Summer Vacation

[Antnee]

My family and I are planning on a week long trip to the bahamas this summer ( but I'm worried that my technique will suffer during this time. What is the most optimum way to practice when there is not a piano available? (I think there may have already been topics like this one...)

  -Antonio-

[Shagdac]

With it only being a 1 week vacation, I do not think it will hinder you that greatly. However, if you want to stay associated with your music.....take it with you. Read the score on the plane, listen to the piece on CD's...practice playing on the table...visualize yourself playing.  Some people snore....my family tells me I "play in my sleep" as they see my fingers moving. Also, many hotels have pianos..they may be in a ballroom or banquet hall, but many do have at least one. If you are going to an all-inclusive resort...they usually have a piano bar, you can always ask to use these. If they do not have one at your immediate accomocation, I would speak with the conceige and they may be able to call around and find a close location that would allow you to practice. But I really wouldn't worry about missing 1 week, unless your preparing for a huge concert or performance somewhere immediately upon your return, and then I don't think I would go in the first place!
Hope this helps!

Shag

[faulty_damper]

I had the same dilema last summer!

First, have fun on your vacation.  Second, don't bother playing/practicing on your vacation.  Third, when you get home, then you can play.  I can almost guarantee your mind will view the manner of your playing differently.

The above applied to me.  I thought the 10 days off from the keyboard would cause me to suffer.  It didnt!  I think I improved my playing from taking such a long break.  The first thing after getting home and dropping my stuff off in my room was to get to the piano and play.  WOAH!  It was so different somehow.  For one thing, with the lack of constant music in HongKong & Thailand, I de-tuned my ear to hearing the piano so when I sat down and played, I thought it sounded better playing without the dampers - the sound was crisp and clear.  Another thing was that when I looked at the music, it also seemed so much clearer to me - less cluttered somehow.

But this sense of clearness soon disappeared after a few days at the piano again.  Maybe it wasn't the lack of music or the 10 days off that made things clearer but just the removal of stress in a hectic lifestyle and time spent enjoying myself and learning about other cultures that cleared my mind.  I'm pretty sure this was it as I felt a bit depressed when I got back home - things just seemed to petty in my affluent lifestyle.  But that feeling soon disappeared, too.  I thought, "How can I live like this?  There isn't a community, I don't know my neighbors, people aren't openly friendly, my family didn't seem to change after experiencing a different lifestyle than what was accustomed - they were just glad to be able to sleep in a room bigger than a walk-in closet. ..."

[liszmaninopin]

I will be going to Florida for a week this summer, so I know how you feel.  To tell you the truth, I'd have to agree that missing a week of practice won't kill you.  In fact, I've found that in the past I actually improve over a couple days of not playing, if I practiced the day before.  Perhaps that would work over the period of a week.  Listening to the music would be a form of practice, you could sharpen your memory of the piece by listening carefully, and trying to play through it mentally.

[jr11]

It may not help you for this trip, but ask your travel agent specifically to find out if any hotels where you are going have a piano. Often they'll be one in a lounge or restaurant they may let you use during off hours. I have just walked up to a piano I've come across at such places and started playing; as long as what's being played is appropriate for the setting,  the staff just smile and nod their approval. Early morning is best. Where more people are about you may want to forgo scales and works-in-early-progress.

If any of you are going to Whistler, I would recommend staying at Club Intrawest... they have a grand piano in a low-traffic area. You'll find me there before 8 AM for a few days next week!

[Antnee]

Yeah days off from practice do help...
            I also went to asheville NC this past weekend and when I got home my playing was much cleaner. My theory is that before I leave for the trip, I'll play the pieces i know a few times through slowly and stacatto and then as up to speed as I can accurately. According to Chang's piano book Post Practice Improvement should help me. You're right though, after all, it is a vacation!!!

-Antonio-