University teachers

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I just had a lesson with a university teacher.  Over all, it went pretty well, I think he's a pretty good teacher.  Nice guy, you know.  However...

He destroyed me!  He completely tore me apart!  He told me to throw away my hopes and dreams as soon as possible!  What the heck, are you kidding me?!  And then he talked about how he has perfect Chineese students who started at age three, debuted at Carnegie hall at like age four, won the Van Cliburn at like age six, how amazing they are, etc...  I would elaborate more on what he said, but I fear that he may actually be on piano street, and he won't take me as his student!  What if he was J Menz?

I felt SOOOOO SALTY!!!!!!!!!  I probably felt like Scriabin after he injured his hand!  Or Rachmaninoff after Tchaikovsky died!  But for real though, he seriously like crushed me.  I feel extra depressed now...  Because I'm not good at anything useful in life, and my grades are okay, but now these days, everyone has a 4.0 and a 36 on their ACT, and I can't imagine myself doing anything else besides music.  I hope I feel better tomorrow. [/

But even more seriously though, despite the fact that he cut my heart out, he knows what the Rachmaninoff he's talking about!  he was a pretty nice guy and a good teacher.  I want him to take me as his student.

But are all university teachers like that?  Do they beat you up like that?



And what's up with this new caption?  How do I change it?

[ajspiano]

What if he was J Menz?

J_menz isnt that much of a douchbag.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

J_menz isnt that much of a douchbag.

Did I play him as a douchebag?

He's not, he's a nice guy, but he just tore me apart. But I guess that's a contradiction there isn't it.

But is this like normal for a university teacher be like this?

[j_menz]

What if he was J Menz?

He's not.

He may have just been doing his "it's a hard world out there kid, don't get your hopes up" routine. Probably standard fare for him.

But if he doesn't appreciate you, or only believes that child prodigies have any hope, then ditch him. You want a teacher who is going to be better for you than that.

[j_menz]

J_menz isnt that much of a douchbag.

Don't count on it.

[j_menz]

But even more seriously though, despite the fact that he cut my heart out, he knows what the Rachmaninoff he's talking about!  he was a pretty nice guy and a good teacher.  I want him to take me as his student.

But are all university teachers like that?  Do they beat you up like that?

I didn't do piano at university, so can't speak specifically about them.  That said, I generally found that the more brutal the teacher was in criticising one's arguments/ideas the greater the respect they had for you. Not all are like that, but I generally found that the best one's could be very brutal indeed. They were generally also the one's I had most respect for and came to like best (and, no, there's not a masochistic strain in my body).

[ajspiano]

Did I play him as a douchebag?

He's not, he's a nice guy, but he just tore me apart. But I guess that's a contradiction there isn't it.

Speaking as a teacher, yes there is a contradiction. The primary objective is to foster the students motivation and improvement at the instrument, regardless of how likely he/she is to win prizes at international competitions, or the students age.

There's nothing wrong with tearing up a student once in a while if they are getting a bit too cocky, or if they really have missed a lot of what they should've been paying attention to in the piece. But I assure you that can be done in a positive way that makes a student feel like they can achieve it. Comparing the student to younger pupils that are far exceeding them is almost always going to be REALLY FREAKING DOUCHEY, its like a deliberate attempt to make you feel inadequate. The only excuse for that is if you have potential and are failing to practice and its an attempt to fuel you through reverse psychology - even then, there are better ways. I doubt this applies to you anyway, you seem pretty passionate and motivated as it is.

Maybe he does know his stuff (you'd hope so if posted at a uni) - but thats the kind of stunt that deters students, when he should be inspiring them. Douchebag.

EDIT: Seriously, even if he didnt want to take you based on your ability he should still have been aiming within that lesson to inspire you to improve to a point at which he would take you, not just say no.

In any case, even though I havent personally heard you, I've read that you've tackled advanced work, and getting to that point is a significant achievement that should be highly commended, not brushed off just because there are chinese 5 yr olds who can do it too - they are the exception - there are a great many people who do not have the discipline/commitment required to go even half way to where you have gone.

[p2u_]

I just had a lesson with a university teacher.  Over all, it went pretty well, I think he's a pretty good teacher.  Nice guy, you know.  However...

He destroyed me!  He completely tore me apart!  He told me to throw away my hopes and dreams as soon as possible!  

