Introduction

[bernhard]

  I need some technical advice, and am trying to improve by myself.  What I wouldn't give to spend an afternoon with Bernhard!  Miles and money make that impossible I am sure.

Be careful what you wish for!

I sent you a PM.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[lol_nl]

 

[tds]

My greatest wish: Live happily and good after, become a pianist, eternal life.

hallelujah!

welcome, bro!!

[caela]

Since I've just joined the site, the first thing I ought to do is introduce myself 

I first played piano as a toddler - we had one in the house and my only ambition was to climb onto that stool and play! "Finally" got lessons when I started school and continued up until I left school at 18 years old, then I didn't find another teacher and ended up drifting out of playing a few years later.

I'm now 32 (eep!) and starting to play again. I have been playing bits and pieces over the last 10 years, but my playing has sunk since I gave up and I'm quite determined to improve.

[nanabush]

I'm copying lol_nl's idea...

First name: Nick
Last name: Pelletier
Place of Birth: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Age: 17
Place where I live: Ottawa
What the place is like.. Sun showers right now.
Astrology: Virgo
Hobbies: Playing piano, snowboarding
Favorite school subject(s): Math, english
My idol: Dun have one
Favorite movie/serie: Sin City
Music: Classical piano
Best game: StarCraft
I am good at.. sports
I hate... Cats
Favorite animal: Dawg
Favorite food: Chinese and Mexican
Favorite candy: Chocolate and licorice
I wanna be... a pianist.
My greatest wish: Eternal life as a pianist w00t

Piano related:

First approach with piano: 5 years old, little 2 octave keyboard
Taking lessons: 7 years old
Performances: Recital for my teacher each year, and one solo hour long performance earlier this year.
Competition: Kiwanis Music festival, once... didn't do too hot,
Favorite composer(s):  Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Debussy
Favorite pianist(s): Argerich, Hamelin, Hough
Favorite piano: Steinway Grand lol.... my 2nd favorite young chang, j/k
Favorite piece(s): Anything from the 20th century, and the Grieg sonata.

[alejo_90]

Me too !

First name: Alejandro (Alexander, Alex)
Last name: Goldstein (Kuong since here in Perú we also use your other parent's last name)
Place of Birth: Ciudad de Lima, Lima, Perú
Age: 15
Place where I live: Santiago de Surco, Lima
What the place is like.. An apartment, in a normal street.
Astrology: Scorpio
Hobbies: Playing piano, reading, running
Favorite school subject(s): Literature, Math, Carpentry
My idol: Marx, Jung, Beethoven
Favorite movie/serie: Many good movies. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Music: Classical, Rock from the 80's
Best game: Counter-Strike, Starcraft
I am good at... Plastic arts, specially japanese anime drawing
I hate... Pop, Alan García, Alberto Fujimori, Paris Hilton, snails.
Favorite animal: Cat, Dog, Penguin & Seal
Favorite food: Chinese and Arabian
Favorite candy: Don't have one
I wanna be... An Architect or Drawer and If I'm lucky enough, a Pianist
My greatest wish: To have Hamelin's technique.

Piano related:

First approach with piano: 2 years old, 2 octave mini-toy piano my grandma had.
Taking lessons: 4 or 5 years old
Performances: Not many, don't remember the dates
Competition: None
Favorite composer(s):  Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Bach, Liszt
Favorite pianist(s): Gilels, Horowitz, Arrau, Hough, Hamelin
Favorite piano: Steinway, Blüthner, Bösendorfer
Favorite piece(s): A lot by Beethoven, millions by Chopin, tons by Rachmaninoff.

Best
Alex

[burstroman]

Hi, I could be a grandpa for some of you.  I left Hungary in 1955, went to Argentina, then came to USA, teach piano, and love practicing.

[klicker]

Hello all!  Another newbie checking in.  After reading through old threads for the past week, I figured I should introduce myself.   

My name is Joy, and I'm 25 years of age.  I began piano lessons at 7, and have been playing ever since.  Growing up in a large church afforded me many opportunities for solos, accompanying, and such, so I have always enjoyed public playing (the fact that I like attention and admiration probably has little to do with it.    ). 

My piano lessons were terminated when I left for some accelerated college theory classes, and cosmetology school in '00.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to take since then, as I became engaged and then moved from Michigan to Kansas to live with my husband. 

