... before Recital. Yes, tomorrow evening, Jillian and I play in front of dozens, nay, SCORES of friends, family, and curious onlookers compelled to attend only by their sense of morbid curiosity. I had my last pre-recital lesson yesterday, during which time I played Le Onde three times*. The first, not so well, but then again, I never play well at the beginning of a lesson. But who among us does?
* - Yes, that probably means I've now played it 300 times over the last three months.
The second, sloppy, and in fact, I got distracted halfway through, thinking about an error I made in the first half, and how I was going to play it SO MUCH BETTER the second time through... which, of course, since I was distracted, I messed it up even worse. But the third...
... the third...
Wow. I know a lot of words, but I don't know of any to explain how satisfied I was with how I played it the third time. I was another person. The music took on a new life.
Naturally, I have no expectations that that will happen again tomorrow. But wouldn't that be cool?
- Aw2pp, who is starting, for the first time, to play piano.
Showing posts with label piano lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label piano lessons. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Le Update
Just got back from this week's lesson. Focused entirely on Le Onde, and learned some new vocabulary in the process.
Me: What does this allarg. mean? I see that it is always followed by an a tempo, and recordings of the music sound like they slow down... is it just another way to write ritardando?
PT: No, it's more than that. Think broad and majestic as you slow down.
Me: Um, ok, what does that mean?
PT: Think of the glamorous stars walking down the red carpet on Oscar night. Play like they walk.
* - My wife, when she gets around to reading this, will be laughing at this point... she knows I consider The Oscars to be one of the most annoying things to watch on TV. That and Kendra.
Me: What about this poco tratt.?
PT: I have no idea.
We looked it up... it means to hold back, and is more common with string music. Whoddathunkit?
Where I am with Le Onde... I have the first half down and memorized. Once in awhile, I play it so well, I am pleased with it. And it is LOTS of fun, I almost don't want to play anything else these days. The problem is, I am so locked in on the pattern of the first half, the latter half is coming much more slowly, as the changes are subtle. But crucial. So I have some memorization to do on the back half.
Brilliant Reader Denis asks:
Great question. Measures 5 and 6 work like this for me: 524131
Measure 7 like this: 514131(2, the F# in the next measure)
It works well, but I bet you question is more of an artistic one than a technical one. That is, how do I play it "sweet and songlike, marking the melody*" (one presumes that would be the high notes). Still having trouble with this. What works for me is to accent the first note in the measure, then get progressively softer as I move down the scale. The first section, it's not coming out like I had hoped. The second section, however, beginning in measure 25, it comes out quite clearly, and I'm almost happy with it. Don't know what makes this section easier, but it is.
* - Pardon my Italian, but that is my guess on what the music is instructing. "Dolce e cantabile, marcando la melodia."
As to the third, beginning measure 41, I am just blasting away. He has some dynamic markings in 47 and 48 that temper things a bit, but, for now, I am playing this as loudly as my technique (such as it is) will allow. When I am ready for a recording, I will give a listen to what I am doing with this part, and probably make some changes.
I'm 2 months out at this point, but 5 weeks away from ABF Recital 18. I'm happy with where I am, enjoying the journey, and will hope to maintain progress for another month. My goal will be to have this down so completely that, come first Friday in June, all I have to worry about is getting a good haircut beforehand. We'll see.
- Aw2pp, inveterate tinkerer
Me: What does this allarg. mean? I see that it is always followed by an a tempo, and recordings of the music sound like they slow down... is it just another way to write ritardando?
PT: No, it's more than that. Think broad and majestic as you slow down.
Me: Um, ok, what does that mean?
PT: Think of the glamorous stars walking down the red carpet on Oscar night. Play like they walk.
* - My wife, when she gets around to reading this, will be laughing at this point... she knows I consider The Oscars to be one of the most annoying things to watch on TV. That and Kendra.
Me: What about this poco tratt.?
PT: I have no idea.
We looked it up... it means to hold back, and is more common with string music. Whoddathunkit?
Where I am with Le Onde... I have the first half down and memorized. Once in awhile, I play it so well, I am pleased with it. And it is LOTS of fun, I almost don't want to play anything else these days. The problem is, I am so locked in on the pattern of the first half, the latter half is coming much more slowly, as the changes are subtle. But crucial. So I have some memorization to do on the back half.
Brilliant Reader Denis asks:
How did you solve the issue with 'singing' the main half notes on the right hand in bars 5,6,7 and in the rest of the song?
Great question. Measures 5 and 6 work like this for me: 524131
Measure 7 like this: 514131(2, the F# in the next measure)
It works well, but I bet you question is more of an artistic one than a technical one. That is, how do I play it "sweet and songlike, marking the melody*" (one presumes that would be the high notes). Still having trouble with this. What works for me is to accent the first note in the measure, then get progressively softer as I move down the scale. The first section, it's not coming out like I had hoped. The second section, however, beginning in measure 25, it comes out quite clearly, and I'm almost happy with it. Don't know what makes this section easier, but it is.
* - Pardon my Italian, but that is my guess on what the music is instructing. "Dolce e cantabile, marcando la melodia."
