So guess we should start the next month's bar and since nobody else has done it yet I'll do the honors again! =) I'm submitting the Titanic song lol. U guys hear they are making it in 3D? Anyone actually going to see it? I'll pass myself. Not a big fan of the movie but I love the music! I of course was playing around with my new music software also when I did this. Hope you enjoy the audio editing too! Love my new software =) I think the sound in piano is better as well!

My Heart Will Go On
http://www.box.com/s/ag1t989ey43eivtbqf9l

Good start Ladypayne! That is a beautiful song.

ladyPayne ~ Good job on that it sounds great. I will definitely NOT be going to see Titanic in 3D. Some of my family members are big fans of the movie so I've watched that ship sink more times than I care to remember.

Excellent job ladypayne! I am so happy for your excitement with your DAW.
Allthough I do love seeing leonardo de craprio drown, I cannot watch it again.

factoid: Robin Glibb of the bee gees will be cashing in on the Anniversary of 1,496 lost souls this aprill, when it is exactly a hundred years since the demise of the titanic.

He is releasing an albumn he has been working on with ( I believe) The london symphony orchestra, or philharmonic, cant quite remember.

This Aprill, being the 100th year "anniversary" of that tragic event, will no doubt see "all things Titanic" being sold left right and centre, cue the return of the "Pink and pleasent plastic Icon company of Del Rio texas"

who will no doubt be selling Pink and pleasent plastic replica Titanics for just two dollars+ PP.
All items come complete with fully removable lost souls.

Very beautifully played, ladypayne. It's one of those strange coincidences for me personally, that the piano bar starts with this song. I was watching an interview with a man here in Iceland, who survived after his ship sunk south-east of Norway. He witnessed his shipmates being taken by the ocean and one of them died in his arms.

The interview can be watched with english subtitles (might be unaccessible because of overload.)

http://www.ruv.is/frett/kastljos/interview-eirikur-ingi-rikki

Anyway, great start of the piano bar.

Very, very excellent, ladypayne! Good sound from your new set-up and you played the music so beautifully.

Pianotehead: My grandfather, (skipper of the Stella Carina) lost his life taking supplies to Iceland in the 2ndWW...

He was taking passage on board the SS Bellona11, 8pm, 8th oct 1940... ten souls lost.

Three months earlier he had rescued 10 men from the north sea when the SS Albano drifted into a minefield and sank in less than two mins.

He picked up men out of the freezing water at night, in the dark, some of them clinging on to live mines, screaming.
They wrote letters to the newspapers describing how they owed their lives to his remarkable seamanship.

No medal, no hollywood movie.

That was great, Ladypayne! Very soothing and pleasant to listen to...

I'll try to get something new recorded soon. I've been really busy at work and haven't taken the time to work on something new...

Hey, that sounds like a good idea for a new song... "something new".

Great start to the Feb. piano bar!

Rick

ladypayne - like you I'm not a huge fan of the movie but I love this song and your performance captures the wistful, romantic mood of the original. I'm very impressed with your new found engineering and editing talents in addition to your acknowledged skills at the keyboard.

I'd like to follow up Ladypayne's somewhat nautical song with another somewhat nautical tune. This song was thought to be written in 1913 and was used as a farewell song for Māori soldiers leaving for the 1st World War.

Rostosky, I'm very sorry to hear that. I'm sure many people of the UK have grandparents and even parents who died in the war, because Britain was in the forefront of the battle, along with the United States of course. My father's brother was in a boat attacked by a German submarine (survived), but apart from sailors, our people were not put in danger at the time. At least one Icelander was in the RAF.

But sorry, it was not my intention to mislead the piano bar, just had to get this off my chest.

Pianotehead, these were merchant men, there was an Icelander on board who also lost his life. :SIGURDSSON, Bergsteinn.

Bill,
This is calming, poignant, and very pretty. Such a sweet piece of music. I really enjoyed how sensitively you played it.

Thanks Rostosky, didn't know this. Bill, I have this song on a Bing Crosby disk, very beautiful. You sing and play it excellently, as always in your covers.

