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Sigh

I know! I feel the same way sometimes! That little girl is a cutie. Here is a more advanced 8 year-old!

https://youtu.be/8dy3pqRG7UA

These videos of children playing should be labeled
WARNING: Hazardous to your health’

.... when you see the title in YouTube of cute xxx yo playing xxx...
Always, always SKIP IT! Life will be better if you do.

the new Glen Gould?

I take solace in reading Valentina Lisitsa’s comment that “concert pianists are a dime a dozen!”

I bet at least 10 million kids with a piano in the house could do that if pressed enough by sick parents for youtube 5 minute fame. It’s like those children who can read at the age of 3 because their stupid parents made them do it so they can show off how smart their kid is. Fast forward 10 years and nothing special remains.

To the original poster I suggest a good reason for bothering is that you might be happier with your music and get more out of it than she does or, for that matter, more than the most famous pianist in the world gets playing in front of thousands. External comparison cannot discern the quality of the quale of internal musical experience. The famous pianist could be bored stiff and the prodigy could be unhappy, you just don't know. Just enjoy your own music, it's all that matters really.

I'm not sure parents pushing their kids to play piano explains every case of child prodigy. Someone like Yo-yo Ma can develop the love for music at an early age and convince their parents to take them to a teacher.

There are probably kids who get into playing music at an early age for centuries. Just that we don't hear about them as much because social media wasn't available. In the past even Rock bands have to tour around the country in live performances to get noticed. Someone like Justin Bieber can upload a song and in days become a celebrity.

Today it is much harder to get kids into playing piano because everybody gets distracted by portable devices like tablets & smartphones. Everyone here have an interest in music for personal reasons. A lot of people including myself get into playing as an adult and may be taking lessons for many years with no expectations of becoming a virtuoso. But achieving greatness is not why we get into music. Playing can be relaxing and a good stimulation for the brain.

Someone in the family took lessons at a young age and stopped playing for a while. She got a keyboard recently since moving to a smaller place. I don't think she expected to be playing at an advanced level from day 1.

When I was in high school, I met a lady who came to my music class with piano playing at a conservatory Gr. 6 level. This was 3 decades ago when we were around 15. At the time I got into violin and thought piano playing was too difficult. Today even playing "Minuet in G" from the Anna M Notebook is a personal accomplishment.

Depends on your motivations for playing. If you play to be impressive to others, there will always be someone more impressive.

OP here. I had a really rough week at work and couldn’t practice all week. Come the weekend, the stresses of the work week had a really bad impact on my practice. I kept playing the same 4 measures over and over again. Then I saw this video and it was the last straw, so to speak. No, I’m not aiming to be a concert pianist and only play for stress release and self enjoyment, but I saw the video of a 3 year old play better than me and I kind of broke down.

It’s Monday morning and I’ve picked myself up and life will go on.

It is sometimes tough isn't it. Take care.

A child's ability to learn if they are engaged with what they are doing is astounding. As an adult accepting the progress of a child like this is necessary.

Many children will not have an adults responsibilities and anxieties creating demands on their time and energy which often cannot be avoided. All I can is try and give yourself a break.

If it is any consolation, that little kid doesn't have to go to work.

I hope you have a better week.

I loved that vid. The little 'un's so natural singing along as well, and obviously loves what she does. It's not an achievement to her, it's a real joy. Nobody's taken that away from her, and never will. I was playing when I was 4. Who needed music then? I played what I heard, and drew what I saw. I wasn't a prodigy, not even close. My intellectual development stopped when I was 5!
That's why I still ride the supermarket trolleys; tell the unfunny jokes and laugh at them.
That's also why I want a Kalashnikov (replica) for Christmas . . . .

It’s all relative. I’m surrounded by pianists a million times better than me. Friends who can learn and perform a concerto with an orchestra in a week’s time. It’s sometimes a bit depressing. I try to focus on the fact that it’s a privilege to be surrounded by such amazing music by people I consider to be wonderful friends. It usually works.

Then I turn around and find that someone is astounded that I sight read Strauss or play a Chopin waltz without having to think about it too much.

If we waste too much time in comparative pursuits we lose sight of the fact that we all have the same musical heart.

There is always someone smarter, prettier, stronger, faster and so on than you are. Including music and piano. The best plan is to be glad for them and do not indulge in harmful comparisons - do your best with what you have.

Sam

+1!

On point. As they say, there is always a sky above a sky. Do what you can do. Delight in the achievements of others.

I agree with Sam's advise, but I do also know where weaklefthand is coming from.

There are some days where life has thrown a few spanners in your direction and something stupid and ridiculous is the thing that tips you over the edge. I suspect weaklefthand already knows not to do these comparisons, just sometimes your brain automatically does it for you when you are at your weakest and most vulnerable.

Having responsibilities is something adults take for granted. Someone in the family who got a keyboard recently after she stopped playing for a decade is finding out she hasn’t got many hours in a week to practice. If we decided we will never master a Chopin Waltz, we’d stop playing ages ago.

A few months earlier I submitted a piece for the PW online recital. I spent the whole summer away from the piano to take care of family issues. Even an hour a week practicing on a public piano is a lifesaver. During the week, the only way to get to my music is by listening to recordings of pieces I submitted to the last PW recital and the one before.

In another 2 months I’ll be playing seasonal Christmas pieces. Can’t wait...