All Contribute - A few questions

[pianohenry]

Sometimes when i read things that people have posted on the forum, a lot of the people seem to know very much about music and i hear about the things you all play and think - "are these guys all professionals or something?"

So i was wondering, if everyone contributes then we can find out what everyone is like when it comes to piano...

1. When did you start playing the piano? How long have you played for?
2. Roughly what standard do you play at? e.g. grade, diploma etc.
3. What style of music do you play? Any favourite composers or pieces?
4. Do you have careers/jobs in music? What does everyone DO in music - performing? at uni? teacher? student?
5. What are you aspirations in music - where do you hope to go with it?

pianohenry

[pianohenry]

Ill go first

1. When did you start playing the piano? How long have you played for?

When i was around 7/8 i started lessons - im 16 now and been playing since, so for about 8 or 9 years.

2. Roughly what standard do you play at? e.g. grade, diploma etc.

Just passed ABRSM grade 8, working on DipABRSM now.

3. What style of music do you play? Any favourite composers or pieces?

Mainly play romantic music. Some classical, some baroque but mainly romantic like chopin, schumann, debussy i like. i also play jazz in school for a small band (The Modern Jazz Quartet, or "MJQ" ) - its got a piano (me), drums, vibraphone and double bass. we play stuff like september in the rain, or a nightingale sang in berkeley square

4. Do you have careers/jobs in music? What does everyone DO in music - performing? at uni? teacher? student?

Im still at school, just starting college. im studying music for A level this year and outside of school i have lessons. so im still a student. But i do performances as well - school concerts, and concerts with my piano teacher. And i go on music tours to spain, italy etc. and we play to people there.

5. What are you aspirations in music - where do you hope to go with it?

I dont want to do music as a Career - I enjoy playing the piano so much and for me i think it would ruin the fun if i ALWAYS had to work for things, it would be a lot of pressure. i prefer that after all my exams and diplomas and things, i can play what i want and at my own pace. So ill always just be a student or play for fun after i dont need lessons anymore, and i will probably do INFORMAL concerts and performances and things, because sometimes pianists NEED to perform.

[leucippus]

1. When did you start playing the piano? How long have you played for?

I started in February of 2005.   However, it would be misleading to say that I've been playing for a year.  I'm a self-learner and I study and practice mostly in the winter months.  Due to my lifestyle I just don't have the time to do any serious practicing during the summer.  Not to say that I do play to keep up what I've learned, but I'm not really adding more to my technique during the summer much.  I also started the violin at precisely the same time and I have come about as far with the violin as I have with the piano.  I devote about equal amounts of time practicing both instruments, and of course any studies toward music theory in general helps with both instruments.

2. Roughly what standard do you play at? e.g. grade, diploma etc.

I play at a very high standard.   I have no interest in grades and I'm not following any standard program.  Although, having said that I do have a very organized approach to my studies and I probably study "how to study" as much as anything.  In fact, during the summer when I'm too exhausted to practice I spend time organizing study techniques for next winter.  I probably gained 90% of my playing skills in a 4-month blitzkrieg last winter, if I can do the same thing this winter I think I will even leap-frog ahead much further.
 

3. What style of music do you play? Any favourite composers or pieces?

I'm mostly into classical Baroque period music.  But I've recently also become a bit interested in maybe trying to pick up some blues or jazz improvisation techniques just for fun (almost as an aside from the core of my studies)

I'm most attracted to Bach, especially with the violin.  I have actually taken his partitas and sonatas and dissected them into study etudes for the violin.  I haven't merely just copied sections of them (although I do that too), but I have actually taken a phrase here and there and put them together into my own etudes that are made up of bits and pieces of Bach's violin solos.

I think I would also like to learn the Bach preambles and fantasies (2 & 3 part inventions) on the piano.  Not so much because I like the music, but more because I'm attracted to the complexity of Bach's style.  I have already learned the first prelude of his Cello Suites on my classical guitar.  (I've played classical guitar many years ago so I sometimes pick that up as well).  I don't really focus on the guitar though.  My real focus now is on the piano and violin.