Due to many unfortunate happenings, our lack of money has kept me from taking lessons, and coaxed me into giving them.  I was quite loathe to do so, as I had given some in my teen years and hadn't the patience to deal with the children.  Fortunately, however, my recent piano teaching experiences have been much more positive, and, due to the fact that I have children of my own now, my patience is much better developed.    

Since moving to Kansas, I have not found a single person who shares my intense love of all things musical.  I love singing, playing the piano, composing, accompanying, improvising, and the like.  People around here just look at me blankly when I share some new song that has caught my fancy.     Finding this message board has been a true treasure for me, and helped bring the 'music in me' back to life. 

Please forgive me in advance for any stupid questions I may ask.  As I've read here I've realized (sadly) that I have some big holes in my musical education.  I hope to remedy that within the next few years, and I'm sure that the reading I've done here already, and will do in the future, will play a part in that. 

Anyway.  I hope to get to know everyone here, and share the joy of musical experience with you all. 

cheers!

joy

[pianistimo]

nice to meet you, klicker.  i have a similar experience (three children) and little time to practice on some days.  it gets better as they get older - but don't rush it.  enjoy your time with them.  you'll soon wish it was the other way around probably. 

[ihatepop]

I hate... Pop,

Hey, I hate pop too!!!
Hello, my friend.

[little_pianist]

I was born in Indonesia
I'm 15 (will be 16 on this October)
year 11 student
have been learning piano since 5 years old
become crazy at  playing piano a year ago, after I read this comic book called 'Nodame Cantabile" - it's quite funny...
I hate me second piano teacher because she taught me NOTHING for 3 years
I like playing Chopin and Debussy
I'm now trying to lose my weight!!! My friend told me that I'm bulbous!! hixhix...

[annoying_airhead]

That wasn't v. nice of her

Hmm.. I shoud go to bed.  Early now.  Quite.

[dnephi]

-

[ramseytheii]

A goal program I would like to someday give is the following:
Bach Fantasia Chromatica & Fuga
Beethoven Appasionata
Brahms Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2
Liszt Mazeppa

I have compiled a list of pieces I want to play on a piece of paper at home that is four pages long.  Suggestions would be appreciated  .

The best way to find music is to listen to music all the time, and also to sight-read!
But I also find pieces by virtue of programming.  When I make a program, sometimes it is because how well the pieces go together.  Then I look at what distinguishes them: the key, the character, the number of movements (length), etc.  Then maintaining the same basic program structure, you can look for and find other pieces to replace those!  You can find another dark and stormy piece to replace the Tempest Sonata; another impressionstic dream to replace Clair de lune; another fugue in d minor to replace the one you already play.  In this way your repertoire is constantly expanding, and you can use different pieces on many different occasions.

My next program goal is:

Bach-Busoni Three Chorale Preludes: Wachet auf, Ich ruf zu Dir, In Dir ist Freude

Beethoven Sonata op.109

Medtner Canzona matinata
Sonata Tragica

PAUSE

Rachmaninoff Etude op39no4
Preludes op.32 10-12

Impressionstic Set (including Ravel Une barque, haven't decided on the others)

Liszt 2 Legends

Walter Ramsey

[mofo]

hi everybody. i've been looking for this thread since i entered this forum (a week ago  )
well my name is Maximiliano Estravis Barcala. i was born on november 2nd, 1989 in buenos aires, argentina, and i still live there. my house is on a quiet neighborhood, with quiet people and streets. quite good, eh?
i love piano music and Lieder from the romantic period. i mean, i started listening to classical music less than a year ago, and i began with that. i don't like much orquestal music. i think it's a chilhood trauma, or something, because my father likes beethoven and wagner a lot, so he listens to that in a veeery high volume and that disturbed me a lot when i was younger.
so, when i had music at school last year, we listened to a winterreise's lied and i loved it. then we listened to some carnaval stuff and that was good, too.
so, some months ago, i remembered that and i decided i would start buying cd's by myself and building my own collection.
my mini-collection is:
a)Schubert's Winterreise D 911
b)Schumann's Carnaval op.9, Pappillons op.2, Kinderszenen op.15, Arabeske op.18
c) Schumann's Liederkreis op.24, Dichterlibe op.48
d)Schubert's complete Improptus (by Jeno Jando)
e)Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin (don't know d or op. )(by Fritz Wunderlich)
and my introduction to chamber music...
f) Schubert's Die Forelle quintet
well i have to go. i hope you accept my ignorance .
salutes! au revoir!

