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Thanks, Barbaram. That is a useful tip for sure!



Congrats Brian. You have worked hard and it shows.


Hi C! Doesn't it feel good when it finally gets into some kind of presentation shape? I know you worked on this one for quite a while, so Congratulations! Even if it doesn't go completely smooth when you play it for the teacher the first time...you know you can do it.



I have found the same thing with the small piano parties that we hold sometimes. Almost without exception everyone that attends these says it really helps them learn how to go about playing in front of others. Much less pressure than a recital environment...... maybe in a home atmosphere with all adults, and maybe with a little bit of adult beverage to calm the nerves. (doesn't usually help the playing, but you won't care!)

My AOTW is having my 2nd live lesson of the year. Teacher called at last minute and said she would be in town Sunday. So we did a live hour after about two months of Skype. Unfortunately my dogs were a pain and I didn't play very well, but it was sure nice to have a good face to face lesson again.

Liszt is coming along. I've been working really hard on the cadenza and some of the other difficult parts and it is starting to show. The Bach invention is going sloooowwwww. I'm spending lots and lots of time hands separate and playing one hand with a recording of the other.

We have an adult piano party scheduled for mid-June. I'm reviving my Keith Jarret piece from a few years ago for that event. This is going better than expected and after just a week I've got it almost all back. I'm also going to revive Debussy's Reverie for the same event. Probably start that next week or so. And then I've got two pieces for the pop recital I've signed up for and can't yet play..... Yikes...less typing and more practicing required.

Re: Performance Anxiety

I came across this today and thought it was really well written. I know what my problem is - I'm a selfish bastard!

https://mirandawilsoncellist.com/2016/04/01/disarmed-dropping-the-protective-armour-of-stage-fright/

Argh. I had a reply going and lost it.

Barbaram - how did your lesson go?
Wisebuff: I know you know that no one was laughing at you, but I can imagine how you felt. Good for you for doing better on the next try and keeping your sense of humour and perspective.

Jim - I can understand your excitement! My teacher has been away for 3 weeks, plus we had Easter break...I really miss him, even though I had a lesson with my old teacher, it just wasn't the same. I'm sure skype is ok, (I do skype lessons too) but it isn't the same as having someone beside you or in front of you.
You're playing some really interesting music - I'm looking forward to hearing your recordings!


Today I'll have my first "proper" lesson in 4 weeks. I am hoping to "perform" three minuets and present the third movement of the Diabelli for review and feedback - and also the first part of a fourth minuet. Good thing I have an hour now, rather than just 45 minutes!

Happy retirement EarlofMar. What an achievement! Enjoy.

Thanks for asking - overall, very well.
My overarching goal when I started with this teacher was to learn how to make a more beautiful sound. Obviously I want to learn plenty of material and play the right notes, but the bit I knew I really *couldn't* do without a teacher was to learn how to make it sound beautiful. And I think I am beginning to make some headway with that.

What a wonderful article! I love the last line 'The audience can forgive you for just about anything-- except for playing without love'. It is good enough to have tattooed.

I have moderate performance anxiety as a returning adult, but yet play the preludes in church when the pianist is absent, for an audience of around 400. Before I now play, I repeat to myself 'You have an audience of one... God' and it is calming.

For classical music, based on this article, I will now change this mantra to 'you love this Chopin... show and share that love'.

Thanks so much for posting.. it has changed my perspective and given me a new performance mantra.

^^^^
yes, very interesting article, thanks!

bSharp, this could go in its own thread. There's sure to be some discussion.

Great article Stubbie and so right on target. When I play well I'm focused on the music and less aware of audience. When I'm speaking however, anxiety disappears as I communicate directly with the audience. Public speaking must be more dialogic and relational. I think some musicians also perform relationally as if they are sharing a story or a thought. For most of us that requires frequent playing for an audience.

After my meltdown on Saturday I played the entire 4 movement Mozart sonatina for a different group on Monday and kept my focus. It went very well. Yes there were some mistakes but there was also music and flow and expression. I think I understand what athletes mean when they say they were in their "zone". My teacher called me last night to compliment my performance. That felt good.

I didn't mean to derail the thread with this post, but I'm so glad I found this article. It was an achievement for me last week really, to possibly learn something about myself ;0

I didn't mean my reply as a criticism, and I apologize for not wording it better.

It was an interesting article and deserves its own stand-alone thread. I'm encouraging you to be the one to start it.

I agree, I don't think anyone thought the link was any sort of derailment - it is something that was quite relevant at the moment--- I also agree that others who don't visit this particular thread could benefit from the link - why not start a new thread ? Go for it!

I didn't take it as criticism Sometimes it's hard to convey tone in writing. I'll create a new thread for it later today, along with another topic with questions I have on sight reading vs memorization, but I'll probably wait until after work to write all that up ;0

I haven't posted here in a while, though everything has been slowly progressing. My husband had surgery a week and a half ago, and we have been focused on his recovery. It was a major procedure, and he is improving everyday.

I had my first lesson yesterday since two weeks ago, and it was yet another reminder of why I have a teacher. There is a section in my recital piece that has a very challenging section with large jumps in both hands simultaneously. This is an allegro piece with a very busy left hand. I have been fretting over the series of jumps for weeks. She did two things that ended my angst. First, she gave me a new way of practicing the LH so that my hand lands angled for the next series of notes, and two, she said "get over it! Believe you can do it!" Well, just believing does sometimes work!

On another note, my husband was in the hospital for five days in Turino, IT. I spent the days in the hospital with him and then walked back to my hotel. The town has a nice piano in the train station, so I assumed I would be able to play a little bit everyday after leaving the hospital. That piano was always occupied, and by very good pianists. There is a conservatory in Turino, and I think students and teachers played in the train station for experience performing. Every player I saw played extremely well and for at least 1/2 hour at a time. I was seriously intimidated! There was always a crowd of appreciative listeners around the piano as well. The only time the piano was not playing, someone was there tuning it. It really made me want to visit the conservatory on our next visit to the doctor in a couple of weeks.

Best wishes to your husband for his continued recovery SwissMs!

SwissMs,
Send our best wishes to your husband for a full recovery. Your story of your teacher and the oonservatory students reminds us once again that it is our internal limitations and blocks that hold us back so often. You, too, are talented and would impress the train station.

speedy recovery to GMajor SwissMs

SwissMS, best wishes for your husband's speedy recovery. Take care of yourself, too.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes for my husband (G Major). He is doing very well indeed and should be back to his old self soon.

SwissMs, so glad to hear that G Major is doing so well!

R and I send him our very best wishes for a speedy and full recovery!