tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411848813516973717.post729090850579898833..comments2023-07-04T09:34:03.307-04:00Comments on Music/Life: Food for thoughtHarriethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13880173260724402584noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411848813516973717.post-55441768542355860872010-06-11T11:29:04.722-04:002010-06-11T11:29:04.722-04:00Anonymous -- :)
Thanks for the compliment, but on...Anonymous -- :)<br /><br />Thanks for the compliment, but on the piano I feel there are huge gaps in my abilities. I can't really play anything fast, for example. I seem to be able to bring only one short piece at a time to any kind of performing status, and then if I stop working on it intensely, it starts slipping away almost immediately. There are lots of pieces I'd like to tackle but I don't have the technical knowledge (e.g., most Chopin etudes, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, later Beethoven -- just a few examples).<br /><br />Some of this is due to lack of training; some just because I don't practice that much. Given the way my life is set up these days, I don't know how I will be able to fit in a whole lot more practicing. Perhaps I should just be satisfied with where I'm at and be a happy hobbyist.<br /><br />I'm still contemplating whether the school/degree is a good idea. Lessons are, definitely, but is the hassle of the school worth it? One line of thinking I've had is that if I do get to a point where I want to start teaching piano, having a degree of some sort would provide me with some cred with potential students.<br /><br />One advantage of school is it's not open-ended. Private lessons are kind of like therapy -- they can go on for years, and it's hard to know when it's time to move on. School has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's goal oriented. I've found that this can be very motivating. You push yourself more than you would without it, and then after it's done find yourself at a higher level. It's kind of like they say about sports -- no pain, no gain.<br /><br />Anyway, I appreciate the feedback.Harriethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13880173260724402584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411848813516973717.post-65024873001677165262010-06-11T09:39:33.184-04:002010-06-11T09:39:33.184-04:00Very interesting. I'm surprised you are contem...Very interesting. I'm surprised you are contemplating more instruction. You are a talented musician and my guess is that you will find that you already play better than 98% of the students and staff at the community college. My second guess is that any improvements that you make as a result of this move will be so small and incremental that only you will notice them. <br /><br />Not that you asked, but since you have posted this on the InterWeb for the world to see I'll offer my opinion: I think your real interest is in performing and sharing your talent with others - not in getting better (you are already very good).<br /><br />If a Harriet plays beautifully in her basement and nobody hears her, does she make make music?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411848813516973717.post-81901762601793730822010-06-10T01:43:40.294-04:002010-06-10T01:43:40.294-04:00Good for you. It sounds like you're being very...Good for you. It sounds like you're being very thoughtful about the whole process. Now you just have to get to the decision...pdxknitterati/MicheleLBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12164265671528808629noreply@blogger.com