Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Lizst's Liebestraum #3 level of difficulty

I think it was a single user who used the word "disturbing". I can empathize that this offended you. I probably would have felt similar in the first moment.
But you don't know which personal experiences caused the user to express himself that way. Maybe he had to experience several times how gifted students were messed up by being "encouraged" in a bad or wrong way.
Anyway. It doesn't make sense to focus on one insensitive comment rather than on the many others that are not.

By the way, the age of your child is one more reason why many people find clear words. He is too young to be able to defend himself against harmful influences. It is therefore all the more important that you, as his guardian, are sensitised to this.

It is your free decision to outrage yourself. But you could also see the feedback as a chance to get new perspectives on your current situation.

You asked for advice, not praise, and if you did, you probably should have marked it more clearly.

As this thread is still going, and RJ's Dad is still participating, I guess I'll chime in.

Guidance is what is called for.

It's nice he picked a beautiful piece to try, but it is clearly above his level. It is above my level, and I've been working very hard at this instrument for 5 years. Sure, I'm just an average adult learner, but nonetheless I have learned a ton, practice an hour or two per day, can play scales, chords, arpeggios and pieces in every key, can play legato octaves, understand harmonies, chord progression, key modulation, and voicing, but then again, I'm really no prodigy.

There are probably so many things he has yet to learn that are best picked up by level appropriate music. Even if he succeeds at getting the notes and timing of this piece correct, will your son know everything there is to know about music up to the level of this piece? Or will he be struggling to learn the next piece at this level or even below this level?

It's akin to going out onto the court with a Div 1 basketball team. Sure, he might be able to catch a soft pass, make a layup without any defenders, but is he really capable of playing with the team?

A teacher should be able to recognize these issues that are obvious to us, who are on this forum and clearly obsessed with music and the instrument, and realize that he lacks the experience and wisdom to choose pieces if he chooses pieces meant for those who have been playing for 8-10 years.

Nobody here is being intentionally nasty or derogatory. Maybe the positive to come from this thread will be that you consider getting him on a tract that will sustain years of good habits and a core education that will enable him to play properly, for a lifetime of music.

this is EXACTLY WHY this thread should just be deleted as requested, and even backed here by another member.

I admitted my mistake posting here, and yet the owner of the forum who supposedly is aware of this does not even take a moment to read my message to him, forget about actually replying:

"Unread by: Piano World"

As I told the mods I am looking into options external of the site to have this thread removed. In the meantime I have no option than to try to made the best of the situation for myself and others. Just avoiding it so it moves down the boards does not solve the problem.

In regards to the supposed advise given, it is not relative for an 8 year old kid with just 15 months of professionally taught experience. I've had plenty of strangers, and others who are friends, with musical experience witness him play, NONE of which expressed ANY concerns about potential physical harm with what he's playing. I wonder of any of those who responded here would actually say the same thing if they witnessed this firsthand.

I'm really sorry that you're so distressed by the postings in this thread.
I just wanted to let you know that many posts can be read much more positively than you currently think.
I am sure, no one wants anything bad for you or your son, I suppose, even the exact opposite is the case.

Nevertheless, I hope that your wish will be fulfilled by either closing or removing the thread. So you can get some rest.

All the best!

I think you may be misreading who pianissima feels the threat is, and from whom which harmful influences you son should be defended.

Just pointing it out.

Yes. I think we're just talking past each other at this stage. The best of luck to your son.

Based on this reply, I'm guessing that what you were looking for was an echo chamber, not real advice on how your son could improve.

As PL mentioned, several of us here have taught and performed professionally for decades, encounter this type of student frequently, and know how to get them to a better place. Hearing him firsthand would likely only strengthen the fact that he needs a better teacher who can help him with the basics, IMO. Very talented kid, though.

Anyway, thread closed.