Stupid things non-musicians say to us

[pianoplayer88]

I was practicing Debussy's "Deux Arabesque" a couple weeks ago...I know I messed up in some places so I didn't think it sounded that great. Unknown to me, a new friend of my dad's was over and he was listening to me play. After he left, my parents told me that he asked, "Do you have the radio on?" I guess he had listened to me play the whole piece and thought it sounded great!

[lostinidlewonder]

I was playing a collection of pieces from Ravel and Scriabin at church. One lady came up to me and said can I please play something more popular like Fur Elise.

[csharp_minor]

This hasn't got to do with classical music, but is a funny and stupid thing a friend said.

When I was in school, our teacher asked my friend what music are you listing to,
she said 'Rnb' ( shes really into that modern oooooooooh yeahhhhhhh ohhhhhh stuff they call Rnb ) . Our teacher said 'Oh so you like Rhythm and Blues' and my friend just stared at the teacher with a blank look on her face and said 'what?'

She didn't know what Rnb stands for! lol

[healdie]

the wonderful irony about R+B is that original Blues music was all how about what you haven't got and now R+B is all about what you have got, in the videos with their big cars and mansions

[csharp_minor]

the wonderful irony about R+B is that original Blues music was all how about what you haven't got and now R+B is all about what you have got, in the videos with their big cars and mansions

Ha! yes thats true. How times have changed, obviously for the better, the the music has gone down hill . However Tracy Chapman is cool!

[kelly_kelly]

"You play really well. You should go to Julliard." 

My friend after examining my iPod. "This is all classical? You're too smart for your own good." As if one has to be smart to enjoy classical music...

[tanman]

Here's one that REALLY pissed me off, and I felt like stabbing the guy.

"Stop playing that classical crap. Start playing some real music like some screamo songs."
 

and read the comments of this vid

[csharp_minor]

Here's one that REALLY pissed me off, and I felt like stabbing the guy.

"Stop playing that classical crap. Start playing some real music like some screamo songs."
 

Don't worry Tanman, I used to get funny looks and stuff from listening to Trance music, and thats before I got into classical music. So I'm used to it.

One of the reasons I like it is because its not main stream.

beethovan looks so sexy in this video. i can't believe they had cameras back in the old days.

Are these kind of comments in the you tube video real or are the people writing them just joking?!!! I hope they are joking... I really do.

[mingkei]

I was presenting for an Open House at school, and warming up on the piano by playing my hanon (This was before the performance, when there was only a few people (~25) there) and when I finished my hanon, the audience clapped, and a few even stood up. I rushed out into the hall and burst into laughter.

That's very funny!

[shingo]

and read the comments of this vid

"is this Beethoven him \self?" (sic), OMG 

[tanman]

"is this Beethoven him \self? " OMG 

Are these kind of comments in the you tube video real or are the people writing them just joking?!!! I hope they are joking... I really do.

lol. I was reading through them. At first it was quite funny, but then after a while, it was SCARY 

[xpjamiexd]

I havn't experienced anything like that, but I find that the most common misunderstanding is that people expect that you can play any sheet music they put in front of you just like that.
Even my piano teacher who has played all her life isn't that good in sight reading (of more advanced pieces, that is).

Yes and then we are insulted for not being able to play a song instantly. Another personal favourite is that people tell me that slower songs are easy (such as Chopin Prelude Op. 28 No. 15) but a cross-over arpeggio of D minor must "obviously" be more demanding.

[communist]

Here's one that REALLY pissed me off, and I felt like stabbing the guy.

"Stop playing that classical crap. Start playing some real music like some screamo songs."
 

and read the comments of this vid

ya i actually made a thread once about the comments on that same video

[ahinton]

Never mind stupid things that non-musicians say to us - there are quite a few stupid things that musicians say to us, too; you have only to glance through the annals of this forum to find some (provided that you look in the right places, of course) - discretion naturally precludes me from naming names, but there have been a few examples posted only in the past few hours...

Best,

Alistair

[michel dvorsky]

Never mind stupid things that non-musicians say to us - there are quite a few stupid things that musicians say to us, too; you have only to glance through the annals of this forum to find some (provided that you look in the right places, of course) - discretion naturally precludes me from naming names, but there have been a few examples posted only in the past few hours...

Best,

Alistair

Leon fans shouldn't be so hard on themselves. 