LadyPayne: Beautiful song. I watched that movie a gazillion times simply to hear that song. I think your version is very beautiful.

Bill: Nice. I know this song from somewhere? It's a very soothing song.

BillM, I enjoyed that. I like that your playing is smooth, with no hesitations.

It reminds me of Aloha Oe, a farewell song from Hawaii.

excellent job BillM , and for those that are too young to know, The great and wonderfull gracie fields brought this song to prominence, and Vera lynn also sang it.. to our troups.
The origin of the song is under arguament!!

You sang it well Bill.

Good choice Bill, and great job as always.

Wow, I love a natical romantic theme almost as much as a dark gypsy romantic theme.

Rossy, I always knew you had heroic blood flowing through your veins.

LP, the variety and level of performance of your frequent offerings make me click whenever I see your name, and I'm almost never disappointed. Very nice.

Bill, um, I remember singing songs like this when I took some private singing lessons years ago, but I know this song from early cinema. I hope you are enjoying your lessons, because if this is the result, I sure am. Like LP, I love your versatility. Is there any style you can't play?

I may be totally wrong so please correct me if I am being presumptuous, but I am sticking my neck out here, I dont think Bill does "grunge" or "death metal" Not that he couldnt if he wanted to, I think he just chooses not to.

The only presumption might be that everyone would agree on the same performance style actually constituting music. I should have been more specific and said "any style of music...." I think anything that Bill heard as music he could play as music. But then again, he might be able to take something that someone else didn't hear that way and play it in a way that made it make musical sense even to them. [lol]

Hola

Haven't posted any recording in a while. I found this recording on my digital piano of the first few pages of Rach's famous prelude. I was quite surprised at how good it sounded, at least in humble opinion, and had to share it with you even though it's just the alla marcia part and start of the meno mosso.

This link should work:
box


Haven't work on it for quite some time but I'm picking it up again and was surprised at how well I still remembered the notes. I also found a recording of the moonlight sonata that I apparently played better back when I first stared practicing that piece.

edit, working link

ladypayne, that was beautifully played. SO you played the piano part on a digital piano and added the other sounds later on or was it all created with this program? Nevertheless I enjoyed listening to it.

Bill - very nicely done - serene - calming - arresting. Thanks

It says I have to log in to gain access. Is there a way you can make it public?

LP - can't seem to get the box link to work - just me?

box
does this work?

Yes, thanks. Good job on the Rach! enjoyed it.

Bill, what a lovely song, very serene and captivating. Well done as always

GrouchoMarX, lovely rach.!! May I ask how you got it out of your digital piano, did you for instance record it playing back with a mic?

OR, did you send the midi into a music program, and if so which program?

Just for info as it sounds very good.....

Hey Rick - how about "The I've Been Down & Weary So Long That If I Don't Get Something New I'll Scream Blues"?

Just askin'

Trap

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments on my piece!





I did play the part on a digital piano and recorded it with a zoom. I then added the zoom recording to the program and used a midi keyboard to play the oboe part in the program. I did a little audio editing to make the piano recording sound better then I exported it all as an mp3. Could be more work then actually playing the song! hmm. Either way it is fun to do =)




The Link should work. I just checked it. Maybe try again? Let me know if there are issues.

BillM: I haven't heard that song before. It is very beautiful!
GrouchoMarx: Very nice! I haven't heard this before either. Wonderful playing.

Groucho~ A very fine beginning on Rach's g-min prelude. I just look at the music in awe...Look forward to the finished version. Excellent work!

Glen

I connect the digital piano directly to my computer and record the track with a program called audacity. Then I just export it as a MP3 file. I should have recorded it with a bit less volume as there seems to be some unwanted noise at the ff parts.

To add to the mix, here's a tune called, Love Came on Stealthy Fingers, by Bob Dorough.

http://www.box.com/s/66n3q15ccgopjok44qys

A shorter version
http://www.box.com/s/bxumz08fiqvxvsoy7ryj

Glen

Thanks. I never initially intended to complete the whole piece I just wanted to be able to play the first few pages up until the meno mosso part. But I've really started digging the middle part so I might learn it as well. Unfortunately it contains some really tricky parts (inner melodies and such). But if I ever finish this piece I'll be sure to post the whole thing.

