Am I in the Right Level?

[ahvat]

I'm 21 now and Iv'e only studied piano about 1 1/2 or 2 years and its been a great experience. I've now taken Piano seriously and hope I get in a Conservatory, but I'm unsure if I can get in or not, am I even at an proficient level? My teacher pick out a few pieces he have me work and and then move on to a new book. here's what I'm currently working on. Question is I am where I should be???

because Some of the things I'm working on are already challenging for me, but I've decided upon myself to practice seriously, and I told my teacher as-well. He syas I might win some competiting here and there.

• Chopin Mazurka op 67 no 3
  Bach Invention 1
  Schumann album for the young op 68 no 15 (spring song)
  Sonatina album Clementi 36 first 3 mvts
  Pischna for finger dexterity and strength

Coming soon
Bach Well-Tempered Klavier
Chopin Nocturne
The only 2 Things I heard from my teacher I've heard they are hella hard. I am I even ready for them in the next 2 years?

Thanks for hearing me out, its gonna be a fun ride for me.

[richard black]

If your teacher can't tell you whether you are at (or at least near) the level expected for conservatoire you need a new teacher.

[ahvat]

My teacher and I are in a good teacher/student relationship. he tells me what I am working on in the future. He also tells me I can even teach beginners in less than 2 years if he wanted. But I told him I'm not ready for that. But one of his pupils is a former Piano Major. he teaches everyone professionally the way he was taught. So I don't think I need to switch teachers.

question is do you think I am in the right level.  just askin for everyone's opinion.

I'd say I went from beginner to intermediate pretty fast with only about 1-2 hours of practice daily. Now that I am serious in becoming a musician I've come to practice even more than before. I just want to see how far I will get.

I also want to add that I am also and artist. I draw Manga/Anime basically I am a concept Artist.

[Bob]

Sounds good for a couple years of practice, but it also sounds low now for getting into college.  I could see that in 2 more years though. 

Entrance material is more like a Beethoven sonata, a few Bach Preludes and Fugues, something 20th century, etc.   Yeah, the nocturne sounds right on that level.

You might want to up the practice time.  3-4 hours/day.  Maybe cut back on the Pischna and do exercises more focused on the literature you're playing.  Although I think there is something to be said for having a well-rounded technique.  But in terms of putting it all into the audition to get in, maybe lean toward that over general technique.

Don't forget theory.

And check the entrance requirements on where you might want to attend.  Two years ahead would be a good time have pieces picked.  You don't want to get caught.  Maybe even visit or at least call and talk to someone there, and someone (piano prof) who knows what they're talking about.

You can probably teach beginners.  It's not rocket science.  It takes thought and experience to be good at it, but if you want some teaching experience and someone's willing, go for it.  Nothing to lose on your end.

[ahvat]

Thx, Bob. I started to practice aobut 3-5 hours ever since I got the new books my teacher assign me to. I've gotta say I never expected I would be here so quick. Its like I playing simple birthday songs to Mozart K448 (I'm just over exaggerating my sentence a bit).

Thanks bob.
Actually my teacher used to be the Head of Settlement Music School, if I'm not mistaken.

[thierry13]

I think you're far from conservatory level. Very far. Especially for your age.

[chopinatic]

i would say your along way from a conservatory.

You want to be aiming for more like chopin etudes, liszt etudes, Bach Prelude and fugues, beethoven sonatas etc.

Its impossible to say how you will improve in time but i would say your a few years away yet.

Your teacher is the best person for advice really.

keep practicing hard!!! good luck

[ahvat]

Thank you very much. And I will continue to work hard regardless of how long the roads are. But I think nothings impossible.

[jgallag]

I got in to Ithaca College with the Bach Prelude and Fugue in C min, Bk I, Beethoven's Pathetique Mvmt 1, and Debussy's Reflets Dans L'Eau from Images Bk 1. Ithaca's not a conservatory (well, anymore. It was founded as one) but my teacher got her B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. all from Juilliard, so I consider her standards conservatory level. You should look for something around those levels. My friends all played similar level pieces. I am a Music Education major at the moment, but a I'm working on an audition for performance.

Also, don't worry about your age. I play for a fantastic soprano who's also a freshman but 23 years old. They don't care how old you are as long as you can play.

One more thing: your abilities in visual arts have no bearing on your ability to play, and certainly not anime. Music is about sound.

[ahvat]

fingers - being able to play
sight - being able to read
sound - being able to hear

When you think about anime you also have to think about music aswell. Without sound it is too empty, there is no meaning to see something without sound. Its like spending a time outside and watching the autumn tree without the birds chirping. 

But I understand they are 2 totally different arts. I grew up around music and comic/manga/anime. I think visuals has alot to do with  music. Because being about to think of a scenery and expressing your emotions. That has a lot to do with music.  When I am playing music its not just about how p or f I'm playing, every key has a meaning to me, and expressing it is a very hard thing  And visualizing a happy, sad, or angry brings out that in music asweel. Thats what I think.