As to the third, beginning measure 41, I am just blasting away. He has some dynamic markings in 47 and 48 that temper things a bit, but, for now, I am playing this as loudly as my technique (such as it is) will allow. When I am ready for a recording, I will give a listen to what I am doing with this part, and probably make some changes.
I'm 2 months out at this point, but 5 weeks away from ABF Recital 18. I'm happy with where I am, enjoying the journey, and will hope to maintain progress for another month. My goal will be to have this down so completely that, come first Friday in June, all I have to worry about is getting a good haircut beforehand. We'll see.
- Aw2pp, inveterate tinkerer
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Lessons resume tonight
I've been away from lessons for a couple-three* weeks. During this time, I:
- Went from "yick, that sounds awful" to "hey, I recognize that!" on Stella del Mattino. Might fall back on this as my recital piece in November.
- Completed Festive Dance (oh, I owe you a recording) and did enough on Alfred's Scherzo to be annoyed by it.
- Worked some on the Clementi Sonatina I asked for last time.
* - "Two or three." This phrase works much better verbally, it seems.
So it should be a full lesson this evening, which is a bit of a problem. PT likes to talk. A lot. Each 30 minute lesson usually contains about 10 to 15 minutes of talking and catching up. Not sure there is enough room for that today, but we'll see.
In the meantime, since I have nothing much else to say, here are the annual first day of school pics, including Ro's First First Day of School. Enjoy.
- Aw2pp, new "Mad Men" fan.
- Went from "yick, that sounds awful" to "hey, I recognize that!" on Stella del Mattino. Might fall back on this as my recital piece in November.
- Completed Festive Dance (oh, I owe you a recording) and did enough on Alfred's Scherzo to be annoyed by it.
- Worked some on the Clementi Sonatina I asked for last time.
* - "Two or three." This phrase works much better verbally, it seems.
So it should be a full lesson this evening, which is a bit of a problem. PT likes to talk. A lot. Each 30 minute lesson usually contains about 10 to 15 minutes of talking and catching up. Not sure there is enough room for that today, but we'll see.
In the meantime, since I have nothing much else to say, here are the annual first day of school pics, including Ro's First First Day of School. Enjoy.
- Aw2pp, new "Mad Men" fan.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Back to lessons
Had my first piano lesson since May yesterday. We spent about 10 minutes talking about Jason, 10 minutes talking about her (PT's) children and their musical development as they grew up, 5 minutes reviewing what I had been doing this summer (Alfred's pieces), then about 5 minutes plodding through I Giorni.
As far as Jason goes, she doesn't regard this summer's lessons as a failure, or wasted time. In her world, 6 is very early to begin lessons, and the fact that he demonstrated interest and some aptitude speaks well of his long-term future as a piano player (or as a musician playing some other instrument). The fact that he chose not to practice in the off-hours is not entirely unexpected. But PT's guess as to what happens next with Jason is this: he'll continue to tinker on the piano here and there, and perhaps even play some of his assigned pieces on his own. He may ask for (or need) help with these, and I am fully capable of providing this. Over time, he will see me continue to do my piano thing, and, at some point in the next year or two, his desire to "want to be like dad" will cause him to return to the piano more formally.
"So, if you keep playing the piano, and progressing, he'll take it up, too." No pressure of course. In that same vein, she told me that two adults have approached her this summer about taking lessons, citing my recital performance as the thing that pushed them over the edge. Basically, the conversation went something like this: "I have always wanted to play the piano..." (hmm, where have I heard that before?...) "... but figured it was too late for me. But I guess not. Do have you have any openings?" I told her I knew who she was talking about because a someone came up to me after the June recital and said basically the same thing.
"Really? Who?"
"Well, the guy whose sons preceded me. George something..."
"Oh, George is a wonderful guy. But no, not him. These were other folks." Well, then.
As to how I did... her old piano takes some getting used to. In our 30 minute lesson, mind you, I only played maybe 5 minutes. I played I Giorni in its entirety, struggled through most of it, even though I played some parts much more smoothly than I ever had before. (Gremlins, again.) But overall, I left there with serious doubts as to whether I could produce an acceptable performance for the ABF Quarterly Recital.
Then I came home and played it pretty well, so who knows.
- Aw2pp, whose lack of mastery of I Giorni is starting to make coffee nervous.
As far as Jason goes, she doesn't regard this summer's lessons as a failure, or wasted time. In her world, 6 is very early to begin lessons, and the fact that he demonstrated interest and some aptitude speaks well of his long-term future as a piano player (or as a musician playing some other instrument). The fact that he chose not to practice in the off-hours is not entirely unexpected. But PT's guess as to what happens next with Jason is this: he'll continue to tinker on the piano here and there, and perhaps even play some of his assigned pieces on his own. He may ask for (or need) help with these, and I am fully capable of providing this. Over time, he will see me continue to do my piano thing, and, at some point in the next year or two, his desire to "want to be like dad" will cause him to return to the piano more formally.