[pianistimo]

good taste! 

[_____]

Newbie here.

Been reading for a long, long time... finally decided to sign up.



First name: Luke
Last name: 
Place of Birth: Melbourne, Australia
Age: 19
Place where I live: See place of birth
What the place is like.. A house in the suburbs
Astrology: Aquarius
Hobbies: Playing piano obviously, reading, hustling people in card games, art, writing, booze.
Favorite school subject(s): I hated every minute of it
My idol: The Fonz
Favorite movie/serie: The Godfather
Music: Classical, jazz, electronic, metal, prog, hip hop.
Best game: Donkey Kong Country
I am good at... sleeping in
I hate... overly hot and overly cold weather
Favorite animal: Women
Favorite food: Almost anything Italian. I also like a good kebab.
Favorite candy: Those sour coke bottle lollies I used to buy at the cinema candy bar, when I was a kid.
I wanna be... I still haven't figured that out yet.
My greatest wish: I'd like to control my own army.

Piano related:

First approach with piano: I got my grandparents' old pianola when I was 6 years old.
Taking lessons: Same year as I got the piano (6 years old, for those up the back).
Performances: What about them?
Competition: Detest them
Favorite composer(s):  Scriabin, Beethoven, Bach, Liszt, Debussy.
Favorite pianist(s): Claudio Arrau has influenced me, musically, more than anybody else. Apart from him I also like Sviatoslav Richter, Glenn Gould, Koji Attwood, Yundi Li and Alfred Brendel.
Favorite piano: They all have their ups and downs.
Favorite piece(s): Beethoven Sonatas Op. 110 and 111; Liszt Dante Symphony, B minor Sonata; Scriabin's 10th Sonata; Brahms Violin concerto; Schumann Dichterliebe.

[jpianoflorida]

come on mr _____________      you need a user name or we may have to give you one!

[_____]

I couldn't think of anything

[netzow]

Give him a name!!!!!!! His name is Luke.

[nonna]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading the forums for a few weeks now and finally got down to registering.  There's so much great info here!  Just a few words to introduce myself.

I studied piano since I was 7 and majored in piano at a very small music department in college (many years ago).  Got married my senior year, have raised two kids and what with working etc. there just wasn't any time for the piano.  For quitea few years didn't even have one.  Two years ago I finally had the time to start playing again and bought a clavinova as we had a very small house and the idea of the headphones was the selling point.  Got really committed to the idea of playing seriously again and had to move but the good news was it's a bigger house.  I figure at this point in my life it's now or never so I have taken the plunge and bought a piano that in my wildest dreams I never thought I could own.  I have a 6'4 Boston GP-193 and I'm just in love with it! 

I have spent a good deal of the limited time I do have on technique and finally feel I'm just about up to where I left off many years ago.  It's been such a joy.  I'm going to continue on my own for a few more months and then look for a teacher.  Where we have moved there is a University with quite a big music dept including a Doctoral Degree in Piano.  I've been to a number of recitals which has been really fun and there is at least one teacher there who I've heard that is just fabulous. 

I've really enjoyed all of your posts and especially to know that there are other "2nd timers" like me out there trying to juggle all of life's responsibilities but still make time for our passions.

I look foward to making many piano friends here.

Take care,
Linda

[jpianoflorida]

Give him a name!!!!!!! His name is Luke.

ok..suggestion for a name for ____________

1) lukedawg

2)coolhandluke

ok anyone, anyone???

[tds]

lukethehunk

[penguinlover]

How about lukenoname?

Nonna,
   Welcome!   I am in the same position as you, except I raised five kids before I could go back seriously.  I fear it may be a bit late for me, but at least I can try.  Have fun!  penguinlover

[penguinlover]

or how about ekul?  (luke backwards)

[jre58591]

i dont think nils would go through the trouble of changing his username, so all of your efforts are probably in vain.

[penguinlover]

OK, I'll quit.  You're probably right.

