Am I progressing at a fast enough rate for a solo career?

[cometear]

Hi there,

I'm 13 years old and have been playing piano for about 4 years. I recently decided I wanted to shoot for the career of a concert pianist (I say shoot for because I know if I don't make it that far I can always do other things) very recently. Let me tell you my timeline. Firstly I want to mention I study the Taubman Approach and it hasn't been until the past year for my technique to become capable of more challenging repertoire. In the beginning of my lesson taking I began with simple tunes for several years and I gave no interest in doing more. My teacher presented me with Haydn's Sonata Hob. XVI 7 in 2012. I learned it as I did every other piece and entered a local competition without winning. This spurred my interest in classical music so much. I began to expand my knowledge of the common repertoire and for the next year I began working on Chopin's Waltz Op. 64 No. 2 in C# Minor. I competed again without winning. These were not the only pieces I worked on though just the major ones. This year I have taken on my first concerto, the Haydn Piano Concerto No. 11 in D. I intend to enter several Young Artist Competitions for it and I will use Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 8 in A Minor for a solo competition. These pieces are coming along fairly well. Do you think I have hope of becoming a concert pianist at the rate I am progressing? If not what are my opportunities?

[awesom_o]

I definitely would have to hear you play something to be able to comment on your abilities, myself.

But maybe some other forum members will magically be able to know how musically you can play based on this short paragraph of information...

The problem is, you haven't actually said anything about your rate of progress in the entire paragraph.

Nobody here is a soothsayer. We cannot tell you what the future holds.

First, you must show us how good/bad you really are!

[lallino]

Difficult to disagree with Awsome_o. Upload some recording. Moreover, what does your teacher say? If you have this ambition you should have worked a plan with him/her.

[timothy42b]

Moreover, what does your teacher say? If you have this ambition you should have worked a plan with him/her.

Yup.

Also, we hope he/she is an excellent teacher.  An average teacher will not get the OP to his goal. 

[cometear]

This isn't my best performance or selection of works. Also this was about 5 months ago and my technique was not nearly as good as it is now but please use this recording as it's the only one I have available. Plus it was bad sound quality. This performance had several things I disliked. It was clunky sometimes, in some ways out of control, and had note mistakes. It did have good qualities though. When I'm finished the Mozart Sonata I'll post it up.

[dima_76557]

please use this recording as it's the only one I have available.

I can't listen or watch right now, but if you want to be judged like a future professional, then here is lesson one: NEVER show something to the public you know yourself does not meet your own quality standards in more than one way. By doing so, you set yourself up for negative stuff that takes lots of time and energy to recover from later on. Nobody in the business is interested in excuses of any kind.

[timothy42b]

I can't listen or watch right now, but if you want to be judged like a future professional, then here is lesson one: NEVER show something to the public you know yourself does not meet your own quality standards in more than one way.

+1.  Every gig is also an audition.  And that includes a warmup, if you do that where anybody can hear.

(Students often post work that is only partly mastered because they want help from their peers;  I do this on another forum sometimes.  That's not the same issue.) 

[awesom_o]

There is very little discipline in your playing, I'm afraid.

You certainly feel the music when you play, and that's good.

But it's not enough for a solo career these days.

[cometear]

There is very little discipline in your playing, I'm afraid.

You certainly feel the music when you play, and that's good.

But it's not enough for a solo career these days.

Could you explain a bit more?

[awesom_o]

Could you explain a bit more?

Your playing sounds as though you don't quite take it seriously enough yet.

Here is a young girl who is about the exact same age as you. She is already having a fairly major solo career.

In this video, she was only 7 years old. The Chopin Waltz she is playing is quite a bit more difficult technically than the one you struggle through at nearly twice her age in the video you have provided.

Her control of the rhythm, phrasing, and dynamics, even at this young age, are superior to what you have shown us.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. This is what I meant when I said 'your playing lacks discipline'.

Again, I am not a soothsayer, so it is possible for you to redeem yourself in the future. You'll have to work hard, though. Harder than you worked to prepare this performance.

[cometear]

Ok thank you that's exactly what I was asking.

[ranniks]

Your playing sounds as though you don't quite take it seriously enough yet.

Here is a young girl who is about the exact same age as you. She is already having a fairly major solo career.

