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Congratulations on your performance, Andy!! This is always such an accomplishment! But, it's wonderful that you are able to share your music!!!

Congratulations, must have been difficult hope it's the start of many more to come

Congrats, Andy. How do you like performing in retirement homes? That is one thing I have thought about doing.
I know those people are ignored too much. They don't want patronization. I worked in one when I was in High School. I could see asking them to listen to do me a favor and let me know what they think. That would be good.

But then, my Homer Simpson like mind kicks in. I start thinking of doing Ray Charles; What'd I say? With a bunch of old ladies singing the chorus. Maybe I just want to corrupt old people?

That's great Andy,

I do this every couple of months too. They enjoy most everything musical. I usually try to play things from their era but some of the others play classical pieces and they're always appreciated too. Bless you for doing this charity work.

My AOTW is that I finally jumped into the Ecco Fatto Cafe. Oh yah, and managed to open an acct at YouTube without putting a couple rounds through my computer screen.

But wear your thick skin! If you ask for criticism, you'll get it! And, particularly if it's a Jewish home, they'll all have a grandson who is a REAL concert pianist, and want to talk about him, not you :-)

The biggest complaint was when we moved the piano in front of the TV while setting up ...

... it was actually at the retirement home of the grandmother of one of the high school students so it was a "friendly" crowd. And, from our side it wasn't a recital as such it was our normal "adult" (including some high schoolers) practice workshop. Though I wouldn't have performed if my piece wasn't ready.

And, nobody had a grandson who was a concert pianist but there was an ex-member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra!

How offensive!! These are sweeping generalizations and stereotypes that are untrue and inappropriate!

That sounds about right.



So this is a regular thing? I'd like to know more about your "workshops".
I'm prejudging that afternoon is the best time?
I truly am interested in doing this. Maybe even getting to the point that I involve people there in singing. I'd like to know more.

I do know. From years ago driving a taxi here. There are retirement homes here with nice piano's in the lobby. One has a very nice baby grand. Some very nice people who are bored silly.

I laugh about talking about a grandson who is a real concert pianist. Anything to get them going in anyway. That's ok with me.

No, this isn't a regular thing. We do have a monthly (well, most months) semi-informal adult/high-school get together at the studio where we "perform" works in whatever state they are in. Polished, works in progress, just begun, carrying on ... whatever. We give each other feedback on things to look for. Partly it's just to help us get used to playing in front of others in an informal atmosphere.

Anyway, one of the high school kids asked our teacher if we could do it at the retirement home.

I am also loosely connected to an organization called "Arts are for All Ages" which does do a series of afternoon performances in many retirement communities on weekend afternoons. And I've performed in one of those but I've acted as MC in many of them.

This reminds me of a thread I read in the Tuner/Tech forum about Nursing homes: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2020272/Overheard_at_a_Nursing_home.html

The one that sent me to the floor was David Jensen (while tuning) overheard one resident say to another "he's not very good is he" I guess she thought he was playing something not tuning the piano.

I'm not sure the tuner has visited the particular piano I played on in a while ...

Thank you Ragdoll... I'll read that thread. Right now I need to hurry up and get to work. One thing nice about my job. I don't answer to anyone. I go in when I feel like it. Yet, I'm responsible.

Andy... So I take it when you do the retirement homes. It is rather a formal, structured thing? Not just gathering with the people and having fun? I still do think about doing fun things like Ray Charles with them. Would be good practice playing, and singing in front of people while blindfolded.

Oh....for my AOTW... I have pictures of my new keyboard. If anyone wants to look. You can see I'm not rich in money. I am rich in ways money can't buy.
[img:left]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/kawai1001.jpg/[/img]

Yes, it has a program and it's all classical.

I totally get the idea of more informal, popular music, hymns and so forth. But that's not the goal of any of Arts are for All Ages.

We were out of town for 4 days and I can't believe how much I missed. I can't catch up right now, but have enjoyed reading what everyone's been up to!

My AOTW was simply to only miss 2 days of piano by playing early in the morning before departure, and late on getting home. Thank goodness for the silent feature! :J)

My AOTW is learning to trust myself on my jumps. My teacher had me play part of the Arabesque and part of the Bach with my eyes closed, and I actually landed in the right place on the jumps. One jump was almost four octaves. I did peek once, but I was in the right place. I don't do quite so well when both hands are jumping at the same time. So, my assignment this week is to play parts with eyes closed. I may need a blindfold though, because it is hard not to peek!

Not that I try too much, because my spatial awareness is poor enough I know the result, but I can handle the single hand jumps OK but both together, forget about it. One always tries to compensate for the other and usually they are both off.

I am trying to do the "blindfold" keyboard awareness exercises in Lorina Havill's "Sight Reading for Pleasure" book daily. It's tough, tough, tough for me.

(I read in another book about us all having good spatial awareness and, giving an example, said "Just touch your knee, you never miss." I almost did miss!)

SwissMS: congratulations for your achievement, it's something I'm working on but still far from me!

Andy Platt: yours it's a big achievement , and a nice thing for the people there. I wonder if retirement homes here in Italy have a piano somewhere, I don't think so.

Ragdoll: so you jumped into the Ecco Fatto Cafe! I've not listened yet, Ihave to catch up with the thread. To post there is something I'm planning to do, but I'm lazy regarding recording and uploading. So far I recorded myself with my camera a couple of time, only for study purpose.

rnaple: nice keyboard, I wish you many many hours of music with it!

My AOTW: my lesson today was really good; it was due last monday, and then postponed at the last minute, so I've had a week more to practice. And in effect the last week I played but not much the assigned pieces. Maybe pieces have to rest a bit...

Posting is a snap, getting the account set up is what drove me up the wall, that and I posted the practice/learning clip. Added the real one today so you can see both there. I messed around for 2+ hrs with YouTube and Box both and finally got Box squared away today for MP3s.


I really believe they do sometimes. BTDT got the T-shirt. Congratulations on the good lesson

Ye olde Polish proverb:
When afraid of jumping. Jump blindfolded.


After all... Now you can imagine what it was like for Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder.