Martha Argerich doesn't have to excavate the remaining roots of a dead tree with a shovel and spade. Murray Perahia doesn't have to pull and push and then saw through the roots that are as thick as his arm. Stephen Hough doesn't have to rake out all the dead wood and tiny roots to smooth out the soil. Andras Schiff doesn't have to vacuum his entire house. Evgeny Kissin doesn't have to do three loads of laundry and change the sheets. Hélène Grimaud doesn't have to make dinner when she is so tired she can hardly stand.

I am so frustrated because after doing all that, my arms and hands are just to exhausted to practice. I can't even hold up a book.

I really want to get the last 2 pages of the Ballade off the ground but I just can't. Grumble.

With all those wolves around, she has to make sure she doesn't become dinner ...

I feel your pain. Thanksgiving cooking followed by lots of leaf raking ...

I have an insanely energetic young Lab who goes nuts if he doesn't have tennis balls thrown to him vigorously three or more times a day. It's hard to play piano when you've about blown out your rotator cuff!

Just remember, though, what that exemplary pianist Jimmy Cliff told us:

"Rome was not built in a day/
Opposition will come your way/
But the harder the battle you see/
It’s the sweeter the victory..."

pun intended?

It sounds like you've had a productive day with everything else though! I suppose today is out for practicing because you're too tired, but I've found that practicing while my arms are half dead (not completely dead) goes pretty well because I don't have the energy to play with too much tension.

I can't speak of all your favored pianists, but here in Canada we often see John Deere commercials featuring Martha Argerich riding a large tractor around her English property, hauling debris.

Argerich had to deal with cancer which seems a little more diffcult than doing laundry.

Well, that certainly does put things into perspective.

Actually... I don't know, but my guess is that not every career pianist, or anyone in the career don't care about their house, or garden or other. It's a big assumption to assume that these people apart from the full time job (career) are lazy slobs...

BTW, if you can't practice those 2 last pages, get to those 3-4 bars that get the most of you and practice these in extra slow speed.

Right, everybody has something to deal with....

Not exactly what I'd call "manual labor".


I have been so busy at school I barely have time to play anything. So looking forward to finals and winter break.

I was assuming that the people on that list are so rich they just hire someone to do the work and they can choose what they do themselves. I had absolutely no strength left in my hands and arms so I really couldn't practice. Today it's better but I'm sore. It just really bugs me when I can't practice especially when I'm off from work.

@ H Good luck on your finals.

All of the pianists mentioned have to deal with huge careers and withstand the immense pressures from it. It would he unfair to compare.

Of course, but they never find their hands and wrists too sore and exhausted to practice from doing mundane chores. I would imagine they do everything they can to protect their hands. I sometimes wish I could say no to chores because I have to protect my precious hands. Sigh.

I spent the last summer doing work that's equivalent to machining and reinforced concrete construction, so my hands were in pain every day when I came home. I would get home and take a 3 hour break of doing anything before I could think about touching the piano..

I injured a tendon in my arm a couple of months ago, removing a tree root with an axe. Whilst it does not affect my piano playing, I have not been able to play my other passion, tennis, since. So be careful with those chores and look after your fingers/hands. I'm healing nicely though.

That sucks Deborah. I hope your hands and arms heal up soon. Maybe hire someone to do the really strenuous chores? Its probably worth it if its causing damage to your hands and general well-being.

I hope I did't come off too rude or harsh or anything.

My point remains: We can't make personal assumptions on ones life. Even if they have hug amounts of money, I simply refuse to think that Martha is pretty much acting like Paris (Hilton)! I don't think she's actually doing what you (or me... believe me) are doing, but at the same time, I remain confident that she's a human, like most of us. (And Paris is not)!

EDIT: I just hope that you're feeling better now. I think that I've done my part to turn this thread into something less and it's not fair!

Take care: I just wish I would be assigned to learn Ballad no.3 , but I simply can't!

Everything requires sacrifice.... we do have to deal with injuries and such, so you're not alone. (Not a fun thing to do with a deadline breathing down your neck)

Perahia cut his finger and, if I remember correctly, it got infected and he had to retire from playing for a few years. His entire career and livelihood was threatened.

aaaaahhhhhh..just let the housework go.

Actually, I like the balance of physical labor.

I like your perspective, apple. Especially on letting the housework go.

gooddog, if I were you I'd be farming out some of that manual labour to the other members of the household if at all possible.
But in your situation, I think it's the high school teaching that would be wrecking me, not the housework!

LOL I just told Cinnamonbear in a PM (yesterday) how obsessed I am with accuracy and that everything must be perfect, but my room is a mess!

Hah. Not possible. Husband had back surgery, son is ill, can't afford to hire help! Teaching is pretty rough but it's rewarding too. Today, my muscles are so sore I groan whenever I move.