I think you have found yourself a good Teacher, who is going to teach you about Life, not only the craft of piano playing. You will hear some more along the way like: "Even if there's a bomb blast in the hall, play till the end and then start counting dead bodies", etc. He's just telling you to be realistic; "you have more chance of getting rich by robbing a bank then by striving for a solo piano career." (c) You don't want to know how many girls here in Moscow throw themselves out the window of their 11th-story dormitory each year because they realize too late that they cannot fulfill their parents' hopes. Better do like Michelangeli - study to be a doctor first and then slowly but surely develop your art. In that case you may appear some day and smash the competition to pieces. The race to be number one as it is organized right now is a crazy one and it's getting more crazy each year; an illusion actually.

Paul

[ajspiano]

I think you have found yourself a good Teacher, who is going to teach you about Life, not only the craft of piano playing.

Not that there's anything wrong with being realistic, but..

this - "He told me to throw away my hopes and dreams as soon as possible!"

..hopes and dreams fuel the desire to achieve. Throwing them away is not productive in ANY aspect of life.

[lostinidlewonder]

....He told me to throw away my hopes and dreams as soon as possible!

I DON'T think it is important that a teacher tries to make a student see their version of reality unless the student asks for their opinion. I think it is a trait of a terrible teacher those who restrict a student to dream and aspire and try to make them see their perspectives on reality. There is nothing wrong with a student thinking they are going to be something great. Some people however are different we cannot put everyone in the same basket, some people need to be shown hard "truths" before they make a change/improvement, but when it comes to Art certainly not everyone benefits from being beaten down with subjective truths that a teacher might come up with.

...And then he talked about how he has perfect Chineese students who started at age three, debuted at Carnegie hall at like age four, won the Van Cliburn at like age six, how amazing they are, etc...  

This boasting serves no purpose in my mind, is that supposed to inspire a student or belittle them and make them think less of their own musical journey? It is also short sighted because each musical journey in this is a personal one, no one path is greater than the other, just like how you cannot really objectively measure how one "normal" person lives their life is better compared to another.

I would elaborate more on what he said, but I fear that he may actually be on piano street, and he won't take me as his student!

If you fear your teacher you have a bad teacher you need to be able to be open and honest with your teacher, if you hold back and merely act as a slave to their whim then you really are not going to learn as much.

But even more seriously though, despite the fact that he cut my heart out, he knows what the Rachmaninoff he's talking about!

If you feel that he knows what the "rach" he's talking about then I'm sure you don't really feel too upset and hurt maybe just shocked and stunned

But are all university teachers like that?  Do they beat you up like that?

They are all different obviously, some who hate their job beat you up for their own sadistic entertainment I guess and some masochistic students put up with it.

[ajspiano]

some people need to be shown hard "truths" before they make a change/improvement

Indeed - but that need only be in regard to a particular facet of the task at hand, giving the person a direct problem to focus on and resolve, there is no need to give some kind of blanket "you are not capable of achieving your dreams" kind of opinion. Such an action serves to destroy a students desire to learn. - and I don't see how a teacher could assess within a single lesson that it would instead serve to motivate the student to try harder.

I'm curious as to whether those are actually the words the teacher used - "throw away your dreams" i mean. And, if so, what exactly did you say were your dreams rach?

[p2u_]

Not that there's anything wrong with being realistic, but..

this - "He told me to throw away my hopes and dreams as soon as possible!"

..hopes and dreams fuel the desire to achieve. Throwing them away is not productive in ANY aspect of life.

Those are just words to talk business. "I can't talk to you about the métier if your aspirations get in the way" or something. It's not his real intention to break the student. Of course, it will be good PR for him as a teacher if rachmaninoff_forever makes it and he can proudly add that teacher to his CV.

Paul

[j_menz]

J_menz isnt that much of a douchbag.

OK, I've been thinking about this. *listens for the shudders*

I would be as blunt, and probably in pretty much the exact same way, under two conditions.

1) I was a high level teacher who could pick and choose only the most promising students, and could take them up to a very high standard indeed.

2) I thought the person concerned had the potential to do very well indeed, but I wasn't absolutely certain they had the necessary drive/desire/force of will required.

What I would be looking for is not the answer, but the reaction.  If I got the one I needed to reassure me as to that last fact, I'd take them on with pleasure, if not, I probably wouldn't. It's simply a matter of rationing my valuable time so it's not wasted.

