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A friend of mine has been trying to get me to join this forum for a couple of weeks and I'm glad I finally did! My name is Jeremiah Jones. For those of you who enjoy listening to classical piano music I am the founder and artist on www.lisztonian.com where you can find an ever-growing number of FREE classical recordings. There are currently over 70 works available on the site and I try to add 1-3 new ones every month. I just released Mozart's Sonata in F (K 300k) and will soon be releasing another Bach Prelude and Liszt's "Hymn of a Child on Awakening", followed by some Debussy, more Bach, Mozart, and Chopin.

I also provide all of my recordings through a free iTunes podcast. Just search in iTunes for "lisztonian" or "signmypiano" or browse to podcasts->music->top podcasts (it is usually somewhere between #20 and #60).

Thanks for the great forum! I look forward to being a part of it

in my intro i can say piano playing is my heart n soul.

Okay, I'm a little reticent, but here goes. I am a 64-year old college music professor in Texas.

I achieved my life-long dream two years ago when I acquired my brand new Steinway Model O grand piano, and I still have to pinch myself every day when I sit down to play to be sure I'm not dreaming. The piano has beautiful tone, especially in the bass, and I've already spent many happy hours playing Chopin (Preludes, Waltzes, Etudes - s l o w l y, Fantasie-Impromptu), Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, among others. My grandmother was my first "teacher," having graduated from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music (I think it was called) in 1904, and she and I often discussed that some day I should have a Steinway. I am principally an organist, but I have renewed interest in the piano, and I have enjoyed "lurking" on this web-site for 6 months.

So now I did it: I spoke up!

Hello Everyone,

I'm happy to join in the great discussions that go on here.

I'm a pianist and teacher and mother to 3 teenagers. At the moment I teach approximately 40 students at my studio in NE Pennsylvania. After teaching for about 40 years, I've come to the conclusion that the students of this new generation (Gen Z) aren't going to be like any students I've had in the past. They flit from one thing to another, expect immediate results, and won't work if they are bored. So I've been trying to adjust my teaching by looking for that certain something that will spark an interest in each one of them. For some it's Chopin Preludes...for others it might be Billy Joel...others want to write their own pieces. As long as they practice their technique and learn how to be good sight-readers I try to encourage them going off to follow their own passion.

I love to blog about piano at AllPiano and about indie and vintage fashion at AllChic. And I'm very happy to be a part of this terrific forum!

~Cathy~

Hello I'm another new member!
I first started piano lessons when I was in fourth grade. I grew up listening to my dad playing guitar and singing. I have always loved music and i got my first piano in third grade it wasn't the greatest it was just your average upright and two years ago I got a digital baby grand. In fifth grade I played in the school band and I played the clarinet. In sixth grade I taught myself how to play flute and in seventh I taught myself how to play sax. And it has been my dream to go to a magnet school. It is my dream to go to Walnut Hill in Boston Mass. If any one has any tips to become a better piano player I would be very greatful!
-Summer

Hi, my name is Marco. Growing up I had a Lowrey Organ in the house. I knew three cords, C, F, & G. I would play very simple melodies with these cords. I didn't go much further with my music (not counting the trombone in band, which I quit in 8th grade because I didn't like the teacher) until about 19. At 19 I asked for a keyboard for Christmas and received one. I began to teach myself and listen to a lot of classical music. One problem I would have it that at the time I was in the Coard Guard and every time I would start getting good at a song, I would have to go out to sea for two months. By the time I came home most of what I learned was lost. I did purchase a pretty nice Roland DP while in the guard. I don't remember the model but I still have it wrapped in plastic in the attic. When I got out of the guard I signed up for piano lessons. I find an older gentleman that taught "popular" music, which is basically rag time in my opinion. I kept going to him because his prices were very affordable and I didn't make much money at the time. He really pushed memorizing music and we also worked from Fake book. I became pretty good with chords, inversions, and fill ins. I was never that good at reading music. Fake music wasn't too bad but some more complex songs would still be difficult for me. After about two years I stopped taking lessons to go to college. I never stopped playing though. Having said that, I haven't learned many new songs either. A couple, but not many. I have recently gone back to lessons. This time classical, which is where my heart always was. I am focusing on reading music. I've only been back to lessons for maybe two months, and have already learned a lot. Its fascinating learning piano from two approaches. I have a long way to go, however, and reading the postings on this site can be very humbling and intimidating. But at the same time I think this site is a powerful tool for all of us. I have two small children now and plan on finishing my basement soon, which will become their play area. When that happens I will pull the Roland from the attic and set it up down there for them so they can hopefully follow in my foot steps and become much better than I'll ever be.