That's quite an accomplishment in itself, really great!

Glen, you've really mastered the art of playing these jazzy tunes with ease. There's something really natural about the way you paly, the music just flows...
I take it you've been playing the piano a long time.

Glen, very well played. A real calm tune, and jazzy too. It's always nice to discover something new.

Ladypayne: My Heart Will Go on is such a beautiful tune, and your playing was truly a delight to listen to.

Bill, as always your piano playing and voice are so relaxing to hear - I've long been watching you Youtube Channel for these old songs.

Groucho, well done on the prelude, very expressive.

Groucho: Love the Rach! His work has recently started becoming a favorite. Nicely done.

Inlanding: Very nice tune. I've never heard it before. It reminds me of something that I would hear at a Piano bar.

Groucho, Nikolaj, BeccaBb - Thanks so much for listening and your encouraging words. LCOSF is not generally popular like most standards, but it does get played now and again on our local jazz station. Bob Dorough wrote a number of fine pieces.

Groucho, I've been playing off and on for a number of years, off most of last year, now just ramping back up, getting back in shape.
Nikolaj - glad to introduce you to another beebop/cool jazz composer, even though that piece is a ballade.
BeccaBb - so happy you liked it and that it reminds you of something you'd hear in a Piano Bar - thank you so very much!

Glen

I think I'm going to contribute for the first time too. This is a simplified version of a ragtime tune called Champagne Rag by Joseph Lamb. I was going to upload The Entertainer, but the red light seriously threw me off that one for some reason. Maybe later, when I get my nerves under control.

Well done Nikolaj! Welcome to the Piano Bar! The red light throws most of us off! I seen Champagne Rag somewhere but this is the first time I heard it. I really like it.

Nikolaj~
Thank you for submitting something to the fore - your first submission!! Good work on the Joseph Lamb piece. You did a fine job on keeping tempo and bringing out some of those subtleties in dynamics and syncopation. I really enjoyed it. Look forward to more!

Glen

Simplified, maybe. Not an easy style to play in no matter what the arrangement. Very fine rendition, thanks for posting.

Okay this is the Minuet I've been working on. I'm having a lot of issues with slowing down (timing) and my slurs. I have to play with my eyes closed and count in order to prevent myself from speeding up. This peice has really been a thorn in my side with those two issues so any help appreciated!

Becca,

Good start on the minuet. I noticed you did not have your music open in front of you, is there some reason for this? I hope you don't mind a suggestion to help with what looked like a little tentativeness. I really think you would benefit from 2 or 3 days of playing the minuet VERY SLOWLY and VERY LOUD, making sure you go all the way to the keybed with every note. The idea is to do this at whatever pace will allow you to do it note perfect. You may want to break it into sections and do them individually first. Don't try to make it sound musical during this kind of practice. After 3 days or so I think you will find it much easier to play it with confidence.

Thanks Jim. I have the music closed because if I read the notes I speed up! So I closed my book and just played and counted. I will try a few days of Loud and slow. Slow has been an issue with this. Thanks for the suggestions. I will give them a shot!

Glen, excellent selection, very smooth.

Nikolaj, never heard that rag before. I like it

Hi BeccaBb~
That was really very good and you were carefully listening to what you were playing, the music.

Based on what's been said, of any suggestion I could give you at this stage would be to use a metronome to help you keep tempo - start very slowly at first and pay more attention to the notes and tempo. In a very short while you will be able to internalize the tempo and once again bring out the mood of the music you intend to express and bring it up to your desired speed.

Your results may vary, but in my experience, learning to keep tempo with a metronome is helping me to break bad habits of struggling with time.

Keep up the good work!

Glen

LP - the problem is with my main computer - for some reason all of a sudden it will not access Box, either thru links here or from the icon on my desktop - my other computer will - weird...time for NerdAlert or is it Call-a-Nerd?

