Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Piano Study Groups for Intermediate-Early Advanced Levels (anyone interested?)

Hey now, that sounds like a great idea! May I sign up too?

Erm,. now I'm getting confused...

Opus, not to put all the burden on you, but could you make a list of what's on the list? Maybe in categories by style or music or something?

I definitely second Take Five...

And Victor's Solo

And Croatian Rhapsody, esp for Monica! Actually if people are interested in that, misery loves company!

Opus, I think you did listen to Croatian Rhapsody, it's the piece I posted a link for in my "Listen to this piece" thread. I remember thinking that if you might like it because it has a really cool LH.

What about new age? Winston's Canon is kind of a grey area isn't it, because the original isn't new age, but he's considered a new age artist.

Also, isn't it the case that everyone doesn't have to work on every piece? So if there are a few different styles, someone might only be doing one?

S-H, I think it would be really interested to hear the different renditions of people playing from the score and an improvised version.

Oh wow, you know, I am just going to have to quit my job to get all of this on my practice menu! :p

Wow, guess we have quite a few intermidiate to advanced adult beginners.....I'm definitely not at the intermediate level yet I don't believe so I will have to pass, but a great idea!

Mel & tolovemoon,
Very glad you two are also joining in!

rocky (how about next year?)

Wow!

What a great selection of compositions.

I am assumming we are going to "weed-out" many of them; otherwise, it could take some of us years to get through them all.

I love the idea AND I love this forum.

Kathleen

You're right Kathleen, We'll keep collecting ideas for a couple weeks, then we'll poll everyone. I haven't figured out how best to do this, anyone have suggestions on how to poll everyone? Maybe we can have everyone rank the selections in each category (or at least the categories that people are interested in) then we could develop a schedule from that? For the groups, we'll only be able to form them if there is enough interest for the individual pieces, and even then we may only be able to choose those at the top of the list(?).

ShiroKuro, have George Winstons versions actually been released yet (legally?)? I haven't checked. Even so, Croatian Rhapsody & George Winston pieces?? YIPES! We might need a "gifted students" group for those pieces. Not sure I could tackle either of those within a short period of time.
I'm recommeding we allocate a month for intermediate level pieces and a quarter for advanced level pieces. What do you think?

Please count me in! No idea what level I play at but willing to try. I simply can't fit piano lessons into my day currently so this is a great idea. I've been listening to a CD with the Raindrop Prelude and was thinking I'd like to play it. But is it really a level 9?

Welcome Agilita, Glad you're joining in, I'll add you to the list since here (on break at work).

ShiroKuro (and others): Good idea! I'll organize the "suggestions list" into categories.

This sounds interesting. I'm maybe a little below the level of some of these pieces, but I'd like to give it a try. I'll have to check my version of Linus and Lucy when I get home, and I also think I have a version of Carol of the Bells, but I'll look at that book also. I need something to get me motivated lately, I've been in a slump.

Maybe we can help you out of that slump SAS, glad you're joining in. I'll add you to the list. (By the way, I'm also technically below the level of these pieces...I push myself before I'm "technically" ready....so sue me!)

Opus, good point. Winston's sheet music is only legally available on his anniversary CDs (and each of those only includes one piece.) So if someone doesn't already have those, it's a rather expensive way to just get one score.

Hey, did you edit the first post here? I went back to see what we had talked about with regard to Winston, and there's a big fancy list! Great!

Anyway, maybe we should take Canon off unless a lot of people say they want to do GW's Canon, and that they have the sheet music.

I looked for sheet music for Croatian Rhapsody on a few US sites, but didn't find it anywhere. Since the score I have is from a Japanese publication maybe it's best to leave that one off the list. I'll just suffer through it on my own!

Um, I might be interested.

But I can't figure out exactly what we're going to do.

Do we pick a piece (from the list, or any piece), record it and ask for feedback?

