In with the new, out with the old.

[birba]

Bioandy just gave me an idea.  I liked his 45" of free play.  Playing your old repertoire and just playing for the fun of it.  I've been in a slump lately and haven't touched the piano for a few weeks now.  Maybe because of my digital keyboard.  I just can't work with it.  Well, Sunday I'm headed back home and am hoping to get inspired.  One of my main problems, I think, is getting too bogged down into one piece.  e-g- appassionata.  I forget what playing or performing is like.  My occasions for performing are few and far between, ormai.  So, I thought, what about giving myself a week for working on old repertoire.  That is, taking a couple of pieces and working them up to performance level in between the appassionata, let's say.  Then putting them in the audition room.  But not permanently.  It could be like a non-permanent audition room thread.  The piece stays there for a week and people can comment on your performance.  Then when you're ready for a new piece, you click "modify" and substitute your piece.  We could call it "Out with the old, in with the new" thread.  What do you guys think?

[49410enrique]

that sounds like a great idea! yes. do it! i'll watch and comment to the best that my ear, abilities, and in cases where i am familiar with the work, impression, allow me too.  i have been in a slump too, it passes, so you're in one right now. you know what that makes you? it makes you normal. i don't see how any sane person could possibly go a lifetime of music study and playing and not find themselves in a bit of place like that.

i agree that connecting with your instrument again will help, digital is good to get you out of a little temporary bind, but yeah i understand.

i am swamped at the moment with 'new rep' so i don't believe i'll have much time at the moment to dig up old ones and rework but i hope to some day, i should probably comple a list though and start updating it so i can revisit it in the future.

you should make the recorded performances 'semi formal' and wear a suit or soemthing like that, sometimes dressing the part helps too. don't forget to give us a bow.

[johnmar78]

good idea Bira, updating our files so this give the audience a fair idea of there background(previous recording). Give us a bow in a suit , that was funny, especially in a small room when temp is around 28c. Just pretend its cool.....

[birba]

But enrique, that's just it!  You should never devote ALL your time to new rep.  Take an easy piece.  A chopin prelude or clementi sonatina you did when you were little and just work it up in a few days.  We can all do this!

[costicina]

GREAT, GREAT, GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!! 
Count on me both as audience and as would-be performer of my 'old' pieces.

Davvero, una pensata geniale, sono FELICE!!!!!

[zeusje]

I'm in......

[candlelightpiano]

Count me in, too.  I'd love to hear all the pieces you used to play. And you sound excited again about this new project, which is wonderful. 

Have a very safe trip home, Maestro!  I'll be looking forward to your "Out with the old, in with the new thread."  

[starstruck5]

OH good idea -I can post my Bach Minuet in G 

[costicina]

...and I'll have the chance to inflict on you another Revolutionary    I didn't dare to do it, but now I feel somehow authorized... Of course, there must be a tangible improvement).

Enrique's idea to dress formally' is very good. For instance, I noticed that when I wear my "Chopette outfit" -- a black, short dress with high heels -- I feel somehow more inspired, and I play better.  Probably I'm ridicolous, but I don't care....
 

[m1469]

Enrique's idea to dress formally' is very good.

Yes!  I just inherited 6 performable (I think) dresses from somebody AND I need to break out my own performance clothing again.  SO, I am going to start dressing more formally, too, in the videos I will be posting.

[49410enrique]

But enrique, that's just it!  You should never devote ALL your time to new rep.  Take an easy piece.  A chopin prelude or clementi sonatina you did when you were little and just work it up in a few days.  We can all do this!

yeah you're right perhaps soon once i at least get some off my plate, really i have too much mucsic at the moment, i was a bit over ambitious but am working through it, once the load is manageable i will revisit some oldies.  you'll have to start a new 'new thread' since this one is so cluttered with conversation/commentary on the 'new thread' no big but that one can be a little cleaner i suppose.

[costicina]

 

   you'll have to start a new 'new thread' since this one is so cluttered with conversation/commentary on the 'new thread' no big but that one can be a little cleaner i suppose.