[alwaystheangel]

Nils is a good name

[meiz_yoo]

Hello, my name is Meiliana. My English is not good.  
Because I’m from Asia. I’m Indonesian. Is someone here from there too??  I’m 16 years old. But in May 2007, I will be 17. I really like this forum because its can tell me a lot of information about music, especially piano. Because I’ve learn to play piano for about 4 years. And I’m really interest in it. But I thought that I was so stupid and slow in play a piano. My favourite pianist is Maksim Mrvica. I hope someday I can be like him in play a piano. So, that’s about me. Hohoho….

[_____]

Uh oh.

[pianowolfi]

Hello, my name is Meiliana. My English is not good.  
Because I’m from Asia. I’m Indonesian. Is someone here from there too??  I’m 16 years old. But in May 2007, I will be 17. I really like this forum because its can tell me a lot of information about music, especially piano. Because I’ve learn to play piano for about 4 years. And I’m really interest in it. But I thought that I was so stupid and slow in play a piano. My favourite pianist is Maksim Mrvica. I hope someday I can be like him in play a piano. So, that’s about me. Hohoho….

Welcome!

[ashton78]

Hi I'm 19 and I'm reading up on pianos beause I might want to try playing them but right now its just a thought

[ihatepop]

Hi I'm 19 and I'm reading up on pianos beause I might want to try playing them but right now its just a thought

Hi! Welcome to this forum. Wish that one day you will pick up piano.

ihatepop

[pianowolfi]

Hi I'm 19 and I'm reading up on pianos beause I might want to try playing them but right now its just a thought

Yes, welcome from me too. It would be nice if you started piano playing!

Kind regards

Pianowolfi

[mad_max2024]

Hello everybody, I'm Pedro and I'm from Portugal
I'm 26 and I've played the piano ever since I was 8 or so...
I never took it up as a profession because of all the hard work it implies and because it is a really hard and unstable profession here in Portugal.
It became a hobby though and it is a major part in my life.

My study is extremely chaotic, I self-learned for about 14 years before I determined to find a school and get a teacher, so basically there is hard stuff I can do and there is easy stuff that gets me stumped. And of course I have loads of nasty habits that I struggle to tame, the most troublesome of which is a tendency to overpedal things. I am making good progress though and I'm currently learning Rach's op39/5 etude to which my first reaction when my teacher played it to present it to me was sort of the like of "You want me to play what???"
Don't have a repertoire though, I could never finish a music to a perfect level, probably because I never bothered to memorize them since I'm a great sight reader, I'm working on that now and I'm halfway through memorizing Liszt's Sposalizio in preparation for the hard task of memorising Rach, maybe then I'll be able to start building a repertoire...
I really like Beethoven, Liszt, Rach, Chopin, Debussy and the like, modern more dissonant stuff like Prokofiev or Bartok I have more trouble listening to

Excuse me if my english fails me now and then, I'm normally read books in english and I think I understand the language rather well but reading it is a lot easier than writing it...

[[[]]]

[penguinlover]

You did great!  Welcome to the forum, enjoy!  Penguinlover

[jpianoflorida]

You did great!  Welcome to the forum, enjoy!  Penguinlover

yes..welcome..you're english is great!

[lichristine]

Hi! I'm Li, or Alia, or whatever you want barring Ali.




First name: Alia
Last name: Slatton
Place of Birth: central california
Age: 16.6
Place where I live: central california...nasty little town.
What the place is like: Not enough rain, that's for sure
Astrology: taurus ()
Hobbies: piano, doing really stupid dangerous things, playing with my tarantula
Favorite school subject(s): art history, english
My idol: Ophelia (from Shakespeare's Hamlet)
Favorite movie/serie: What Dreams May Come, Sin City, haha the Saw series
Music: rock/metal
Best game: Legend of Zelda
I am good at.. body piercing
I hate... racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. I am not a minority race, a homosexual, or anything! But look, I can still be open-minded!! (sorry...bitterness...I've lived my whole life in the self-proclaimed "Cowboy Capitol of the World"
Favorite animal: tarantula
Favorite food: steak, very rare
Favorite candy: gummy bears
I wanna be... a pianist/bartender/body piercer/truck driver
My greatest wish: to have wings. literally

Piano related:

First approach with piano: PAIN. There was a mouse trap underneath my old old piano, and I stepped on it when I was three. Once I took lessons, though, it was a slightly better relationship
Taking lessons: since i was 5-6
Performances: YAY!!!
Competition: none yet, i usually don't have fees or transportation, but I do the CMTA Honors Recitals every year
Favorite composer(s):  Scriabin
Favorite pianist(s): Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls
Favorite piano: this one at my friend's house. it's old, and creaky, and ENTIRELY out of tune. I LOVE IT.
Favorite piece(s): Etude in D# Minor; Scriabin

[thalbergmad]

I think that is the most fascinating intro i have ever seen.

Welcome.

Thal

[jpianoflorida]

I think that is the most fascinating intro i have ever seen.

Welcome.

Thal

You know Thal, I really try not to bash what others believe in. And I try to be respectful of others.    With that said, I really find it in poor taste for you to have your signature listing books of the bible I believe in with the words "rubbish" next to them.     I have no intention of making a big deal of it.   But I'm asking you if you would mind removing that.    I'm asking that you have respect for Christian members of this forum.    If you have directed it at one particular member, I understand that, but it also offends others of us on this forum who do respect your views.

[lauramars]

I read a lot but don't post much.  So here we go, this is me.

First name: Laura

Last name:  =]

Place of Birth: Minnesota

Age: 21

Place where I live: Wisconsin

What the place is like: A small but functional apartment in a small but functional town.

Astrology: Aries

Hobbies: Reading and playing.  And the SIMS 2!

Favorite school subject(s): I'm still in school, studying graphic design.

My idol: Bowie. David Bowie.

Favorite movie/series: Six Feet Under.

Music: If it sounds good, I will listen to it.

Best game: Sims 2

I am good at:  Procrastinating.

I hate: Deadlines! (see above)

Favorite animal: Cats.

Favorite food: Sushi.

Favorite candy: Hmmmm. Jellybeans.

I wanna be:  A graphic designer, I suppose.

My greatest wish: Live independently and debt free.

Piano related

First approach with piano: Second grade, I took lessons for a couple weeks, then stopped until I was thirteen.

Taking lessons: For a few years when I was younger.  I stopped taking when I was 16.  I now just teach myself.  I'm probably pretty advanced for an amateur, but probably pretty bad for a properly schooled pianist.  I just enjoy playing and teaching myself new pieces.

Performances: I am not a performer, though I did recitals in my days of lesson taking.

Competition: Never been in one.

Favorite composer(s):  The usual crowd.  No Liszt, thanks.

Favorite pianist(s): I'm afraid I don't follow them.

Favorite piano: I have two (not where I live, sadly), an Ivers & Pond upright (111 years old!) and a Kimball baby grand. Like them both, but the Kimball actually stays in tune longer than a week.  At the moment I'm attempting to make do with the generic uprights my school has, with all their sticky keys and out of tune-ness.
 
Favorite piece(s): I couldn't tell you.

[jpianoflorida]

Thank you Thai       Sorry to tell you however I don't use a tambourine.   lol

[jpianoflorida]

welcome Laura!    We are glad to have you on the forum.    You'll find very interesting people and discussions on here.   

jay

[lichristine]

I think that is the most fascinating intro i have ever seen.

Welcome.

Thal

Thanks! (i swear i was thinking that even before the preemptive welcome!)

[penguinlover]

Yes, welcome to you both. They were very interesting and informative intros.  Li, you may live near me.  I live in the High Desert of California.  You are probably a bit more north, but we are in the Visalia area often.  Again, welcome and enjoy!    Penguinlover

[lichristine]

^_^ I live right in da middle, two hours inland from San Francisco. Oakdale, AKA the city one goes through on  the way to Yosemite park.

[thalbergmad]

^_^ I live right in da middle, two hours inland from San Francisco. Oakdale, AKA the city one goes through on  the way to Yosemite park.

Give my regards to Yogi the next time you pass through.

Thal

[lichristine]

^_^ him and Smokey the Bear.

[penguinlover]

Yeah, I know where you are, but it's a long way away.  One of my daughters lives in the SF area, Mill Valley.  But that's still a drive to Oakdale. 

[lichristine]

yep.
there's windmills along the way though.