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This is a busy group. The chart sounds interesting. Looking forward to hearing Lunar Eclipse and some Bach (it grows on you). Congrats on the recital successes and the determination to play well for others. We all want to enhance any talent we do have don't we.

Ah CAS you asked about the exam. It was a success and a failure. A success because I worked hard, learned a lot, and lived through it. A success because I played the 3 repertoire pieces reasonably well...the Bach only a minor glitch...the Mozart I got back on track...the Karganov only a minor glitch. The etudes very well both the Tchaikovsky was nice and so was the Burgmuller. BUT the embarrassing and probably failing part of the exam was the first part when my hands had an attack of nerves and spazzed out on me making it utterly impossible to play any scale correctly. PLUS they asked for bits of this scale and bits of that scale and I was not mentally prepared to think of them that way. To set up the nerves I was up on a stage under hot lights with the two reviewers sitting down in the dark with expressionless faces. I imagine they felt my pain. I'm laughing about it today...but I've lived to tell the tale. Where were the betablockers when I needed them.

WiseBuff, I'm sure you did it better than you think. Nerve attack is fairly common and the judged won't punish anyone who played all the pieces. You may not get more than 90% as you are used to in life (high achiever, you!) but you will pass. Besides you are not going for teacher's cert. IMHO it's ALWAYs the person who thinks they did worse actually did good. You play beautifully as I witnessed. I know you know all the theory you needed to know. It's just the nerves. I would be really surprised if reviewers did not see that. In a way if they could not even see that and did not ask alternative questions like "how many sharps does D major have? What is the tonic for D major. Now do you want to start it again?", they aren't very good. You are a winner to me no matter what the result is. I will someday sit for an exam. I admire you deciplined yourself enough to practice, learn the theory etc. I know you have a professional life.

Hiya WiseBuff

Thanks for your kind words. I posted Lunar Eclipse to the Ecco Fatto Café last month but it certainly wasn't too polished at the time. Hope you like it anyways.

Sorry your recital or exam didn't go as well as you had wanted. I never feel good about my performances either but each one helps with my nerves. I try to focus on what went well and forget the rest except to try and improve it if it's a keeper piece.

For everyone else, congratulations for your many achievements. Did not have time to post but I was reading them at night applauding some of you faced recitals bravely.

I finally had a good lesson for Mozart sonata I'm working on. I passed my original speed goal and can play it through with a bunch of bumps here and there. My teacher said that she was pleased that I was finally getting there. I need to fix articulation, dynamics and learn how to play with the other part (piano 2). From this week, we are going to start playing together at the college using two puanos. My teacher will do the piano 2 and I play my piano 1 part. She also record her part so that I can play along. The college has a piano lab. Does any of u know how to record it to CD? She wants me yo hold off on the Chopin nocturn until I finish Mozart but start Rach Elergy which should come easier for me for the summer piano studio at the college. That's what she said. I will see.

I started taking organ lessons a month ago. It's actually helping my piano in unexpected way. In order to play organ, You almoat have to be able to play by the feel for both hands and feet. So my teacher is giving me all kinds of exercize for my fingers and feet. I just tried sight reading Chopin's prelude in b minor and amazed I could play it at first sight without looking at the keyboard very much. So it's my accomplishment I guess. Have a good week.

My AOTW is to get up the nerve to ask what I considered a dumb question and get answers from several people. These all helped me conquer a difficult problem I had with counting LH part of CBT Sorrento. I have made very good progress on it since. I'm now convinced the only stoopid question is the one you don't ask for help with.

I'm ready now to put hands together on this piece and buff up the thing. This could take weeks or months even heehee.

WiseBuff - I'm with FarmGirl - I bet you passed.

But wow, a lighted stage with the audience in the dark for an exam! That seems, er, over the top I don't think I've ever played with the audience in the dark. At least you'll have experience and be ready for your Carnegie Hall debut, right?

How cool that the pieces went well. As for the scales - I would have been surprised with "starting in the middle" - live and learn I guess.

I'm looking forward to hearing the scales pieces at a piano party.

FarmGirl - how fun to start organ! I played a little when I was a kid. Looking back now at my sheet music and the organ from that time I have the feeling the teacher was really trying desperately to find some way to keep my interested. How do you think your dogs will respond when you buy one for your home?

casinitaly - music with friends - the absolute best

Cathy

Wisebuff, that sounds like a very challenging venue to do an exam! A lighted stage and the examiners in the darkened audience. Eeek! It is an achievement just getting through that. I have never heard of starting scales in the middle. It sounds like you did really well though!