"So, if you keep playing the piano, and progressing, he'll take it up, too." No pressure of course. In that same vein, she told me that two adults have approached her this summer about taking lessons, citing my recital performance as the thing that pushed them over the edge. Basically, the conversation went something like this: "I have always wanted to play the piano..." (hmm, where have I heard that before?...) "... but figured it was too late for me. But I guess not. Do have you have any openings?" I told her I knew who she was talking about because a someone came up to me after the June recital and said basically the same thing.
"Really? Who?"
"Well, the guy whose sons preceded me. George something..."
"Oh, George is a wonderful guy. But no, not him. These were other folks." Well, then.
As to how I did... her old piano takes some getting used to. In our 30 minute lesson, mind you, I only played maybe 5 minutes. I played I Giorni in its entirety, struggled through most of it, even though I played some parts much more smoothly than I ever had before. (Gremlins, again.) But overall, I left there with serious doubts as to whether I could produce an acceptable performance for the ABF Quarterly Recital.
Then I came home and played it pretty well, so who knows.
- Aw2pp, whose lack of mastery of I Giorni is starting to make coffee nervous.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Two kid updates...
To keep the schedule sustainable, and to make sure we don't go insane with activities, we try to limit the kids to no more than two activity enrollments at any given time. Not sure if we're even going to be able to maintain that pace during the school year, especially when Rowan and Joey start getting involved in things. But this summer, we have (well, Sue has) been able to shuttle Jillian and Jason back and forth between swim lessons* and piano lessons.
* - "Swim lessons, Aw2pp?" Ya, I know. "But weren't Jillian and Jason on swim team last year?" Yup, they were. "So, how..." It's a bit of a long story, and deserves its own post. Another time. For now, suffice it to say that they have been in swim lessons this summer, and it has been a worthwhile use of time and resources.
How's piano going?
Jason's piano practice has been laser-focused. Pretty much all he does is work on his performance of Jillian's Dance of theUnicorns Dolphins Generic Creatures. (Hear his performance of this piece from several months ago at this link: http://www.box.net/shared/iv161vyb6a). To his credit, he has even done a little improvisation on the theme, and I gotta admit, it's more interesting than before. Furthermore, when he is physically present at lessons, he is fully engaged, having fun, and, most importantly, learning.
But the good news ends there. His passion for Dance of... spills, annoyingly, into his lessons. He finds ways to play it in and amongst the other things he is asked to do at lessons. Poor PT, she is so tired of hearing that music. "Anything but that!" Once he gets home, he simply does not practice what he has been assigned. He dislikes practice, and he pushes back on Sue and me when we ask him to practice. We remind him that asked to take lessons. Therefore, he needs to follow through on the commitment he made to us and PT, and stick it out through the end of the summer lesson session. But once those are over, we told him that we'll pull him out of lessons until he demonstrates that he is committed to giving piano practice the attention it deserves.
This is sort of a template for us. If our children show an interest in something, especially beneficial activities and interests like piano, reading, or sports, we'll honor their interest to the extent that our schedules and finances allow. A corollary to this is that we aren't going to sign them up for something in which they have (or express) no interest. But once they tell us "I want to do (insert activity)," we make sure that they realize what they are committing to, and we hold them to that commitment through the duration of the season / session. Which means, for the rest of this month, anyway, we are still going to make sure Jason practices, and he is still going to his final couple of lessons. But when the next round starts, I will resume my lessons, taking Jason's place.
Jason is, after all, 6. There is plenty of time for him to rediscover a more abiding interest in the piano. Or maybe he'll follow in my path, and wait 30+ years before formally taking up the instrument. Or maybe he never will. But for now, he has had his introduction, and it'll suffice until we hear otherwise. When school starts, we'll get him signed up for... soccer and basketball, I think? Or maybe horse riding lessons... I think both kids expressed an interest in those. But man, riding horses is pricey.
Jillian is just as fired up about piano as ever. She is genuinely pleased with her progress, looks forward to lessons, and, for the most part, practices without being asked. As piano pieces spin up periodically on the iPod, she often asks me to estimate how long it will take before she can play the music. Most of the time, my answer is something along the lines of "Not long."
Oh, and she has a new found interest in the music of Led Zeppelin. That's almost enough to balance out the fact that she somehow knows who Lady Ga Ga is.
Almost, that is.
- Aw2pp, who pities Mr. T.
* - "Swim lessons, Aw2pp?" Ya, I know. "But weren't Jillian and Jason on swim team last year?" Yup, they were. "So, how..." It's a bit of a long story, and deserves its own post. Another time. For now, suffice it to say that they have been in swim lessons this summer, and it has been a worthwhile use of time and resources.
How's piano going?
Jason's piano practice has been laser-focused. Pretty much all he does is work on his performance of Jillian's Dance of the
But the good news ends there. His passion for Dance of... spills, annoyingly, into his lessons. He finds ways to play it in and amongst the other things he is asked to do at lessons. Poor PT, she is so tired of hearing that music. "Anything but that!" Once he gets home, he simply does not practice what he has been assigned. He dislikes practice, and he pushes back on Sue and me when we ask him to practice. We remind him that asked to take lessons. Therefore, he needs to follow through on the commitment he made to us and PT, and stick it out through the end of the summer lesson session. But once those are over, we told him that we'll pull him out of lessons until he demonstrates that he is committed to giving piano practice the attention it deserves.
