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Remembering the great Maurizio Pollini
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Topic: Beginning and returning adults: What has studying piano taught you?  (Read 1567 times)

Offline bernadette60614

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Inspired by another post, I was thinking about this topic and how my perspective has changed:

.  Old perspective: I want to be an incredible performer.
   New perspective:  I want to be a good student.

.  Hubris is the enemy of progress. Success in other parts of adult life was a process and knowing how to do x professionally doesn't translate into a similar level of proficiency as a student of piano.

.  Change teachers if you must.  Not because a teacher is "too hard", but if a teacher subscribes to the terror equals better learning, they are a bad teacher (and maybe not such a good person either.)

.  Adult life is more about how fast and how much in how little time.  Studying this instrument is more like practicing mindfulness, but through your fingers connected to your brain.

.  Don't rush to finish pieces.  Every piece teaches you something.

.  This isn't school where you compete and you fail. This is step by step progress.  Children aren't punished (or shouldn't be) for falling when they are learning to walk or stumbling when they play a sport for the first time.  Why do we punish and judge ourselves when we fail or fall.

. When you're practicing, take frequent stops and ask: Am I learning or am I just repeating.

What have you learned?

Offline outin

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I have learned a lot about myself. What I can do and what I cannot and why. I knew piano was difficult for me from my early years but fortunately I had forgotten. It took a while to realize it again and then I was already into it so just kept going anyway.

I have learned that perfectionism is my worst enemy in these early stages of learning. I have not learned how to get rid of it though.

I have learned that some things will take a lot of time. I am used to solving things fast and then moving on to new challenges. To get a piece
 to a level of performing or recording (even if still not perfect) will take a ridiculously long time. The same with general quality of playing.

I have learned that my love for piano music is not going away very soon. Even if I never actually learn to play the more I try the more I appreciate good playing when I hear it.

I have learned that I can do some things my way, I don't need to conform to all the things in classical music that I don't like. No need to always listen to those who think there's only one truth and one way. But I have also learned that a good teacher is an invaluable resource.

I have probably learned something else too...

Offline adodd81802

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I am actually going to go partially the opposite and would say I have picked up both negative and positive things from playing the piano as a child and returning as an adult.

The first being my touch and skill level was higher when I was younger, and because I didn't have to think about it, I never consciously stored this information and so it seems completely forgotten on my return. There's nothing more frustrating that completely not remembering how you did something, and not being able to easily find it again.

I also find now, that although I have more knowledge on playing the piano, I now feel like that I overthink everything, which is fine if I have the answer and massively frustrating if I don't; is that too loud, is that too quick, am I getting the phrasing, is this the right fingering...

I have lost the burst of motivation I once had which has now been replaced with responsibilities, having to work, having children, "life" now takes over and so motivation can be a big struggle.

On the plus side, I think I am more patient than I once was and more of a perfectionist, before I may fumble through a difficult section and just make it sound acceptable, whereas now I will meticulously go through it until i'm comfortable that it not only sounds right, but I can replicate it.

My interpretation and preparation is a lot better and matured, I am continuously better understanding scores and how to play them as the composer wanted, rather than how I've heard 20 other pianists play it.

I'd sum up just by saying ultimately I think it comes down to time, making honest time to practice is something now missing which has, in contrast (in less busy times at work :D) allowed me to research more the theory of piano. Atleast in my head I have made it as a concert pianist!
"England is a country of pianos, they are everywhere."

Offline vaniii

  • Full Member
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  • Posts: 246
Inspired by another post, I was thinking about this topic and how my perspective has changed:

.  Old perspective: I want to be an incredible performer.
   New perspective:  I want to be a good student.

.  Hubris is the enemy of progress. Success in other parts of adult life was a process and knowing how to do x professionally doesn't translate into a similar level of proficiency as a student of piano.

.  Change teachers if you must.  Not because a teacher is "too hard", but if a teacher subscribes to the terror equals better learning, they are a bad teacher (and maybe not such a good person either.)

.  Adult life is more about how fast and how much in how little time.  Studying this instrument is more like practicing mindfulness, but through your fingers connected to your brain.

.  Don't rush to finish pieces.  Every piece teaches you something.

.  This isn't school where you compete and you fail. This is step by step progress.  Children aren't punished (or shouldn't be) for falling when they are learning to walk or stumbling when they play a sport for the first time.  Why do we punish and judge ourselves when we fail or fall.

. When you're practicing, take frequent stops and ask: Am I learning or am I just repeating.

What have you learned?

A number of people could learn a lot from your insight.

Please continue with this mindful reflection.

Offline tinyhands

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  • Posts: 90
I agree so much with the sentiments above. Also for me as an adult who has gone through some really rough times in the last 5 years in a nutshell...the piano is therapy for me. I get so much more out of the actual experience of learning than I ever did. The young me just blindly learned some nice pieces to play and didn't give it a moments thought. Now, as an adult, It has been a lifesaver and a source of comfort through very dark times in my personal life, which I can't even go into explaining here but have covered in a previous post.  I have a wonderful teacher who has a very holistic approach to learning and I understand so much more about music and myself than I ever did when I was younger. I'm less hard on myself, less of a perfectionist, realise that everyone struggles, understand so much more how I am made and how I learn.  I am very successful in my working life in a creative industry and I struggled at first as a returner to piano as I found it challenging and was very hard on myself, this was very soon after a couple of major upsets in my life, and I started to feel quite lost. Years before I quit the piano as a teenager when the hard work started. As an adult returner and getting back up to standard I had a wobbly moment of 'this is too hard' as things had always come easy to me..then I would run away when things got hard..but with the encouragement of my teacher have pushed on and now I may be playing the same level of pieces as before, but I understand them and music so much more. It has almost held a mirror up to me.  I know myself better than I ever did.  I know my personal life and experiences have shaped me so it's natural know yourself more as you get older, but I really feel that the piano came along at the right time and saved me , it made me give myself a break, it taught me commitment and focus and made me proud of myself.  Small milestones felt so much more and when I achieved them it really helped me grow as a person. it's a wonderful thing to learn and I love it.

Offline dogperson

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As a returning adult, the challenges are certainly different from that of a child. But what I have learned now:
- There is joy from polishing a piece as much as I possibly can.... no matter how long it takes.
- Patience is necessary, and I always joked I was hiding behind a door when God handed out patience.  Somehow, I have found it.
-  As an adult, I am much more critical of myself-- but the adult advantage is that I am much more exacting of what and how I play.
- As a child I thought I wore a superman cape and believed I could do and learn anything.  As an adult, I have developed humility with my friend, the piano.   The advantage of the adult learner?  better analytical and communication skills.  I know now to ask questions, and think about how the instruction/skill  would (or would not)  apply to other repertoire 
- I have learned so much about the composers' lives, history and musical interpretation.  Whether I never played another note myself, I would treasure this.
- The more I learn, the more I realize I have only scratched the surface of what can be learned... and that feels good.
- Have a bad day?   My piano is waiting to give me refuge.
- Take joy in the little things:  a trill mastered, just the right phrasing.
- Lately, I have been exposed to just simple improvisation.... and it feels good to 'just play around without a goal'.  no taping, no self-criticism, but just playing where the music takes me.

I have learned a lot, not just of about music... but life.   My friend-- the piano. 

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