Brutal, I know. But I would do it in those circumstances.

[p2u_]

I would be as blunt, and probably in pretty much the exact same way, under two conditions.

There is yet another aspect in the communication between rachmaninoff_forever and the teacher:
1) is the teacher a native speaker of English?
2) is rachmaninoff_forever a native speaker of English?

This is not a linguistics forum, so I won't get into details, but if one of the two (or both!) is not, then not so carefully chosen words of one party may have a destructive effect on the other party.

Paul

[j_menz]

is rachmaninoff_forever a native speaker of English?

He's American. That's pretty close. 

[ajspiano]

1) I was a high level teacher who could pick and choose only the most promising students, and could take them up to a very high standard indeed.

Maybe my perspective will change as I age and gain more experience - but for the time being, regardless of whether I'm a low/mid/high level teacher my primary concern as far as picking who I'm willing to teach is their desire to learn and willingness to genuinely work at it. Innate potential is irrelevant.

I actually get way more of a kick out of successes with students who have less 'potential' than with those with more natural ability. The primary function of a teacher is to leave a student with more ability than they came with before the lesson(s), and a sense of acheivement/learning/enjoyment, - and I don't think that is any less or more achievable regardless of innate talent.

Picking students on that basis reeks of care about the teachers image and not about the genuine success of one's students.

...Ofcourse this is just my relatively inexperienced perspective. Its also likely not a position that can be taken by a music uni.

[j_menz]

...Ofcourse this is just my relatively inexperienced perspective. Its also likely not a position that can be taken by a music uni.

I think it's basically a matter of what you are trying to achieve.  To develop students from nothing, to give people a love of piano, to teach anyone in fact except one class of student, you approach (and I'm pretty sure also your actual teaching) is the best possible.

The class of student that is the exception to that is the one who want to "make it" as a concert pianist. If your goal as a teacher is to take those few students who have the potential to actually do that, and get them there, I suspect a whole lot of different considerations come in to play. Concert pianist is a pretty rarified profession, with an exceptionally high standard required. Think brain surgeon/rocket scientist etc. In any of those other fields, the selection process and the teaching process is really brutal, because only those who can stand the heat in the classroom are going to have a snowballs chance of making it once they leave.

[p2u_]

Picking students on that basis reeks of care about the teachers image and not about the genuine success of one's students.

Who knows?

Let's say part of rachmaninoff_forever's dream is to be the fastest.
Now, I as a teacher know that the secret to that is to slow down. Will the student understand that? Will he be humble enough to do the right thing every day? Or will he still try to be the fastests while practicing at home?

Let's say part of his dream is the be the loudest.
Now, I as a teacher know that the secret to that is to practice ppp. Will the student understand that? Will he be humble enough to do the right thing? Or will he still try to be the loudest while practicing at home?

Need I go on? The student's dreams may be a distractive factor in achieving success. I can see from the way they pour me a cup of coffee what they've been doing and what the lesson is going to be like. I am not so blunt as the teacher in question though, probably  because I don't want to be hit on my third eye...

Paul

[j_menz]

I can see from the way they pour me a cup of coffee what they've been doing and what the lesson is going to be like.

OMG.    If I were your student, how would you interpret the way I didn't pour you a coffee (but did get one for myself)?

[p2u_]

OMG.    If I were your student, how would you interpret the way I didn't pour you a coffee (but did get one for myself)?

Rephrasing: If you are sensitive enough as a teacher on that level, you can see by the way they move, by the way they talk, what they've been doing. In that case, it's better to have a philosophical talk instead of having them play and point them to the obvious.
P.S.: The coffee example is a home situation (their home).

Paul

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I talked to my current teacher about this and he said this was normal, and that I should stick with him.

[pytheamateur]

I talked to my current teacher about this and he said this was normal, and that I should stick with him.

"Stick with him" meaning your current teacher or this university teacher?  So you are going to have lessons from two teachers?

[Bob]

I saw this yesterday but haven't read the new posts.

I've heard teachers give that schpiel, but the ones I've heard are spinning it to motivate the student to work harder -- You're at x level.  So are thousands of people.  What are you going to do to stand out?  You're going to have to work harder and smarter than all those other people.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

"Stick with him" meaning your current teacher or this university teacher?  So you are going to have lessons from two teachers?

