Food for thought

I had my interview/audition yesterday at the community college. The person I met with is the head of the department and also teaches piano. His office was stuffed with two grand pianos (Kawais) and a desk, with a tiny path to get to each. I introduced myself, and then he asked me to play something. I played about two pages' worth of Brahms Op. 118 No. 2, and then he stopped me and said it was fine. I believe this was my very first piano audition! (Even though I think they do this just to see if you can play at all.)

I explained what I want to do, and he understood and expressed support for the idea. He even mentioned perhaps having the theory teachers devise some sort of exam so that I wouldn't have to take basic theory again. Without needing theory or any of the basic general classes (which I took back in 1974), all I'd have to take would be four semesters each of piano lessons, what they call "applied music lab" (basically a performance class, where you learn to play for and listen to others, three hours once a week), and large ensemble. Most pianists take chorus, which actually kind of appeals to me, but because it's held twice a week at noon, and the college is a pretty long trek from where I work, that's really not an option.

So it looks like if I want to do this, I'd have to play in the school orchestra, which meets once a week on Monday nights and gives four concerts a year (on Tuesday nights). This would work well from a scheduling standpoint, but my first thought was, gee, do I really want to pay to play in a community college orchestra? My second thought was, maybe it would be fun. Or not. But I imagine it's probably on par with the other gigs I've been playing, particularly because some of the same people are in it (this is also a community orchestra, so there are a lot of people who are not students).

Anyway, I'm accepted at the school and have now had the required advising session, so if I decide to go ahead with this, all I have to do is register. I do have to audition for the orchestra before the semester starts, but I'm guessing that won't be a problem. The only other issue is figuring out which piano teacher to choose and then coming up with a good lesson time.

My husband asked me why I can't just take private lessons instead of jumping through these hoops. I have been asking myself the same question, and if the infrastructure -- the school, the performance classes, the juries -- really is that important. Well, in my own experience, simply taking private lessons has never been enough. Maybe it is if you happen to have a great teacher, but I have never been that lucky, or maybe I never worked hard enough or was in the right mental place to get the most out of it. I was always so passive, lying on the beach of lessondom waiting have wisdom imparted to me, like a suntan; I didn't realize you need to wade out there and grab it. Really, the most important element of developing one's playing is practicing -- practicing enough, practicing the right way -- and that's something a teacher can only guide. Sometimes the environment can be a big part of the learning process.

Just being in the music building yesterday, thinking about being part of a community like that again, was invigorating, even though it was between semesters and hardly anyone was there, even though it was not some prestigious conservatory. While I was waiting for my interview, I could hear someone having a lesson on a Chopin prelude (very faintly -- the building was remodeled a few years ago, and they must have put some good soundproofing in). The last time I was part of a music school, I didn't even know what that piece was; now I do, and could learn to play it if I decided to do so. It's good to feel that I'm actually learning things instead of forgetting them.