[jgallag]

Imagery is a good technique to go about producing the right sound, but the sound is the end-product. You should be able to walk into a concert hall and have a moving experience without watching the orchestra moving all about, but rather closing your eyes and letting the sound wash over you and move you. My teacher calls it the "Lang Lang" effect, when a pianist makes many unnecessary motions that only amount to showmanship.

I watch anime on and off, but look at what you said. You said that when you watch anime or a scene in general you feel as though you need sound to go with it. You did not say the reverse. I argue that complete darkness, without any visual at all, will suffice and can even strengthen the experience of music, since the loss of sight then heightens the other senses. Of course, you may be synaesthetic, but you should bear in mind that your audience is probably not, and, if they are, it may be in a different way than you are. I am not trying to tell you not to use images, but only to impress that they are a means to get to the correct sound. The sound is the final product.

You say that each key has a meaning to you. That's an interesting thought. However, you also said it's hard to explain. I'm guessing English isn't your native language, so, in whatever language is most comfortable, write down in a journal exactly what you mean. Taking the time to do this, to articulate your feelings, will not just make you a better artist, it will help your communication skills in general. We often grasp at things we can't explain at first, but I think you'll find that forcing yourself to explain them, even just to yourself, makes them all the more understandable and strengthens your belief in them.

Finally, you are right about emotions. However, unless you are a genius (which you may be), you must know the how and why of your emotions. You cannot simply make yourself feel a particular way (through images or another method) and hope to convey that to your audience. They don't really care how you feel. They care how you make them feel. Why does it sound happy? Is it a brisk tempo with light, staccato playing that makes it sound happy? Why is it angry? Does it have sharp attacks and is it written in minor? I'm not saying those certain characteristics always convey those emotions in music. What I am saying is that when you listen, you must ask: How do I feel? Why do I feel that way? What about the playing makes me angry/happy/sad? When you practice to perform, you must ask: How does this music make me feel? What can I do to convey that emotion to my audience? You are taking a step outside of yourself to share your art with other people. You, myself, all of us, need to learn how to affect the audience and make them participants in the performance.

[ahvat]

I've seen many performance better than Lang lang, and the majority of the perform without making unnecessary posture and facial expressions.

I wouldn't dare argue with a wise like yourself. In fact, you have already motivated me enough. Every minute brings out a new me. I also come into an conclusion that sound is from beginning to the end. I also understand that bringing the right sound to the audience is important when performing music.

In terms of music, for me to just explain it in words are incrediby complexed. It will take a predigious amout of words to explain. And I assure you that English is my native language. jgallag I apoligize for not making my posts clear enough. I spend a few minutes reading this thread and post.

jagallag thanks for reading and responding to my thread. I hope to have more conversations with you more. You have aready help me so much in your post.

[jgallag]

I'm glad I could help.

Please don't call me wise, though. I'm merely passing along what I've learned studying so far with Dr. Jennifer Hayghe, and from a particularly enlightening masterclass I attended by Frederic Chiu. Feel free to argue with me, too. There probably isn't a single, right answer, and we all need to decide for ourselves what is right and what is not. The only way we can do this is to put our arguments out there and to see if they can stand up to criticism, or if they crumble. Unfortunately, it may take a few years to see the cracks in an argument. 

Also, don't commit yourself to a conservatory, per se. I mean, they're awesome, and it's really good. But I'm having an amazing time at Ithaca College, and I can tell you that the demands placed on me are quite strenuous, and that I'm confident in what I'm doing. Examine many colleges, and, in particular, find ways to attend the various professor's rep classes / masterclasses. You want to see what their students can do so you can get an idea of what you'll be able to do as their student. My chorus teacher told me not to select my college on the basis of a teacher, because I might not get the one I requested. It was way too late when he told me that. I'd already had a lesson with Dr. Hayghe and that single half-hour convinced me she was the right teacher for me. There are ways to try them out. I was lucky in that the lesson was built into a Host program for the college, but you should ask. It matters not at all what school you study at. It matters what teacher you study with.

Best of luck, and don't rush yourself. I'm 19 and have been studying piano for 11 years, and I still have a long journey ahead. You've made great progress for your years, keep it up.

Prof. Karl Lutchmayer of the U.K. once told me something to this effect: You could have chosen an instrument like the trombone or something where you could practice for two hours a day and then be great and play in wonderful orchestras and bands and all that. No. You chose the piano, and for that you will slave away in the practice room much longer than the others. And what do you get for it? You get the instrument with the finest, deepest, widest repertoire. You can solo, or you can play in groups, but you never need anyone else. And after concerts, people will never ask you how long it took you to learn a piece. They will only be awe-inspired at the feats you can accomplish.

(By the way, I was awe-inspired by him. His interpretations of Busoni's Transcription of Bach's Violin Partita No. 2 Chaconne, Ravel's Ondine, and Debussy's La Cathedral Engloutie absolutely blew me away. I will never stop admiring him.)