Stick with the university teacher.  after my current teacher moves, which will be in like a month or so.

[zzivauri]

   It seems to me as if, after you meet the teacher a few more times, you will be able to see if this is their usual attitude.  And you will be able to see if your energy goes more into trying to figure the teacher out , or in trying to figure out the music, into being with the music.  Unless you're into beating yourself up to improve your personality more than being a musician, don't go with a person with too much of a negative attitude.  There are nice people in the world who really know their stuff, too. I'll  give you the same advice when/if you are looking for a mate!                       Love, Sharon

[mcdiddy1]

I honestly do not see the teachers statement as negatively as the other posters. What the university teacher said about there being young students with phenomenal technique is true and how does one match their level when you start at a disadvantage. I would think this is common knowledge for a college level student. Would the alternative be to say you are going to be the best pianist ever and nothing will get in the way of your hopes and dreams? In my opinion is you ask the question "what are my chances of making it to the professional level" then you deserve a realistic and honest answer. Based on what you said, it sounds like he could have phrased it more positivity such as " although you there are many students with greater skill levels and more experience, with hard-work you can achieve a great deal in a short amount of time ...etc" but not all teachers think that way. I think his honest is a great thing unless he gives you negative feedback without any corrective advice.

Where I disagree with is the idea of comparing students of different backgrounds. We were not created as xerox copies of one another. We are all unique with different talents and skills. You may not with every piano competition but you may be the performer who inspires hundreds of pianist to attempt it and maybe even win a competition. Isn't there value in doing that?

Also what is not being said is one quality musicians have to possess is an inner strength and belief in yourself. You have to have the fortitude to out-work the other performers, have courage to challenge yourself to new heights, and stand against the odds and disappointing setbacks. I like to think the professor has this in mind and is putting a verbal obstacle for you to climb. If you cannot overcome the nay-saying of one university professor, how can you overcome the obstacles of making it to the big stage? The phenomenal performers of our time all have their critics and having a tough skin is under-rated. Getting praise and approval from others feels very comfortable and enjoyable but it is much better to know and who you are up against so you can make better decisions of what you need to do to go forward.

[jollisg]

I haven't done piano on university (I'm 17, I'm going to apply for an university in two years), but one of my two piano teachers are a teacher on the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. He have never said anything like that to me. He encourages me and say that I may have a future in piano playing. And I'm not an asian who played on large stages aged 4. I started playing piano when I was 10,5 and started to take it really seriously for 1,5 years ago (after another teacher on another university told me that I may play professionally in a few years of time).

Of course you should go for piano. One person who examined from the Royal College of Music last year, he started to play piano when he was 13 (he hadn't played at all before that). By the age of 18 he played Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto. And he won a lot of competitions on the Royal College of Music. He is now a professional concert pianist (I think he is 25 now, I met him on a concert last year and talked to him).

I don't know how other university teachers are though. Here in Sweden it doesn't seem like that big of a deal that you haven't played piano since you were 3 years..

[jesc]

I'll try to be as objective as I can. It is (generally) wrong for a teacher put you down but I'll just attempt to explain why it happens.

When a teacher gets depressed during a lesson because of the bad performance of the student, this is liable to trigger these types of responses. Remember it is not only you who's laboring to get things right, the teacher is also under the same stress to get you to "get it right".

[cmg]

Who knows what the criticism really means?  It could be a motivating impulse, mean-spiritedness, frustration with a teaching career, etc., etc.

My strategy in university was to deny I wanted a performance career.  I simply said that I was studying at this advanced level to get as good as I can get.  Whatever will be, will be. 

That shut up every hyper-critical teacher.  The artist in residence I ultimately spent three years with on my degree actually respected my stance.  No harping on the "impossibility" of a performing career.  He just admired that I worked like a demon and improved as a pianist.   

[nanabush]

Same thing here.  I am well aware that a solo career is seeming VERY slim (for instance there's one girl in my year who is absolutely phenomenal... she played some Kapustin at her recital that she started a month prior, and it was PERFECT!).  Based on the competition at my university alone, breaking through with a solo career would be a really big stretch.

