hoaxes

[Bob]

Um, Mayla?  Were there any more personalities you made besides the ones mentioned?

[Mayla]

.

[Bob]

I just can't buy it.  I'm still leaning toward there being more.  Something still seems fishy to me.

[fleetfingers]

That's the sad aspect of these hoaxes. They cause distrust and suspicions and make people doubt everybody.
I think in general I am doing quite well with my motto that I should not make any difference between my internet persona and my real one. I try to act on the internet as I am in real life and I am not part of the philosophy that says "It's only the internet, you can do whatever you want, offend people, and don't get offended by others, it's just the internet..." etc.

I've been feeling this way, too. I don't like having to wonder if people on here are real. And I don't agree with the ones saying that it doesn't matter if they're real because it does. Don't they have games for people who want to live in a virtual world and be somebody they're not? That's not how I view forums like this. Instead, I see the forum as a way to communicate to REAL people with whom I would otherwise never meet nor benefit from their wisdom and experience. It's a form of communication, not a game. If it becomes a game to more users than not, then the quality of the forum will suffer. 

[ongaku_oniko]

I don't know what the definition of real is.

Did Becky, ladypianist, and roger not have a person typing up and thinking of what they said?

The line between what is real and what is fake is very vague. I don't try to pretend to be anyone but myself, yet I'm sure you would get a much different idea of me than if we were to meet in real life.

Does that make me a fake?

Personally, I come here looking for advice on my piano playing, and just to slack off. It doesn't matter who offers me the advice I need. I mean, so let's say becky was a 25 year old guy. And He claimed that he was a 25 year old guy, does that mean you can accept his advice?

But now he says he's a 12 year old girl. Does that mean you can't take his advice anymore?

I don't know... I mean I can definitely respect that people would be a little hurt when they try to present themselves honestly, but don't get the same kind of respect back, but I guess in the end, this is an online forum, what can you do? If you really don't want to be fooled, be more concious.

At least those who care to prove themselves will be shown as real, like littletunes, birba, etc.

And I will be posting my phail version of op. 10 no.5 somewhere around theend of april (hopefully I'll be able to play it from beginning to end without too many mistakes and make it sound sort of like the real thing by then) then you'll know that at least  don't post fake recordings of myself

[fleetfingers]

I don't know... I mean I can definitely respect that people would be a little hurt when they try to present themselves honestly, but don't get the same kind of respect back, but I guess in the end, this is an online forum, what can you do? If you really don't want to be fooled, be more concious.

Oh, I am not hurt or upset by the hoax. I'm really not. I enjoyed the presence of Becky and LP while they were here. They both had nice personalities and they gave me some good advice. Whoever it was knew what they were talking about. Even if their spelling and grammar was atrocious.  

I was commenting on how I feel right now - after the fact. I'm not trying to be suspicious, but I can't help but wonder about people. I'm sorry to say that it does make me question whether I want to be here. My reason for joining was to learn and share with other pianists. I would like to think people are being honest.

Yeah - like you -  I'm sure I would be different in real life than I am here. I am not very articulate in real life and tend not to open up much, so when people I know read something I write they are surprised that I have so much to say. I am actually not different in person vs. in writing, but it may seem that way on the surface. That doesn't make you or me fake. What makes someone fake is when they come on here, make up a "real" name, tell us an untruthful story about themselves, upload  someone else's music and call it their own - and do all of that three times. To me, the line is not vague.

Again, I am not mad or anything. I'm just saying that too many fakes and hoaxes have the potential of ruining a good thing.

[ahinton]

While I have generally quite well enjoyed my exchanges with you, I am a bit surprised that somebody who did not even enjoy pianistimo herself calling you "ahinton", which is exactly as your screen-name reads and even (apparently) very much your actual name, would be puzzled by why I don't want my own preferred screen-name thrown together with another entity altogether, and one who did not even like me!  Why would I enjoy that?

I do not know, but what you want or choose to call yourself here or elsewhere, what forum ID you want to adopt and the rest are your prerogative alone and I have less than no problem with any of that, which is why no insult was either intended or given.