This is sort of a template for us. If our children show an interest in something, especially beneficial activities and interests like piano, reading, or sports, we'll honor their interest to the extent that our schedules and finances allow. A corollary to this is that we aren't going to sign them up for something in which they have (or express) no interest. But once they tell us "I want to do (insert activity)," we make sure that they realize what they are committing to, and we hold them to that commitment through the duration of the season / session. Which means, for the rest of this month, anyway, we are still going to make sure Jason practices, and he is still going to his final couple of lessons. But when the next round starts, I will resume my lessons, taking Jason's place.
Jason is, after all, 6. There is plenty of time for him to rediscover a more abiding interest in the piano. Or maybe he'll follow in my path, and wait 30+ years before formally taking up the instrument. Or maybe he never will. But for now, he has had his introduction, and it'll suffice until we hear otherwise. When school starts, we'll get him signed up for... soccer and basketball, I think? Or maybe horse riding lessons... I think both kids expressed an interest in those. But man, riding horses is pricey.
Jillian is just as fired up about piano as ever. She is genuinely pleased with her progress, looks forward to lessons, and, for the most part, practices without being asked. As piano pieces spin up periodically on the iPod, she often asks me to estimate how long it will take before she can play the music. Most of the time, my answer is something along the lines of "Not long."
Oh, and she has a new found interest in the music of Led Zeppelin. That's almost enough to balance out the fact that she somehow knows who Lady Ga Ga is.
Almost, that is.
- Aw2pp, who pities Mr. T.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Now what?
One of my favorite exchanges* in the movie The Princess Bride happens at the end of the movie.
* - High praise, given that this is one of my favorite movies.
To set the stage... it's the end of the movie. Good guys: triumphed; villains: vanquished. Inigo Montoya, the Spanish swordsman played so masterfully by Mandy Patinkin, had spent his entire life seeking revenge for his slain father. He has tracked down the evil six-fingered man, exacted his revenge, and then says to the hero Westley...
Inigo : Is very strange. I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.
Westley: Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.
I sort of feel that way right now. Not about piracy, mind you, but about what to do with myself. For most of May, at least in terms of piano-related activities, I did nothing but polish up I Due Fiumi for the recital. I don't think I made it to more than one lesson; I gave up my slots to Jason, since I was out of town for work and volleyball. As to the lesson I DID attend, it was, yes, polishing the recital piece. I shelved what I was doing in Alfred's Book 2, making zero progress there for nigh on 2 months now. I feel like now that the recital is over with... I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.
One thing is certain: no (or very few) lessons for me this summer. During the school year, our PT conducts lessons four nights a week, from 3 to 8 PM. Which means evening slots are typically available. During the summer, PT condenses her work week into two days, the theory being that since the kids aren't in school, she can have morning and afternoon hours available. In this way, she can cover her full clientele in just two days, rather than four. Makes sense, but I can't commit to a daytime slot, so Jillian and Jason are the only ones in the household taking lessons this summer. Their day is Tuesday, 4:30 and 5:00 PM. If one or another can't make their time, and if I can, I may get a 30 minute session here and there.
But mostly, I am on my own. I figure what I will do is return my focus to Alfred's Book 2, in hopes of making serious progress on it this summer. My goal will be to cover 12 Alfred's pieces before Labor Day, roughly one per week. I am off to a reasonable start with the first of those, Joplin's Mexican Serenade (aka "Theme from 'Solace'"). I have never heard of it by either title, and the music was unfamiliar. But it has come together quickly, and I may have a recording ready in the next few days.
Then, come September, maybe I will restart my regularly scheduled lesson slot.
As for fun pieces, who knows? I am tinkering with I Giorni, but haven't yet committed myself to it. So far, it seems approachable. And, like many Einaudi pieces, it plays shorter than it really is*, since it tends to repeat its patterns quite a bit (or vary them ever so slightly).
* - Pardon the golf term.
I'll take any suggestions. Particularly from you non-Einaudi fans... any fun stuff you'd recommend? I feel like I may be lacking simple pieces from standard classical repertoire, like say, Bach, Clementi, or Kuhlau (there were two of his sonatinas in our recital).
- Aw2pp, who would make a lousy Dread Pirate Roberts.
* - High praise, given that this is one of my favorite movies.
To set the stage... it's the end of the movie. Good guys: triumphed; villains: vanquished. Inigo Montoya, the Spanish swordsman played so masterfully by Mandy Patinkin, had spent his entire life seeking revenge for his slain father. He has tracked down the evil six-fingered man, exacted his revenge, and then says to the hero Westley...
Inigo : Is very strange. I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.
Westley: Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.
I sort of feel that way right now. Not about piracy, mind you, but about what to do with myself. For most of May, at least in terms of piano-related activities, I did nothing but polish up I Due Fiumi for the recital. I don't think I made it to more than one lesson; I gave up my slots to Jason, since I was out of town for work and volleyball. As to the lesson I DID attend, it was, yes, polishing the recital piece. I shelved what I was doing in Alfred's Book 2, making zero progress there for nigh on 2 months now. I feel like now that the recital is over with... I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.