Casinitaly -Isn't it fun with something just clicks and you can apply it to other pieces? I love that! Don't worry about your difficulty playing for friends. Sometimes the brain and the fingers just decide not to communicate with each other. I have had more than one "train-wreck" performance for friends and neighbors. It just takes a little more prosecco. (Just kidding). At least you had the advantage to play guitar! I am hoping it gets easier with practice. It sounds like you did great last week at the restaurant playing opportunity!

I don't have a specific achievement this week, just steady progress. I added a new Grieg piece - Valse Impromptu 47 1. It is quite fast, so it should be a challenge. I am having so much fun with the Debussy and the Liszt! They are in the polishing stage, and I am enjoying putting heart into them. This is when playing piano is really rewarding!

Thank you all for your wisdom and support. It's humbling to botch something as badly as I did the scales. BUT I've made vast improvements in playing for others. A few years ago the adrenylin attack happened with pieces and now I can play pieces without total trauma. I know that these experiences are important for me to improve. If I didn't pass maybe I'll just move on to level 6. LOL.

My recent recital was nothing compared to your exams, WiseBuff!!! Good for you to be taking on this challenge!! Bet you did great!!

Wisebuff - wow. I would have been terribly intimidated!
I've never heard of starting scales in the middle? That sounds odd. Did your teacher give you any idea that they might ask for that (I don't think so....)

The repertoire part of your exam seems to have gone very well - and it is true that teachers and (I would think) examiners can tell the difference between not knowing your material and an attack of nerves.

I have no idea what % of your mark the scales count for but I would certainly hope it is significantly less than the repertoire! When will you get the results?

No matter what the results are, you seem to have recovered from your dismay at flubbing very well and you are walking away from this with a great attitude for the next adventure!

FarmGirl - Your piano (and organ) life sounds so rich right now! I'm so happy for you.

Jotur, you're right - even with flubs there's nothing like having fun with music with friends!

SwissMs...I don't think the prosecco helps my performance any ..lol. I flubbed at the restaurant last week too but somehow that felt more "acceptable" as it was really noisy and in front of at least 40 people. I could understand that throwing me off a bit. Anyway I'm not dwelling on it, just working on new strategies. I may just start inviting friends over for a coffee and to listen to me play lol.... They'll have to be really good buddies!
I'm listening to your Grieg waltz and looked at the score. Mamma mia ! You like a challenge don't you? I look forward to hearing it!

flubbing very well - that's always *my* goal

Cathy

Exam results come in 4-6 weeks. It was intimidating but also illuminating because I found that I didn't know how to break the scales down quickly and randomly. They didn't really have me start in the middle but for instance I practiced E flat by doing the 2 octave scale, then the chords (blocked and broken), then the dominant seventh (blocked and broken), then the arpeggios (and so on with all the keys). There were 8 keys for this level and I knew all 8. BUT they asked it like this: A major two octave; E major right hand two octave; C# minor left hand melodic; C minor formula pattern; F# major blocked dominant 7 etc etc. My mind was jumping all over the place trying to keep up.

This is not something that most of us as adults work on like that. My teacher has never sent a student to the Music development RCM exams AND it doesn't give you that much guidance in the books (I bought every practice book they offered). What I've learned is how much the chord practice is helping me see patterns faster and move faster. The scales are making my fingers more agile. Granted I'll never keep up with those little stars that preceded and followed me on Saturday but I can only improve me.

Torquenale - Bravo for completing your first recital. It really doesn't matter if you struggled a bit at first, almost everyone does. My experience is that it does get easier every year.

Dynamobt - Great job on your recital. Those hands do sometimes feel like they are attached to someone else's body don't they? We all build these things up in our minds so much that it is a wonder we can move our hands at all. My wife said something on Saturday after I played my piece for her that really helped me...she said I looked so grim and intent, just enjoy the music, I know you like it. Well she was right, and when I followed her advice I could almost feel the tension fall from my hands.

Wisebuff - Wow. Starting scales in the middle....hmmmm...nope I would definitely mess up my fingering on the first try. And on a stage...in front of judges...faceless inquisitors in the dark?.......fugggggggetttaboutitttt. I'm also betting you passed...good job on the rep pieces!

