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Ok, update

Tonight, after a long and, for reasons I won't go into, unhappy day - I sat down to play some of my rusty repertoire and ......and.....

I was playing without any tension what so ever, with dynamics as I would like to have them, using the pedal effectively with my fingertips lightly dancing over the key, as in a dream.

It felt so free and light and smooth - THIS IS what is is all about. A rare and wonderful (and I pray to be repeated) moment!

casinitaly, how wonderful!

Way to go casinitaly!!!

Ohhkay. I am in NY. I have been practicing everyday on my company's Yamaha grand. Unfortunately it does not have the music stand, so I have to put up my music half open on the piano so that it would stand on its own until it gives in to the commotion and collapse on me.. It's going ok. The cleaning lady and security guys are not approaching me and letting me play. After all I have the permission to play, you know. I practiced Mozart and my old pieces that I'm going to play in the church, f minor prelude and Brahms piece. I will do Mendelssohn tomorrow. I need to practice organ music too. I need to figure out how to make it stand up. The piano is not a very good one but I started making personal connections now. I can bring out decent sound. There are 3 keys really out of tune but the rest of the keys are playable. Better than nothing. The company should be happy too. I don't go out to eat expensive food since I would like to play the piano. Sandwich is good enough.

That's really cool. I know the feeling. That's the moment I strive for too

Congratulations... You've discovered the Holy Grail. I can give so many examples from so many points of view that support this. I hope I don't sound vain. It is true. You can obtain that mental state. Accomplish beyond your wildest dreams.
Many people won't accept it. They must discover it on their own.



Congrats FarmGirl.... Are you going to try to tune those three keys? I know it must be tempting. Can't get any worse? Also... I know there is a nice Italian restaurant in Manhattan named: Paisano's. They deliver!

Nice to see people doing good. I confess...I'm too lazy to go back anymore than a couple posts to reply specifically.

I can say I have discovered what it is that so many people here experience with just wanting to play a certain piece of music. My teacher, in her wisdom, has encouraged me to work on a piece that I really love. It's over my head. But it's working. Got me thinking of the keyboard as soon as I wake up. Had to play a little before leaving for work. Couldn't resist. Zero in on it as soon as I get home. Geesh...practiced for 5 hours tonight. I'm still a ding dong player. At least I'm getting practice in. And....only the right hand...and only 6 bars....it's beginning to resemble what it's supposed to sound like.

FarmGirl, will your company let you bring in a tech?

Tonight was my school's annual recital. Me and 30 8 year-olds! I had a biff early in my Prelude in C, but after I got that out of the way, settled down and it went well.

Plowboy - congrats on overcoming the biff and doing well. And for having the what-ever-it-takes to play with the kids. I just couldn't get comfortable with that idea.
(I will go to their recital tonight though as I want to cheer on 2 of my young friends - the 11 year old who has his lesson before me is playing a Verdi Prelude from La Traviata, and the 14 yr old who has been playing the duet with me is playing Mozart and accompanying a flautist!)

FarmGirl - I'm glad you got the go ahead to use the company piano!!! Boo hiss on those over zealous security guards.

Thanks everyone for joining in my excitement of hmm, being in the zone? lol.... I don't know what to call it but it was wonderful - an epiphany.

Ron I'm so curious - which piece has your teacher "hooked" you on????

And now...time to get organized for the work day!

Buona giornata a tutti!

Schindler's List Theme by John Williams

Ooooooh - very very nice! I would be hooked too!

Yay! It's these moments that make all the hard work and study so rewarding. Congratulations Cas .

Me too! I dream of the day when I can just immerse myself in the music and ignore anyone that happens to be listening!

If you figure out the magic formula for this awkward phase, let me know. I do the same thing!

Sorry you were under the weather. 2 1/2 hours is a really good practice!

- I am enjoying all the background on pieces that you have provided. It makes the music so much more personal!

- Don't worry about trying to keep up with comments to everyone. I do it when I have time, and at other times I am only able to reply to a few. It is not expected, and we all do what we can.

Isn't it great to get started on a new project? Bach is always good for a challenge!

It is great that you inspired others to consider playing piano! You could have a piano club!

Learning two new songs is an achievement. Will we get to hear them in recital or piano bar?

That is a very pretty piece. Mozart is never easy!

Ah, this is what it is all about! Congratulations for feeling that flow! I think as adult amateurs we have a hard time letting go of the self judging or the fear of making mistakes, and just play uninhibited. It must have been a wonderful feeling to be so one with the music.