Trap

GrouchoMarx - what a rousing and spirited piece! You play with real flair. Well done. I love the abrupt ending.

Inlanding - this is quite a mood changer after listening to GrouchoMarx's piece. This is quite serene and contemplative. I can see why you were drawn to this tune as it has many of the style elements that I hear in your own compositions.

Nikolaj - Very good first contribution to the Bar. I like how you keep a good steady tempo. You have a good feel for this style of music.

BeccaBb - I'm glad to see you posting your music to the Piano Bar. I'm not qualified to give you any technical help but I do think that posting your music is a great way to gain confidence. Keep 'em coming.

GrouchoMarx, that was beautiful. You played with energy and flair. I love Rachmaninov.

BeccaBb, well done, you played at a steady tempo throughout with accurate note values and no hesitations.

Nikolaj - fun piece! I love ragtime and you did a nice job here, and you made it look easy, too, which made it sound light and airy.

Bill - I have family in New Zealand, and spent 3 weeks visiting a couple of years ago. Now Is The Hour is on a couple of cds I brought back. Nice job.

Cathy

This is a song writting project of mine that failed because I never could put lyrics with it that I was satisfied with. So I recorded it as a piano solo.

I named it Stella

Joe, that is a very pretty melody. The theme paints a wonderful picture in my mind.

Regarding the lyrics,,,with your compositions, (I listened to all of them on your very fine SoundClick page by the way - fantastic!), do you pick the lyrics first, then compose the melody, or write the composition, then pick the lyrics, or something in between? Your music is wonderful! Thank you for sharing your fine talent!

Glen

Studio Joe, that is lovely. Thank you for posting it. I liked the lyrical melody, and the accompaniment went with it just right. I could happily listen to it over and over.

This is not the only thing I liked about it, but I especially want to mention that I liked that the melody stood out, rather than being lost in a too-loud left hand and a welter of undifferentiated runs and fills.

Studio Joe - Wonderful composition. I like the way you play with the theme mixing it up with some nice minor chord variations and resolves. I am a fan of your vocal work and hope you get around to putting some lyrics to this.

Too much snow outside today - working from home!!! Here's a short tune, Snowed In

Glen

Glen, usually I get an idea for lyric first and then put it to music. Sometimes I get the melody first by doodling at the keyboard.

Thanks for listening and feedback.

Glen, "Snowed In" I love the smooth jazz. You have a very good technique for this genre. Is this an improv or was it rehearsed?

Snow? It's 64 degrees this morning here.

Thank you, Joe! I put a bluesy feel to it this time - it is an improv based on a progression idea. 64 degrees in Decatur...I have 18 inches of snow on my driveway with a bit more on the way.

PS88 and Bill. Thank you for the delightful comments.

Inlanding, I am amazed at the way your right hand dances over the keys. You play with nice relaxed hands which is lovely to see. I enjoyed listening to your playing.

Studio Joe: Very nice Composition. It was very clean, making it easy to listen to.

Inlanding: nice and smooth. Very easy on the ears.

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I will be trying out all the tips.

I thought I'd check out the Piano bar and 3 pages already. One for every day of the month? looks like I got some catching up to do^_^

Thank you so much, PS88 and Becca for your kind comments!
Glen

Nice playing Ladypayne. The piano is sounding good. Nice touch with the oboe.

Sounds great everyone! Someday I will get up the nerve to post something.

Becca- one thing my teacher said to me, about speeding up and slowing down, is that I knew or was more comfortable with some parts of the song more than others. If I didn't know a part very well I'd slow down and when I got to a part I was comfortable with I'd speed up. All this time I thought I had timing issues but my teacher kindly told me it was not the case-phew. So, what I do now is if there are parts of a song that I can't play as smoothly as the rest I will isolate that part of the song and practice it over and over until is becomes as smooth and familiar as the rest. Don't know if that helps at all. But you sound great!

