Introduction

[chopet]

.................

[c18cont]

Hi to anyone and everyone...

I am a retired high school/university choral director and keyboard teacher....As it is necessary to say "keyboard" you realize I spent some time on Organ, and as a result never had the top quality execution on piano I should have had.

I still write and arrange a bit for churches, and write piano for myself, and a bit of classical form orchestral on a workstation.

I have a spinet that was my mothers at present...as I sold my 6'2"grand on a whim, and now seek another, but am not willing to put the money into a new instrument at my age...so I await the hidden treasure..(which was my grand...dumb mistake....)

I came on board actually as a result of the absolutly amazing mix of persons here, from the mixed up and eclectic to some that may very well be masters...I am light enough now, to allow a person their own space and beliefs...and enjoy the mix of comments here...!!!

Thanks for allowing me!!   John Cont

 

[Gargamel]

Greetings, I am Gargamel.   Probably many of you never knew that I play the piano, it is not something that the media likes to portray about me, though I have been playing for my entire life  .   On days off from work, I love to just sit inside my house, read this forum, and wander into my piano room to see if something profound comes out when I sit down and play.  I enjoy improvising mostly, though I have a ways to go with that in terms of feeling like I am expressing what I would really like to be expressing (my resentment toward the smurfs, primarily).  Some of my favorite things about the forum... well I really enjoy the snail thread, that's pretty great.  I enjoy it when Nils has to step in and tell somebody something about whatever.  Of course I enjoy reading all of the piano related topics, there are some people who feel very knowledgeable here.  I guess I don't get out much at all, I live in a place where it is foggy and it rains an awful lot, so my small house suits me just fine most of the time. 

I work in a grocery store and in many different parts of the store, so sometimes I go home smelling like fish, and sometimes I go home smelling like fried chicken, and sometimes I go home smelling like the bakery.  I am not sure which one is more favorable, but I am often thinking about music on the job and how I would like to spend more time studying it and less time in my job gathering various aromas within my threads.  The grocery store is an interesting place to be actually because people treat you like dirt and they don't know who you really are.    This is a great place to be here on the forum.

ta ta... Gargamel

[stephane]

Hello Gargamel

I go home smelling like the bakery

This can come in handy since I know one of the little blue guys likes to eat a lot .
He might come straight to you. Yamee
(don't know his name in English)

Welcome to PF

Cheers,

Stephane

[gorbee natcase]

any one here from south yorkshire

[tds]

Hi to anyone and everyone...

I am a retired high school/university choral director and keyboard teacher....As it is necessary to say "keyboard" you realize I spent some time on Organ, and as a result never had the top quality execution on piano I should have had.

I still write and arrange a bit for churches, and write piano for myself, and a bit of classical form orchestral on a workstation.

I have a spinet that was my mothers at present...as I sold my 6'2"grand on a whim, and now seek another, but am not willing to put the money into a new instrument at my age...so I await the hidden treasure..(which was my grand...dumb mistake....)

I came on board actually as a result of the absolutly amazing mix of persons here, from the mixed up and eclectic to some that may very well be masters...I am light enough now, to allow a person their own space and beliefs...and enjoy the mix of comments here...!!!

Thanks for allowing me!!   John Cont

 

welcome, john cont!

yeah, i kinda notice the mix, too . i like your approach as to "allow a person their own space and beliefs.....and enjoy the mix of the comments here...!!! " best, tds

ps. tds is amongst the most moderate people in the room

[Brian Lawson, RPT]

Hi, unlike all of you who sit at the piano all day and play, I fix and tune them so that people like you can enjoy your instruments.

I will be in the UK next week and then I'm off to the US for a while - NYC, if any of you want to say hi in person, pm me.

[haydn]

Hi,
my name is Angélique, I'm 11 years old and I am going to be in grade 8 (in piano).
Piano is my life !! 
I play some Mozart and Beethoven pieces.
I wrote one piano piece, but because I'm quite small, it is a really easy piece. 

I have got a forum about piano, but it is in french...
I want to do an audition to enter a piano school, but I don't know much about it...
How hard is it ? And how much time have I got to spend to practise ?
I am really not good in sight reading...that's the problem...

Bye 

[Fugue]

Well, I'm new here, so I might as well join in.

I won't give my name, but I am presently to be a senior in high school. I have played piano for about 3 years, but only since about March have I actually started to practice. I am a major music nerd (I play a game where each person suggests a note, and you try to name it and set in a set of progressions). I am the librarian of my choir, I am, hopfully, principal second violin at my school, and I am a composer of, well, fugues. Also I write insanely difficult peices for children. I am the master of theory, but am just awful at sightreading. I also love Ravel.

