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jotur/Cathy - Two gigs in one day! That is impressive! Have fun with them, first and for most.

Rnaple - You teacher's "system" sounds very interesting and I look forward to hearing more. I have always wanted to play around with improv, and it sounds like you will have fun getting started with it!

casinitaly- It sounds like you have a lot of pieces on the go. I find I really like that, and it seems to bring with it a certain synergy that improves all of the pieces.

This week I have three parallel paths going. The ABRSM prep is reaching its final stages, and it will still hold my primary focus. My recital pieces are second. I can play both pieces consistently accurately note wise, but I am still working on the correct nuances. The Tchaikovsky needs a lot of work on the "bird" section. That will be my primary focus for that piece this week, working the right hand separately until the phrasing and bird calls are consistently correct.

Thirdly, on Thursday my teacher is coming over to do supervised practice and start me on Kuhlua 88 3. She is going to make sure I start it correctly, from the very beginning, instead of fixing it after I have done my "interpretation". It should be an interesting experience! She is literally going to teach me how to practice effectively. I hope it works!

SwissMS - I read your report on your "practicing" session with your teacher. Wow! It humbles me to figure out just how little I actually work at piano. I think I do, but to see how "real" piano players approach a piece is, as I say, humbling. Inspirational, tho I doubt I could ever be that intense for any length of time. But it sure shows in your work that picked up much of this sense from your teacher.

The two gigs in one day - I think both went about as usual in terms of fluffs. What still amazes me, and I think is the result of the last couple of years of better, and more, practice, is that I think I'm not a wimp piano player any more. It still surprises me, and I'm glad of it. I'm still baffled over the fluffs, and i think I'll still be working on that - maybe I can take away some lessons from SwissMS's report. It's frustrating. But -

After the first gig one woman called me over to talk. She said, essentially: "You save us. And it's us older ones [she gestured around, particularly to an older man across the way from her] that need you the most. You can tell how awake we become." We talked a little more, and then one of staff came over and asked her to move so he could put the tables back for lunch. And she got kind of quiet and looked down and said "I was waiting to go somewhere [pause] where? [pause] I think it was the grave" And then she laughed as she started off, saying, "that's one thing about being old, our sense of humor." I had to laugh. She reminded me of the 91-year-old I used to deliver meals to. I asked her how long before she knew was dying she wanted to know, and she said "Oh, about 5 minutes before they pull the plug."

What little reading and other-than-playing I did this week fit right in with SwissMS - perform *and* practice with intention. That is such a long lesson for me to learn. I don't do intense or focus for very long, and not much on demand, either, so it's a challenge for me. But it's another tool for the journey towards fewer major flubs in performance, so a good reminder.

Cathy

Cathy.... a bit of point of view from humor first... Guessing it really pays off to play the second gig backwards when you're playing in a home for dyslexic people... right?
Seriously.... enjoyed your write up on the old people. That's about the only "performing" I have ever thought about wanting to do. When I was a kid in high school. I worked at a retirement home part time. I felt so sad for those people. A couple of them were the source of much humor. Mr. Bedner loved to escape and go buy booze at the closest liquor store. Every once in a while we'd hear on the loud speaker: "Mr Bedner escaped!" I'd see him come back. Halls were like 12 feet wide. He'd be bouncing off one wall then the other. One night a nurses aide couldn't ignore a huge lump in the middle of his bed. He was trying to hide a six pack under the mattress.
I really should work up some kind of repertoire and go play at some of these homes. I know at least one has a big Grand in the entry Hall to the place.

Cas and SwissMS.... gee...both got teachers coming over. Sounds good. Glad to hear about y'all's seriousness and focusing in on things.

Myself...still mostly soaking up info on my new System. Talking to the teacher. Has some great tips. She loves to talk in abstracts. I relate to that so easily.
I went ahead and bought my license for Reaper. Also a good metronome. Can set the beat note wherever I want. Helps to pick up the rhythm with different time signatures. I got some very different ones to pick up on now. Other than that...this week playing the first four pieces in my Masters of Technic primer level... Cramer: 3 finger study, Wolff: Imitations for 3 fingers, Krause: 5 finger study, Krause: 4 finger exercise. Also disciplining myself on these with the metronome and extents of the timing for each.

I also confess.... even thought I shouldn't be.... couldn't keep my hands off the keyboard with The Crisis...Ennio Morricone... it's just so beautiful with the strings pad on the synth turned on... Magically beautiful. Then my hands wonder off on Schindler's List and maybe a bit of Rag Time... I'm just a slouch. Need to be more disciplined and focused with my time.

EDIT: Geesh... I write too much in a post too quick. Guess that's why I'm a writer. Doh!