Good idea: let's use this thread to comments/opinions/suggestion about this exciting  project, and start a new 'new' thread reserved to the real stuff....
Good work!!!!

(and don't forget your 'performance outfit': I'm glad tha m1469 appreciated the idea.. )

[m1469]

I do have to interject and say that I actually don't really understand the idea presented regarding the project.  Maybe I need to re-read more carefully, but my understanding is that we are all just posting a slew of pieces in one thread and that people are commenting on them and then we just modify a post at some point and post a new one?  It doesn't seem like anything will make sense  .

[49410enrique]

I do have to interject and say that I actually don't really understand the idea presented regarding the project.  Maybe I need to re-read more carefully, but my understanding is that we are all just posting a slew of pieces in one thread and that people are commenting on them and then we just modify a post at some point and post a new one?  It doesn't seem like anything will make sense  .

my understanding is that each person will have a 'out with the old..." thread, this will be their personal blog/revisit x work.  i think if the original post is only modified, the proverbial 'bump' should be enough to alert everyone it's updated. that's what i took from it.

now what color dress should i wear...

[m1469]

my understanding is that each person will have a 'out with the old..." thread, this will be their personal blog/revisit x work.  i think if the original post is only modified, the proverbial 'bump' should be enough to alert everyone it's updated. that's what i took from it.

Oh.

now what color dress should i wear...

Ah gawd, I know, I know!  hmmm ... Also, I have beautiful tops that go with skirty dressy things ... and the shrinkier I get, the more options I have.  If I fit into everything I have, I have actually loads of choices.  hmmm ... the purple velvet top ... the blue lacey top ... those other ones that are strange but also interesting and that I have hardly ever worn ... the new (to me) dresses that I inherited ... the brown crinkle shirt ... that eggplant silk dress ... ah gawd ... then there's my fire dress which is a little bit my secret weapon but has been used several times now for my contest singing and headshots ... hmmm

[birba]

That's exactly what I meant.  Each person will have a thread in the audition room.  A thread that will change with each piece presented.  For example there will be a m1469 thread, an enrique thread, and so on.  But this idea is open to other options.  Maybe it shouldn't be in the audition room.  Maybe the student's corner.  I mean we're all students for life, right?  I suggested this to give me a stimulus.  To keep my repertoire alive.  To have a goal.  But let's have more input and suggestions.

[birba]

OH good idea -I can post my Bach Minuet in G 

But those are exactly the kind of pieces I'm talking about.  One movement of a sonata or sonatina if you want.  Everyone has some sort of repertoire.  Depending on how long you've been playing.  These are not pieces etched in stone for eternity.  It's a continual change.  You play something for someone, they comment, they discuss and then it's on to something else.  I, myself, feel intimidated about presenting something in the audition room.  It's like an audition or competition round.  I can't stand the pressure...

[costicina]

I, myself, feel intimidated about presenting something in the audition room.  It's like an audition or competition round.  I can't stand the pressure...

YOU?? You're kidding, of course 

[zeusje]

I think a separate thread for each person is a good idea,
give it a title where the name of the performer is given. and some kind of text that one can recognize it is a 'memory lane' thread.

[birba]

But where?  I think the student's corner would be a good place. - Or no. Maybe Miscelaneous

[austinarg]

How about a rag? I used to play some like 2 years ago...

[candlelightpiano]

But those are exactly the kind of pieces I'm talking about.  One movement of a sonata or sonatina if you want.  Everyone has some sort of repertoire.  Depending on how long you've been playing.  These are not pieces etched in stone for eternity.  It's a continual change.  You play something for someone, they comment, they discuss and then it's on to something else.  I, myself, feel intimidated about presenting something in the audition room.  It's like an audition or competition round.  I can't stand the pressure...