[PhilomelaShira]

I'm new as well...no harm in a little typing and possible humiliation, right?

I'm officially a senior in high school (freedom!) while I don't plan in majoring in anything with piano, I'm still really into it...I've been playing for about 10 years now. I've never outgrown the pedal obsession stage, but there's still hope. I'm definately going into music though. Hopefully clarinet performance, but there's just something about being able to bang out your emotions on the piano isn't there?
My friends make fun of me a lot because of how paranoid I am over my music and my instruments but *shrugs* I'm starting to work on composing, but it's proving to be difficult...I end up playing something already created in a different key  any tips on that?

Hum...oh yeah, I'm in my school's chorus and auditioned chamber group as well. I'm actually a horrible singer though...I learned a secret : sing soft and stand next to someone loud and *very* good and you can hardly tell when your voice cracks to tell you that you're abusing it.

Other than that....I guess I'm just your typical teenager

Oh yeah ^.^ my name's Sarah

[Bouter Boogie]

Hi everybody!

I've been here for more than a month or so.. PF is fun 

I'm Hanne, I'm 17 and I play the piano for about 12 years now. Music is one of the most important things in my life.
I was born in Lelystad, which is a city in The Netherlands. When I was one year old we moved to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. We lived there for like ten years. Then we moved back to Holland and this time to Veldhoven, a little city nearby Eindhoven (PSV you know  ). So here I am   
At the moment I'm at a conservatory in Tilburg. It's a lot of fun, because I have a very good (Russian) teacher 

What else should I tell? 

[Barbosa-piano]

 Hello...
 I Mario Barbosa, and I am 15 years old. I have been a member for about 6 months now, and only now I have found this out! tsss. I have been studying music since I was 12 years old, when I taught myself. Since I easily learned the piano, I kept on the love and dedication for it...(My life). I play the piano (of course) the pipe organ, and the harpisichord... I play at my local church, at the nursing home, and at school. I have my thoughts on becoming a pianist. I really like the forum, it is a great forum for exchange of ideas, thoughts, and motivation...

 I guess that's it... 

Best wishes,
Mario Barbosa

[PaxNoctis]

Hola.

Dan Larsen, 22, and I've been lurking around here for a few months now.  Finally decided to sign up so I can start harassing people with questions, and maybe answer a few.  I studied for 7 years until I was 15, and I stopped for a while, just getting back into it.  I'm both surprised by how much I remember and aggravated with how much my technical skills have suffered.  I'm happy to find that I can still sightread, which is nice.

Right now I'm mostly playing around, rather than pursuing classical playing.  I'm learning 'Konstantine' by Something Corporate.

Thanks for the site all, it's an amazing resource.

~Dan

[giuseppe]

Hello! My name is Giuseppe, 49 years old, and I live in Italy. I play the piano and guitar by myself (not very good) because I have no time for teacher    I love music, especially ancient and baroque music (JS Bach)  and an Italian contemporary composer: Ludovico Einaudi.

[ajw400]

I'm Andrew

[ada]

This is all very interesting. Here's my bit. I learned piano as a kid/teenager  but became a journalist and stopped playing for a spell. Resigned as a staff writer to freelance and have  since returned to the piano and am looooving it, can't keep my hands off the keys. Am 30-something and from Australia.

[popndekl]

i've just finished 2nd grade of high school. i'm from slovenia -

i've been playing synthesizer for 5 years and when we moved to a new house i got the piano. this year i've finished 10th grade and i'm not planning to leave music school.
i'm also a quite advanced guitar player and recently i fell in love with the clarinet, so i bought one and i enjoy totally .

enough bragging as i really feel like a loser since my ex girlfriend (i'm still in love with her) plays flute and she already recorded dozens of songs, she sings so nice there's a melting hazard and she's cute to. she left me. lol. 

p.s.: nice forum, may i steal this posting system for my site? 

[sara81]

Heloooouu

My name is Sara(I know,it's hard to know that from my nickname,it's so inovative )

I'm 14 years old,from Croatia(I know one girl from here,her nick is Paris,she told me about this forum )

I play piano for 6 yeas now,and I would really like to make a living of it.I enjoy it very much..

and that's about it what you should about me.....for now at least

[nanabush]

I'm nanabush, been here quite a while, but my real name is Nick...I've been playing for about 8 years, but I started when I was really young so those years don't count as concert performance level...I'm probly gonna take music minor in university, because I wanna be a doctor 

[jazz_man]

Ok, I'll bet ya no one's going to read this...  but anyway,  I'm Jeremy,  and I live in Ontario, Canada.  I've been playing piano for nine months (still got a long way to go).  I'm at about Level 4 (RCM Canada).  Also play clarinet (3 years).  I'm in Grade 11 music and I plan to major in music when I go to university. 

[ludwig]

hi people of the world! I cannot believe the diversity of cultures we have on this board, music is a universal language and I'm glad that you have found this forum Welcome all, and jazz_man, I play clarinet too, in fact I just bought a brand new one not so long ago I also play a little guitar and trumpet..not so good though 

[thalberg]

Hi all,

I'm 28 years old, American, and I just finished music school.  I'm about to start a new job teaching piano next month.  I love to play the piano, but my real dream has always been to teach.

[schrewbie]

Hello, I'm also new.

[Bob]

     Yes, it's like Finding Nemo.

(tropical setting, repeated booming chanting crescendoes...)


"Ha! Ho! Hwa!  He! He!"

"Ha! Ho! Hwa!  He! He!"

"Ha! Ho! Hwa!  He! He!"

"Ha! Ho! Hwa!  He! He!"

"Ha! Ho! Hwa! Hwee! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ha! Ho! Hwa! Hwee! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ha!

Ho!Hwa! Hwee! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho! Hahoo! Wahoo! Yahoo! Ho! Ha! Ho! Wahee! Ha!
 
"Ha! Ho! Hwa!  He! He!"

"Ha! Ho! Hwa!  He! He!"

[voice of Brad Garrett]
(A deep voice up high on Mt. Wannaplunkakiki commands...)

"State your name newcomer!"

[newcomer states name obediantly]

"Newcomer of black and white!...,

...you have been called forth...

... to the summit of Mount Wannaplunkakiki...

... to join with us in the fraternal bonds...


... of pianohood!"

"... that is IF you are able to play through...

(booming and echoing voice)

...THE KEYBOARD... 

OF FIRE!!!"
OF FIRE!!!"
OF FIRE!!!"

Bystander: "Isn't there another way?  He's just a boy/girl!"

(wails of terror from other bystanders)[/size]



[pause while newcomer plays 'keyboard of fire']

"From this moment on, you will now be known as _________ (your pf name here)."

(group chants in reponse)
"(your pf name here)________! Ooo ha ha!"

"Welcome brother/sister (your pf name) ___________!"

[abell88]

Anytime they'll chant my name, I'm in! But I'm a little nervous about this keyboard of fire business

[pianonut]

somehow, i thought i already responded to the intro thread, but don't see it anywhere.  ok.  here it goes.  my name is susan.  am married to a baritone singer/computer analyst and have three children.  being that i have children (monkeys) i am used to the jungle idea that bob set up.  i am beginning to be able to deal with distractions, noises, people falling off the roof - by intense meditation.  i get this way when i play the piano.  for istance, a person could fall right past the window, and i'd keep on playing (unless they started moaning really pathetically).

played until midnight the other night (due to extreme humidity and sleeplessness - plus i love piano) and tested the mettle of my neighbors by ending with mussorgsky's pics at an exhibition.  i thought for sure someone would come over and blast me.  nobody did.  i only do this several times a year.  usually on holidays.  i wish i could do it every night.  (no, not that - that's second).

spirituality (reading the bible), piano, bicycling, interior design, landscape design, sewing, a little cooking - are my passions.  whatever i do at the tiem is my passion.  therefore, i am very confused with so much to do and so little time.  when i sit at the piano, i pretend i am on stage and playing for at least 50 people.  then, when i cook, i pretend i'm julia child (until my daughter refuses to eat what i cooked), then for some self-assuredness - i work out bicycling or cleaning the house.  cleaning a house is a huge work out - if you do it for like 2 hours.  by then - the area that i started with is messed up again.  then - tv - watch landscapers challenge, divine design or designer's challenge.  dream of having three jobs when 3 year old goes to school.   i want to sew  pillows (according to needs of customer - sizes, shapes, etc.) - i want to help someone in their business with designing and painting and possibly murals (recently found some skylight ideas of how to paint windows on celing), and i want to teach a little piano - and finally - but really first - play a PIANO CONCERTO.  soon!

[Bob]

Welcome Sister? Abell88!

Abell88!  Oo ha ha!




Welcome again Sister Pianonut!

Pianonut!  Oo ha ha!




Soon, we will have to take up a collection.  Pianos don't last long with the keyboard of fire...

[mikeyg]

I'm, uh, mikeyg, and I'm the quiet type.

[Bob]

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,122.msg109631.html#msg109631

Welcome Brother Mikeyg!

Mikeyg!  Oo ha ha!




(And now for a new one.  I'm going to freak someone out by doing this.  I picked the latest person to register.)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,122.msg109631.html#msg109631
Welcome Sister? Saraha!

 Saraha!  Oo ha ha!

[Bob]

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,122.msg109631.html#msg109631

(Doesn't want to leave the others out)

Welcome.... Brothers and Sisters....
(oh geez...longer than I thought...)
tromboneal!
pooguy77!
Dracotahl!
mderksen!
jaa!
fra ungdomsdagene!
drmusic_fc!
quan!
crippledsymmetry!
sponge_girl!       (big breath)
financeguy!
invictus!
goran!
nuclearcheesecake!
jaco!


tromboneal! Oo ha ha!
pooguy77! Oo ha ha!
Dracotahl! Oo ha ha!
mderksen! Oo ha ha!
jaa! Oo ha ha!
fra ungdomsdagene! Oo ha ha!
drmusic_fc! Oo ha ha!
quan! Oo ha ha!
crippledsymmetry! Oo ha ha!
sponge_girl! Oo ha ha!     
financeguy! Oo ha ha!
invictus! Oo ha ha!
goran! Oo ha ha!
nuclearcheesecake! Oo ha ha!
jaco! Oo ha ha!

(chanters pass out)




I tried sending them all pm's with links to this post.  You can't send that many pm's that fast -- error message.  Oh well..   And sending "name1, name2, name3"  didn't work either.  I give up.


Dang, that was too much like work.  Maybe they should have to do the keyboard of fire first....

[tds]

bob, whatever you do for a living, we'll support you all the way. heh

[Torp]

I once set a guitar on fire as part of a Jimi Hendrix tribute, is that close enough to the keyboard of fire thing?

Can I have an Ooh Ha Ha?

Life's just not worth living without an Ooh Ha Ha.... 

[Bob]

Gotta play the keyboard of fire first.  I'm not doing all that work again.   I don't think...


https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,122.msg109631.html#msg109631

Newcomers to PF fraternity!  You must prove your worthiness by playing through...   

(booming and echoing voice)

...THE KEYBOARD... 

OF FIRE!!!"
OF FIRE!!!"
OF FIRE!!!"

No keyboard of fire, no 'Oo Ha Ha!'

[/size]



(Chanters remain quiet and wait in suspenseful anticipation.)

(One chanter passes out from the drama.)

[pianonut]

that doesn't scare me.  bring it on!

(runs away when noone is looking) 

mikeyg, why are you so quiet?  pushes him up to the keyboard of fire.  (runs away again)

i think it is the eyes in the 'god' that bother me.  they make me nervous.  the way they roam around.  it is as though, if you play the keyboard, you are next in line for human sacrifice.

sits down, drinks coconut milk, and throws shell at 'god.'  sits down at the piano and plays scarlatti.

[Torp]

I.....have........played..........the...........keyboard of fire.

(Think of Tom Hanks in Castaway)

Do I get my Ooh Ha Ha now?

[Bob]

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,122.msg109631.html#msg109631



Welcome Brother Torp!


Torp!  Oo ha ha!




(Shell mysteriously bounces back to pianonut.)

[Alqua]

Hello, my name is Therese, I'm 15 and from Ireland. I've been playing the piano for 10 years, I really like it and hope to do a Diploma and teach piano. Great to find this forum and website!

[Torp]

Welcome Brother Torp!

Torp!  Oo ha ha!

I have survived the keyboard of fire and received my Ooh ha ha.  Life is goooooood!

[saraha]

Hi Bob....and all. 
This is Saraha......Ooo ha ha! Better known around these parts as Silvia "the foreigner" on account of my Polish last name. I live in Mexico and I started playing the piano when I was 5-6 years old. I went through 10 years of rigorous piano instruction where EVERY class was a keyboard of fire test until I decided my love of classical music was simply not worth it.  As soon as I was old enough I threw the piano out the window (metaphorically speaking, of course) and I swore I would never play again.

About 3-4 years ago I bought a piano for my son who thought it would be "cool" to play until he realized he needed to practice. After a few months he gave it up and I was left with a very lonely piano in my living room. I was about to sell it off when I decided to see how much I could play. After so many years I thought I 'd have a hard time with the chopsticks but to my surprise after a few months there I was!..... Back where I left off more than 20 years ago and...... LOVING IT!