So, perhaps you did not intend any insult

No "perhaps" about it! Why would I wish to do any such thing?

and if not, I appreciate it, but now it is known, then, and if there really is no intent to insult, it can be easily avoided in this way in the future.

It's always been avoided as far as I am concerned - except to the extent that there is not even any need to avoid something that does not exist in the first place!

Best,

Alistair (aka ahinton here - and yes, of course you know my full name, which is not in any case hard to deduce and, in any case, you will already have seen it on at least one recording of my work)...

[fleetfingers]

And I will be posting my phail version of op. 10 no.5 somewhere around theend of april (hopefully I'll be able to play it from beginning to end without too many mistakes and make it sound sort of like the real thing by then) then you'll know that at least  don't post fake recordings of myself

I look forward to hearing your recording!

[allthumbspiano]

My other forum name is Bernhard.

[pianowolfi]

My other forum name is Bernhard.

Are you sure if you want to add fuel to the fire?

[yes]  [no]  [I don't know]

 

[birba]

My other forum name is Bernhard.

The one that has been "missing" for years and that everyone looks up to like the messiah?!

[pianisten1989]

Wasn't there a Bernhard who posed some really bad recordings? Or maybe that was just Bernard?

[emill]

Hello everyone,

My name is Bernhard, I am a piano teacher in the UK. I also play (and teach) the recorder. My age… I cannot remember it, it keeps changing every year!

I discovered this forum about three weeks ago, and have been slowly reading through the mountain of material available. Amazing! In fact I have just found this particular thread, so I am introducing myself.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.   

@allthumbspiano  -  are you referring to Bernhard of old who was well respected for his sensible and helpful posts .... he had over 5,000 by Jan. 2006 (his last posts) ....  (or the recent Bernard or Keuder or fredericfrancoischopin??) .......   are you then the Bernhard because I myself am wondering where in the world he went and why the sudden disappearance??  If yes....  why the change of screen name when you made a good reputation?

[allthumbspiano]

No I'm just kidding.  Although I wish I could know half of what he knows about the piano.

[dlipatti]

Reading some of the posts here, I can't help but feeling a little scared. Looks almost like pianostreet is some sort of cover for an esoteric cult or something... Seriously, conversations I've read on this site, and the persona of some of the posters, freak the hell out of me. 

[orangesodaking]

Reading some of the posts here, I can't help but feeling a little scared. Looks almost like pianostreet is some sort of cover for an esoteric cult or something... Seriously, conversations I've read on this site, and the persona of some of the posters, freak the hell out of me. 

Welcome to internet forums!  I've been a part of many others, and believe me, this is actually one of the better ones.

[pianowolfi]

Reading some of the posts here, I can't help but feeling a little scared. Looks almost like pianostreet is some sort of cover for an esoteric cult or something... Seriously, conversations I've read on this site, and the persona of some of the posters, freak the hell out of me. 

Yes! Now that you say it, I just see everything! The black background!! The white font. How could I just ignore this? It's the Illuminati!! It's so typical. How come I didn't realize it??? I am sorry, I am so sorry, I should have warned you all.....  










 

[pianowolfi]

I think the Illuminati are back 

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=43787.msg478117#msg478117

[ted]

Well actually Wolfi, that particular recording of 10/12 flicked a switch for me and caused me to start enjoy playing my Chopin again when I thought I had lost the connection with age. That is so nice that whatever the intention, it has done me a lot of good, so I cannot be annoyed at anybody. One thing certain about my playing, what you hear is what I am, warts and all. Ha ha !

[pianowolfi]

Yes certainly that was a good recording. I wonder whom's. Btw I like the warts 

[perfect_pitch]

WHAT??? Do we have MORE fakes posting recordings that aren't theirs??? This is getting ridiculous...

Are we now supposed to become suspicious of EVERY SINGLE AUDIO RECORDING that rocks up on this web-site???

I hope these people get banned.

