Just had my 2nd monthly Piano Tea Party. My neigbor and I are doing a monthly Piano Social. We had a ball! Four out of five of us can play and even the fifth could play Heart and Soul. Ate cookies, drank tea, played Estonia and ended watching male Polynesian Hula Dancers. (the warrior kind!) It's so fun to hear my piano played by others. My neighbor was tearing it up on a Chopin Polannaise's and Etudes. Cool!

It sounds like a really great time. Wish you were in the neighborhood so I could listen in ....

You couldn't just listen, SuzieQ - you have to play!

Yep, I would be glad to do that - 'course everyone would have to be patient, ' cuz I'm a beginner...But I do great KP and I am very appreciative of other musicians..

Idaho...hmmm...it's a long walk, but the party sounds better than any parties between here and there....

Hey, that's what I was talking about in my post about piano clubs! I'd love to do something like that, except we'd substitute burgers and beer for tea and cookies, and we'd *definitely* have to come up with a suitable alternative to the male hula dancers. Not that there's anything wrong with male hula dancers....

markb, whatcha waiting for? i've done a couple of these; first one was back in 2000 and had about 5 or 6 people from the forum. i believe there are even pics in the members gallery
http://www.pianoworld.com/forum_members/DallasPianoGroup1.htm

we had a ball (except for some bad wine). also attended a few others in the area. great opportunity also to play on other peoples piano. last year, did a get together with a few of the adult students from my previous teacher. it is so much fun and as teachem above said, it is really nice to be able to hear your own piano played by others.

gw

gwood, how did you find all the members? Are they all from PW, or did you advertise elsewhere? I think I'd be too embarrassed to have other people play my piano--I'm sure in most pianists' minds, my piano wouldn't even qualify as such.

Next time I hope my teacher will come if I give her more notice. She has a good friend who is an ajudicator (sp?) who is somewhat of a "Chopinophile" I hope I can gather all these people around me so I can pick their brains when they are not looking and get more "lessons" off the clock. If you hang out with people who are better than you, you can only get better!

markb, all the attendees were from this forum although i don't see any posts by them recently (i have also been away from the board for awhile.

i just noticed that there were quite a few posters from my area so i posted indicating we should get together. the response was favorable so we then arranged by email / phone from there. there were some great players there (alex, cork and patti come to mind as the stars in case they are still around). i was one of the beginners but it didn't matter. the only problem is 5 years later, i still consider myself a beginner.

gw

Boy it would be great if the same rules applied by hanging out with people better looking than you...

I really like the idea of a "piano social". Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I think I would be really intimidated but would love to spend time around people with more experience than I have. Maybe at some point we can get a group from the Seattle area together.

markallen wrote: "Boy it would be great if the same rules applied by hanging out with people better looking than you..."

Believe me, it doesn't work.

MarkAllen - There was a PW party last summer at Classical Grands in Seattle, but I don't believe you were hanging around then. Anyway - hopefully there will be another next summer someplace in Seattle. If Dr. Laul comes to Seattle I'm sure there will be some sort of gathering. There a lot of members in the Seattle area.

Teachum:

This sounds like a blast! Glad you had fun with it. You're inspiring me to want to throw a piano party.....

Michele
One of the Adagio Babes

You should, Michelle! Nice to hear from you. Happy New Years.

Hmmm - What do you have to do to be an Adagio Babe? If it's just liking adagio music, then I'm signing up!

It doesn't happen very often, but I love hearing my piano played by other people. Most of the time when I play it, I find myself listening to my playing, and I only notice the piano if I think it's starting to go out of tune. But when someone else plays it, I find myself thinking "wow, my piano sounds great!" I'll have to add this to my piano-diary as another one of my goals: "invite people over more often for playing."

By the way, it's already New Year's in Japan, Happy 2005!!!!

Edited to add: looking at the clock, it's already new year's in the US too. Ok, time to practice before the day ends!

Sounds like fun. If there is a future get together in Seattle, count me in!!

I'm not sure; I didn't name us! The name came out of piano camp (Sonata). But loving to play adagio music is a great starting point (or maybe that's as fast as I can play, ever!).

I'm kind of baiting my sis here, Michelle. She's pretty bossy and would probably have something to say about me calling myself an Adagio Babe!

You ended up by watching "male Polynesian Hula Dancers"? Now that's my kind of piano party! Did these gentleman come to the house or was it a tape? Very interesting.

It was a DVD of a Hawaiian concert. All kinds of Hawaiian music and dancers on it. NOT Don Ho!

The criteria for being an Adagio Babe are:
1) The ability and desire to play every adagio movement of every piano sonata of the great composers (listed below are the only ones who REALLY qualify);and I mean ONLY the adagio movement;playing a presto or rondo will result in your membership being immediately revoked!
2) Being able to NAME the famous adagio movements by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven (in that order). And I mean opus number and order within the opus too!

Having said that, I am only an Adagiolady, which is a handle I had on Yahoo long before I met the distinguished Adagio Babes. I personally am ready to graduate to the Andante, and as such, I will start a new, more elite club called the Andante Babes.....

Hey, I played an andante recently (Mozart K 283, 2nd mvt) but I was kinda slow, so it was really only adagio. Disqualified, or still in the club?

Are you going to leave the rest of the Adagio Babes in the dust? I think the original Adagio Babe considers you to be an Adagio Babe, too!

Get out your metronomes.....

I doubt I'll leave anyone in the dust, Adagio M. I've been doing a lot of sonatinas, but they are usually pretty fast, except for the adagio movements which are always too short in my opinion! I HATE metronomes! When I play with Adagiolady I don't need one because she shouts out the count!

No way Michele, would I leave the original Adagio Babes in the dust. I was planning on joining you, as you both (the other "babe" doesn't seem to be representing herself here, at least not that I'm aware of, hey babe from the Bay Area, where are you....??)have already graduated to faster pieces anyway! Let's just be the Allegro Babes and be done with it!

Hey Teachum,
Do you approve of my new avatar and tagline????

Oh - I didn't see Adagiolady's above post. Hmmm - I don't think I qualify. I don't think I want to play JUST the adagios!

I don't know, Adagiolady. The hair looks kinda similar. Miss Piggy might have been more fitting - but considering your midnight visitation I think it's appropriate. Maybe you've been possessed? I do like the tagline!

I'm NOT possessed. I AM his Immortal Beloved" reincarnated....