No way!!  I read somewhere that you performed in front of an audience of thousands in Japan!!  This is nothing!  Oh, and I thought the out with the old in with the new project was only for you.  Confused!    So are we all going to have our own threads in here too?  Or where?

m1469, Marg:  I need to bring out my pretty dresses, too!  Short, skimpy ones.  Maybe I'll sound better when I'm dressed better!    Something's got to help!

[birba]

Yes, but it has to be a specific rag that's been published.

[candlelightpiano]

But Birba, where is Miscelanous?  No one will find your thread there!

[birba]

No way!!  I read somewhere that you performed in front of an audience of thousands in Japan!!  

  I did.  and I'll choose to do that any day rather then post something in the audition room.

[birba]

Miscellaneous comes right before the audition room in the piano forum.

[candlelightpiano]

I think it should be either here or in the student's corner.  It's not a miscellaneous topic, really.  It's piano performance.  Are we supposed to play only by memory? I don't know if I can memorize a piece in one week, even (especially) if I played it years ago. 

[candlelightpiano]

And why does it make you more nervous to post here than to perform in front of thousands? 

[ajspiano]

No way!!  I read somewhere that you performed in front of an audience of thousands in Japan!!  This is nothing!

I would attest that live performance is far less nerve racking than recorded performance. I hear all my faults in recordings - live I don't get the chance to.

[candlelightpiano]

Okay, I get it.  But still, being in front of thousands, hearing a pin drop, hearing them cough, breathe...

I think the title should be:  In with the Old, Out with the New!  Not the other way around.  After all, we're talking about playing old pieces, not new ones, right?

[ajspiano]

Okay, I get it.  But still, being in front of thousands, hearing a pin drop, hearing them cough, breathe...

If I actually heard a pin drop I'd probably just look up and ask who dropped it.. it's easy to get nervous when you're so concerned about all the eyes watching you..  better to just be watching all those eyes. Interaction with an audience personifies it, and makes you more comfortable with it.. or reduces it psychologically to that one person you connect with..   atleast thats how it is for me.

its harder to do that on the internet - especially with all the potential non-member lurkers

[m1469]

its harder to do that on the internet - especially with all the potential non-member lurkers

Well, I think it's individual, of course, but probably very psychological in any case.  I do think that perhaps this conversation is becoming a means to help provide a way for individuals who might struggle with nerves to practice coping by posting  .  

I used to think about how I wished so badly that I could play the piano on stage but from behind some kind of screen so that I couldn't be seen but only heard.  Strangely, I never felt that same kind of desire to be invisible with singing.  I've done a reasonable amount of singing performances now (it's at least a pretty solid start), and I have to say that in one of the performances I did this last Fall in a small theatre, I got a bit nervous because I felt like the audience was sitting right on the stage and I could just look out and see people easily (which can be very distracting when you're not expecting that) - and singing is typically not as nerve-wracking for me as playing has been.  Things are changing I think, though, as I'm gaining experience playing and now starting to perform-play for my teachers, as well as posting recordings and now videos here (and I'm going to start planning some live things in the area - and hopefully a live broadcast via the internet, like Wolfi did!  ).

For me, it's been easier sometimes to connect with that individual via the internet than in the past with playing ... but, perhaps that's because it feels a bit like playing from behind a partition.  Not that there haven't been barriers to overcome with it, and having been posting here for quite awhile now, I am finding it is helping me to cope with the idea of nerves during performance.  Video helps, especially, because it takes that partition down more than just posting audio alone does.  I'm excited though .

[candlelightpiano]

1. Does it have to be classical?  Can it be pop, Richard Clayderman, etc?

2.  What day of the week are we going to post new videos?

3.  Why should we modify the videos?  Why don't we just post it on a new reply?  If we modified the original, our threads could end up on page 2 or 3 within a week and everyone would have forgotten the projects, which defeats the purpose of having it. 

[johnmar78]

Bira, Candlelight has the point. How about puting a new theard with both and old files on the same link so peopel can compare to its previous recording see if any improvement made?

[costicina]

 I did.  and I'll choose to do that any day rather then post something in the audition room.

