My FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE!

[totallyclassics]

I am so happy to FINALLY be posting on here!  FINALLY! 
I am an adult, and I have been playing for 3 years!   I auditioned and was accepted
into Rice Preperatory Program fo adult students.   I am taking lessons from a professor there.  I have been there for one semester. 

Please excuse the "creative embelishments!!"     I was EXTREMELY nervous!  I have never played for anyone before!  Suddenly, I was on stage with lights, and lots of people, and the other professors who teach this program!  Also, my teachers were there!   LOTS OF PRESSURE!! 

All in all, I learned a lot!  Slow down, breathe and relax are among the best lessons learned!!

Enjoy!  I WELCOME ALL COMMENTS!   

https://www.box.net/shared/0tq64x7dh8

[pianistimo]

good job!  you know -i like it this way too.  not cut time - but simply 'dreamy.'  it doesn't have to be a fast fantasy, i guess. 

i really like what you have done.  i think you are very musical.  perhaps there a few spots where i would get softer rather than louder - but you provide some elements of surprise which give the piece some youthful joy.  i think you have a mature and yet youthful joy (as mozart did).  hope you keep playing mozart!  i think you are good at it.

[totallyclassics]

Pianistimo,

Thank you so VERY MUCH!  Your comment truly brings tears of joy to my eyes, as I TRULY LOVE Mozart!   I LOVE Mozart!   I can identify thoroughly with many of his personality characteristics that are evident in his music.   I think that is why I am so drawn to play his pieces.   I have a very childlike youthfullness about me, and a sort of innocence, and an extreme passion for music.   I am working on boldness!  Mozart had a very "in your face, boldness, no fear!!"  attitude!   That is what I am working on!  When I perform, I am learning to Play from an inner place of confidence that  allows me to "become  the music" instead of asking permission to PLAY or "prove" the music.    I am a naturally shy person, and it is fun to be able to come alive with Mozart!     

[rachfan]

Hi totally:

I think you did a very nice job in performing this Fantasia in Dm despite your nervousness.  Most importantly, it's clear to me that you listen to yourself.  And you play Mozart well--i.e., very clean articulation, pearly passagework, tasteful pedal, very nice touch contrast, good attention to dynamics, dynamically blended phrase endings and beginnings, expressive playing without overly romanticizing the music, and great evenness which is so necessary in this music.  Your interpretation suggests that you certainly scour a score to dig out the composer's intent along with all the details--great! 

Beginning piano as an adult tends to be more difficult than starting at 7 or 8.  Many late comers to the piano tend not do achieve the same degree of dexterity that someone starting much earlier will normally attain.  Yet dexterity seems not to be a barrier for you, which is wonderful.  I believe you must have a fine teacher as well.  Congratulations to you both on your first successful appearance in recital.  I commend you!  Keep up the good work!       

[lazlo]

This is a really thoughtful performance. You have a unique take on it, which is good. It's one of those pieces that allows you to have fun with it, and you obviously did. Technically, really solid. Musically, really solid. I'd say a huge success. Look forward to future recordings.

[totallyclassics]

Rafchan,

Thank you so much for your comments.  They are truly heartfelt and I can tell, genuinely sincere.   I do have an excellent teacher, who ALL semester has been teaching me to "listen!"   That is a story unto itself!  At first when she would say, "You did not listen," I thought she was telling me I didn't listen to HER!   It hurt my feelings!! Silly me!! 
Yes, we worked ALL semester with different easier sonatas from Kuhlau, Clementi, Burgmuller on phrasing and the correct way to end and to begin a phrase.  We also worked with "Taking a breath" when beginning a phrase or starting a new statement so to speak to give the sound a "fresh" new sound.     We did work a lot on "listening" Starting new phrases with the SAME sound that we left off with sometimes, and a fresh sound other times when starting a new paragraph!!!   She has a wonderful way of creating imagery in my mind.  She also allows me to play MY ideas, and just helps me with the phrasing to make my ideas say something!!  I had  A LOT of run on sentences when we first started!!  As well as tempo issues etc.   

This next semester we are working on RELAXING!!  I am a very tense player.  The tenseness can sound choked I am discovering!  She shows me how I play "choked" and then shows me the relaxed way to play my intention out!   It sounds WAY better when everything is relaxed!

THANK YOU SO much for your comment.  It helps me know that I am on the right track and that I have a GREAT teacher!  This is helpful on those days where practice isn't all that wonderful! 

[rachfan]

Hi totally,

Relaxation is definitely very important.  The entire playing mechanism has to be relaxed, particularly the wrist.  The one exception to that are the fingers--they must remain taut at all times for articulation, whether in curved or flat position, depending on the nature of the music being played.  Also, if your shoulders creep upward (a common problem), you start to feel a pain in the base of your neck from that tenseness--an instant reminder to lower your shoulders to a relaxed, natural position.  Before long, you'll be doing a self checkin--"Are my shoulders rising up?"  And you'll be able to consciously control that problem.  After awhile, the problem will disappear as you then subconsciously keep your shoulders down, having formed a new and correct habit. 

There is also a mental relaxation.  Practicing and performing involve thinking analytically, no two ways about it.  You need to be actively planning for the measure ahead to execute certain important details like voicing a chord, apply portato touch, holding a pedal point, or whatever.  In so doing, sometimes one can produce a precise performance--which... sounds academic with a lack of sponteneity.  On the other hand, a pianist might let go of the cerebral element to completely relax and to capitalize on the expressive aspect of the interpretation, which... can then become excessive, idiosyncratic or in bad taste.  I'm talking about such things as exaggerated rubatos, uneven tempos, vague rhythms, taking too many liberties with the score, etc. resulting in loss of the structural integrity of the piece.  So performance can't be strictly academic thinking nor total emphasis being given to "feeling" the piece.  It's always a judicious combination of the two.  I think you're on the right track!

[totallyclassics]

Rachfan,

Thanks!!   My teacher taught me FIRST to relax at the wrist and is constantly reminding me to lower my shoulders!  Yes, I have that problem.    The way she taught me to
relax the wrist, (and it worked!) was to sit the piano bench a bit lower and scoot me up
closer A LITTLE to the piano, and hold my hands ALMOST like a puppy begging!  It felt weird at first and at first my wrists hurt, but that was because i wasn't relaxed, but holding a taught arched wrist!!   We over exaggerated the relaxation at the wrist, but WOW!! It worked!   I can do so much more with the flexibility of my wrist....Yes, I have learned that the fingers MUST stay taught!  Otherwise they stick together! 

We are working on relaxing the shoulders and arms now, but also the "Heart!"   She said that if I have a tense center, it will come out sounding tense!  She has been RIGHT EVERY TIME!  She can turn her back, and I can play something and she can tell if I am feeling nervous or uptight!  She said it goes well beyond your arms !  Your center must be connected to the music!    I have glorious moments when that happens, so I have felt the difference.   We are working on  "becoming the music!"  and "believing" the music and trusting my intent!!    It is different that "showing" or "proving" the intent!  That has an "asking permission" attitude behind it!     I want the "I want to share this with you and have you feel what I feel when I play this!!" attitude!!     

Thanks so much for your support!  It is always reassuring  and encouraging to hear the same teaching styles reinforced by another pianist!  Thanks!