Inlanding - I'm loving the blues/jazz fusion of Snowed In. I had CNN on earlier and they were showing the snow coming down at Coors Field. Looks like a good day to telecommute. Great tune.

LadyPayne: Loved your rendition of My Heart Will Go On - Very cool what you're doing with your new software with the oboe and everything!

Bill: I really enjoyed Now is the Hour - wonderful haunting arrangement. It's great to hear lovely new (for me) songs like this.

Groucho: Your Rach Prelude was terrific! Doesn't sound easy but you did a great job!

Nikolaj: Champagne Rag was great - no sign of the dreaded red light there!

Inlanding: I really enjoyed your Snowed In, as well as your other compositions. Just amazing how your fingers glide so smoothly over the keyboard.

Well, I think I said I was done with the movie themes last month, but I was recently watching some figure skating on TV and thought of this one:

ICE CASTLES




And here's a little clip of the original movie from the 70's, which I haven't seen on TV for ages.. It's the story about a young skater who loses her eyesight in an accident.

Nikolaj - good job on the Rag - was this memorized (you didn't seem to be looking at the sheets)?

Trap

BeccaBb - good start on the Minuet - who's it by?

Trap

Studio Joe - lovely original tune, well played - sounds like a movie theme - maybe if you can think of it in those terms, and can associate it with a specific movie in some way, the lyrics will "write themselves" (with a little assist from you, of course).

Trap

Glen - nice, easy, delightful bluesy improv - I can picture that playing in the background on a snowy day in a mountain cabin with an adult beverage in hand, a warm fire crackling in the fireplace , and an even warmer lady snuggled up by your side...

Trap

Nikolaj, for some reason that reminded me of mario music from some old ninteno game. Well played.

Nicely done Elssa.

Trap the Minuet is from Faber Accelerated Adventures 1, otherwise it doesn't say who it's by.

ladypayne - I got your song to play on my other computer (still don't know about the main computer - geek squad contaced!) and I fully agrre with Glen's comments - excellent job





Trap

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. Much appreciated!
Groucho: Ha, yeah I suppose it does. There are actually quite a few ragtime renditions of the Mario theme on Youtube, so you're not the only one who thought of that.
Trap: Yes, I did have it memorized. Only way I could play something like that. When I play from sheets it's much slower and insecure, and I certainly could't do it for a piece like this.

And I like how the snow (it's outside my window too!) is inspiring people with wintermusic.
Elssa, Ice Castles sounds exactly like its title, twinkling icicles and bluish-white spires reaching for the sky.
Glen, Snowed In is a very calming piece. I get almost the exact feeling, Trap described, being curled up snuggly inside watching the landscape turn white and beautiful outside.

Bill- Nicely done. You do those crossovers so smoothly.

Groucho- Wow!! I love that prelude. You make it sound so damned easy. Nice recording too. Thanks for digging that out of your archives.

The unattributed pieces in Piano Adventures are by Nancy Faber.

Thanks PS. I didn't know that.

I wouldn't call playing every other note wrong making a piece sound easy ;D.

This is my first full piece on the piano. There are loads of mistakes and for some unknown reason, once I hit record I was a bag of nerves. Also I messed up the video so have just put a picture of my piano on there. Any comments would be appreciated!

PaddyD, welcome to the piano bar!

That was a very nice piece. (I don't know the song so a first time listen for me!) We all become a nervous when recording. They call it "the battle of the red dot" on here.

PaddyD, you played that really well. If this is really your first full piece then I'm all the more impressed. Really good audio quality as well, I take it it's a digital piano?

Thank you! I appreciate the lovely comment.



Thank you very much. It's my first full piece, the only other one I know is a few bars of Swan Lake. It is a digital piano (the picture in the video is one I took of mine) a Yamaha YDP161

PaddyD ~ First, welcome to the February Piano Bar! Very nice going on your first full piece to submit! Look forward to more from you. You played it with sensitivity and it was clear you were listening to what you were playing - always easier said than done, but it shows. Good job!

