, and the death of Osama Bin Laden. Despite these distractions, he aims to carve out twenty minutes each day for practice, highlighting the struggle to maintain focus amidst chaos. His engaging narrative about mastering the Ballade transcends mere musical achievement, exploring themes of discipline, desire, and the importance of nurturing one's inner life in a world filled with deadlines and distractions.