I'm scared to death when I have to perform in public, but trying to record mysel as often as I can, even mty practicing sessions, has helped me a lot. And I don't know why, but a real audience is more scary for me than the audition room, even if the latter is much more competent, exacting and able to detect every tiny fault   .
 
As for the choice of the proper board, I think the Audition room is still the better. After all,  is a performance. To diversify this kind of threads from the 'regular' ones, we can introduce our piece with the formula "in with the new project",  followed by the name of the composer and the title of the composition. And it should be a video...
Of course, these are onlyu suggestions...

[birba]

1. Does it have to be classical?  Can it be pop, Richard Clayderman, etc?

2.  What day of the week are we going to post new videos?

3.  Why should we modify the videos?  Why don't we just post it on a new reply?  If we modified the original, our threads could end up on page 2 or 3 within a week and everyone would have forgotten the projects, which defeats the purpose of having it. 

 
Alright, let's say it doesn't have to be classical and you can play with the music, etc.  what's important here is that it's a finished product.  It's something you've already worked on and digested.  It can be as easy as pie.  That's not the point.  It's like m1469 says it's supposed to help you cope with nerves when performing.  Although, this is very personal.  Like I said, to me it's very nerve-racking posting something on internet.  But it's also to get you to revive older repertoire.  It's like buying something very pretty, looking at it for a few hours and then putting it in the closet where it stays for the rest of your life.  No, I think this music has to be revived every once in a while.  You find new things, experience new thrills, etc.
There's no special day.  I said once a week, but it all depends on you.  I've got quite a few relics in the trunk and it will be a stimulus for me to prepare something once a week.
No, I think it should be deleted and changed.  These are like fleeting moments of a live performance.  Nothing is eternal.  It's not a project like the FI and the appassionata were.  This is completely different.  And why would you end up on page 2 or 3?  Our comments to the pieces "modify" also.  You have your own entry, and your own comment box.

[birba]

It can be the audition room, but if it is, you can't post more than one at a time.  You have to erase your original piece.  Yikes, I'm sounding like a dictator here.  That's why I think it should go into another part of the forum.  If you like your performance, and you want to post it in the audition room, you can move it there.  Maybe the organizers here could make up a new area.  But, for the moment, I think student's corner or miscellaneous would be better.
In a way it IS "in with the old", but it's certainly not "out with the new"!  I think this phrase sort of expresses the brevity of the post and it's continual renewal.

[costicina]

We can ask Nils to add a board  "Out with the new".  The Miscellaneous and the student's corner are too dispersvie, it sould be difficult to find the pieces. If it's not possibile to create a new board, I still think that the Audition room would be the better choice.
Once the 'rules' will be defined, with the contribution of all the  interested forumeers, we can submit this proposal to Niels...

[birba]

Alright, let's let Nils decide.  How do we contact him?

[candlelightpiano]

So when we replace our old video with the new one, I suppose you mean that we should post a reply announcing the new video so that our thread goes back up to the top where members will take notice?  This would hold true for existing rooms in the forum, not a new room that Nils may create.

Marg, I feel more like you.  I'm used to posting videos now after two projects, and don't feel nervous, except if I posted in the audition room, which I have yet to do, and may never do.    But performing before a live crowd ...BIG yikes for me!

[birba]

I'm beginning to get your gist.  Changing the video won't result in "show new replies or show unread posts".  Hmmm....

[m1469]

Unless Nils would prefer it, why would we keep re-using the same thread?  Why not just make a new one for each new piece like we would normally do?  Also, I don't agree that there should be a new board for a particular project necessarily, unless the standard of playing was somehow different than the audition room.  So far, aside from said personal thoughts, I don't see why this wouldn't just go in the audition room (especially if it's supposed to be finished products) or in the students corner ... perhaps it would be another thing if people were seriously pumping out recordings in a different manner than already happens.  

I think the studio class idea is a good one, though, where there is some kind of weekly "expectation" of sharing.

