"Self-indulgence"

[chsmike2345]

I just got slammed at a competition for being, according to the judge, "too self-indulging". Someone please tell me what does that mean. Body motions? Emotion? WHAT?! :-/

[dj]

well it would be difficult for me to say, as i did not hear your performance, but since you yourself brought up body motions and emotions, maybe you noticed yourself getting carried away in these areas? i would say that self indulgence would refer to you focusing more on yourself than the music...but again, i didn't see the performance

[faulty_damper]

I just got slammed at a competition for being, according to the judge, "too self-indulging". Someone please tell me what does that mean. Body motions? Emotion? WHAT?! :-/

Probably it means that you performed too much like the way LangLang performs - too much movement that doesn't add to the music.

Don't listen to those "judges".  Some judges will slam you for playing a Beethoven piece as a "romantic" piece.  And the judge says "Beethoven is strictly classical".  Ass.  Yeah, just stick it up an inch more.

[chsmike2345]

Exactly, I also got slammed for playing Beethoven "too romantic".

[donjuan]

When I was working on Sonetto 104 Del Petrarca, by Liszt, my teacher told me I was too "self indulgent".  Unlike you, I also received an explanation:  I was enjoying every single note so much..the beautiful harmony......play each note brilliantly...........take my merry...little..........time....................THE AUDIENCE WILL FIND IT BORING!!!!! he blurted out.  it's quite possible at your competition, that your playing lacked structure and phrasing.  Make sure every passage of the music has an obvious beginning, middle, and end.  you as a performing artist, needs to understand what music means to an audience- especially- an UNPREPARED audience.  An audience that doesn't know what to expect...let your music sing out...tell a story, be entertaining, whatever the composer intended.

Of course, it is also possible your playing was full of unnecessary mannerisms that all adjudicators hate....i dont know- maybe you should ask people who saw your performance- ask people you know will tell the truth instead of humoring you like a six year old...
donjuan