[ahinton]

Leon fans shouldn't be so hard on themselves. 

Ah, you have risen to the bait! Well, at least that demonstrates a certain degree of self-recognition...

Best,

Alistair

[pianisten1989]

A friend of mine sent me a concert-piece, and asked if I could learn the piece on a week.. And I said no, and he went "Oh, come on. How hard can it be?!" That sucked

Another think that annoys me is the "This is how the compoer wanted it"-kind of comments, or the "I've heard the original" when it's a composition by beethoven..

[G.W.K]

People used to say to me: "Oh, can you play that...thing? That tune, the nice one? The one that goes: ding, ding-ding...ding, ding, ding?" How am I meant to know which one they meant? I had to go through all the pieces I knew before they finally went: "Oh, it's that song!" (Calling it a "song" is worst than a "thing"!)

Thankfully no one asks me now because I don't play in front of others as much now. LOL

G.W.K

[richard black]

One of the stupidest thing I hear from even quite experienced musicians sometimes is along the lines of 'The recording does this that and the other'. Now apart from the pedantic point that it's the musicians, not the recording, that do it, how many works these days are represented by just one recording anyway? Very often people say this about works which have been recorded many dozens of times. And of course, who cares what 'the recording' does? Even if it's the composer or dedicatee playing I'm only moderately impressed by that: any piece worth doing can be done in more than one way!

[thalberg]

One of the stupidest thing I hear from even quite experienced musicians sometimes is along the lines of 'The recording does this that and the other'. Now apart from the pedantic point that it's the musicians, not the recording, that do it, how many works these days are represented by just one recording anyway? Very often people say this about works which have been recorded many dozens of times. And of course, who cares what 'the recording' does? Even if it's the composer or dedicatee playing I'm only moderately impressed by that: any piece worth doing can be done in more than one way!

Speaking of the stupidity of imitating recordings-- one time I met Krystian Zimmerman.  I was desperate for something to say to him that would be flattering and that would get a nice conversation going.  As a result I ended up saying something very stupid.  I said, "I loved your recording of the Liszt B minor Sonata.  When I played the piece, I tried to play it exactly like you."  He literally rolled his eyes and looked away.  Oops.  Sometimes I have the social skills of a wet mop.

[richard black]

He literally rolled his eyes and looked away.

That strikes me as a little ungracious of him, even if your remark was not the brilliant comment you'd hoped to utter!

[mikebechstein]

I sometimes wonder if there is any forum out there with a thread on “Stupid things musicians have said to me and my elitist Scientific [or whatever] friends.” It could make some interesting reading.

Oh how terribly irritating it must be for you when a lay person refers to a thing within your field of knowledge and does not get the terminology exactly correct (e.g. “OMG she called it the ‘Moonlight Sonata’ instead of referring to it’s opus number and then she called it a song!!! LOL” type of thing.). Still, at least you get to feel superior to them when you repeat the irritating comment to everybody within your smug circle.

[pianisten1989]

something like "I have played 9 chopin etudes, and I am only 15. Compare me to Liszt!" Or "I play all my pieces very well, am I a virituoso"

[healdie]

I was asked by a girl at college to play some classical music for her (fair enough) so I decided to play Beethovens piano sonata no. 19 (still basicaly a beginner) and when I finished she asked if I could play any more about of the Book (volume 2 of Beethovens sonatas) and when i replied No she said "oh come on how hard can it be? can't you just sight read them) 

[bella_brito]

These days, I received visits to my house with my usual recital.
After playing my entire repertoire, a man gets up and says:
- So, you just play opera?


 

[thalberg]

I sometimes wonder if there is any forum out there with a thread on “Stupid things musicians have said to me and my elitist Scientific [or whatever] friends.” It could make some interesting reading.

I wonder that, too.  How might a "stupid" person offend a scientist?  Would it be similar to what musicians put up with? 

[pianomx]

A couple of anecdotes:

One day at the table I was talking to my father about music and about Rachmaninoff. My mother overheard and asked: "Rachmaninoff? Is that one of your colleagues at school?" 

A friend of mine just found out I played the piano so he asked me to demonstrate and to play something for him. I played something and then he said: "that's amazing! so, you actually play several notes at the same time?" (!!!!!!!)

On the other hand, non-musicians are quite a special audience. Once I played the Grieg piano concerto with some orchestra at a competition and my Uncle came to the gala concert. He said to me that he had never heard a Symphonic orchestra before (or a classical concert for that matter) and he was so impressed by the experience that he dreamed about it for 2 weeks after that concert.

[healdie]

These days, I received visits to my house with my usual recital.
After playing my entire repertoire, a man gets up and says:
- So, you just play opera?


 

I get that alot at college people calling all classical music Opera I thinks its hillarious I like it when people say Wagner phonetically and literaly say Wag-ner or pronounce Bach as Batch or Mozart Mo-zart

I was once asked at School what a Rachmaninov was

But one time at college a guy was playing guitar just some standard chords and when he came to a C chord one guy stood up and shouted "you stole that chord i'm sure that that chord has been used in another song"

[communist]

Speaking of the stupidity of imitating recordings-- one time I met Krystian Zimmerman.  I was desperate for something to say to him that would be flattering and that would get a nice conversation going.  As a result I ended up saying something very stupid.  I said, "I loved your recording of the Liszt B minor Sonata.  When I played the piece, I tried to play it exactly like you."  He literally rolled his eyes and looked away.  Oops.  Sometimes I have the social skills of a wet mop.

does he speak english?

[thalberg]

does he speak english?

Yes.  He had a long, animated conversation with my very pretty lady friend.  He was then totally uninterested in speaking to me.  It's funny how often that happens.

[communist]

Speaking of the stupidity of imitating recordings-- one time I met Krystian Zimmerman.  I was desperate for something to say to him that would be flattering and that would get a nice conversation going.  As a result I ended up saying something very stupid.  I said, "I loved your recording of the Liszt B minor Sonata.  When I played the piece, I tried to play it exactly like you."  He literally rolled his eyes and looked away.  Oops.  Sometimes I have the social skills of a wet mop.

well your not a non musician are you 

[darnmat]

Things non-musicians tell me: (I'm a classical pianist)

1. Oh... So your taking music... You must have a great voice!
2. Your so popular now! My God! (after winning a piano competition where like 10 people attended the competition)
3. (after a hand shake gesture) You have soft fingers...
4. (after playing Saint-Saens Concerto) It's mind boggling! How can you memorize such concerto!
5. Is there money after graduating music? (then i would reply: You have no idea!)
6. Oh my God! Just play Vanessa Carlton's Thousand Miles and I'm sure you'll be accepted there. (I'm talking about entering Julliard. Hahahahaha. This is a serious conversation with my friend who is an accountant!)
7. You play like Cecil Licad. (after playing Cecil Licad's signature piece)
8. You look like Volodos. (this are what my musician friends tell me)
9. You play like Lang Lang. (after playing a modern composition)

[thalberg]

Things non-musicians tell me: (I'm a classical pianist)

1. Oh... So your taking music... You must have a great voice!
2. Your so popular now! My God! (after winning a piano competition where like 10 people attended the competition)
3. (after a hand shake gesture) You have soft fingers...

I get that one, too.  But only when I shake hands with carpenters and construction workers.  You know--anyone who works with their hands, which get calloused. 

[ishy14]

One of my friends once asked me if it makes a different sound if you press higher up on the key rather than in the middle!

I was trying to help out at a play practice. I was sight reading the piano music and somebody came up to me and said why are you so bad? Some people dont realize that reading a book is nothing like reading music.

[csharp_minor]

I get that alot at college people calling all classical music Opera I thinks its hillarious I like it when people say Wagner phonetically and literaly say Wag-ner or pronounce Bach as Batch or Mozart Mo-zart

Ha ha I used to do that! I called Bach batch, Wagner wag-ner, Davorak davoshak and not fogetting Chopin as Chopping! , I still call Greig Greg!

gotta get used to these names!

[mike_lang]

Ha ha I used to do that! I called Bach batch, Wagner wag-ner, Davorak davoshak and not fogetting Chopin as Chopping! , I still call Greig Greg!

gotta get used to these names!

I love these moments!  I walked into a used CD store the other day which stocks primarily punk rock, thinking that maybe all of these basement-cleaners might have dug up some old jewel and pawned it for a NOFX album.  When I asked the clerk whether they had even a small classical music section, he said, "We just have stuff like 'Best of CHAH-pihn,' sorry man!"

[csharp_minor]

 When I asked the clerk whether they had even a small classical music section, he said, "We just have stuff like 'Best of CHAH-pihn,' sorry man!"

  Chaplin?  Yeah you can kind of tell if a music shop is going to have a good selection of classical cds etc just by what area its in! You have to go into the city for more of a selection as local areas ( at least were I am ) cater for the masses and might not know what your on about.

[iroveashe]

But one time at college a guy was playing guitar just some standard chords and when he came to a C chord one guy stood up and shouted "you stole that chord i'm sure that that chord has been used in another song"

Haha, I lol'd so hard, seems like something right out of a Monty Python sketch.

[go12_3]

After I do a performance----a vocal number,  folks would come up to me and utter, "Oh, you're soooo talented!"  Just so gushy. Or after I play a piece with my violin ---they exclaim, "That must take courage!"   or another good one in which most pianists hear, "Oh, how I wish I could've learned to play piano!"  Then I would like to reply, then why don't you!   

[jakub_eisenbruk]

I guess I'll just post some of my awesome stories...

Once, while I was playing in a hotel, an older lady was sitting by my side and listening to me. I started playing Mozart's sonata facile, and she said "That piece is bloodcurdling. I heard it in a horror movie." She even said that about Gluck's melodie from Orfeo and Euridice!

Another one:

I was playing a piece by Chopin in my school, and suddenly a guy steps in, and says "Hey Jakub, can you play Fur Elise?"

Or something else:

I'am playing Debussy, and a girl by my side asks me: "Hey, is that just some improvising of yours?"

A final one:

I'am playing a piece with an extreme level of lyricism (from my part, not just the piece), and a girl says "Can you play something less boring?"

Jakub Eisenbruk,

Prague.

[gerry]

I get that one, too.  But only when I shake hands with carpenters and construction workers.  You know--anyone who works with their hands, which get calloused. 

At least you shake hands. I remember as a wee thing of about 9 being taken by my teacher to hear Rubenstein. Afterward, backstage, I stuck my hand out and an aide said "the maestro doesn't shake hands" (probably pretty smart at his age as all it would take would be for some carpenter or construction worker to offer a strong grip and there would go some bones!)

[peterdacey]

I'am playing Debussy, and a girl by my side asks me: "Hey, is that just some improvising of yours?"

Yeah, I got that once, I was playing 3rd mvt of Beethoven's moonlight sonata, and my friend comes over to me and says "WOW, you're composition's amazing!!"

[loonbohol]

I was playing La Clampanella and someone approached me.
She said: "What video game did you hear that from?

I was playing Winter Wind etude in the school when somebody approached me
and said: "I am playing notes randomly"

Yeah, I got that once, I was playing 3rd mvt of Beethoven's moonlight sonata, and my friend comes over to me and says "WOW, you're composition's amazing!!"

Thanks for reminding me.

That too happened when I played Chopin Etude Opus 42.
(I never mentioned that I played this but I did.)
Because That was similar to the type of composing tone I have a long time ago.

THen at the end of the Etude. THey said that I am a Genius!
This is stupidity. 

[iroveashe]

That too happened when I played Chopin Etude Opus 42.
(I never mentioned that I played this but I did.)
Because That was similar to the type of composing tone I have a long time ago.

THen at the end of the Etude. THey said that I am a Genius!
This is stupidity. 

Chopin Etude Op. 42?

[edwardweiss]

 It's a typo. Should have been Chopin's Variations and Fugue  on a Study of Handel, Op.24

[scottical]

I played a Mozart sonata for my grandfather a while back.
He responded, "You know, that piece didn't have very many chords in it.  Try adding some dominant sevenths."

[pianisten1989]

I played a Mozart sonata for my grandfather a while back.
He responded, "You know, that piece didn't have very many chords in it.  Try adding some dominant sevenths."

LOL

[scottical]

It gets worse.  I just thought of this one:

I was practicing Ravel's Ondine, and I recieved the comment, "Is that an exercise?" 

That motivated me to practice. D:

[Petter]

I played a Mozart sonata for my grandfather a while back.
He responded, "You know, that piece didn't have very many chords in it.  Try adding some dominant sevenths."

I´d like to meet your grandfather. 

[loonbohol]

Chopin Etude 42.
There is such thing.