But, Birba, you've posted recordings in the audition room already, and so have you Marg.  Why this sudden big thing about doing that?

In any event, a studio class idea would be cool and my participation in whatever comes of this would be dictated by its relationship to my goals and focus.  There could definitely be a purpose for something like this with the right repertoire, but bringing everything out of the closet isn't necessarily on the top of my list at the moment unless it naturally coincides (maybe in fantasy land, but not in reality land).

PS - Why is this thread in the audition room?

[birba]

The thing about doing it in the audition room is that it is so over-crowded already.  I posted 2 things because I saw they hadn't been recorded in the audition room.  But if I do something once a week, and things that have already been done there, it seems redundant.  My idea that performing your repertoire and keeping it alive is not something etched in stone, like I said.  You play, it stays a few days, and then goes.  If you really like it and want to post it in the audition room, you can easily move it.  What I'm proposing is something a little different then preparing the umpteenth chopin prelude and freezing it for all future posterity and possible but not probable listeners.  But let's say John smith wants to post the e minor prelude.  He posts it, we listen to it, maybe someone else posts it, we listen to it, talk about it, and then basta.  It's gone.  We're on to something else.
But there are glitches here, I know.  Like if we cancel by "modifying" a post and putting in a new recording, it's not going to result as "unread post" or "new reply".
Maybe it is sort of like a studio class session.  But I don't want to get bogged down in 10 pages of replies on how someone played the FI.
I posted this thread here because I thought it was feasible to do this in the audition room.
At any rate, if we don't hear anything from the powers that be, I'll just post something next week and play it by ear.

[m1469]

For years I have been interested in a studio class idea.  Honestly, what you are talking about doing could easily be done on YouTube itself, too (as far as I can understand how YouTube works).  We can easily put up and remove videos there, and we're allowed to comment on each others posts ... and we can "friend" each other there so that it's easy to track what each person is doing.  If something doesn't seem obvious here, that is an option.

[birba]

That's an idea.  Hadn't thought about that.  Each one has there own youtube account and you log on regularly to see what's going on.

[m1469]

Yeah, we can make a "studio class" thread here to lure unsuspecting, innocent characters into our clutches   ... I mean, so that people who would like to can learn about it and join!  I think there is even a way to adjust email notifications on YT so that we can be notified when somebody we want to track has posted something new.  It sounds like anybody who would participate with video here would already need (or already has) a YT account anyway (I think there are other video hosting sites, but I think most go with YT), it's just cutting a step out by not posting it on a separate site.  

[candlelightpiano]

Yeah, we can make a "studio class" thread here to lure unsuspecting, innocent characters into our clutches   ... I mean, so that people who would like to can learn about it and join!  I think there is even a way to adjust email notifications on YT so that we can be notified when somebody we want to track has posted something new.  It sounds like anybody who would participate with video here would already need (or already has) a YT account anyway (I think there are other video hosting sites, but I think most go with YT), it's just cutting a step out by not posting it on a separate site.  

True, m1469, except for one thing.  Birba always has his videos unlisted.  This means that no one gets any notification when he uploads a video.  He has to make it public. 

If Nils won't go forward with a new section, I think this new "project" would be suitable for the student's corner.  Students like myself are always needing and wanting to learn new pieces so that's a perfect place for it and the pieces won't be redundant and even if they were, it's fine as it's a student's area.  Birba, if you'd still like to change your videos by modifying the original video, that's fine, but if you want your thread to stay up there and be noticed, you need to also post a new comment (reply) on it (not on the original post where the video's at) announcing the new video, like we do when we reply to a thread. 

[m1469]

True, m1469, except for one thing.  Birba always has his videos unlisted.  This means that no one gets any notification when he uploads a video.

You can also make it so only certain people can view it ... seems pretty much like a perfect solution to me ... everything that's been voiced ...

*whistles and looks to the ceiling with hands in pocket and feets a little bit crossed*

[m1469]

*twiddles thumbs now*

[birba]

Like I said, I'm going ahead with it and playing it by ear...