One thing is certain: no (or very few) lessons for me this summer. During the school year, our PT conducts lessons four nights a week, from 3 to 8 PM. Which means evening slots are typically available. During the summer, PT condenses her work week into two days, the theory being that since the kids aren't in school, she can have morning and afternoon hours available. In this way, she can cover her full clientele in just two days, rather than four. Makes sense, but I can't commit to a daytime slot, so Jillian and Jason are the only ones in the household taking lessons this summer. Their day is Tuesday, 4:30 and 5:00 PM. If one or another can't make their time, and if I can, I may get a 30 minute session here and there.
But mostly, I am on my own. I figure what I will do is return my focus to Alfred's Book 2, in hopes of making serious progress on it this summer. My goal will be to cover 12 Alfred's pieces before Labor Day, roughly one per week. I am off to a reasonable start with the first of those, Joplin's Mexican Serenade (aka "Theme from 'Solace'"). I have never heard of it by either title, and the music was unfamiliar. But it has come together quickly, and I may have a recording ready in the next few days.
Then, come September, maybe I will restart my regularly scheduled lesson slot.
As for fun pieces, who knows? I am tinkering with I Giorni, but haven't yet committed myself to it. So far, it seems approachable. And, like many Einaudi pieces, it plays shorter than it really is*, since it tends to repeat its patterns quite a bit (or vary them ever so slightly).
* - Pardon the golf term.
I'll take any suggestions. Particularly from you non-Einaudi fans... any fun stuff you'd recommend? I feel like I may be lacking simple pieces from standard classical repertoire, like say, Bach, Clementi, or Kuhlau (there were two of his sonatinas in our recital).
- Aw2pp, who would make a lousy Dread Pirate Roberts.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
"Don't try to improve it"
Piano lessons continue, even though I haven't mentioned much about them here. While I was in Toronto last week, Jason pinch-hit for me, taking his first ever formal lesson (assuming you don't count Jillian's lessons last summer). He already has his first assignment in his first book. And, at the risk of sounding like the clueless proud daddy here, I must say he is off to a flying start. He can play his C-D-C-D-C-D-E-F-G (right hand only) just fine. Most importantly, it is great to see him proud of himself.
He'll pinch hit for me next week as well, since I will be on my way home from the US Open VB Tournament, and won't be back in time. Then, starting the second week in June, he and Jillian will have a permanent spot in PT's weekly summer rotation. Me? I will not. Heaven knows what my schedule will be, but Jason and Jillian will have schedules as regular and predictable as Johnny Unitas' hair.
(Quoth Abe Simpson: "Johnny Unitas... now there is a haircut you can set your watch to.")
So I will probably take one or two lessons over the summer, as kids' schedules permit, but my regular slot won't resume until September. Which means, among other things, that I am trying to get plenty of fodder in my last couple of lessons before summer hiatus. Tonight was my second-to-last. And the entire focus was on I Due Fiumi, my recital piece (countdown clock: 17 days). I played it (very well), tinkered with some trouble spots, implemented a couple of suggestions, played it in its entirety again (less well) and talked a little more about points of emphasis. Then she dropped this on me:
"Keep working on it, but don't try to improve it."
"Um, what? But... there are parts I can play better."
"Don't try to play it better."
Upon further investigation, what she meant, in the nicest way she could manage, was to say that IDF is about is as good as it is going to get for me, right now. Playing it more in the next 17 days may smooth out a rough edge here or there, but nothing anyone besides me (and possibly, but not certainly her) would notice. It is not perfect, but the only thing I can do to improve it is to improve my skill, my technique. Which could happen in six months, certainly in a year. But in two weeks? Meh. Eat a banana one hour before the recital (thank for that tip, mom3gram), and I'm good to go.
Some time in the next few weeks, I am going to try to score some time on the recital instrument, our church's five year-old Kawai RX-3. Looking at the list price of these pianos, I hope to not like it too much. ("Honey, about that new Odyssey we were talking about for this year... maybe next... for the same price, wouldn't you rather have a new Kawai instead? You would, right?")
I'll keep you posted.
- Aw2pp, wannabe arborist
He'll pinch hit for me next week as well, since I will be on my way home from the US Open VB Tournament, and won't be back in time. Then, starting the second week in June, he and Jillian will have a permanent spot in PT's weekly summer rotation. Me? I will not. Heaven knows what my schedule will be, but Jason and Jillian will have schedules as regular and predictable as Johnny Unitas' hair.
(Quoth Abe Simpson: "Johnny Unitas... now there is a haircut you can set your watch to.")
So I will probably take one or two lessons over the summer, as kids' schedules permit, but my regular slot won't resume until September. Which means, among other things, that I am trying to get plenty of fodder in my last couple of lessons before summer hiatus. Tonight was my second-to-last. And the entire focus was on I Due Fiumi, my recital piece (countdown clock: 17 days). I played it (very well), tinkered with some trouble spots, implemented a couple of suggestions, played it in its entirety again (less well) and talked a little more about points of emphasis. Then she dropped this on me:
"Keep working on it, but don't try to improve it."