Thank you, all, so much, for the kind comments on Snowed In. Trap, you must know me…

In the shadow of a previously well-played New Age-style piece - from last night and a few days earlier, here is what might be considered "Alternative" ideas I've been developing - hope you find it relaxing

Around The Corner
http://www.box.com/s/j2a4n5uugpj45fu9tzs4

Nameless
http://www.box.com/s/0v16uvhlphc7i9vudde5

Glen

Yea, but I bet it makes playing it easier...

touche

PaddyD, very nicely played and I didn't notice any mistakes. Is the piece in A-flat major? Not an easy key if so.

Wow, the performances have been fantastic on the piano bar this month!

And, Glen, your Steinway sounds wonderful! No wonder the Steinway pianos are so popular (and so expensive )

Speaking of pianos, here is a little something different... it is a short video of my new-to-me 1969 model Kawai upright I bought a few weeks ago. I didn't need another piano, but I saw it on Craigslist and it was part of an estate sale just a few miles from my home... so, I went to take a look and came home with it! (Well, me and the piano mover )

My playing ain't all that good in the video (or any other time )but the video does showcase the piano.

My new-to-me Kawai upright piano...

Rick

Here is another submission from me. It is a latino song called Corazon de Nino. It was more difficult for me to play than the previous songs I've put up. It was also a bit of a pain to record but I managed somehow. So hard trying not to miss those notes! =)


Corazon De Nino
http://www.box.com/s/g0det2efh6xlb2gqxiqi



Inlanding: Very nice on all of your pieces. Lovely playing.
Nikolaj. Nice bouncy Rag! Fun tune
BeccaBb: Nice Start on this song. Keep up the good work!
Studio Joe: Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Elssa: Really pretty song. Wonderful playing.
PaddyD: Very nice on Einaudi. Great playing! Welcome to the piano bar!
Rickster: Must be so wonderful for you to be able to get these pianos. Sounds fun! Looks like it is in pretty decent condition for being so old.

PaddyD, one of my favorite pieces and you performed it very well. nicely played.

gw

I hope this isn't a duplicate post (maybe I didn't hit 'submit'). Anyway here goes. After trying several songs today and making mistake after mistake I tried this, the simplest song in my repertoire and even it is a bit hesitant in a couple of spots and the vocal a bit shaky ... ah well.

Capt'n, "Smile" is one of my favorites. You did a good job with the piano part for less than a year learning to play. I smiled at your fingering on the ending arpeggio Sometimes I do something like that.

The voice sounded good to me. I really enjoyed it.

Elssa - I've heard of the movie but never heard this song before. What a lovely tune and you play it to perfection. Thanks for posting.

PaddyD - This is a very impressive effort - a very good first recording.

CaptainKawai - good song choice - you really did a nice job with this old standard.

Hopefully illustrating the importance of going back and reworking pieces you had previously labored over and which you had polished off fairly decently, I submit these new recordings of a couple of "songs of inspiration" that I had originally tackled about 4 years ago.

I guess you could say that this process of reviewing would be the "one step back" that helps in several important ways the "two steps forward" aspect of one's forward progress in technical development (and musicality).

This first piece is from 17th century Germany and is believed to have originated with Jesuit monks, but other than that it's authorship is unknown.

Beautiful Savior



The second piece was composed by "Alice Hawthorne", which was a name that one Septimus Winner wrote under for a number of his compositions.Winner holds the dubious distinction of being the only composer who was ever charged with treason for a song he wrote. During the Civil War President Lincoln had fired General George McClellan for general incompetency (so to speak). However, George was popular with the people and there was an outcry of protest. Winner joined in by writing a song called "Give Us Back Our Old Commander: Little Mac, the People's Pride" which sold over 80,000 copies (sheets). He was arrested and charged with treason, but subsequently released when he promised to destroy all remaining copies. The following is not that song, but one that he is much better known for today (at least as Alice Hawthorne):

Whispering Hope


Trap

Trapper, that brings back memories from the years I spent as a church pianist. I've played those songs many times straight from the hymnal.

Goood job on both.

