"wow, you got good technique"

[tds]

how would you feel if many people say to you, "wow, you got good technique", and nothing else, after your recital?

i would be taken aback and would consider it a slap in the face.

comment?

tds

[Mozartian]

I bite back laughter and thank them.

(...because I don't have good technique. hahahaha)

[tds]

moz moz!! i am sure you got good technique and a gentle heart.

now get yourself in the spa. tds

[opus10no2]

Good? what an insult.

[rach n bach]

Moz!  Come on...

I would either think 1) this person knows nothing about piano performance, or 2) did I not convey anything to the viewers other than fast fingers?

Oh, and tds, you didn't really mention what kind of recital... I have very good technique and mechnique in, oh, never mind. 

RnB

[tds]

Oh, and tds, you didn't really mention what kind of recital... I have very good technique and mechnique in, oh, never mind. 

RnB

any piano recital.

in, in?  ...? heh, its ok

[pianowelsh]

hehe! this person is the person in the hall least likeyl to know anything about piano - it could even be the first concert they have been at...but hey they appreciated it so thats good!

[ramseytheii]

I never turn down a compliment!

Walter Ramsey

[cmg]

hehe! this person is the person in the hall least likeyl to know anything about piano - it could even be the first concert they have been at...but hey they appreciated it so thats good!

The tell-tale sign -- after the "good technique" compliment -- is:  "hey, can you play "Cast Your Fate to the Wind?"

[counterpoint]

It's not what you say, but how you say it.

It's the tone of voice, which makes the music 

[Bob]

I'd take it as a compliment.  At the very least they're trying to say something nice.

And in general, don't buy into compliments too much.

[Mozartian]

moz moz!! i am sure you got good technique and a gentle heart.

now get yourself in the spa. tds

auw, ty.

Sorry I missed you in the "spa"!

[rc]

The only time I heard something like that it was a softener for some criticism.

"You got good fingers... But you didn't really capture the character of the piece"

...That's when I knew it was time to go looking for a manager for my world tour.

[ramseytheii]

i would be taken aback and would consider it a slap in the face.

This reminds me of the often unfortunate dialogue in Atlas Shrugged, when Reardon gives Dagny the priceless jewelry, and says he gave it to her only to make himself happy, not to make her happy.,.. and she says, "I'm glad, because if you bought it to make me happy, I would have thrown it back at you and slapped you."

Walter Ramsey

[tds]

auw, ty.

Sorry I missed you in the "spa"!

hey i reckon you'd be a wonderful maintainance personnel. you want the position?

[tds]

I never turn down a compliment!

Walter Ramsey

no, me neither. if it happened to me, of course, i would say "thank you", and stay courteous. BUT, i know i would feel miserable.

i think when we are made realized about the existence of technique, by performers, we already get distracted from the music. the bigger the realization, the more vivid the distraction. this is how i feel whether it's true or not. tds

[invictious]

Sigh, Laymen don't understand Musicality, all they understand is Flight of the Bumble bee = Maksim level of God-ness.

[ramseytheii]

no, me neither. if it happened to me, of course, i would say "thank you", and stay courteous. BUT, i know i would feel miserable.

i think when we are made realized about the existence of technique, by performers, we already get distracted from the music. the bigger the realization, the more vivid the distraction. this is how i feel whether it's true or not. tds

But what distraction?  According to your scenario, the recital is already over.  Anyways if your goal is to make other people forget about technique and just hear music you can forget about it, because you can't makle other people do anything.  If someone else's comments about technique driv eyou to distraction, perhaps you aren't focussed enough on overcoming the technique yourself.

Walter Ramsey

[counterpoint]

if your goal is to make other people forget about technique and just hear music you can forget about it, because you can't makle other people do anything. 

you can't make other people do anything 

Then music making would be completely senseless

[tds]

But what distraction?  According to your scenario, the recital is already over.  Anyways if your goal is to make other people forget about technique and just hear music you can forget about it, because you can't makle other people do anything.  If someone else's comments about technique driv eyou to distraction, perhaps you aren't focussed enough on overcoming the technique yourself.

