Comments appreciated on my son's rendition of this piece. He was discouraged from using pedal on this piece until he achieved a certain level of competence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-doU77QCvp4&feature=em-share_video_user

Exquisite! He's far beyond simply learning the piece, but still doesn't quite convey mastery of it - all in good time, perhaps. It was an enjoyable listen/view.

I agree, a very nice performance from a talented youngster. I'm sure it already is, but if I might add, expression should be a major focal point for his musical development. The younger a musician can begin to grasp these concepts, the better. At such a young age, you can even start with imitation--find a performance he likes and try to emulate it. Eventually, it will lead to finding his own voice. Imitation leads to individualization, provided the artist is actively taking part in the listening process--why did the emulated artist make the musical decisions they made, how can I make those same decisions, and what different decisions would I make? It's an exercise, especially for young people, that really gets the creative juices flowing.

Thank you Bobpickle and Derulux for your comments. I hadn't been able to respond earlier as I we had been on vacation and have only just returned. Yes I agree that the musicality aspect has to be developed. To that end I try to take him to recitals and cocerts at our local Symphony hall. We also listen to many different recordings at home. Perhaps the musicality aspect of it is the hardest to develop for someone who has just turned 9. His life experiences are just so limited at his age and he has yet to experience the full range of human emotions. Derulux, your suggestion of imitation is a good one and I shall take it on board. I have read famous artists say they will not listen to any recording of a piece they are learning so that they will not be coloured in their mental conception of the music and thus be able to offer an unique and fresh perspective. I suppose if you are already a mature and accomplished artist, that may work but its probably too much to ask of a child.

No problem, I was happy to respond.

I would say, in pretty colorful language, that these famous artists are full of it. They have already listened to thousands of recordings of most pieces. The first thing I tell beginning writers when they are learning the craft of writing is to read as much as possible. The best way to improve your writing is to read. Similarly, the first thing I tell amateur fighters to do is to watch videos of other fighters (particularly their opponents, but not always). Learn new techniques. Learn defenses. Learn how to fight and think like your opponent so you can beat them. The first thing I tell clients when consulting on business strategy is to study the strategy of other businesses, particularly competitors. In every field, in every walk of life, the more information, the more stimulation, the more input your brain receives, the greater creativity and output it will have. The mantra, "Put nothing in, get nothing out," is no more vivid and precise than in this context.