Thanks!

My dear Deborah-

I was just finishing up what I thought was a lovely letter to you, while enjoying the beautiful Pacific storm which was blowing through, early this morning. What do you know, the storm blew away my letter when the power went out (unusual for us).

It would be nice if I thought I could recreate it, but, inspiration of the moment being what it is, I don't think I can really do it. All the same, I do hope you can feel the force of my good wishes for you (and your husband, and your son), and my confidence that things will be set right again in your life very soon. I pictured you, enjoying a very nice scene in which you were relaxed, untroubled, engaged with your wonderful talent, and feeling very good because you had lost sight of your troubles and fatigues.

It is always wonderful to hear from you, and I found it both touching, and an honor, that you felt enough trust and confidence to share what is happening in your life with your friends here.

You are very kind. I've had several wonderful things happen in my life lately and my husband is healing but my son's illness is not going away and it breaks my heart. It's nice to know people, albeit my faceless electronic friends, care. Piano is my solace.

Unfortunately, I can't help you. But I can give you perspective
of challenges in life.

I grew up in a house trailer in northern Canada in ( 6' wide X 34' long 200 sq. ft. ) We had a tv on top oft he fridge which was the typical spot in those days - always on loud. 1 bird, 2 dogs, a cat, a younger brother who got staight A's without ever having to study or bring work home. I was dysexic and couldn't concentrate or think in a noisy environment or with distractions. So I would get up a 1, 2, or 3 a.m. and do my homework in the bathroom, or with a flashlight under the covers in bed. My brother and I had bunkbeds and my parents selpt onn the couch in the livingroom/kitchen at the front of the small trailer. My mother was a very sound sleeper, so no problem, but my father, when he was home a couple of days a month, sometimes would get up to go to the bathroom. He would say, What you are doing at 1 in the morning. I am doing my homework. Go to bed and get some sleep. Remember there is daylight in the north 24 hours a day in the summer so I didn't have to use a fashlight except in the winter.

When I was a young man I had an excelent job/profession but the drawback was lot of addition work, afterhours sort of like accounting but not. If I worked afterhours as required, I would never have had a social life, like playing in band, playing basketball, socialize, partied a bit when I was younger, after work drinks occasionally lasted to 9:00 etc.

So I would hangout with people and work around, or sleep
when ever I could. Sometime I might have to work all night
to meet deadlines and I would be tired going to work, so I would
tell everbody, I was going to sleep during the lunchhour in the boardroom, so don't call an ambulance, I haven't had a heart attack or died, I am resting and, of course, I had an alarm clock, too.

Now, I am old and have health difficulties, so again, I do whatever I have to, to try and find a way to tickle the ivories. I bought a cheap digital keyboard piano with weighted keys. I put keyboard on 2 concrete blocks, called cinder blocks on the floor so I could play on my back on the floor for a good length of time as opposed to sitting at the piano for 10 or 15 minutes and tiring out. I tilted the piano keyboard as I said to play on my back, put a normal pillow under my head and used clothpegs to hold the music at the aappropriate angle
to read and play it. You should know that it was like sliding under a very low car undercarriage, very tight squeeze.

With some sleep of varying amounts, I suggest you get up in the wee hours of the night/morning and give yourself, 30 minutes everyday to have an awesome time playing the piano. You may have many lives like a cat, but just in case some people don't, you deserve 30 minuets to play the piano/keyboard with headphones everyday.

My attitude was always that nobody in the world cares about me/you - even your best friends and loved ones at two a.m., so it is your time, no witnesses!

So if I stick my head out the wndow at 2 am. I should be able to hear you playing piano - right - every night!

Well we do care, Deborah, I just wish there was something beyond comforting thoughts I could offer.

My experience with practise might be worth a mention.

I was not raised with a dad, he took off when I was around 2, so I never had any siblings and was thus raised solely by my mother. (She never re-married.) We lived in a modest house, and if I do not recall that finances were ever a problem, when I was old enough I had to take on most of the chores -inside and out- of the house, later on I did the shopping and cooking. (My mother always worked long hours.)

Somehow my practising had to fit in around the chores which none of my mates in school had to deal with, but at least the money was always there for my piano lessons. I also became a great cook!

Sadly I’ve got nothing to gripe about ...
Presently tuning in to 3rd cricket Test between SA and Australia ... and the Boks have got the whip hand at close on the 2nd day.

But that’s not all ...
I’m listening to Shirley Bassey singing one of her smash hits ... presently The Nearness of You by Hoagy Carmichael.

The dogs and birds have been fed and I’m feeling cosy
with the umteenth cup of morning tea.

So what’s to complain about? ... better mow the grass ...
all this summer rain, don’t you know ...
and my roof has sprung a leak ... drat it!!

But what's the good of complaining ... better fix it.