Opus--count me in please. I'm an avid knitter and this reminds me of what we call, knitalongs. Folks knit the same pattern and post back and forth with their questions, observations, and pictures.

I am curious to see how this will work. But, I think the idea is great. Especially as I've been thinking about posting for help. I've just gotten my Privia 310 and have been "noodling" but with no direction or structure. This group might help me focus.

I would guess that I'm at the very beginning of Intermediate. I took eight to 10 years of lessons way back when and haven't really played for over 30 years--rusty is an understatement.

As for music, I don't know Linus and Lucy, but sounds like fun. I love Chopin and really want to play anything of his leading up to his Polonaises--a bit ambitious. I also want to learn Joplin--if I can ever get my two hands to work properly.

I'm game for anything, but would like instructions on how to obtain the music we decide to work on.

Also, does this forum offer a chat room? Or, we could take this off forum and form a Yahoo group. Just a couple of suggestions.

Hi Nina
We're still pretty much in the discussion phase, but I would imagine that everything you mentioned would likely be part of this group learning experience. However, I might also think if someone is already capable of picking a piece and recording it right off the bat, then they might more likely be offering feedback to others rather than asking for feedback?

I think what we have in mind for these groups is a process that might look something like this (we're also looking for discussion/feedback on how to structure these groups):

1. Finding music we want to learn to play (something both motivating to learn, and challenging to play) & placing it on a list, then the group decides which piece(s) they want to work on as a group. This may result in more than one group.
2. Then the group can develop a schedule & start working on it. (I've already suggested a month for intermediate pieces, or 3-6 months for an advanced piece, depending?).
3. How the group works on pieces together is the interesting part...this may be planned a bit in our discussions, then may be modified as we go along. Some folks here are bound to have some good suggestions?
3. At some point (December 2006?) the group can evaluate the whole experience & decide on whether or not to continue with new pieces, or to change the format & continue or not.

With regard to recording, I would imagine that even recording small sections of the piece might be very motivating and helpful for the group during the learning process. If someone has a really good grasp on how a certain phrase should be played, then they could share it in the group. And conversely, if they're having trouble & are brave enough to record their trouble spot for everyone to hear, then I'm more than certain feedback will be readily available.

I also want to emphasize that this will NOT be my group(s). I am ONLY acting as a catalyst to get them going, and am volunteering to help collect names & pieces & help get us started. I will be a group participant, and not a group leader. I do not feel technically qualified to lead a piano learning group, but I do feel qualified to participate. So please, everyone pipe in & share your ideas!

(hope this helps you & others & I hope you actually decide to join in )

[Edit: Hello FurElise (didn't see your post...glad you're joining in, I'll add you to the list]

FurElise,

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm still trying to figure out a way to compile all the suggestions in one place & have the group decide on how best to organize the groups.

I was thinking of using this forum, one thread per group per piece? I have never formed a yahoo group & would need help with that if that ends up being the best and most favored idea.

Any other ideas out there?

Opus:
There must be a moderator or admin person for this forum--perhaps if he or she were contacted, they might offer some suggestions on how to proceed.

One advantage of the Yahoo Group is that it's done by messages rather than creating a super-long thread of many pages. You reply to the message or post a new message. There's also places for keeping files, setting up a chat room, and so on. I do believe (and don't take this personally) that any boob can start a Yahoo Group. There are thousands of them. Also, you find additional folks--which may or not be a good thing.

To start off, this is my two cents. Is to see how it works on this forum before waltzing (couldn't resist) off and starting something that would also require learning a new way to interact. I would think that this should be kept as simple as possible in the beginning and then see it enfolds.

I'm sure that everyone will have an opinion and will be willing to do what makes this idea succeed. You are a brave soul for taking this on.

I'm looking forward to how this plays (sorry) out.

From what I know of Opus45, he does not appear to be just any boob.

thanks markb, i think :p

I'm in. I needed an excuse to work on Raindrop anyway.
Mike White

Does Opus have boobs?