Ron: just a quick note--- My teacher doesn't come to my house. I have lessons every week during the traditional school year (and then a horrible gap that lasts for 3 months!!!!)

Well, Ron, I haven't had anyone escape yet, tho there was one when I first started playing that apparently wanted to - she'd keep saying "you call that playing?!" "play something we know!" "that's too loud!" et al.

It would be worth it to go play. You don't need "heavy" rep, or to have it memorized, or anything. The music itself resonates for them. And any kind of music - stuff like I play, classical, new age, anything will do it. So whenever you want to do it don't be shy.

Cathy

Sorry about that Cas... Didn't pay enough attention. Was thinking you had your's coming over for some reason. My Bad.

Focus for this week... keep playing the four little exercise/studies I mentioned. Add Burgmuller: D minor study, Cramer: Alternating hand patterns, and Beringer: C major 5-finger etude. Keep playing all 6 studies and the etude all week. Maybe longer. This is just a sideline to my studies. Most of study is reading, mental training, ear training, singing piano pieces, and Patterns for Piano which is study on theory and composing.

EDIT: Just wanted to add. I noticed. With this classical training. These studies and etudes. Right at this point not playing hands together. But! The Brilliance! Having left hand play the same thing the right plays. But in lower octave. Left getting same training as right. Smart!

I have struggled to get my usual time on the piano recently and have settled for just keeping alive a few pieces to keep me going.

I can see that my calendar will be back to normal in about a fortnight now and life will resume its normal course.

It's delightful to read everyone else's stories of either progress or enlightenment. While I can't find the time to practise piano or attend the forum as regularly or as actively as I'd like or am able, it's good to stick my head in the door now and then and feel as though I'm keeping up.

My focus this week is much the same as last week, with the addition of ultraslow HS practice of the Exposition section of the new Kuhlau piece, Op 88 #3. My assignment is to play it this way for one week, and then my teacher will reassess next Monday. She is really keeping a tight rein on this one!

My exam preparation is in pretty good shape. I plan on doing final recordings of all three pieces this week. This week will be mock exams and playing for anyone that will listen!

My two recital pieces will probably take a back seat until after the exam. Then I will focus on dusting and polishing them, and work on the Diabelli duet.

All I can say is that it's a good thing it's Saturday night and there'll be bath water :\

My internet has been intermittent and my phone had so much static over the past 2 weeks I couldn't really use it. Then the phone essentially went out completely. Much to my surprise the phone company actually decided it was a problem on their end and came out today and fixed it.

But in the mean time, in the process of assuring myself it was them and not something inside I moved my whole desk/computer/printer/office machines to the other side of my office. And my desk actually started life as a dining room table, and the legs were wobbly, so I took them off and put file boxes under it and now I have a sturdy desk again. I haven't finished moving stuff around yet, so I have a long day tomorrow, but at the minute I'm pretty grimy.

And I haven't done a whole lot of piano playing. Enough, tho, that I don't feel like I've lost anything, just slowed down.

Since I felt kind of overwhelmed with other stuff this week I didn't really do any more reading, but I did review what I've noted previously, and thought that reminding myself could be productive. So, here's the review. Stuff we all know, but I kind of lose in the heat of the moment:

1. Practice performing.
2. Play accessible music at gigs.
3. The key to good performance/practice is openness and acceptance.
4. Practice recall from long-term memory, not just working memory. Interleave practice.
5. Begin moderately
6. Practice with ease to have options and flexibility.
7. Practice and perform with intention.

SwissMS - have a great time at your exams

Ron - keep us up with all your enthusiasm about Artistry Alliance.

Cathy

zrtf90... Is good to hear from you. Keep at it.

SwissMS.... Good luck with the exams.

Jotur... Is nice the phone company finally decided to fix their problem. Everybody finds excuses easier than responsibility. Hope everything is working good now. Nice to hear about your focus.

For me. Getting down to the nitty gritty on focus here. The most basic. Am rearranging my apartment. Getting rid of clutter. Bought a good keyboard stand for my VPC. Also a 40 inch TV (real good price) to use mostly as my computer monitor and DVD player. Do much with the computer for piano and music. Instructional DVD's also. Arranging the living room to put my monitors in the best position. TV to be mounted on wall. Opening the apartment up. Keeping it nice and clean. Basically just a much better environment in which to keep my mind clear, study, learn, stay focused. I do think this is much the result of the mind set my Artistry Alliance System is training. My teacher and writer of the System told me to make sure I pull all the dandy lions out of my lawn, so to speak. Really like her. She's a real thinker. So I'm just kinda coasting on the system right now with getting my environment clear.
I'm glad she is setting up a format for lessons online and in person. That constructive criticism is always a big help.