"Um, what? But... there are parts I can play better."
"Don't try to play it better."
Upon further investigation, what she meant, in the nicest way she could manage, was to say that IDF is about is as good as it is going to get for me, right now. Playing it more in the next 17 days may smooth out a rough edge here or there, but nothing anyone besides me (and possibly, but not certainly her) would notice. It is not perfect, but the only thing I can do to improve it is to improve my skill, my technique. Which could happen in six months, certainly in a year. But in two weeks? Meh. Eat a banana one hour before the recital (thank for that tip, mom3gram), and I'm good to go.
Some time in the next few weeks, I am going to try to score some time on the recital instrument, our church's five year-old Kawai RX-3. Looking at the list price of these pianos, I hope to not like it too much. ("Honey, about that new Odyssey we were talking about for this year... maybe next... for the same price, wouldn't you rather have a new Kawai instead? You would, right?")
I'll keep you posted.
- Aw2pp, wannabe arborist
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Piano lessons update
Jillian is flying through her assignments. Each week, PT assigns her 4 or 5 pieces, and each week, Jillian goes to work and completes them. At this rate, she'll be through the Bastien Primer B by the end of this month.
They spend a lot of time on note identification and counting. PT had noticed Jillian's creative fingering on the keyboard early on, made a couple of suggestions, and told me they would be returning to that topic on down the line. The suggestions were light, mild, and very specific to what Jillian was playing at the time. Thing is, having made those suggestions, Jillian's fingering has improved across the board, and at this time, it's really not an issue.
And most importantly, Jillian loves piano lessons. We'll milk that cow for as long as it remains true. Hopefully, years to come.
Me? Not so much improvement. With the possible exception of Guatanamera (hold that thought), there isn't anything I am playing better now than before lessons. While this is mildly disappointing, it is not entirely surprising. I had my own unique way of navigating the keyboard, and unlearning some of those habits is taking some time.
But there's more... my lessons are, right now, very music-heavy. We spend time talking about how to know if something is in the key of C or A minor, and what the difference is between tonic, dominant, and sub-dominant chords. I take it as a matter of faith that this will be relevant on down the line. But it isn't going to help me with problems I am having on Melodia Africana II. In fact, I am not really playing any Einaudi pieces at the moment. It's all Alfred's Book 2, all the time for me.
I practiced Guantanamera for probably 5 hours last week. I had hoped to play it well enough to move on in one week... two reasons for this. First, I am competitive, and wanted to prove PT wrong when she said we'd probably be spending a few weeks on it. Second, the piece annoys me, and I want to be done with it ASAP. No luck. I played it very poorly. So it's another week with Guantanamera. If I get it up to speed soon enough, maybe I'll grab a recording for you. We've not had any of those in awhile. And I've still got some time on my hands...
Last thing on piano lessons: I think I may have mentioned that there will be a recital in June. PT and I were talking about whether I should participate. I told her that, as much as I'd be a bundle of nerves, I think it would set a poor example for Jillian (and other future piano players in the family... hi kids!) to sit it out. She agreed, so we have begun discussing potential pieces.
I want to play Le Onde.
We'll see.
They spend a lot of time on note identification and counting. PT had noticed Jillian's creative fingering on the keyboard early on, made a couple of suggestions, and told me they would be returning to that topic on down the line. The suggestions were light, mild, and very specific to what Jillian was playing at the time. Thing is, having made those suggestions, Jillian's fingering has improved across the board, and at this time, it's really not an issue.
And most importantly, Jillian loves piano lessons. We'll milk that cow for as long as it remains true. Hopefully, years to come.
Me? Not so much improvement. With the possible exception of Guatanamera (hold that thought), there isn't anything I am playing better now than before lessons. While this is mildly disappointing, it is not entirely surprising. I had my own unique way of navigating the keyboard, and unlearning some of those habits is taking some time.
But there's more... my lessons are, right now, very music-heavy. We spend time talking about how to know if something is in the key of C or A minor, and what the difference is between tonic, dominant, and sub-dominant chords. I take it as a matter of faith that this will be relevant on down the line. But it isn't going to help me with problems I am having on Melodia Africana II. In fact, I am not really playing any Einaudi pieces at the moment. It's all Alfred's Book 2, all the time for me.
I practiced Guantanamera for probably 5 hours last week. I had hoped to play it well enough to move on in one week... two reasons for this. First, I am competitive, and wanted to prove PT wrong when she said we'd probably be spending a few weeks on it. Second, the piece annoys me, and I want to be done with it ASAP. No luck. I played it very poorly. So it's another week with Guantanamera. If I get it up to speed soon enough, maybe I'll grab a recording for you. We've not had any of those in awhile. And I've still got some time on my hands...
Last thing on piano lessons: I think I may have mentioned that there will be a recital in June. PT and I were talking about whether I should participate. I told her that, as much as I'd be a bundle of nerves, I think it would set a poor example for Jillian (and other future piano players in the family... hi kids!) to sit it out. She agreed, so we have begun discussing potential pieces.
