Is it Possible to have a life and have a promising piano career?

[punkpianist360]

  Yes, yes, I know that we are devoted to 6 or more hours a day (I don't go over 6), but what excuse is that not to go out and have fun?  I mean, I hang out regularly with everyone, and still get my share of practice, and have won a few competitions.  Isolation is not always necessary.

[shadowzerg]

I agree wholeheartedly with this. I practice a lot but I go out and party, hang with friends, see movies and whatnot. There's no reason piano should take over your social life.

[lostinidlewonder]

It does take over your social life if you are a performing musician no matter how much you try. Any career really takes away from having a social life but we always can fit it in, there is no excuse not to! (But often you can be too tired to bother)

[gyzzzmo]

Why wouldnt someone with a piano career have a social life?

[pianist1976]

Of course you can! 

Who said you can't? 

[punkpianist360]

The reason being I posted this is because I've met other pianists, both on this board and in person, who NEVER go out, never party, never have sex (HAHA), play sports, etc.  I'm just seeing if there are others that love to have good times, and still virtuoso pianists.

[gyzzzmo]

The reason being I posted this is because I've met other pianists, both on this board and in person, who NEVER go out, never party, never have sex (HAHA), play sports, etc.  I'm just seeing if there are others that love to have good times, and still virtuoso pianists.

Dont you think that there are plenty of other professions where some of them dont go out much? Why would being a professional pianist differ anything compared to lets say, teachers and grocers? 

[punkpianist360]

Dont you think that there are plenty of other professions where some of them dont go out much? Why would being a professional pianist differ anything compared to lets say, teachers and grocers? 

Practice time.

[gyzzzmo]

Practice time.

When we are practising, that teacher and grocer are working too.

[shadowzerg]

When we are practising, that teacher and grocer are working too.

Yeah, in a social environment..

[gyzzzmo]

Yeah, in a social environment..

Yes but there are also plenty of jobs where you hardly talk to people, plus if i have some concert or whatever for performance, i have enough to chat with people too.
The reason why quite some musicians are sort of 'strange' is that alot live in their own musical world, devoted to their instrument wich comes with a weird mentality. And it is talks with those weirdo's that you remember, while there are also loads of normal musicians wich you dont remember that easily

[slow_concert_pianist]

It is not how long, but how you practice that counts. If you have no interest in what you are doing, you should not be doing it. Therefore to the true professional, it is profession and not a career. Sadly commerce has ensured the death of the professional with comercial career getters emerging in their place.

[pianisten1989]

Iit is profession and not a career.

Omg, so deep!

[stucoy]

It is poosible to have a life and a piano career. See, for example, Helen Grimaud, who does all that stuff with the wolves.

[pianisten1989]

If you want to be like Kissin, you can't have a social life. If you wanna be like some minor celebrity who's doing some concerts here and there, and maybe having some students, you probably can. It's all about the ambitions...

[gyzzzmo]

If you want to be like Kissin, you can't have a social life. If you wanna be like some minor celebrity who's doing some concerts here and there, and maybe having some students, you probably can. It's all about the ambitions...

Its questionable though if it has anything to do with being a pianist itself. Likely more that not any 'celebrity' can have a normal social life, whatever his profession is.

[pianisten1989]

Yeah, well. Celebrity wasn't the best word, though my vocabulary isn't the greatest.
I meant kind of... The pianists from your country knows who you are, and some random ppl, but you're world wide known.

[stucoy]

If you want to be like Kissin, you can't have a social life. If you wanna be like some minor celebrity who's doing some concerts here and there, and maybe having some students, you probably can. It's all about the ambitions...

Kissin does have a life! - He lists 'watching television' as one of his hobbies.

[gyzzzmo]

Yeah, well. Celebrity wasn't the best word, though my vocabulary isn't the greatest.
I meant kind of... The pianists from your country knows who you are, and some random ppl, but you're world wide known.

If alot of people have seen you on television or admire you, they want to talk to you. Because of this you cannot have a normal social life anymore.

[pianisten1989]

Not every pianist in the world will play on tv, and not everyone will watch it anyway..

[pianist1976]

Kissin does have a life! - He lists 'watching television' as one of his hobbies.

With all my respect to Kissin, by watching his videos and his talking he doesn't appear to be the most sociable and open person in the world. By the other way, I think that the video I posted showing Askenazy dining and even telling jokes speaks by itself. Some (maybe a very, very few) classical pianists are somewhat famous... only for this relatively small circle of music "aficionados" and professionals. For every non musician relative of mine and every friend of my, if they see Kissin on the street, they will not know who the hell is he (but they surely should recognize Richard Clayderman   )

And, of course, you can do a worthy carreer without been a "piano superstar" such as Kissin, Zimmerman and others...

[punkpianist360]

With all my respect to Kissin, by watching his videos and his talking he doesn't appear to be the most sociable and open person in the world. By the other way, I think that the video I posted showing Askenazy dining and even telling jokes speaks by itself. Some (maybe a very, very few) classical pianists are somewhat famous... only for this relatively small circle of music "aficionados" and professionals. For every non musician relative of mine and every friend of my, if they see Kissin on the street, they will not know who the hell is he (but they surely should recognize Richard Clayderman   )

And, of course, you can do a worthy carreer without been a "piano superstar" such as Kissin, Zimmerman and others...

Let's all live like Liszt and sleep with girls every night!!!!!

[proftom]

NO!!!!!   only joking! of course you can

[okforall]

As said before, A promising piano career IS  a life...............

John

[pianisten1989]

Well, I know plenty of ppl who's got a piano career, but also a lite outside the piano. So it's all about how much you're ready to sacrifice...