Thanks for the encouragement, Ron!

I am agape at how well received my ABF recital contribution was. Everyone looks at the good bits and completely ignores the bits I hear and listen to! I'm still working on it.

I've still not heard everything else yet but what I have heard has really delighted.

My time returns to normal next weekend when university and school exams finish and my excessive chauffeuring duties cease to rule my spare time (and time off work that needs to be made up after hours because of unfortunate coincidences). I've barely had time to lurk this past week.

I am of the understanding that life doesn't really begin at forty. Sure, it picks up momentum but it seems that sixty is the really magic number when we add perspective and finally realise what it's all about and what the important things are and aren't.

I'm sure at eighty I'll be able to see more clearly but will I have the energy to alter course? Is it where the Pareto Principle falls down or is it where it really kicks in? Watch this space! LOL!

I couldn't agree more Richard! At 60 one tends to have the beginnings of wisdom to put their life into perspective and to focus on that which is most important to them.

My FOYD will take a major shift this week. I sat my ABRSM exam yesterday, and learned a lot from it. I am pretty sure I passed, but I will not have the results for at least three weeks. Apparently the examiners come to Switzerland for 5 weeks twice each year, and the results cannot be sent out until they leave the country. I had a chuckle over that. Do they think we examinees are going to hunt them down and confront them before they escape back to Britain? So now I am in the waiting game.

A funny thing happened in the exam. I asked for large print in my exam application, because, with my over 60 eyes, the finger numbers are sometimes difficult for me to read in the sight reading. When they say large, they mean large. The sheet of 12 bars spanned the entire music desk on the piano, and the notes were the size of dime (or 1/2 franc depending on your currency)! I literally could not take it all in. So I read from the standard sight reading book and guessed.

On June 14th I am doing the grade 5 theory exam, so this weeks agenda is going through past papers. I now know everything I want to know about alto and tenor clef, transposing instruments, and musical terms in three languages.

On June 15th I have a live recital, and will play my Tchaikovsky "March" and Mendelssohn op. 30 #6. This week will be focussed on slow, correct play with the music to make sure they are correct.

My Duet for Lisbon is the next priority. Hopefully I can have it ready to play with my teacher next Monday.

This week I will continue on Kuhlau 88 3, learning the development section.

Lastly, I will start looking at the ABRsM Grade 5 pieces for November exam. I also need to add all 36 scales to my daily practice routine, and keep up that sight-reading.

Congrats on taking the exam!

What was the examination like? Did the evaluators interact with you during the exam and give you verbal feedback? Or was it more like sitting in front of a silent panel?


The last exams I sat for were karate belt tests - talk about judges who never crack a smile...

The judge was truly helpful. She was quite friendly, and made me feel pretty at ease. I believe she gave me every opportunity to do well. She knew I was a "first timer". Of course, I didn't play as well as I would have hoped, and I had the butterflies in the tummy and dry mouth of adrenalin. Still she gave me some encouragement when I needed it. I did not play the first piece all that well due to nerves, and she told me to take some time before starting the 2nd piece. Then, she actually complimented that piece, which I do not think they commonly do. After that I was pretty much relaxed, until the sight reading! I have no idea how she graded, but she made the experience a positive one. She even encouraged me to keep taking the exams. So, now the long wait (three weeks) for the results!

It is inconceivable that you won't pass, Doris, so I wait to hear whether it was a merit or a distinction. Instead of luck, that you just don't need, I wish you whatever you would wish yourself.

Ah yes, the lips-sticking-to-the-teeth-when-you-smile syndrome But I'll have a glass of ice tea in your honor (I don't drink) when you get your results.

I decided this week to concentrate on "practicing performance", so a couple of times I sat down at 10:30 in the morning and played as if it were the first half hour of a gig. I also decided to work on some tempo improvements (and bringing some things back up to tempo) because I'm sick of not having stuff at tempo. And to finish a new rag because I'm sick of mucking around with it

So today I had a gig at a memory care unit. It was only a half hour, tho I could go a little longer if I wanted to. The first 10 pieces went really well - many of them were "accessible" music as Musicians Way would put it. Back to "Home on the Range" But several were old standards that I had reviewed to put in my June gigs list. Then I tried one that has a lot of octaves in the right hand during the intro, just after I had seen that much of my audience had dissolved, and one had informed me quite loudly that it was nice I had come, but they had to go now. It didn't go particularly well Nor did the next piece. By then a couple of folks were getting belligerent about what the FBI does - ? - so I told Rosie I'd do a couple of more just for her. I could tell I was getting tense because that was the fastest I've ever played Dill Pickle Rag in public So then I ended it with a waltz, which was also fast, and decided 1/2 hour was enough for me today.