In this video, she was only 7 years old. The Chopin Waltz she is playing is quite a bit more difficult technically than the one you struggle through at nearly twice her age in the video you have provided.

Her control of the rhythm, phrasing, and dynamics, even at this young age, are superior to what you have shown us.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. This is what I meant when I said 'your playing lacks discipline'.

Again, I am not a soothsayer, so it is possible for you to redeem yourself in the future. You'll have to work hard, though. Harder than you worked to prepare this performance.

I would listen to someone playing with emotion anyday over a prodigy who plays all the notes right but sounds emotionless.

The asian girl in the link you posted sounds great, and it has the emotion side, but not as much emotion as the topic starter of this thread.

Age matters little when God wants you to succeed. Prove to God that you honestly want to become a concert pianist and you will become it. You need to work hard and not give up when you have setbacks.

Wish I could follow my own advice......=/

Also topic starter of this thread: you sound nice when playing!

[classicalnhiphop]

You know what, if you really want to do something, I think you will be able to do it.  Yes, you did struggle with a pretty simple chopin waltz, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to work at it.  The main thing is to have focus when you are practicing and to have your own goals set each month or year or whatever.  You will probably end up having to practice A LOT, i mean like 4 hours a day if you want to go pro from where you are now.  I'm meaning a successful pro that will at least make some money.  Anyone can pro and teach 5 year olds making 30,000 a year, but i'm sure you want to do more than that. 

[cometear]

I would listen to someone playing with emotion anyday over a prodigy who plays all the notes right but sounds emotionless.

The asian girl in the link you posted sounds great, and it has the emotion side, but not as much emotion as the topic starter of this thread.

Age matters little when God wants you to succeed. Prove to God that you honestly want to become a concert pianist and you will become it. You need to work hard and not give up when you have setbacks.

Wish I could follow my own advice......=/

Also topic starter of this thread: you sound nice when playing!

Thank you for your compliments! I agree with other people about my lack of control and such but I am happy with the emotion and I made the best out of it. Thank you!

[awesom_o]

  Anyone can pro and teach 5 year olds making 30,000 a year, but i'm sure you want to do more than that. 

Making $30,000 per year from teaching piano is not as easy as you think it is. Trust me on that.

[awesom_o]

I would listen to someone playing with emotion anyday over a prodigy who plays all the notes right but sounds emotionless.

Just because a prodigy plays the correct notes and controls their emotion skillfully during a performance does not mean that it sounds emotionless.

The main difference between an amateur performance and a professional performance, is that the amateur cannot control their emotion while playing, and this lack of control manifests in all sorts of ways.... mainly in the sound of the music itself.

Professional performers control their emotion, so that they can remain in control of the performance from beginning to end. They make sure that the audience hears their interpretation... not just their emotion.

[dima_76557]

@ cometear

Please, show us something else, but be sure for it to meet YOUR OWN quality standards.

P.S.: There is more than one way to become a pro musician. Do you have any idea yourself what you are asking about? Do you know what it takes to become a successful concert pianist (not one on welfare)? Are you (and everybody around you!) ready to do what it takes and then some? Do you have a feeling you really can't live without touching or hearing a piano?

[bronnestam]

OMG, I am so tired of this progidy thing. What kind of reality do you live in, honestly, if you think it is too late to go for a career if you are not on at least grade 8 level at the age of 7??? Or whatever.

You can start late and you can start early in life, you can develop slowly at first or very quickly, and the only thing that matters at the bottom line, is your own commitment and devotion.

If you want to become a concert pianist, then do what it takes, and just have faith. A lof of faith. It is like any other education, you must work, and work with the right things, and listen humbly to advice and critizism from people who want you to develop. If you do that, you will get where you want. If you are not good at certain things today, then put them on your to do-list and work with them, until you are good. Never compare yourself with others.

People who keep on telling themselves "I am a progidy, so I already know everything that is to know" OR "I am too old already, I have no talent, I have not a chance" will not make it. Period. People who have their goals set, and work towards that goal in faith, will probably make it - in this way or in that way, sooner or later, but they will make it.

[falala]

OMG, I am so tired of this progidy thing. What kind of reality do you live in, honestly, if you think it is too late to go for a career if you are not on at least grade 8 level at the age of 7??? Or whatever.