Captain Kawai - I hadn't heard that in a long time. It was great, including the vocals. The singers here on the ABF, with you now included, are some of my favorites (I don't usually listen to a lot of vocals).

JF - that took me back to my childhood in the Baptist church Wonderful hymns, and reverently played. Beautiful.

Cathy

I was thinking about putting this piece up for the recital. However; This one has too many mistakes. So I'll put it up for the piano bar, and hope it is ready for another recital down the road;)

Here is what I have so far

from Cirque Du Soleil "o" Jeux d'eau
http://www.box.com/s/xzsnh7lmppymq1ii4dj8

Ladypayne~Corazon was fantastic. You always bring new, nicely played pieces to the Piano Bar! I like it a lot.

Trap~ fine hymnal renditions. It's so good you are still playing previously mastered pieces - it keeps your ever-growing repertoire fresh and strong. Appreciate the brief historical descriptions, too - it gives a deeper meaning to the music when you know some of its history.

Captain Kawai~ Welcome to the Feb Piano Bar! It's been a long time since hearing, Smile. Excellent job accompanying yourself - that's got to be so difficult - singing and playing at the same time! Great job - look forward to hearing more of your music!

Augustina~loved thé Jeux d' eau piece. Sounds like there are some tricky sections in there - very pretty melody.

Glen

Hi everybody, I haven't posted since Christmas as I have been going strong with my exam pieces I am working on. I just tried recording them off my new to me digital and posted them to BoxNet. It was a bit faster than video editing. I linked to them in a different thread and thought I could post them here as well for comments. The Wild Horseman sounds a bit like he's stumbling around (LOL!) but I thought it was ok to post for comments. My exam isn't until April so I have time to listen to comments and make adjustments.

Also, though I've not posted comments yet I have been listening to all the Piano Bar entries this month and last and have been very impressed and motivated by all of you!

Minuet In D Minor

Sonatina in F Major

Wild Horseman

beautiful number, don't believe I've heard that before but I like it.

Very excellent playing on all three selections, Zoe. You'll do great in April!
Glen

Hi Glen and thanks so much. If I can control my nervousness I think I can do ok. Somehow I have to pretend I am alone in the room or something because I get so nervous and then my hands get really cold and then things start going crazy! But I practice just going up to the piano and playing and I think that's helping quite a bit. I appreciate your vote of
Confidence!

Ladypayne - this song is on my to play list. I don't think my copy is as difficult as yours. I like what you did with the extra sounds.

BillM - very nicely done. It made me feel like I've heard it somewhere before too. Amazing as always.

GrouchoMarx - I really liked this. The first Rach I've liked actually. It sounded excellent.

Zoe~
I think if you add to your preparation routine by playing your pieces in front of others, in venues other than yours, on different keyboards, and into your recorder, you will find yourself gaining overall confidence in very beneficial ways. The earlier you practice those things, the more comfortable you might become as it pertains your performing in front of others in an unfamiliar space. Some piano retailers have a space for recitals - perhaps you can ask them if you can borrow some time to prepare your recital pieces. It's a great experience.

Glen

Glen - there is something about your playing that amazes me. Like a magic touch or something I can't even describe or find the right words for. I listen to you play and I think all these things like very nice. Oh that note sounded nice, oh wow that part was beautiful, how does he do that. Keeps me listening to each end every Note and each one sounds so special. And of course the result of all those wonderful individual parts is like magic music.

Nicolaj - very nice. This was fun and catchy and nicely played I really enjoyed it.

BeccaB - nice! I have some thoughts that may help you with timing. Play with a metronome. do a few times through the piece with it on and then turn it off and see if you can keep the timing right. Then repeat if necessary. You will find this helps to get it internalized better. Also try counting while you play. This way you really have to concentrate on the notes. Do small sections at a time until you keep the rhythm/timing going at a steady pace. It was nicely done though and you are doing well!

ZoeCalgary, I enjoyed listening to your pieces. The Wild Horseman is a real beast, and you played it with aplomb. Who is the composer of the sonatina?