So here I am! Afraid of taking formal lessons again but in need of feedback and support. I'm not very familiar with this forum yet but it seems I might find what I need on the summit of Mount Wannaplunkakiki. 

Thank for your friendly welcome.
Silvia

[aqu01rius]

AQu01rius 
Profile

[fliszt]

hi,

im Maarten and come from holland. Playing the piano for 12 years and im 22 years old.
walking through life now as an audiotechnician. ( i repair home-audio, tv's lcd's blabla ) and like to sport. I do gymnastics at national level, teach people to fight in cages and teach ninjitsu. I also go to hardcore party's and i also have time to play the piano little weird huh?

grtz

[Torp]

hi,

im Maarten and come from holland. Playing the piano for 12 years and im 22 years old.
walking through life now as an audiotechnician. ( i repair home-audio, tv's lcd's blabla ) and like to sport. I do gymnastics at national level, teach people to fight in cages and teach ninjitsu. I also go to hardcore party's and i also have time to play the piano little weird huh?

grtz

Weird? Nah...you'll fit right in around here.  Ninjitsu and cage fighting are prerequisites for entrance into the forum.  I thought everyone knew that.

[sof]

=)

I am currently a first year University of Toronto student, living in Toronto, Canada - obviously, majoring in piano performance. Used to live in Beijing China and then moved here a couple of years ago.

Nice to read everyone. =P

[lyret]

Hello all,
My name is Teryl and I am from Manitoba, Canada.  I am 16 and entering grade 12 this September.  I have been playing piano for 9 years-since I was 7 or 8.  My grade 8 RCM examination is in 22 days (eek!) and I am getting very nervous as I am not sure if I am prepared enough.  I am the only person in my family who plays the piano and I love music in general.  I also play flute in my school band and I'm always interested in learning new instruments.  My other interests are sports and my school yearbook.  I don't plan on pursuing music in university, but will hopefully continue to play piano all my life.

[Bob]

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,122.msg109631.html#msg109631
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,122.msg111091.html#msg111091

Don't wimp out us on here newcomers.... 

[planetdave]

How nice of you to start an introduction thread, Ludwig.

I'm David and I'm 22. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Cleveland, Ohio three years ago to study violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music. I started playing the piano when I was 11 and began playing the violin a year later. I soon developed a stronger interest in the violin and stopped studying the piano seriously, although it remains one of my favorite hobbies. I can always aproach the piano without being nagged to death by the self-criticism I bring to violin practice. The piano and I are always on friendly terms. It appologizes and smiles politely when I play it horribly
I love the piano and its spectacular literature and am learning a lot from this forum.

[Siberian Husky]

I am the Thug of PF...respect me..and throw money

[twinkletoesfaery]

A lovely place to be indeed!

Learnt the piano when I was around 4 and stopped at Grade 2 around age 8 since then on I hardly touched the piano but I moved to Cambridge (UK) at 16 and was lucky enough to live in a house with 2 amazing pianists then I start to play again because I badly wanted to play Chopin's minute waltz despite my awfully low level. After a whole year of twinkling my fingers on the piano I manage to play it.  Been playing more regularly but not so religiously since I move to London.  I have been teaching myself since then.

Currently learning Rachmaninov's Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 in G minor. Am halfway! Many a beautiful years later, she'll be able to play it perfectly.  Perhaps...

But lovely to be here!

Bucketful of faerywings xx

Modified to correct age (just asked mum yesterday *grin*)

[hannon_freek]

Hello there, well Bob your charming idea of playing a keyboard of fire is interesting but I am sad to say it will burn my fingers...   

I am hannon_freek (spelt wrong!) and feel welcome here at Piano Street. I hope I will be accepted into this forum with compliments, and am here to develop as a pianist musically. I hope to pick up wisdom from more experienced players than self and intend in using it to help with my teaching in Sweden. I am currently exploring the personal life of Hanon in detail, and now hold lectures at a local music library about spotting technical excercises in various etudes, as well as more general things like concert courtesy.

As a side project to music I have been lodging on and off with relatives in Florida, learning more about marine biology. I have opened up a small coffee shop now run by my younger brother in the area especially for marine biologists, where I play annual piano concerts. My next concert at the shop will be 8th November where I will be premiering my new composition, 'Notes'.

Well if you have taken the time to read my biography thankyou 
I'll see you in the forums...

[chromatickler]

I am the Thug of PF...respect me..and throw money

sheet