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If I hear the Moonlight Sonata one more time I will kill myself!

Nothing personal Wuxia, don't take offense... It just seems to be very popular among beginners/intermediate players. I'm actually going to hear it tonight at a concert

Thank you for your words. I feel I'm among friends here, thank you.
My mother has always been an enthusiast of my adventure with the piano. She loved to hear me play and she was one of my best listeners.

I have a story that I can share: On the day before she died, I had previous access to the video I made for the contest of my company. After I download the video I went to the hospital to see my mother and I took the laptop. I showed her the video, and I remember that she was very weak and she was lying on her side with her ​​head on the pillow. I put the laptop aside so she could see and hear better. She watched intently and smiled. With the voice a little weak, she said: "Wonderful ...".
This was the last moment of life that I shared with my mother. From that evening she was getting weaker and weaker until she lost her consciousness the next day.

Carolos, what a bittersweet memory to cherish.

Your video was a "big deal" before, but now there is a whole new level of significance to it.

I suppose it may be hard to play that piece at this time, but in the future it may very well bring a smile to your heart. I certainly hope so.

+1,000,000

Carlos - my condolences as well. Your story made me tear up. Your video takes on a whole new meaning for me now.

wuxia - that was a beautiful rendition of Moonlight Sonata

sinophilia - laughing my butt off at your comment. Does this mean you are not going to attempt it? Don't speak too soon once you attempt the first measure there is no going back,lol

Carlos thanks for sharing such a special moment with us.

Hi,

Achievement of the week:
first Piano lesson. Which included playing with both my right and left hand at the same time. (I admit that it didn't sound good yet)
also the first time that I played an acoustic grand. The feel and sound are quite different than my Kawai ES7.

Teacher started me with a Folk Dean method.

Looking forward to my next lesson next week.

Wouter.

Never! Mark my words

I listened to it played by Ingolf Wunder yesterday night and the first movement was very subdued, he barely lifted his fingers from the keyboard. Then the tension grew in the second and exploded in the third. Very nice.

My condolences Carlos. Thank you for sharing an intense musical moment.

So sorry to read of your loss Carlos.

carlos -- how beautiful that your mom gave you such support for your playing, and that you in turn were able to share one of your big accomplishments with her.

wuxia - lovely playing with lots of expression.

wouter - woohoo! Playing hands together is exciting and feels so good, doesn't it? Enjoy your lessons!

sinophilia - Don't be too sure. I had thought that I would never play Moonlight. Then my teacher assigned it. Guess who won.

earlofmar, MaryBee, thanks =]

Carlos, I'm so sorry for your loss.
And thank you for sharing your memory with us.

Week 79: It feels like a one step back kind of week. I temporarily dropped A Thousand Years from the rotation. This week I went back to it and aack, so much feels lost and my arrangement is a simple one. My arrangement of Annie's Song sounded good for a time, but after some age, I feel unsure about my choices.

My away from piano life is getting busier. I plan to try some different things this year so the drop off isn't as steep. Last year, my hour a day for piano became 15 minutes a day for several months.

One positive is that my two octave scales in D are better though many would still rate them as poor.

That's what it's been for me. I got stung by a wasp on my eye brow on Thur. Went to a clinic. They just wanted me to take this or that and work with it. I asked if there was anything to stop the swelling? My greatest fear was to wake up Fri. morning to an eye swollen shut. They gave me a shot. Told me my only worry was getting home safe. I would be fine in the morning. Woke up Fri. morning to an eye swollen shut. Doh!
Called the clinic Fri. morning. All they did was feed me a bunch of BS. I paid $128 for nothing!
Boss took it frivolously on Thur. Friday morning he sent the only person he said was available which was the Owner of the Company. He thought he was going to get me in trouble. It backfired. Owner took one look at me and just smiled. I had to ride around with him on Fri. and show him where everything was. No way I could drive a truck like this. The Owner mad it perfectly clear to the boss how serious it was.
I was able to call the Owner this morning. Told him I could just barely force the eye open enough to see three dimensional if I have to. I can handle the route today. This is after, on my own, seeking out Benedril and Zyrtec. Falling asleep last night with my eye on top of an ice pack.

I've been much too irritable kind of in pain with this to practice. Just now seeing half way decent without trouble.

I"m really happy. On Thur. afternoon was my lesson. Was at least able to talk to my teacher on the phone. Told her about some of the hand independence training I learned about on another thread here. She liked it. Told me to run with it.

I'm about to get back into practice here.

rnaple, what a story...
Nice to know that you're recovering now.

After two months I'm back home and to normal life: my job, kids' school and activities, friends. And an Internet connected computer instead of a phone.
My achievement is already "old" for this thread, but I want to share it with you anyway. 20 days ago I was leaving for a trip with my family, and we had a couple of hours to waste at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. In the departure area I found a battered upright piano with a sign on it inviting people to share music. I told myself: why not? I forgot that I'm really shy and I don't like playing for others. But there nobody knew me and the hall was so big that nobody could hear what I was doing (only later I realized that the piano sound could be heard from a distance). So I played my very small memorized repertoire, the biggest trouble was a dumb E flat key in the middle of the keyboard... Husband and sons were incredulous!

Then, after a couple of days we visited several piano stores and I tried all the instruments I could; when we entered in a Steinway store we were the only visitors and the clerks were all observing us. I wanted to go away, but my husband asked if I could try some piano ("She is too shy to ask") - I could and I played a bit on a Steinway grand branded Lang Lang; I was not particularly impressed; a Boston nearby was better. I did not touch the big grands on the other side, a sign on every keyboard saying (I think) "Do not touch". But my husband knew I really wanted, so he asked for me again. I choose a long and shining grand (a model D, I was told later), I played the Chopin Prelude in C minor and it was... gorgeous!
I'm just worthy my upright, and I think I will never touch such a piano again, but it's been a really nice experience!

torquenale, what a great experience! I got pictures in my head of you in the airport playing I'd love to try some of those grands, too. Congratulations.

Cathy

SandTiger hang in there, you (and we) know that we can't always give piano top place in our daily priorities. It is frustrating to feel you've been stalled out, but at least you're seeing progress in some small (but important) areas. It isn't a straightforward journey, that's for sure!

Rmaple: oh wow - that sounds really awful! Painful and uncomfortable. I hope the swelling goes away soon and you're able to get back to your normal routines, work and piano!

Torquenale: That's a pretty neat story! How nice your husband was so supportive!
I look forward to the day when I can play something as lovely as a Chopin prelude on a beautiful grand piano! Good for you for being willing to play in the airport! Well done!

torquenale, great story!
Thanks for sharing.