To return to the thread topic, here's a couple:"What's the hardest piece...?""What's the greatest piece...?""What's the saddest thing" about this is arguably that these are examples of stupid things that are said to us not only by NON-musicians...Best,Alistair
Great topic. One we can all relate to I am sure....My first an formost annoyance is having to justify my studies to those who don't consider any art a true profession. Its the mentality that if one doesn't hate their job then its not real work. From some I get - good luck with your ventures but from others I usually get -why bother with something that won't guarentee you loads and loads of money. This mentality I find is more of an American point of view as I have been living in Europe and I don't get nearly as many confused expressions such as
I don't know how many times guests have come to the house, taken a look at the Bosey 225 and asked, "is that a baby grand" or later commented to others, "he has a beautiful baby grand in his living room!".
People love to say "baby grand" though. They just love it.
Though, gerry, I once knew a woman who studied violin at Juilliard from the age of 7 till the age of 21 and she did not know pianos came in different sizes. She honestly thought all grands were the same size. w.t.f. LOL!!!
Another thing that happens to me....."Oh this is my brother, he has a Ph.D in music."I just don't even correct people anymore.....(I have a DMA).......I just let them say Ph.D -- it gets too tiring to correct all the time.
Oddly enough, the term used to describe the Bosey 225 (7'4") is "half-concert". Not sure where that came from but it was used at the time I bought it.
How is that even possible?? OMG!Ohhh.....this woman redefined the idea of a flake.....geesh...but she sure could play.That happens to me and I am not even in a DMA program yet! I tell people I will continue studying after masters and sometimes they will try to finish my statement by saying "you're going to get your Ph. D?"
I think what it boils down to is the great unwashed just think that anything in a concert hall is a grand and anything in a home is a baby grand.
- How many instruments can you play?I only play the piano.- Oh.
Yes!! And then, after you play something extremely virtuosic like the Goldberg Variations......"So do you compose?""No."".......oh"
I think some of the most stupid things about music I heard from Eurythmists during my time as a Eurythmy accompanist. Once I was supposed to play a 3/4 time piece and the Eurythmist adviced me to play one-two-three-rest, one-two-three-rest, without realizing that this makes it turn into a 4/4 .
I once heard a guy in my class tell his friend that he wanted Fur Elise as a ring signal on his mobile phone. And she replied "Fur Elise, what is that?" Then my class mate said "You know, the one by Mozart". The people in my class seem to know nothing about classical music..
No, Mozart wrote the Elvira Madigan. nyuk nyuk nyuk....
Yeah, one time someone asked me to play the Barber Adagio.
Next time someone asks you to play the Barber Adagio, play the Barber Sonata.
So funny the stories on this thread! lol !I haven't been playing long, 9 months. So I geuss I'm making the transition from a non-musical person to a musical one.I was watching Lang Lang perfrom on the Proms this year on the tv, and I had the volume quite high. I think he was playing a Lizst piece.When I came out of my bedroom my dad said 'was that you playing?'( my piano is in my bedroom, its a digital one )I said ' no dad it wasn't me playing,...I wish it was though' lolLike my digital piano has the beautiful sound of a Steinway! I'm too scared to have my piano cds on loud now in case they think its me!
Somewhat the same to me. One night, while I played the Adagio of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto on another computer, my mom said "Was that you?"I was DUMBfounded. Where in the world could I hire an orchestra and have a grand piano (I only have 61 key digital)?