|
Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
|
|
32 members (20/20 Vision, Charles Cohen, Burkhard, AlkansBookcase, brennbaer, cmoody31, admodios, 9 invisible),
1,234
guests, and
333
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,002
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,002 |
If I hear the Moonlight Sonata one more time I will kill myself! Nothing personal Wuxia, don't take offense... It just seems to be very popular among beginners/intermediate players. I'm actually going to hear it tonight at a concert
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,058
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,058 |
Thank you for your words. I feel I'm among friends here, thank you. My mother has always been an enthusiast of my adventure with the piano. She loved to hear me play and she was one of my best listeners.
I have a story that I can share: On the day before she died, I had previous access to the video I made for the contest of my company. After I download the video I went to the hospital to see my mother and I took the laptop. I showed her the video, and I remember that she was very weak and she was lying on her side with her ​​head on the pillow. I put the laptop aside so she could see and hear better. She watched intently and smiled. With the voice a little weak, she said: "Wonderful ...". This was the last moment of life that I shared with my mother. From that evening she was getting weaker and weaker until she lost her consciousness the next day.
SoundCloud | Youtube Self-taught since Dec2009 "Don't play what's there, play what's not there."
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,088
7000 Post Club Member
|
OP
7000 Post Club Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,088 |
Carolos, what a bittersweet memory to cherish.
Your video was a "big deal" before, but now there is a whole new level of significance to it.
I suppose it may be hard to play that piece at this time, but in the future it may very well bring a smile to your heart. I certainly hope so.
18 ABF Recitals, Order of the Red Dot European Piano Parties - Brussels, Lisbon, Lucern, Milan, Malaga, St. Goar Themed recitals: Grieg and Great American Songbook
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 516
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 516 |
Carolos, what a bittersweet memory to cherish.
Your video was a "big deal" before, but now there is a whole new level of significance to it.
I suppose it may be hard to play that piece at this time, but in the future it may very well bring a smile to your heart. I certainly hope so. +1,000,000 Carlos - my condolences as well. Your story made me tear up. Your video takes on a whole new meaning for me now.
"...when you do practice properly, it seems to take no time at all. Just do it right five times or so, and then stop." -- JimF Working on: my aversion to practicing in front of my wife 1978 Vose & Sons spinet "Rufus" 1914 Huntington upright "Mabel" XXIX-XXXII
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,065
4000 Post Club Member
|
4000 Post Club Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,065 |
wuxia - that was a beautiful rendition of Moonlight Sonata
sinophilia - laughing my butt off at your comment. Does this mean you are not going to attempt it? Don't speak too soon once you attempt the first measure there is no going back,lol
Surprisingly easy, barely an inconvenience. Kawai K8 & Kawai Novus NV10 13x
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,095
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,095 |
Carlos thanks for sharing such a special moment with us.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 42
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 42 |
Hi,
Achievement of the week: first Piano lesson. Which included playing with both my right and left hand at the same time. (I admit that it didn't sound good yet) also the first time that I played an acoustic grand. The feel and sound are quite different than my Kawai ES7.
Teacher started me with a Folk Dean method.
Looking forward to my next lesson next week.
Wouter.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,002
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,002 |
sinophilia - laughing my butt off at your comment. Does this mean you are not going to attempt it? Don't speak too soon once you attempt the first measure there is no going back,lol
Never! Mark my words I listened to it played by Ingolf Wunder yesterday night and the first movement was very subdued, he barely lifted his fingers from the keyboard. Then the tension grew in the second and exploded in the third. Very nice.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,002
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,002 |
My condolences Carlos. Thank you for sharing an intense musical moment.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 190
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 190 |
So sorry to read of your loss Carlos.
Inspired by Einaudi and Tiersen.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,281
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,281 |
carlos -- how beautiful that your mom gave you such support for your playing, and that you in turn were able to share one of your big accomplishments with her. wuxia - lovely playing with lots of expression. wouter - woohoo! Playing hands together is exciting and feels so good, doesn't it? Enjoy your lessons! sinophilia - Don't be too sure. I had thought that I would never play Moonlight. Then my teacher assigned it. Guess who won.
Mary Bee Current mantra: Play outside the box. XVI-XXXVI
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 109
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 109 |
earlofmar, MaryBee, thanks =]
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 611
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 611 |
Carlos, I'm so sorry for your loss. And thank you for sharing your memory with us.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,377
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,377 |
Week 79: It feels like a one step back kind of week. I temporarily dropped A Thousand Years from the rotation. This week I went back to it and aack, so much feels lost and my arrangement is a simple one. My arrangement of Annie's Song sounded good for a time, but after some age, I feel unsure about my choices.
My away from piano life is getting busier. I plan to try some different things this year so the drop off isn't as steep. Last year, my hour a day for piano became 15 minutes a day for several months.