Cheryl - You are right, putting yourself in front of people as often as possible is the key to overcoming these performance anxieties. I pity any poor soul who walks into my house because there is a 99% probability that I am going to play the piano for them, whether they want me to or not. Friends, relatives, the pool guy, delivery people... doesn't matter to me, they're all gonna get a dose of GiacomoF, good or bad.

My AOTW - I survived my third recital with only a small fingering glitch in the first few bars, but after that it went pretty smoothly. I got to the venue an hour early so I could play it through once on that piano...wish THAT ONE had been my performance because it was without doubt the best single play of it I'd ever had.

Then I had two curveballs thrown my way. First, my teacher hands me a program and I look down and see she has me playing second to last....yikes I know from experience that she puts her more advanced students at the end...that's not where I think I belong. So that got me a little stressed, and it didn't help when one of the other adult students came over and told me he was setting up a video cam on tripod about four feet from the piano and it would be running during the last half of the program. Yikes, now I'm gonna get filmed doing this?

Anyway, it went ok. After the formal program there were snacks and beverages...I saw an opening and went for it...up to the piano and played a nice rendition of All the Things You Are...even got a random clap or two. Next year I'm gonna make sure I have three or four cocktail tunes I can ham it up with. Later over a beer I gave a huge sigh of relief. Whewww, don't have to think about that again until next year, but I will remember it was easier than last year and easier still than the year before. I could almost learn to enjoy this with some practice.

I hope next year it will be easier! The funny thing is that before the recital I could try the piano for a couple of minutes, but the keyboard looked really unfamiliar to me, like I'd never seen one. And I had the same feeling when I had to play. That did not help.


This is my problem; I'm shy and I don't want to impose my pieces to anybody who did not ask to hear me. I don't want to look like one of those persons who show you hundreds of (horrible) pictures from their last holiday without being asked to do so.
I should improve on this side, and play in front of others every time I can; it's a skill, and as such it needs dedication.


BRAVO! So will your recital appear on youtube?

By the way, now am I allowed to grab one of those nice grands to put in the signature? How can I do?

In reverse order....

Torquenale, this is what you need for your siggy

[ img ]http://www.pianoworld.com/ABF_Medals/medal_c_1.jpg[ /img ]

Just copy and paste, - and remove the spaces inside the [ ] .

Jim - congrats on your recital - you sure did get a couple of curve balls thrown your way, but you seem to have coped very well! It would be fun to see the video!

Wisebuff--- thanks for explaining the details of the scales etc. I can see how confusing that could be!!!

Respectfully. [censored] them.

I spent about 25 years avoiding performing for anyone and it was among the worst possible things I could have done in terms of musicianship. I'm working hard now to undo a really strong mental block that's been built up for far too long.

You don't have to trot out every single piece you've worked on in the past two years, but if your friends won't listen to you perform a piece or two that you've been working on hard, they're not your friends. No matter whether your performance comes off or not.

And, honestly, they'll probably enjoy it and they'll be flattered you asked.

Music is hard enough. Don't impose unproductive and arbitrary limits on yourself.

me, on Youtube? NOT

WiseBuff has clarified that the examiners did *not* ask for scales to be started in the middle. Instead, they asked for a sampling of single isolated technique exercises, rather than asking for all the technique learned in a certain order.

I knew they wouldn't ask for everything, from reading that somewhere in all the materials the RCM makes available. So I prepared for that by making a deck of index cards, one card for each exercise and key, and shuffling them each time I practiced. I also alternated which hand I started with, and this was also good preparation because for HS exercises the examiner only asked for one hand or the other.

PianoStudent88: Your technique is exactly what I thought I'd do to prepare if I'd have had any inkling of what they would do. Maybe next time. Hey it took me two times to pass the motorcycle license exam so I can pick myself up and try again.

Today some composer played on the main square in my city. A huge crowd was gathered. He is some guy from Germany born in Italy and he has 9 albums. Similar in style to Eunaudi.

I asked him if I could play one of my compositions, it was a grand piano with an amplifier.

I sat and played, my feet were shacking uncontrollably by the time I was done. The crowd applauded me there was people everywhere behind me in front of me on the side, the piano could be heard from far far away, I finished in a very impressive manner with double octaves in chromatic order descending to the tonic and people seemed to love it. For me it's easy to play them fast but for someone who hasn't played it sounds very impressive.

Here is the guy, his name is Davide Martello, here is a picture I snapped:



That was a great experience! I am glad I had the courage to sit and play there.