Check out what strengths you think you have.  For me, I'll usually do pretty well at competitions (nothing international... local/provincial), but I won't ever place top three.  For sight reading/quick study, I consistently win.  I have perfect pitch, and have a really deep understanding of theory.  Some other students who have an easier time performing difficult pieces still struggle with chord theory, or may have a terrible ear.

I have spoken to my teacher about this, and actually getting it off my chest that I had slight performance anxiety helped out with any upcoming performances I had.  Now, I virtually get no stage fright (slight increase of heart rate walking up, but no shaky hands thank god).

....

I took a course in france with a teacher (won't put the name, he may be lurking ).  He pretty much said straight up "you have the worst technique I've ever seen.  I knew a teacher who played the same as you, and he managed to make it work.  But, it was by luck that he made it work"... it was a giant what moment.  But, three weeks later he told me that it improved a lot (I played Bartok Op8a, Mendelssohn Rondo Capriciosso, Beethoven C minor variations, and Rameau Gavotte Variee, and some Chabrier)... I ended up getting an A (whatever that means...), and his comments were that I took what he said to heart (I wanted to curl into a ball after the first lesson), and that I practiced carefully. 

That course made me totally change how I approached practicing, and to actually take note of my hand position.  He was a hard-ass though, and wouldn't mind yelling "pig!!" when I played a wrong note haha.

It kind of gives you a reality check, to see what potential and what competition there is out there... but if the teacher straight up says quit what you are doing, then he will just be poison.  A good teacher can probably tell what potential the student has, and what they can do.  Simply saying "quit, I can't help you" means the teacher is giving up.

[rowdy2898]

Hey nanabush, I'm glad you had a positive experience with that French teacher. Sounds like he was quite the character. Why did he call you "pig", though? Perhaps the word has a different meaning in French? Anyways, I've had very negative teachers who told me worse things, needless to say my contact with them has been minimal and later I learned to avoid them like the plague. I had one teacher who tried to micro-manage my life, scolded me for being an immature high-school brat (I was 18), and she cared mostly about maintaining whatever "legacy" she had. Eventually I signed up for a competition without telling her. I played in four categories. Initially she was furious, but after I won a 1st and 3rd places in two categories, her anger eased a little. 

I believe there's a difference between constructive and destructive criticism, and that difference is not always apparent. Usually the teachers who engage in destructive criticism also care more about their image and legacy, and resort to personal attacks. They start criticizing the person, not the technique, and some students can get extremely hurt and depressed from their attitude. The best teachers I've encountered were almost always full of constructive criticism. Even though they'd pick every single mistake, they strove to make their students stronger, not break their spirits and make them subservient. They're not as mean-spirited as the former category, but everyone sometimes has bad days...

I found that the higher I advanced, the more encounters I had with negative teachers. If you want to be a professional pianist, especially if you have your eyes set on Juilliard, Eastman, Curtis etc., eventually you'll face one of those teachers and you'll have to brace yourself and keep your emotions intact.

[timothy42b]

He's American. That's pretty close. 

Well, at least we can rule out the possibility of speaking some OTHER language!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Well, at least we can rule out the possibility of speaking some OTHER language!

Hahaha don't make me laugh!  I can speak Spanish too you know!  I'm half Dominican. 

[asuhayda]

LOL!! 

I laugh because this exact same thing happend to me when I was a senior in high school!  I went to a private lesson with a certain Russian professor who absolutely eviscerated me!  It was horrible.  He basically told me I was retarded and I needed to drop everything and go back to square 1 again.

It's horrible.. and I don't think it really helped me all that much.  Some people are just jerks and they are so in love with themselves that they don't care about how they treat other people.

Don't sweat it.  If you love to play and you feel a sense of purpose at the keys, then screw'em!  I'm sure he's probably saying that to you because he secretly hates himself..

Damn the man!!!! GRRRR! 

[philb]

It's horrible.. and I don't think it really helped me all that much.  Some people are just jerks and they are so in love with themselves that they don't care about how they treat other people.

Or perhaps he was trying to Help you, like a good professor should...

[asuhayda]

Or perhaps he was trying to Help you, like a good professor should...

Yawn...