[Derek]

My personal belief was most of those songs were ones built into the demo songs of a digital piano. Am I the only one who had the suspicion from the start? I actually went to some shops with kelly's mp3's in hand to compare to digital pianos. I found some that had all the same songs on them, but the tone was different. I'm still curious as to what sort it was. Yamaha perhaps?

I would find it intensely suspicious if somebody who is saying they are a highly educated and talented conservatory student would use a digital piano, that made it almost obvious to me from the start. I'm an amateur and I can barely stand most digital pianos out there. My Roland HP-302 is just good enough to stave off my hunger for a better acoustic piano for a few more years.

A few years ago I'd have probably felt a bit more combative about hoaxes. But as Ted says, it can actually be inspiring at times. I guess that's why digital piano manufacturers put such fine recordings onboard, it makes the user want to play!

[pianowolfi]

I also had a suspicion from the start regarding Kellyc. But I didn't say anything because I had no proof. I just never commented on her recordings. I don't believe that she/he did them on a digital, she might have done it the same way as with the Wanderer Fantasy.

I didn't actually like her recs, except the Rev Etude, they are too mechanical to me, especially the Schubert Impromptu. They sound like you press a button and a (nevertheless somehow musical) machine goes off. I felt similarly about the original of that Wanderer fantasy on youtube.

[Derek]

You can't tell those 4 recordings were digital (fantasy impromptu, schubert impromptu, chop etude, and chop waltz)? It is getting harder and harder to tell these days. If she had used a Roland HP-302 like mine, I might have been fooled were I not already familiar with its sound. It seems like no matter how good they make digital pianos, they still have a distinctive "canned" sound. I wonder if digital manufacturers will ever completely fix that?

[wsmith]

WHAT??? Do we have MORE fakes posting recordings that aren't theirs??? This is getting ridiculous...

Are we now supposed to become suspicious of EVERY SINGLE AUDIO RECORDING that rocks up on this web-site???

I hope these people get banned.

kellyc was simply becky aka ladypianist using a new forum name. Compare the posting styles, especially the way she reacted to the comments on her recordings; it told me they were not hers. What also stood out to me from the start were her sentence construction and use of idioms that recall becky's posting style. Anyway, maybe its easier to see these things if one is a lurker and not a poster.

[Derek]

kellyc was simply becky aka ladypianist using a new forum name. Compare the posting styles, especially the way she reacted to the comments on her recordings; it told me they were not hers. What also stood out to me from the start were her sentence construction and use of idioms that recall becky's posting style. Anyway, maybe its easier to see these things if one is a lurker and not a poster.

A clever enough hoaxter could probably imitate a wide variety of posting styles. I've actually had a feeling for quite a while that a number of handles on this site are all the same person. Some post in broken english, others have that "becky" style. I can't be sure if it is all the same person or multiple jokesters. It'd be much easier to fool people on posts alone than with recordings, I think. Either way, I suppose it isn't really doing much harm to the site. I've found it pretty easy to sort out people who have strong enough personalities (with whom I enjoy interacting on this site) that I'm not too concerned about this.

I've actually pondered a bit about whether any jokesters have appeared in the improvisations room. In a way, you can't really be a jokester there, because an improvisation is an improvisation, whether or not the person creating it feels like it is a "joke" of any kind. I've actually mused, I wonder if this jokester is a misanthropist and thinks everyone is stupid; and mocks others through hoaxes of various kinds on this site. If that is the case, maybe they found their own chaotic way to improvisation. If that is true, I hope they perhaps decide to continue doing it. They will be very glad of it, if so! All speculation, of course, but fun speculation.

[Bob]

Oi... Do they post a straight recording or do they edit it at all?  I would think they would take a little time to change it somehow from the original.

For piano tone, can you alter that at all post-recording?  Change something in the editing to make the piano sound a little different at all?

In a way it's kind of interesting.  If it's a standard professional recording, we can hear it without being as influenced by the big name of who's actually playing.  And it can be inspiring to have really good recordings, thinking someone else did that... So I should probably practice a little more carefully too.