Hello all

i'm Deborah (debbie for short) and im 23 from tempe arizona. im currently a beginning and intermediate piano teacher at a wonderful studio. teach as young as 4 to seniors....i love my job

ive been playing piano since i was 5 (i've played violin and drums also, but piano is my passion) i'm classically trained
and going (though i'm on a short break) to school for music performance. i have tried jazz....cant play jazz (lead sheets make me nervous...i really i cant think of chords that quickly)

since last october i am without a teacher. my long time teacher and mentor retired, this was also around the time i moved out of my parents house and living with my boyfriend and three other people doesn't make for easy practice...plus i don't have a keyboard and the parents have my piano. so i practice at the studio when i can.

currently in working on Beethovens Moonlight sonata 3rd movement, Debussy's etude no 1 in c major....and whatever else i have handy.

i love experimental piano...john cages works for prepared piano, charlies ives sonatas, and what is commonly refered to as noise music....

outside of my love for classical (which btw Liszt and debussy are my favorites) i go to a lot of heavy metal concerts (lamb of god, slayer, gojira) i also listen and love more than anything to punk music...mostly 70's punk but i love all kinds. i also, like mentioned before, love noise and experimental music...


i'm currently working and a piano and stings interpretation of dostoevsky's the brothers karamozov.


well enough about me....

Hello
I've been lurking for some months an I`m a new member now.
I'm a High School music teacher and a pianist and I think this is a very friendly and helpful web.

Thank you

HalloW!

I'm PJ, a college student right now at 20. Recently switched from a Music Major to Computer Engineering (complex). I've been playing guitar for about 9 ish years now, some lessons in theory, but mostly self taught (not very well). I'd like to think I have a decent ear for music, I sing (taking voice lessons for the first time, been singing before that though, nice to fine tune it), I can play simple beats on a drumset, enjoy my cajon, and have not the slightest clue of anything on the piano but the names of the notes. *phew, run-on*

I just started a beginner's piano class, and I think I'm liking piano a lot more than the guitar. I need a break from my guitar, and though I'm terrible at it, the piano is a lot of fun, and I'm very motivated to practice. (Bought "The Piano Handbook" by Carl Humphries today because I wanted a book to give me exercises, without babying me with music, because I don't need to be babied (not so much, I hope.)

I just bought a Casio PX 130, can't wait for it to arrive. The few days that I had the PX 120 digital piano, I wasn't able to sleep before 4 or 5 AM, AND didn't touch my computer games. That's pretty amazing.

It seems like most of the people here have past experience with the piano. I am a noob. I look forward to kindly bugging you and learning from you here at pianoworld. =)

greetings all,

i've been playing piano for 26 years now and teaching for 13, but dont let the numbers mislead you regarding my age. i am younger than there are days in a month!

the rich textures and harmonies of 19th century romantic composers is where lies my passion at the piano. currently im reviving chopin's ballade no.4 which i put aside during my maternity leave. this piece i desire to put on the faculty recital scheduled february 2010- which is plenty of time to reanimate this piece!

i look forward to the exchange of ideas at pianoworld,

mstrongpianist

Hey everyone! I am a new member and not quite a stranger to the piano. In fact, my piano has quickly become my best friend after 8 years of lessons. I was a really slow learner. I started with a really tiny 15-20 or so electric keyboard. I then advanced to a bigger one (A casio) from my Papa. Later, my Piano teacher sold me her Kimball. That is when i started to practice, and enjoy it. It is Beautiful! Especially compared to my mom's old one that was left with her house. I dont remember what type it is, and although i still love it, the white parts of the keys are falling/ have fallen off and its quite beat up. The sound isn't nearly as melodic as the Kimball. Anyways, i had to quit lessons a few months after getting the Kimball because i couldn't afford them. But thats beside the point. Because i was such a slow learner, i had been using cheating tools to help me play the piano. I finally learned to read music and find keys the correct way but i still dont know chords or finger technique. I mean i guess CEG is a chord? DFA? idk
I have been practicing for years now since i quit my lessons. I can play songs like Moonlight Sonata (1st movement only) Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Serenade by Franz Schubert, I can Almost Play Petit Chien up to speed, and other songs like that. You get my rift. Anyways im not advanced but i wouldn't call myself a beginner. Any advice? Songs to work on that will improve my playing? I really hope to play Un Sospiro one day, but i know thats going to be way into the future. I hope to play the Pineapple Rag soon, but when i practice this peice, i do it very slowly. lol
I really NEED ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!

Hello all!

I'm an Eastman alum, piano performance, '06. I'm glad I found this place, it's a fantastic forum.

Tough thing for me, I don't have a piano or keyboard in my apartment. I have to travel to a university where another Eastman doctoral alum was kind enough to lend me a practice key to have access to a piano. For now, I do what I can!