Walter Ramsey

i wasnt talking about goal. i was just asking the question to everyone. and i provided an answer if such event happened to me. true, a hypothetical, conditional question.

of course, i wouldn't be happy if people didn't get anything musically out of my concert, other than only my good technique. and how i/we would feel if i/we were experiencing such a thing is what my thread is about. hope this is clearer.


tds

ps. in my opinion, when correct technique is applied, it should never attract to itself. on the other hand, it must serve the music. when lacking thereof, or being applied in anyway that doesn't serve the right musical purpose, regardless how brilliant it may sound, it becomes a distraction. make sense?

[tds]

you can't make other people do anything 

Then music making would be completely senseless

i totally hear you. tds

[ramseytheii]

you can't make other people do anything 

Then music making would be completely senseless

Not at all!  Music making is giving, not forcing.

Walter Ramsey

[ramseytheii]

of course, i wouldn't be happy if people didn't get anything musically out of my concert, other than only my good technique. and how i/we would feel if i/we were experiencing such a thing is what my thread is about. hope this is clearer.

tds

Right, but since you can't control what people take from your concert, why feel insulted?  You can only give beautiful music; maybe they will notice all the subtle nuance, and maybe they will notice the refined way in which your arm rotates.  It's not up to you what they notice, no matter how successfully you merge technique and music.  So I have a hard time understanding, who insulted you, and how? 

Walter Ramsey

[counterpoint]

Not at all!  Music making is giving, not forcing.

Walter Ramsey

Music is inducing feelings in the listeners, even in the most rationals of them. If you don't succeed in this, they will look at their (stop-)watches and counting the mistakes while you are playing.  That would be a very bad situation.

[ramseytheii]

Music is inducing feelings in the listeners, even in the most rationals of them. If you don't succeed in this, they will look at their (stop-)watches and counting the mistakes while you are playing.  That would be a very bad situation.

What was the famous Sol Hurok quote, "If people don't want to come to the concert, you can't stop them."

Walter Ramsey

[Mozartian]

hey i reckon you'd be a wonderful maintainance personnel. you want the position?

surely!

[tds]

surely!

you may wanna go to the spa thread and apply then. best of luck. tds

[tds]

So I have a hard time understanding, who insulted you, and how? 

Walter Ramsey

its not WHO insulted me? but WHAT would make me sad? and WHY would it? see, it's not personal but situational.

but, it's ok, walter, as long as you and me are happy. btw, did you sleep well last night? i just recovered from the flu, so i slept like a baby, and feel so uplifted now.

warmest, tds

ps. walter has gracefully delivered his opinion, anyone else would like to participate? thank you

[andersand]

What we all want is the audience to feel the same passion about the music as we are. Unfortunately its not that easy. Either they don't understand it or you are playing something thats really hard to grasp for at non-musician. "You have good technique" is another way of saying "That piece didn't appeal to me one second".  I think we just have to accept that (it is difficult to connect with a piece you hear for the first time after all), and work harder to pick the right pieces (maybe play a lot of different things that might be interesting for a recital in front of some people and ask them what they think).

[anda]

imho, in my own personal experince & my poor engrish level:

if you have very good technique, and especially if it's innate, then you'll always have a problem hearing this - for various reasons:

1. you tend to choose extreme tempos - fast movements too fast, slow movements too slow - and risk to reach a point where you're playing a work that's more yours than the composer's.
2. you're way too conscious about your technique (this usually comes after tons of "wow, you got good technique"), start feeling embarassed about this, and the subconscious loves playing tricks...
3. creates envies - but this is the least of your problems...



   

[rc]

As a listener I'm not always in the most receptive mindset.  There's always a certain element of chance of how any given audience is going to take it, but there's quite a bit we can do to help.  As performers it's our job to give them the best chance of enjoying the music.

[nortti]

I work hard to improve both the technical and musical sides of the pieces. Complimenting either is good. Complimenting both is great.

[ramseytheii]

I work hard to improve both the technical and musical sides of the pieces. Complimenting either is good. Complimenting both is great.

Well said!

Walter Ramsey