But the "accessible music" makes a difference in the number of mistakes, tho perhaps a little more boring performance. And I think the 1/2 hour of "performance practice" helps. And for that matter, spending more time on one or two pieces to get them ready or a little livelier I think helped get my rewards up, and that's always a confidence booster. I still haven't really found a way to not get flustered/distracted/antsy when the particular kinds of distractions come along that my gigs entail. Knowing I didn't *have* to play any longer today was a relief. Maybe some day I dunno.

Cathy

My focus at this point is to have less focus. I got so zeroed in on Against All Odds (I normally only work on one piece/song at a time) that I burned myself out a bit, a few weeks ago. I picked up again recently and it's improving, but I'm working on other things as well -- including trying to get back a couple older things that I worked on in the past. I think this is better balance, and provides some dwell time so that my (nominally) primary piece/song does not get too much attention.

Am getting extremely focused.
I'm still in the mode of straightening out my apartment. Making things excellent that surround me. At least as excellent as I can afford.
Have emailed my teacher. She thinks it's good I'm doing this. The working indirectly on the System with my environment. In talking. I told her there were times since I started that I would practice something for an hour. Take a 15 minute break. Come back to it and it appeared to me like I never even looked at it before. She told me: "Don't worry. We'll take care of that. It's in how you view the notes." I know she ain't kidding. From what I've seen so far. It's a completely more in depth view of working with and reading music.
For right now. Am playing minimally. But enjoying it more. Much involvement in my environment. Just got done hopefully spending the last large amount on the materials for 6 sound treatment panels. Been giving stuff away. Also selling some stuff. Sold my CDP-100 today. Sold my fly fishing and fly tying gear. Haven't used that stuff in over ten years. Spent last weekend cleaning out two bedrooms. Rearranging things. Now one room is devoted to exercise with the exercise floor and pull up bar in there. Other room is for storing things that I don't want exposed to extreme temperatures in the garage. Then there's my bedroom. Living area is completely different. No clutter. Arranged perfectly for the monitors, keyboard, and mixing. It ain't finished yet. Kinda feeling embarrassed at the thought of posting pictures here. It will be impressive looking. At least for a poor man's setup. Ain't like I'll be posting a picture of a Steinway or anything like that. I'm shying away from the thought of it looking impressive. All I want is something that works, is clean, and focused. Someplace where I can think without a bunch of junk to look at and ignore.
So am becoming very focused. Very happy with my System. Because of this. Am ignoring online more. Don't have things to worry about and whine about. The answers are in the System. If I email her a question. The answers are always great. None of this just practice more. It's more like: How do you view this? What do you think about doing this? Where is your mind at doing this? It's always things like that which she comes back with. What is going on inside me when I try to XXX. She really has devoted her life to successful teaching of piano. This always comforts me.

Jotur- congratulations on your 1/2 hour performance. It must be a challenge to stay focussed with people milling about, having heated discussions, and generally creating chaos! I like your idea of focussing on accessible repertoire. That is something that I have learned the hard way!

ATallGuyNH- I agree that you can become too focussed on a piece and burn out. I like variety in my practice too!

rnaple- It sounds like your really getting organised! This "system" seems to be improving your life beyond the piano.

For me, this is "crunch week", preparing for both a theory exam and a recital next weekend. On Saturday I will sit the ABRSM grade 5 theory, which a candidate is required to pass before taking any of the practical exams above grade 5. I have been working through past papers, and it will be challenging. I now have much more respect for the average 12 year olds that will be my companions taking this test!

I have my second live recital on Sunday. So this week will be a lot of practice performance and dress rehearsal. I have played the pieces in two piano parties, but I am just now really getting a good feel for the Tchaikovsky piece. It was far more complex than I gave it credit for, and I have made a lot of changes since I recorded for the Tchaikovsky recital.

And then it will be time to prepare for Lisbon!

I'm back to regular practise again this week. It felt familiar quite quickly but it's been a good while since I've done a full practise session.

Last year I started learning a new piece every week after reading about the Hal Leonard 40 piece Challenge. Not all of the pieces I picked can be learnt in a week (by me!) so for some pieces I've just picked a page or so that meets the requirements. This has improved my score and sight reading, my experience of a wider range of composers and pieces, some of which I would not otherwise have considered, and provided enough variety that I don't need to change my main pieces quite so frequently.

Some of the pieces I've worked up over the last two years are now better and more frequently played than some of the pieces in my top twenty, my core repertoire, so I'm reorganising my list now to decide what pieces I'll keep for special treatment and which ones I'll drop for a couple of years.