[fleetfingers]

You can't tell those 4 recordings were digital (fantasy impromptu, schubert impromptu, chop etude, and chop waltz)? It is getting harder and harder to tell these days. If she had used a Roland HP-302 like mine, I might have been fooled were I not already familiar with its sound. It seems like no matter how good they make digital pianos, they still have a distinctive "canned" sound. I wonder if digital manufacturers will ever completely fix that?

I agree that the Fantasie-Impromptu sounded digital, but we know that the Schubert was someone playing on a grand from watching the youtube video.

What also stood out to me from the start were her sentence construction and use of idioms that recall becky's posting style. Anyway, maybe its easier to see these things if one is a lurker and not a poster.

Yes, me too. I'm actually a bit embarrased that I noticed. . . tells me that maybe I spend too much time on here.

I would think they would take a little time to change it somehow from the original.

For piano tone, can you alter that at all post-recording?  Change something in the editing to make the piano sound a little different at all?

Now, Bob - don't go giving them any ideas!

[scottmcc]

well, I'll admit I was duped once again, although i must say I didn't listen to any of kellyc's recordings other than the wanderer.  have I heard better recordings of it? absolutely.  but when you approach it with the assumption that this is the work of a conservatory student, then it is an impressive feat.  anyway, I for one still believe in santa claus and will take every recording in the audition room at face value, but I must say, this is getting ridiculous.  I'm to the point where I will only trust recordings from a select few posters who I am pretty sure are real, which saddens me because there really have been a few great pieces of music posted lately.

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

 
I tried to give kellyc the benefit of the doubt when she first started posting... but then after reading a few posts it seemed so terribly obvious that the posting style was just like Becky's. When I saw this thread I thought to myself "finally"

 I only listened to her Chopin Etude but I wonder how her stolen recordings were found - even if I were to choose from 2-3 recordings, I would have no idea which was one digital- let alone find a youtube video of it! I'm amazed, you people must have amazing ears! I wish I did...

And sometimes I wish my recordings were good enough for people to be suspicious of me. Haha.  

[Bob]

And if she wasn't fake, or at least putting up fake recordings, why did she take them down?  Unless Nils did that.

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=43787.msg478117#msg478117

Would you stand up and protest if someone said your recording was fake? 

[Bob]

To really know, a user would have to post a video of themselves playing.  Or be around long enough or have others know them so someone else could vouch for them.  Although that's a lot of work just to post a recording, to have to prove your identity.

[collectivecolors]

I just wanna say, I don't understand why people upload fake recordings. I mean even if people praise you, it's not like you earned it so it's meaningless. 

[fleetfingers]

What's the confusion here? Whether or not the young woman in the youtube video is kellyc? Well, for one, kelly said in a previous post that she is asian. So, that alone tells us that it is not her. And, if she really is becky - becky posted recordings that matched up with videos of male pianists.

http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=43387.msg477288#msg477288

[collectivecolors]

Oi... Do they post a straight recording or do they edit it at all?  I would think they would take a little time to change it somehow from the original.

For piano tone, can you alter that at all post-recording?  Change something in the editing to make the piano sound a little different at all?

In a way it's kind of interesting.  If it's a standard professional recording, we can hear it without being as influenced by the big name of who's actually playing.  And it can be inspiring to have really good recordings, thinking someone else did that... So I should probably practice a little more carefully too.

Yes. Very, easily. If you just separate the audio from video, pull it up into "Audacity" a free audio editing software. Use their settings to change pitch, and there you go. Easy peasy lemon squeazy.
Sad to say, but if I tried I could. I wouldn't though, but I could way too easily.

[fleetfingers]

Yes. Very, easily. If you just separate the audio from video, pull it up into "Audacity" a free audio editing software. Use their settings to change pitch, and there you go. Easy peasy lemon squeazy.
Sad to say, but if I tried I could. I wouldn't though, but I could way too easily.

There are some users on this forum with perfect pitch who would notice if a familiar piece was transposed to a different key.