One positive is that my two octave scales in D are better though many would still rate them as poor.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,206
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,206 |
Week 79: It feels like a one step back kind of week....My away from piano life is getting busier.... That's what it's been for me. I got stung by a wasp on my eye brow on Thur. Went to a clinic. They just wanted me to take this or that and work with it. I asked if there was anything to stop the swelling? My greatest fear was to wake up Fri. morning to an eye swollen shut. They gave me a shot. Told me my only worry was getting home safe. I would be fine in the morning. Woke up Fri. morning to an eye swollen shut. Doh! Called the clinic Fri. morning. All they did was feed me a bunch of BS. I paid $128 for nothing! Boss took it frivolously on Thur. Friday morning he sent the only person he said was available which was the Owner of the Company. He thought he was going to get me in trouble. It backfired. Owner took one look at me and just smiled. I had to ride around with him on Fri. and show him where everything was. No way I could drive a truck like this. The Owner mad it perfectly clear to the boss how serious it was. I was able to call the Owner this morning. Told him I could just barely force the eye open enough to see three dimensional if I have to. I can handle the route today. This is after, on my own, seeking out Benedril and Zyrtec. Falling asleep last night with my eye on top of an ice pack. I've been much too irritable kind of in pain with this to practice. Just now seeing half way decent without trouble. I"m really happy. On Thur. afternoon was my lesson. Was at least able to talk to my teacher on the phone. Told her about some of the hand independence training I learned about on another thread here. She liked it. Told me to run with it. I'm about to get back into practice here.
Ron Your brain is a sponge. Keep it wet. Mary Gae George The focus of your personal practice is discipline. Not numbers. Scott Sonnon
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,058
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,058 |
rnaple, what a story... Nice to know that you're recovering now.
SoundCloud | Youtube Self-taught since Dec2009 "Don't play what's there, play what's not there."
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 611
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 611 |
After two months I'm back home and to normal life: my job, kids' school and activities, friends. And an Internet connected computer instead of a phone. My achievement is already "old" for this thread, but I want to share it with you anyway. 20 days ago I was leaving for a trip with my family, and we had a couple of hours to waste at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. In the departure area I found a battered upright piano with a sign on it inviting people to share music. I told myself: why not? I forgot that I'm really shy and I don't like playing for others. But there nobody knew me and the hall was so big that nobody could hear what I was doing (only later I realized that the piano sound could be heard from a distance). So I played my very small memorized repertoire, the biggest trouble was a dumb E flat key in the middle of the keyboard... Husband and sons were incredulous!
Then, after a couple of days we visited several piano stores and I tried all the instruments I could; when we entered in a Steinway store we were the only visitors and the clerks were all observing us. I wanted to go away, but my husband asked if I could try some piano ("She is too shy to ask") - I could and I played a bit on a Steinway grand branded Lang Lang; I was not particularly impressed; a Boston nearby was better. I did not touch the big grands on the other side, a sign on every keyboard saying (I think) "Do not touch". But my husband knew I really wanted, so he asked for me again. I choose a long and shining grand (a model D, I was told later), I played the Chopin Prelude in C minor and it was... gorgeous! I'm just worthy my upright, and I think I will never touch such a piano again, but it's been a really nice experience!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,780
6000 Post Club Member
|
6000 Post Club Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,780 |
torquenale, what a great experience! I got pictures in my head of you in the airport playing I'd love to try some of those grands, too. Congratulations. Cathy
Cathy Perhaps "more music" is always the answer, no matter what the question might be! - Qwerty53
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,088
7000 Post Club Member
|
OP
7000 Post Club Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,088 |
SandTiger hang in there, you (and we) know that we can't always give piano top place in our daily priorities. It is frustrating to feel you've been stalled out, but at least you're seeing progress in some small (but important) areas. It isn't a straightforward journey, that's for sure!
Rmaple: oh wow - that sounds really awful! Painful and uncomfortable. I hope the swelling goes away soon and you're able to get back to your normal routines, work and piano!
Torquenale: That's a pretty neat story! How nice your husband was so supportive! I look forward to the day when I can play something as lovely as a Chopin prelude on a beautiful grand piano! Good for you for being willing to play in the airport! Well done!
18 ABF Recitals, Order of the Red Dot European Piano Parties - Brussels, Lisbon, Lucern, Milan, Malaga, St. Goar Themed recitals: Grieg and Great American Songbook
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,058
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,058 |
torquenale, great story! Thanks for sharing.
SoundCloud | Youtube Self-taught since Dec2009 "Don't play what's there, play what's not there."
|
|
|
Forums43
Topics223,384
Posts3,349,166
Members111,630
|
Most Online15,252 Mar 21st, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|