I also like some of the works of Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, and even as strange as it may seem, Gary Lamb.  Although I think the thing I like about Lamb is that his composition seem quite simple and they have inspired me to possible compose similar music.  When I listen to Lambs pieces, like "A Walk in the Garden", or "She Describes Infinity", I like them but there are things I'd like to change about them.  So Lamb has actually inspired me to do something similar but different.

4. Do you have careers/jobs in music? What does everyone DO in music - performing? at uni? teacher? student?

I have no education in music at all.  I used to teach mathematics, physics, and computer science.   I think my original attraction to Baroque period music was actually a mathematically-oriented attraction.  There is much structure to the works of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.  I'm also interested in the physical acoustical insturemnts.

I pride myself on being pretty efficient at creating productive pedagogical methods.   I am a self-learner on both the piano and the violin (as I was on the classical guitar years ago).  I'm a do-it-yourselfer all around in just about everything I do.

Although in a very real sense I view Bach, Beethoven, and many others as my "teachers", including Köhler, and Hanon (shhhhhh! Don't tell people about the Hanon!)

I also use Internet resources such as this forum, and thing like Chuan C. Chang's book on "Fundamentals of Piano Practice".  So in a sense Chang is one of my teachers as well.  Although I use a lot of other recourses too.

5. What are you aspirations in music - where do you hope to go with it?

I have absolutely no intention of ever becoming a "performer".   Not to imply that I will never play for anyone.  But it's certainly not my goal to play on stage.  I do hope to play together with local people in casual settings, like backyard or living room get-togethers.

I currently have 5 acoustical pianos and about the same number of violins.  I dabble in instrument restoration and I tune my own pianos.

I have no specific goals.  I'm just learning as much as I can.  So far I have learned most of the 12 Köhler etudes, some simple Bach pieces, some Burgmüller pieces, some Schumann pieces from his Album for the Youth, and a few others.  I'm currently working on Beethoven's Für Elise.  I have also tried but failed to get into the Bach Inventions yet.  I am lacking hand-independence and I'm hoping to get over that hurdle by using the "Note Drop" method which I haven't really had time to do much with this summer.

Some of the more difficult Pieces I dream of eventually learning are,…

Debussy: Clair de Lune, Arabesque
Bach: Many of his preludes and Fugues, The 2 & 3 part Inventions of course.
Beethoven: Moonlight sonata, Waldstein (I'm working on Für Elise right now)
Chopin: Various pieces that are probably pipe dreams

In the meantime I'm still working at learning more Burgmüller, and finishing simple things like the Köhler etudes, etc.

I'm also learning some very simple piano and violin duets.  Like "The Swan" by  C. Saint-Saëns, and a piano/violin arrangement of Für Elise.  I hope to play one part (probably the piano first) and record it, then play it back and put the other instrument in the mix.  So I'll end up playing with myself which probably isn't a good thing to tell people!

A person has to start somewhere.

Oh yeah, I'm starting to study music theory also.  Partly because I would like to try my hand at composing some Gary Lamb or Debussy-like stuff.  I'm hoping to start in on the book "Tonal Harmony" this fall.

[iumonito]

1. When did you start playing the piano? How long have you played for?

Started around 4, lessons at 5 or 6 (fuzzy).

2. Roughly what standard do you play at? e.g. grade, diploma etc.

I got a masters from Indiana University in 1995.  I "left" the piano for 10 years and I am getting into it again as an amateur incrementally (never really left it, but I can't practice more than 10 hours a week these days).

3. What style of music do you play? Any favourite composers or pieces?

"Classical."  I love Brahms and Bach, but I am playing Debussy these days.

4. Do you have careers/jobs in music? What does everyone DO in music - performing? at uni? teacher? student?

Nope.  Been there, done that, not rewarding for me.

5. What are you aspirations in music - where do you hope to go with it?

I want to polish some easy and beautiful music I play so that it would be worth it to record a few CDs.

pianohenry

[lau]

1. When did you start playing the piano? How long have you played for?

At age 8, i am now starting my 8th year

2. Roughly what standard do you play at? e.g. grade, diploma etc.

i don't know

3. What style of music do you play? Any favourite composers or pieces

transcriptions, volodos, all of his transcriptions i want to learn, except the rach one.