[keyofc]

Some of these university profs really sound very unprof

[chopin2015]

I think you have found yourself a good Teacher, who is going to teach you about Life, not only the craft of piano playing. You will hear some more along the way like: "Even if there's a bomb blast in the hall, play till the end and then start counting dead bodies", etc. He's just telling you to be realistic; "you have more chance of getting rich by robbing a bank then by striving for a solo piano career." (c) You don't want to know how many girls here in Moscow throw themselves out the window of their 11th-story dormitory each year because they realize too late that they cannot fulfill their parents' hopes. Better do like Michelangeli - study to be a doctor first and then slowly but surely develop your art. In that case you may appear some day and smash the competition to pieces. The race to be number one as it is organized right now is a crazy one and it's getting more crazy each year; an illusion actually.

Paul

Yes, minor in Science!

 I am sure it will be ok. He did not talk about your inability to play the piano or hear music, he was simply comparing you to little chinese kids. I would be a little insulted, I guess! When this happens, I think of Richter. He auditioned for a conservatoire when he was 20 years old. He played Ballade no 4 and Etude op 25 no 5. There is a movie about him...i can link you to it if you need a little "pick me up". I am sure the teacher will help you no matter what. You are young, I suspect. My favorite winter wind etude is only played by him and he was older. He played everything! 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I can link you to it if you need a little "pick me up"

Yes please!

Every lesson when I try to play for him, I like freak out because I don't want him to bake me and I end up playing worse than I usually do by myself.

[j_menz]

when I try to play for him, I like freak out because I don't want him to bake me and I end up playing worse than I usually do by myself.

Oh for heavens sake!

You are supposed to make mistakes in front of your teacher. They are there to help you, not you there to impress and entertain them. So, take the bull by the horns, and lead him straight to the bits you are doing worst at. Make him earn his money.

[chopin2015]

heres this or just youtube richter documentary. This one is in 8 parts. I hope you love it as much as I do!

[chopin2015]

BTW, he speaks Russian, it is translated. If any of you speak Ruski, it is very interesting! The music is amazing! There is Gould in there, too. And explains his acquaintances with Pokofiev and Shostakovish. Quite Phenomenal! 

[ajspiano]

Oh for heavens sake!

You are supposed to make mistakes in front of your teacher. They are there to help you, not you there to impress and entertain them. So, take the bull by the horns, and lead him straight to the bits you are doing worst at. Make him earn his money.

You're forgetting that students go to lessons for gratification regarding the past week not to learn anything new. Its only the teachers who's thinking "thank god you're not a natural virtuoso and we can actually talk about something".

[j_menz]

You're forgetting that students go to lessons for gratification regarding the past week not to learn anything new.

I was reminded of the (all too many) occassions where I turned up for a lesson hoping not so much for gratification regarding my last weeks efforts as that the lack of them would go unnoticed.

[ajspiano]

that the lack of them would go unnoticed.

Pretty sure I tried to pull that one over for about 5 or 6 years. I'd like to think it worked, but then later on I remember my teacher saying something like "if you actually practiced all these years you'd have been a decent pianist"

[j_menz]

Pretty sure I tried to pull that one over for about 5 or 6 years. I'd like to think it worked, but then later on I remember my teacher saying something like "if you actually practiced all these years you'd have been a decent pianist"

Haha, mine was evidently more tactful.

Interestingly, though, I was often surprised to be complimented on how much I had improved in such weeks. Even to this day, I can continue to improve a piece even if I don't touch a piano for a week, and sometimes more than if I had.  Obviously, this doesn't work indefinitely, but I find it rather odd that it should work at all.

[ajspiano]

even if I don't touch a piano for a week

I wouldn't knowingly improve under those circumstances because I would have to be institutionalized.

Seriously though, you're probably right. I usually had 5 pieces to work on at any one time, and only practiced 1 of them outside lessons (which ever I liked most - usually the jazz/modern one)..  the rest still got to standard though. No idea whether that's a reflection on my level of "talent" or the material..  it only worked up to grade 5/6.

[chopin2015]

I heard a guy practicing 3rd movement of Moonlight sonata today in the P-rooms. I was immediately attracted to him. It is not a difficult piece though.

[keyofc]

Yes, it is.  I do not know one person in the real world that does not think this is a difficult piece.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I heard a guy practicing 3rd movement of Moonlight sonata today in the P-rooms. I was immediately attracted to him. It is not a difficult piece though.

Like a week ago I heard someone practicing Rach prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in one of the practice rooms next to my music theory class.

I wanted to punch that kid in the face.