[pianoplayjl]

I just wanna say, I don't understand why people upload fake recordings. I mean even if people praise you, it's not like you earned it so it's meaningless. 

Yes, I agree. But then if you do that then you wuold have a chance in establishing a credible reputation as a fine pianist on PS.

[nyiregyhazi]

Yes. Very, easily. If you just separate the audio from video, pull it up into "Audacity" a free audio editing software. Use their settings to change pitch, and there you go. Easy peasy lemon squeazy.
Sad to say, but if I tried I could. I wouldn't though, but I could way too easily.

? Why change pitch? I don't understand what you mean.

[Bob]

Maybe they could raise the pitch just a bit, tweak the tempo on each section... That would throw off some more people.  It's more work too just for a hoax.  (ie waste of time)  People would really notice if it were in the wrong key.

Or... Splice together different recordings.  Sections from different performers.  Except I would think it would be more obvious that the piano, touch, etc., suddenly change from section to section.

I suppose dynamics might be possible too.  Harder to do though, compared with just notching the tempo around a bit.

The point would be to make it more difficult to compare to the original, or even to find the original.  Maybe they could even edit out any mistakes they come across in the original.

Add some extra chair or pedal squeaks to make it sound more authentic. 

Go Gould... Add themselves doing a bit of humming along with the piece.

Or... They could get incredibly sneaky.... Actually play the piece.  Do their own interpretation of the piece.  Go the full distance and completely recreate their own version of the piece.  That'll fool everyone.  Impossible to find the original that way.

(Haha... Actually, if someone imitates a recording, copies the interpretation... That's kind of the same thing as just playing a recording of the original, isn't it?)

[collectivecolors]

? Why change pitch? I don't understand what you mean.

Okay, wrong wording...sorry    But let me rephrase that. You could use the effects they have in there to change I guess I should say the "tone".

[Derek]

Why do I find it mildly curious that there's such...well...long winded interest in these hoaxes? Most of us stated our speculations, and then went on with our lives. But several other users "doth protest too much," hmm?

[Bob]

I think Hatto was the first real-world one I knew of years ago.

[lostinidlewonder]

I thought I'd bump this since it seems like we are getting another wave of these recently which seem to stem from the same person since the pattern looks like this:

1) They usually highlight accomplishing something above what the average manage.
2) They usually support their story by saying that other people are impressed by their skill.
3) They then go about asking strange questions and posting vague/general comments on other threads to increase their post count.


The problem with this I find is that if someone can do something at a high level and have managed it on their own to get to that point, why then do they all of a sudden want to ask people for advice or views on utterly noob questions and/or on what they are doing (which if they can do already at a high level should know the ins and outs of themselves already)?

Some find it fun to pretend to be someone else. Some even pretend to satisfy something they are not getting in real life.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Um, Mayla?  Were there any more personalities you made besides the ones mentioned?

So I see Mayla has developed a dissociative identity disorder before I joined huh...?

[Mayla]

.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I'd like to invite your interest towards these places, where you and others can follow my activities and where you will be appreciated for doing so:

Woodworking:  http://www.facebook.com/walkerswoodwork and http://walkerswoodwork.blogspot.com/

Music:  http://www.facebook.com/KruegerKarli and http://karlikrueger.blogspot.com/


 

Just liked your Facebook page!

[Mayla]

.

[lloyd_cdb]

Always interesting to find new things about people.  I'm actually an avid woodworker as well.  Not exactly very good, but it's a fun hobby.  Any advice on different food safe woods, preferably non-porous.  It seems the only one I can find is maple.  Also, I'm attempting to make some fairly detailed beer mugs.  I brew beer, and starting with my brothers to make a mug club.  Any advice on reinforcing handles, as well as waterproofing them?

[Bob]

Oh my.  How interesting.   

Haha. 

[teran]

I don't even see the point in trying because nobody will ever be Joyce Hatto.

I wish I could still find Joyce Hatto recordings, I wonder if they're available for free download. I'm sure nobody would mind me pirating them, but I totally want the entire collection.