Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum My Summerkeys 2013 Report

FarmGirl, I'm so glad that you had a good experience. Beware, Summerkeys can become addictive! Now that you know what to expect, next time will be even better...

It was great to see so many people from pianoworld go this year.
Right now I am planning to go back next year, probably the third week of June (if they keep the same schedule next year, that will be the first week of Summerkeys). Of course, a lot could happen between now and then, but that's my plan.

Sam

Ok Sam I will keep that date in mind. I would like to coordinate with Karen too. One question. Was it crowded when you went there?

I'm sitting in Bangor airport after a few hours of fun at Bar Harbor Island, Maine. It looked like Southern California in a good way. I will plan to stay there a couple of days next time. B

Bar Harbor is interesting - it's pronounced "Bah Hahbuh" by the downeasters... Laurie and I spent a few days exploring around Acadia but we stayed in Ellsworth - much cheaper.

Summerkeys is not very crowded in June - the piano class was only 6 people this year when I went the third week in June.

Sam

Enjoying these reports very much. I'm still on the fence about ever attending. I have a great piano teacher. And she teaches during the summer. A different teacher perspective would be nice. But I also suffer from chronic fatigue and wonder about my abilty to maintain the schedule up there. I almost never practice more than 2 hours at home because I get so tired. And I sure don't do it day after day. So, the practice schedule up there overwhelms me.

Still,I enjoy hearing how all who have gone have enjoyed the experience. It really is a wonderful opportunity to combine a vacation with your love of the piano!!

Dynamobt - I think you can make your own schedule there. Not everyone performed there. I wanted concentrated experience and chance to work on Two piano piece using two pianos. My teacher did not mind it at all. In fact she prepared me for the experience. You will know when you are ready. It took me two years to get out there after I first read Sam's experience.

Sam - glad to hear it was not so crowded. I hope you, Karen, I and others can go together. I have to see violin workshop is available. My husband totally surprised me. He announced that he was going to start taking Viola lessons. He saw a few violinists and violists since I hung around with my chamber music people. He was very happy to see there were men (ex engineers) playing violins and violas. It made him strangely glad that they were not advanced. He told me "I figure I better do some instrument to keep the marriage". I call it Summerkeys miracle.

FarmGirl, has your husband had any experience on violin or viola, or otherwise in music?

There's an interesting book by the eminent English Lit scholar Wayne C Booth in which he recounts his thought process for selecting his first-ever, late-in-life, musical instrument. He ended up picking the 'cello, for reasons that I find persuasive, but of course no instruments are bad:

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Amateuri...1&sr=1-13&keywords=Wayne+c+booth

I came to the piano for the first time at age 58 after playing double bass for decades. I find piano more immediately rewarding than any string instrument -- it's much more forgiving to someone who needs a lot of mercy.

Good luck in all things to both of you!

FarmGirl, yes they had strings in June this summer. There was one cello player that had been playing less than a year - he played at the recital with his wife on piano...

Sam

Farmgirl:

I enjoyed your postings and am delighted you had such a wonderful time at Summerkeys. It sounds like a great experience.

He took up a clarinet in a band for a semester when he was in junior high. Did not learn to read music. So this is going to be his first attempt. He always liked strings. His mother played a little fiddle when she was young. But he did not grow up with my advantage. I was given piano, violin and painting lessons. Three people recommended him to take up cello but no. He has a bad knee and ankle from old football injuries. I will wind up carrying his instrument for him. I already carry heavy luggage for him. It has to be portable and something he likes.

I decided to do it with him so that he would continue. Maybe it is the Asian thing (tiger mom) but he seems to lack certain decouplins. Once it gets going, he will be fine but until then I think I have to spend some time with him on violin and viola.

Sam - we had a first year violin student as well. It made it easier for him to approach violin / viola.

AZ Astro - thanks for reading and your kind comment.

That is great news Farmgirl that Don wants to pick up an instrument. Jim is willing to try photography. Maybe we can make this all happen during the same week next year. I'm so impressed with the work you accomplished during your Summerkeys experience. Increasingly, I realize that I don't play well in front of others and maybe I just don't enjoy sharing my music enough. And yet, I feel the need to push for it.

Karen, it would be great to go out there together. We are both flexible when to go but it has to be a week they have violin workshop and ensemble coaching. Yes Photo workshop too!

You will get used to performing for others. The more you do the better you get. I notice that seemingly small things such as one wring note, finger slip and out of tune piano derail inexperienced performers regardless of their levels. Recommend a duet with your teacher next time. In duet you cannot stop and have to keep on playing since you are not playing alone. You will notice you don't have time to get nervous. Also learn you have to let go and not dwell on mistakes during performance.

The photo workshop is only offered one or two weeks a summer I think. The good news is that now that you've been to Summerkeys, you will probably get emails from the photo instructor announcing his workshops - at least I do, even though I don't have much interest in them

Sam

Yes, thanks.

A friend recently took up cello. Her husband is working in Azerbaijian, and she needed something to keep her sane while living there!

She took a string workshop this summer and is doing quite well, she loves it.

This year the one-week photo workshop was offered during four separate weeks:

http://summerkeys.com/lubec-photo-workshop-2/

My wife took it in July and really loved it. We were both Summerkeys "newbies," and while I had a great time in the piano program, I think she had even more fun in the photo course. Frank Van Riper and Judith Goodman, the H/W team who team-teach that class, are accomplished pro photographers, great teachers, and marvelously warm and encouraging people.

By contrast, the 'cello and violin/viola courses appear open for all weeks.

Just want write one more about Bruce's amazing theory class. In SummerKeys you would be given a choice between a performance class and theory. I opted for a theory class since I take piano performance class (studio class) at my teachers college. Performance class is taught by an amazing performer Charles Jones. You have to pick. It's a tough choice. He was my page turner. I can say now that I had a Julliard graduate turn the pages for me (lol). Anyway I am so glad that I had Bruce's theory. He went over triads to Seventh chords. The best explanation I had in this subject. He gave us assignment. We had to analyze the left hand chord progression of a Diabelli's piece. Its a small one page piece. Yeah it's the same guy upon whose waltz Beethoven wrote the famous variations based. We had never seem the score. He told us to analyze it and then memorize it away from the piano. On Friday he had us recite the chords, corrected them and gave us further explanation. Then he told us to play it on the piano. We did with our left hands. He then told us "try adding melody". Amazingly I could do that. He told me this something some performers known to do in the airplane. He demonstrated Chopin Nocturn 27-2, moonlight etc

Is it too late to resurrect this thread for one more bit of info? Just got an email about the 2014 photo workshops at Summerkeys. They will be July 7-11; July 21-25; August 4-8; August 18-22.

So if you have a spouse that wants to go with you that doesn't play an instrument, make a note of the dates on your long-term calendar.

Sam

Summer has not even started yet down under so no it's not too late lol