PaddyD, that was incredible. Smoothly played. Nerves did not show, and if there were mistakes, you covered them well because I didn't hear anything that sounded like a mistake.

What is it called, and who is it by? Or is it your own composition?

Thanks Cathy - glad you enjoyed them - but who's this JF guy?

TJ

Thanks, all, for the kind words. I'm reasonably pleased with my progress and enjoying learning piano immensely. So much so my guitar fingertips have gone soft!

Hi Glen,'thanks for those practice ideas. I am going to check into renting a piano room with a grand just for fun at the conservatory. I do know of one retailer who does have a performance hall. Not sure if they would let me use it though. I'll have to ask around and see what I come up with. I usually practice when the house is empty and aside from my husband and kids I don't really play for anybody except for my teacher. I need to change that.

PaddyD - very nicely Played. I Have comment Love this song very much. I think I have a way to go before I can learn it.

Thanks! It is a fun song to play but I usually have more bad playthroughs than good!

The sonatina is by Samuel Wesley. Op. 4, no. 8

Thanks so much, Bill, for the nice words.

Well, still on a movie theme jag, so here's one more..

Theme from Romeo & Juliet (A Time for Us)

Inlanding - Around the Corner sounds very much like the kind of music one hears in those upscale gift shops often found in tourist towns. I can imagine sounds of nature in the background (crickets, soft waterfalls, etc.) Since I have a fairly severe case of tinnitus I didn't have to imagine the crickets. A thoughtful and contemplative tune.

Nameless has a more bluesy, soulful feel to it. Perfect for a late night bar scene in a film noir. As always, your playing is sublime.

ladypayne - I'm really enjoying the highly produced sound of your latest recordings. Your playing is quite good on this piece - you bring real energy to the performance.

TrapperJohn - I love listening to the old hymns. Your recordings put me in a peaceful and quiet place. You do well on everything you play but your treatment of sacred music is special.

Augustina - the pieces you are choosing seem to be more and more complex. You are pretty close to having this completely under your fingers. Good job.

ZoeCalgary - Very nice job! You play these with confidence and without hesitation. I also think you will do fine in April.

Elssa - Another of my favorite movie themes. This one works perfectly with the World Renowned Elssa Style. I like how you kind of simplified the bridge in contrast with the verses.

Glen - Around the Corner: very nice and yes relaxing. Nameless: I really liked this one. A really unique and interesting sound to it. Made me wish there was more. As always Glen very nice playing and I really like the sound of your piano. It just mesmorizes me. I wish I knew how to come up with pieces like this that have a unique characteristic.

Thanks Glen - I learned early in my studies the importance of review - it reinforces techniques you encountered before and gives you a good chance to typically do a better job on pieces you might not have been totally satisfied with before.

It also gives you some easier pieces to have fun with, play with more confidence and musicality, and enjoy more completely while you're knocking yourself out working haltingly and frustratingly on the harder pieces in your current repertoire.

Trap

Elssa - A Time For Us is one of my all time favorites and your playing of
It was great. Nice!

Glen, beautifully played. Just smooth, sweet and mellow.

Thanks Bill - I practice sacred music very religiously - which oddly one can do even if one is not necessarily religious - not that I'm saying that I'm not religious - in fact, I've always been an agnostic on being agnostic

Trap

Thanks, all, for your kind comments! I had fun with it, especially the cross-hands part in the bridge.

Augustina: I really enjoyed your piece - interesting, great arrangement and playing!

ZoeCalgary: Wonderful job with all 3 pieces! Very nice smooth playing.

Ladypayne: Terrific, lively piece - love the latin syncopated rhythms. Great job!

Trapperjohn - I just listened to your songs. Very nicely played and they were very peaceful to listen to.

Rickster - I just watched your video on your new piano. Nice! I dont think I've seen an upright with such a large music desk. It sounds nice. I can see why you got it!

Zoe, Peyton, Bill~ Thank you so very much for the encouraging comments on the improvisations. Makes me want to get back to the piano

Elssa ~ Really enjoyed your rendition of the Romeo and Juliet Love theme!

Glen