4. Do you have careers/jobs in music? What does everyone DO in music - performing? at uni? teacher? student?

i'm 15, no...
5. What are you aspirations in music - where do you hope to go with it?

I don't want to be professional, I takes away the joy. What I really want to do is randomly sit down in music stores and anyplace with a piano and blow away unsuspecting people...true

[ted]

1. When did you start playing the piano? How long have you played for?

Since I was a small child, long before school anyway.

2. Roughly what standard do you play at? e.g. grade, diploma etc.

I'm truthfully not sure. Somebody else would have to assess that. I have no qualifications.

3. What style of music do you play? Any favourite composers or pieces?

My own music, which is mostly what I play, does not conveniently "fit in" anywhere, but has very eclectic influence. My very small repertoire of other people's music comprises mostly late romantic, classical and contemporary ragtime, stride, swing and blues.
 
4. Do you have careers/jobs in music? What does everyone DO in music - performing? at uni? teacher? student?

Early in my life I decided to earn my living in other ways in order to support my freedom in music. In that sense, I don't "DO" anything at all. I frequently incur severe criticism about it, I might add.

5. What are you aspirations in music - where do you hope to go with it?

I have one or two general ideas in piano music I think have reasonable merit and which I hope to develop in whatever time is left to me. Because of my spontaneous nature, this will probably take place in recorded improvisation, but further written composition, of which I have done quite a lot, is not out of the question.

[pianohenry]

thanks all keep em comin ;p

[pianistimo]

#1  when did you start playing the piano?  age:  8   (stopped for a year in 7th grade to play flute - but went back to piano because of too much band chaos.  i liked being able to get practice done by myself more efficiently.  and, the flute made me dizzy).

i am now 45 - so 45-9 years would be around 36 years i've been messing at piano.  either taking lessons, playing for church, teaching, paid and volunteer accompanist, partying (i used to have 'music parties'  - they were really performance opportunities and eating afterwards). 

#2 what standard do you play at?  well, if this is any indication - my teacher told me to make sure i told the jury i was working on my masters degree (as though they'd never figure it out on their own).  well, in any case, they were extremely quiet when i played.  does that mean anything?  they weren't chewing bubble gum and talking to each other in whispers.   immediately i looked for their reactions after i played the last time (the previous times i just exited really quick).  one man seemed to be in a dreamy state.  i don't know if i was putting him to sleep or if he truly enjoyed my music.  the other one was alert.  and my teacher didn't really seem to tell me with his eyes if i did well or poorly - so i chose well and went on my merry way.  the only trouble i'm having is being confident without the score these days.  i have to get my memory back completely.

(i love to perform and like to think that i put a lot of energy in my music).

#3 style- hmm.  i like all styles.  it's really nice to hear a recital where you can see the various sides of an artist.  not all bach or mozart.  i want to be well rounded (whatever that is).  i have definite likes and dislikes within each composer's repertoire.  some pieces (like the new beethoven concerto in Eb - that has been transcribed and is not part of the other 5 concertos - seems like an early concerto and stinks, imo.  it sounds like he just heard a mozart concert and is imitating a little - the early style.  it wasn't his mature work or advanced composition).

#4 yes.  i used to teach a few students (a lot at one point).  a lot meaning part-time.  to some here - that's not a lot.  but, i have three children now, too.  i'd like to see the little one play piano.  she's going to be in a musical this year - so it's an opportunity to start playing soon just in case she gets a little part at the piano.  she likes to move and sing.
in the past, i've also worked at several music stores.  if i don't work in them, i like to visit them. 

#5 my aspirations are to finish a masters degree in piano performance and become a full-fledged performing artist.  to play some piano concertos for pottstown symphony or reading symphony (although reading is so established that i would be competing with the likes of andre watts - which i kinda doubt would happen - but you never know.  it's not really competing.  it's just being given a chance to play.  even in an amateur situation i wouldn't turn it down.)