I want to play Le Onde.
We'll see.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Oh, that's right, The Blog!
Sorry for the paucity of bloggy goodness these days. I'm a little distracted. I'll try to make it up with higher quality posts in the next week or three. Or, failing that, I'll just overwhelm you with quantity.
I may have mentioned before about IBM suddenly, inexplicably deciding that it can go on without me, right? Did I mention that? I did? Since then, I have had a third interview with a small software vendor, and a first interview with a medium-sized software vendor. And I am playing phone tag with the VP of a tiny, tiny vendor. These companies have openings for positions similar to what I have been doing for IBM (solution architect/ pre-sales type stuff), albeit on different technology. At this point, I think the most likely outcome is that I land a position like this. If not one of these I'm currently working on, something similar at another vendor.
The next most likely outcome is that I become one of my customers. That is, I land a position with an IBM customer who is implementing technology I helped sell. I would think I would be a great fit for a position like this, and, surprisingly, given what we're told about how bad the economy is, there are many of openings for them in the Chicago area. I'd guess 60 to 80, right now. The bad news is that my resume reads awfully technical... WebSphere this, SAP developer that, Master's in Computer Science... and I am having a hard time convincing HR monkeys* to pass my information onto a hiring manager for a job that requires business comfort. I've received some surprising rejections. "What? They don't want me? I launched the project that created that position!" On the other hand, I have had a couple of customers come back to me with questionnaires indicating further interest. Given the sheer volume of applications I have sent out, I like my odds of landing something.
* - Meaning no offense to any HR monkeys who visit here, of course.
That said, becoming one of my customers is not my preferred outcome. If I did get a job like this, I would, you know, have to dress up every day and go to an office or something. Daily commutes. The horror. I live 41 miles due west of Chicago... commuting from here could get ugly. And I'd gain back those 15 pounds I lost not eating Chipotle / JimmyJohn's / Potbelly's for lunch every day.*
* - "You can always bring your lunch," you say. "Or you could make lighter choices," you say. Irrelevant. I have no discipline for that sort of thing.
So how am I spending my time? Lots of piano playing, right? HARDLY! I'm either on the phone with recruiters, completing applications (I thought I was done with those, but more positions are always coming through on the Job Search Agents), updating my LinkedIn profile, or studying up for the next interview. "Yes, EDI, I'm a guru on that. Hold on one second while I Google what EDI stands for."
On to the numbers:
- Days since IBM told me they are letting me go: 13
- Days I have to find a new job within IBM: 19
- Applications submitted: 80
- Interviews: 5
- Rejections: 12
- Legit opportunities I am currently progressing: 4
- Offers: 0
And, since this is purportedly a blog that has something to do with playing (well, learning) the piano, it's probably relevant to post a quick note about that. I had my first ever "lesson" this past Monday. Yes, it's true. I know you are very happy for me. But you are going to have to come back tomorrow to see how that went. I have to review the Model-View-Controller pattern. It's wondrous how quickly and thoroughly those skills erode when they go unused.
- Aw2pp, who voted for Pedro, and, believe it or not, all his wildest dreams came true.
I may have mentioned before about IBM suddenly, inexplicably deciding that it can go on without me, right? Did I mention that? I did? Since then, I have had a third interview with a small software vendor, and a first interview with a medium-sized software vendor. And I am playing phone tag with the VP of a tiny, tiny vendor. These companies have openings for positions similar to what I have been doing for IBM (solution architect/ pre-sales type stuff), albeit on different technology. At this point, I think the most likely outcome is that I land a position like this. If not one of these I'm currently working on, something similar at another vendor.
The next most likely outcome is that I become one of my customers. That is, I land a position with an IBM customer who is implementing technology I helped sell. I would think I would be a great fit for a position like this, and, surprisingly, given what we're told about how bad the economy is, there are many of openings for them in the Chicago area. I'd guess 60 to 80, right now. The bad news is that my resume reads awfully technical... WebSphere this, SAP developer that, Master's in Computer Science... and I am having a hard time convincing HR monkeys* to pass my information onto a hiring manager for a job that requires business comfort. I've received some surprising rejections. "What? They don't want me? I launched the project that created that position!" On the other hand, I have had a couple of customers come back to me with questionnaires indicating further interest. Given the sheer volume of applications I have sent out, I like my odds of landing something.
* - Meaning no offense to any HR monkeys who visit here, of course.
That said, becoming one of my customers is not my preferred outcome. If I did get a job like this, I would, you know, have to dress up every day and go to an office or something. Daily commutes. The horror. I live 41 miles due west of Chicago... commuting from here could get ugly. And I'd gain back those 15 pounds I lost not eating Chipotle / JimmyJohn's / Potbelly's for lunch every day.*
* - "You can always bring your lunch," you say. "Or you could make lighter choices," you say. Irrelevant. I have no discipline for that sort of thing.
So how am I spending my time? Lots of piano playing, right? HARDLY! I'm either on the phone with recruiters, completing applications (I thought I was done with those, but more positions are always coming through on the Job Search Agents), updating my LinkedIn profile, or studying up for the next interview. "Yes, EDI, I'm a guru on that. Hold on one second while I Google what EDI stands for."