Hi,my name is Paul and I have been playing my whole life. I am now 58 and play every morning for about 2 hours. I sometimes play at night but most of the time it is only in the AM. I want to start to play professinally but do not know how to get started. I take lessons from teacher who plays in a local night club. He has gotten me away from reading music and playing out of fake books. This is ok but to me it always sounds much better if you play from the sheet music.

My problem is if I play from sheet music I would have to bring a ton of music to a gig and most likely I would have trouble locating songs quickly.

Right now I am playing moonlight sonota, When I fall in love, Jim Brickmans Rocket to the Moon and a song from Enys

Hello all! I am also a new member. My piano experience lets just say is very small. Having grown up playing the Alto sax for 7 years and having it abruptly halted because of joining the service was not cool. Now that I have been in the Navy for five years I havn't touched my Sax once. So recently, while deployed to Afghan, I stumbled into a chapel and noticed a piano sitting their. I asked the Chaplain if he could play or if he could teach me. He said he would and 3 weeks later I was playing in the worship service pounding away at chords. I would come by late at night and play music from sheets, but I found it hard to play the bass hand because I grew up reading the Treble clef so it was very new to me. After I figured out how to read bass it was a slow journey to play songs. And I mean slow... It's much easier on a Sax because you can stare at the Sheets and that's all you have to do. I find myself always looking down to try and see if I am on the right note or not. So it is really hard for me to sight read at the moment maybe when I get to the point where I have memorized where all the notes are it won't be to hard, but right now it is frustrating. So I am pleased to say that I started playing four months ago, but I havn't touched a piano since I have been back and it's been 1 month. So I am currently looking for pianos to buy at the moment and am feeling the urge to want to play again. Thanks for hearing me out! Take care.

Hey all fellow pianists! I am a 40 year old teacher trying to enter onto the performance field again and it is frightening. It is very exciting and rewarding though to be forcing myself and my technique into a place where I have never really achieved the blissfull interpretation of a piece thjat one has only admired other pianists play. I think it somehow is essential to have to perform to keep yourself in top form as a teacher too....

I was here about two years ago as Kisch, but I've utterly forgotten my login details, so now I'm me.

I've just failed my LRSM for the third time, but still aim to realise my dream of becoming a child prodigy by the time I'm 40.

My latest victim is the Chopin Etude Op.25 No.1 in Ab, plus I am transcribing a lot of Bill Evans - I hope to put anything I think is tenuously accurate up on the web at some point.

I write software in the daytime.

All righty then, I learned to play when young, and did some formal study. However, there has not been that much playing of late because of a painful issue with back spasms, to say nothing of brain spasms. I would really like to be able to finish learning a piece. Or finish learning anything at all.

Perhaps reading of the experiences of others will bring the needed energy to get playing again. Because when I used to play, there was really nothing like it.

Well...here I am, after closing my PW assisted piano shopping!
I'm 40, I played the piano intermittently for 30 years, the first 5-6 almost only classical music, then mainly jazz, sometimes in a students big band, sometimes in duos or trios or occasional other ensembles.
My technique is a bit rough, but this year I took out my old excercises books (hanon, czerny, cramer..) and started again studying, making scales and arpeggios and with much pleasure I'm enjoying much more playing music: my hands are responding to the orders!!

I'm also trying to let my daughters start playing, but for the moment it's ...a work in progress.

At present I'm trying to study Mussogrsky's pictures at an exibition, Mendelsshon's adagio con variazioni op. 82 and Schubert's first improvviso. But...well, I'm trying.
Even with my poor technique, on my new piano they sound definitely better than on the clavinova!
Bye
Paolo

This is my first post. I found something amazing while practicing this evening. Discovered a set of pieces by Villa Lobos, No.2 from Bachianas Brasileiras No.4, "CORAL - Canto do Sertao (chorale - song of the jungle). On the fourth page, last stanza, are a series of chords foot-noted "press the keys down without letting hammers strike the strings". Should make a resonance somehow. But I'm not hearing anything so far. The "como um orgao" chords each follow a fully struck fortississimo chord. Reminds me of some effects in George Crumb's "A Little Suite For Christmas" for prepared piano. I have a five-foot grand with all three pedals, a 1948 Knabe with real ivory keys. Any responses welcome. I'll try to attach a jpeg of the excerpt.

Greetings. This is my first post. I'm currently working on getting my Masters in piano, after which I may pursue doctoral work/employment/generally be a starving artist. Though I tend to favor late/post-Romantic music, I've recently been fascinated by the "word jazz" of Ken Nordine. At the moment, my favorite composer is Brahms.