- I think it is fantastic that your company has a grand piano that you can practice on while you are at headquarters. That is a pretty nice perk!

I know what you mean about getting excited when you start a piece that you love that seems just out of reach!

Congratulations on your recital! I think I would be pretty intimidated by 30 8 year olds!

And on to my AOTW! My piano party is going to happen July 7th! My teacher proposed it to her other adult students and they were excited about it. It sounds like we will have four to six "players" and their significant others. Fun!! This will be my warm up for the European piano party, I guess!

My other AOTW is that the Arabesque is ready for recording. My teacher said my assignment for the week is to record it and send it to her. I'm sure there will be some tweaking after that, but at least she considers it "ready"!

SwissMs,

Don't forget....we want pictures of your piano party ! (and that goes double for you EPP folks too!!!)

Are you having your teacher there? We have done it without ours both times, at her suggestion, so that everyone can play relaxed and not feel like it is part of their lesson...not to mention that she would essentially be adding unpaid work to her schedule.


My AOTW is getting back into full swing after a week of post-recital kind-of-goofing-off-but-still-practicing-every-day funk. Had a good lesson on Tuesday and have a new piece to add to the Scriabin. It is another beautiful melodic piece from MacDowell's Forgotten Fairytales suite. My teacher said it is a lot easier than my last MacDowell, just harder to read (six flats). Funny, I don't seem to mind keys like Gb-major too much....just keep reminding myself that there's only one note that is not flattened. First sight it looks pretty easy, probably be giving me fits in a week or two.

SwissMS, getting your Arabesque polished up ready to record is great ! Will we hear it?

Your piano party is just 1 week before the EPP ... you will be in good form!

Jim, glad to hear you are feeling back on track. Your MacDowell piece sounds challenging... what is it called (I like to google pieces folks are playing to hear what they are like!)

(Edited to add: um..right, it is in your signature line !!!)

I went to the kids' recital tonight - I wanted to hear 2 of the students I've chatted with over the past year.
They did really well. I saw my former teacher and had a nice chat, and 2 of her students played pieces I'd introduced to her! Rag-time do-si-do, and Sneakin' Round. It was really funny to listen to pieces I know so well.

JumF - I am going to learn McDowell piece called Wild Rose! I heard its a great piece for weddings. I believe most of the girls have hidden / not-so-hidden wild side to them. Besides his music is very beautiful. One of my piano friends played it in the last studio. Do you have a publisher that you can recommend for this?

Cheryl - sounds like you had a good time ? at the kid's recital. Is it a bit awkward to see your former teacher?

No, it wasn't actually. It was fine.
I sat beside her and when I exclaimed "Oh!" for the 2 pieces that I play (and which I had introduced to her - I gave her copies of 2 or 3 of the books as a gift) we laughed together. We had a chat afterwards too. It was very pleasant.

Ya know, cas? I think teachers consider it the height of their achievement to see their students who have outgrown them. That's what it's all about for a teacher. Congratulations that you can experience this with your teacher.

My teacher was on vacation. Started again yesterday. She had given me a bunch to do. I had a bunch of technical and other problems that blew up. Like my teacher said: It's good it happened while she was away. Didn't waste lessons. So true.
I played those 6 bars for her from Shindler's List. She was stunned. She said I got it all, the dynamics, the mood, I got it. She then asked about the left hand. I told her it was horrifying. She said to work on the right hand for the rest of the page. She wants to hear that out of me for next week. I think she knows it will get to me and make me really want to fill in with the left hand after that. She really knows what she's doing. She also wants me to look forward to going through the higher levels of this same piece. Go look for what is listed as the Original version. That is the top toughest level. I haven't found one listed that way yet for piano. Found Orchestra versions. Not piano. Need to find it.

Sounds like fun cas, I have also intro'ed my teacher to pieces from my supplemental books that they went on to teach others . Something similar occurred this past lesson but I'll save it for my own AOTW later.

I find those short GOBSPEDFs (is that anything like gob smacked?)refreshing after a period of stress no matter the cause. Glad to see you're back on track.

No AOTW with my current pieces except steady progress on both. My real AOTW is that I took one of my supplemental books to my lesson and loaned it to my teacher. We have disagreed in the past as to what I would study next and she has been gracious to allow me to pick them lately. SO anyways, she will pick from this book my next study. This is a Gershwin collection and although I do have a preference I'll take on whatever she picks out for me... and I do hope it's not something too lively but maybe something like Summertime or Embraceable You for starters