On to the numbers:
- Days since IBM told me they are letting me go: 13
- Days I have to find a new job within IBM: 19
- Applications submitted: 80
- Interviews: 5
- Rejections: 12
- Legit opportunities I am currently progressing: 4
- Offers: 0
And, since this is purportedly a blog that has something to do with playing (well, learning) the piano, it's probably relevant to post a quick note about that. I had my first ever "lesson" this past Monday. Yes, it's true. I know you are very happy for me. But you are going to have to come back tomorrow to see how that went. I have to review the Model-View-Controller pattern. It's wondrous how quickly and thoroughly those skills erode when they go unused.
- Aw2pp, who voted for Pedro, and, believe it or not, all his wildest dreams came true.
Monday, January 26, 2009
It's contagious
Let's backtrack a moment, and recall how this piano journey got started.
A couple months later, my mom (Gramma MA, a frequent visitor and commenter here these days) came to visit. She'd played piano when she was younger, but not in the last 20 years or so. She was very interested in my progress, and eventually played some things on her own. She (and to a lesser extent, I) was surprised at how naturally it all came back to her. I described it here: http://aw2pp.blogspot.com/2008/04/hey-i-was-right-that-was-interesting.html
So where are we now?
- Aw2pp, who's wife is immune to whatever fever the rest of us contracted
- January, 2007 - We make the decision to build a new house.
- November, 2007 - Having sold our house, we move in with Sue's folks while the new one is being built. They have an ancient piano. I tinker.
- December, 2007 - I visit Susie, Official Twin Sister of Aw2pp. Her son Jacob has Guitar Hero, which, strangely, increases my interest in all things musical.
- January, 2008 - Jillian starts lessons. I decide she needs help. She didn't, but that's incidental.
- February, 2008 - I buy my own lesson book, and away I go.
A couple months later, my mom (Gramma MA, a frequent visitor and commenter here these days) came to visit. She'd played piano when she was younger, but not in the last 20 years or so. She was very interested in my progress, and eventually played some things on her own. She (and to a lesser extent, I) was surprised at how naturally it all came back to her. I described it here: http://aw2pp.blogspot.com/2008/04/hey-i-was-right-that-was-interesting.html
So where are we now?
- Jillian is in piano lessons, as you know.
- I go to those, and may start as well.
- Susie, Official Twin Sister of Aw2pp, bought a digital piano for Cousin Jacob.
- Jacob now takes in piano lessons.
- As of last week, Susie also has started piano lessons.
- Gramma MA is starting to play again, and may herself buy a digital piano soon.
- Jason, the World's Largest Kindergartner, will start lessons next fall.
- Aw2pp, who's wife is immune to whatever fever the rest of us contracted
Job hunt update
Applications placed: about 40
Rejections received: 10 (including 6 from internal IBM positions)
Legit opportunities I'm progressing: 3
At this point, I am working on a Sales Engineer opening at a small vendor of Contact Center software. I have a second meeting with them on Friday.
In the meantime, I am hedging my bets by dropping off applications for openings I helped create. "Hi, I see you are hiring a Business Technology Architect. I was part of the team that defined that need, and scoped the solution this person is supposed to implement. Can we talk about you hiring me?" There are two such openings at different WebSphere customers in the Chicago area, and I am spending my time looking for more.
And if all that fails, IBM has graciously provided a list of countries they'd be happy to transfer me to. "Sue, any thoughts about moving to Turkey? How about Slovenia? Or Nigeria? Their Winters aren't nearly as bad as ours, I hear."
Jillian has piano lessons tonight. She was off last week (MLK Holiday). I am going to talk to the teacher about taking the 7:00 PM slot, immediately following Jillian's lesson.
- Aw2pp, a driven, talented, and highly experienced professional with 13 years experience working with and managing large, geographically disbursed teams on enterprise-scale software development and implementation projects.
Rejections received: 10 (including 6 from internal IBM positions)
Legit opportunities I'm progressing: 3
At this point, I am working on a Sales Engineer opening at a small vendor of Contact Center software. I have a second meeting with them on Friday.
In the meantime, I am hedging my bets by dropping off applications for openings I helped create. "Hi, I see you are hiring a Business Technology Architect. I was part of the team that defined that need, and scoped the solution this person is supposed to implement. Can we talk about you hiring me?" There are two such openings at different WebSphere customers in the Chicago area, and I am spending my time looking for more.
And if all that fails, IBM has graciously provided a list of countries they'd be happy to transfer me to. "Sue, any thoughts about moving to Turkey? How about Slovenia? Or Nigeria? Their Winters aren't nearly as bad as ours, I hear."
Jillian has piano lessons tonight. She was off last week (MLK Holiday). I am going to talk to the teacher about taking the 7:00 PM slot, immediately following Jillian's lesson.
- Aw2pp, a driven, talented, and highly experienced professional with 13 years experience working with and managing large, geographically disbursed teams on enterprise-scale software development and implementation projects.
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