You can start late and you can start early in life, you can develop slowly at first or very quickly, and the only thing that matters at the bottom line, is your own commitment and devotion.

How late do you think it's possible to start, and become a successful professional concert pianist? Nine? (the age the OP started). Fifteen? Forty?

[ranniks]

How late do you think it's possible to start, and become a successful professional concert pianist? Nine? (the age the OP started). Fifteen? Forty?

I think there was someone that started out at age 17-21 and is now a concert pianist and relatively successful.

[mhhudson15]

Whether you start at 7, 15, or 40, it doesn't matter. Concert pianist Albert Frantz started playing the piano at age 17. This is years after his childhood teacher said that he would never be able to play the piano. Now he plays on international stage. So, just because that recording didn't sound that great, doesn't mean that you can't work on your technique and discipline. As for the little 7-year-old girl, you don't find people like her every day. If you're that talented, great, kudos to you-- otherwise, you're going to have to work at it. Don't look at her and say, wow, she's great, she's actually concert pianist material! No, you might have to work harder, but anyone who puts in the time and effort, love and passion, will get there sooner or later.

P.S.- Be sure to post another recording, one that meets your own standards first, so people can see how well you're progressing.

[bronnestam]

I am going to be a bit provocative here.

Truth is, I think, that there are so many good concert pianists out there today, that it does not help you if you start your piano career at the age of 1, and work like h*ll for decades. You will probably learn how to play technically and musically "perfectly", or at least good enough for any mortal audience ...

Bad news is that this will not help you, if that is all you have - piano playing skill. To become a star, you need to have star qualities. I mean, of course you have to be skillful, but it is not all what you need. Once upon a time it was good enough. Today you have more pianists than EVER to compete with, and not just the active ones ... the dead ones still entertain us through recordings.
The sad truth is that you need to work on your charisma, you have to have your "thing", something that the audience will remember and approve, something that makes you special. How do you get that? What is it? You tell me!

This is not what a "true artist" likes to hear. I don't like it either. I am a fiction writer and I know that it takes a helluva lot more than a well written novel to become a best seller, to be famous, to earn a lot of money. No, I am not bitter, I have just seen how it works. I have also seen a bunch of average concert pianists become HUGE stars, on the behalf of other pianists who in fact are much better, but perhaps do not possess that certain star quality. Or just have bad luck. Or just happen to live in the wrong country. Or don't look good enough. Things like that.

So, working hard with your piano playing is ONE thing. Then we have the rest.

[falala]

Bronnestam,

I certainly agree with all that. I would clarify, however, that an immaculate and amazing technique trained to hell and back from an early age is NECESSARY for a successful concert pianist career; it's just not SUFFICIENT.

It's like, having all the necessary skill and training in place, with all the advantages and hours upon hours of work, year after year that that requires, is step 1. Once you have that, you can start thinking about steps 2, 3 etc, which - as you say - are about all the other stuff. The charisma, the business acumen, the Unique Selling Point etc.

[falala]

.

[Bob]

If you have to ask....

Very doubtful.  College prof, teacher, pro accompanist more likely.  International concert artist?  Doubtful.

The ones who will do that aren't asking.  They're already playing X-concerto by (major composer) with the (large city) Symphony.  Probably have a musical family, money, access to a top-notch teacher, etc., etc., etc.  Technique probably isn't much of a concern.  They're probably already cranking out Chopin Etudes. 

[thesixthsensemusic]

I'm not sure you have any chance of becoming a concert pianist.

But, if you manage to motivate yourself, are willing to practice endlessly and in an organised fashion you do have a chance to vastly improve your skills by the end of the 5 or 6 years before you'll have to choose what kind of professional education you would want to pursue.

Judging by your playing you're not unmusical, but just lack the overview at the bigger picture. You probably practiced like I used to do at your age... playing through the same 2 pages over and over till you sort of got the hang of it. That seems to work at first, until you start more difficult stuff.

Try this method for a change, it would make your performance much more consistent and in control: www.pianofundamentals.com. It helped me a lot, even though I am an adult re-starter who unfortunately had to unlearn loads of bad habits left over from my youth.

The start of being a better pianist is mechanical precision, based on souplesse and correct movement of every part of your upper body, in moving your hands over the keys with as little stress as possible. And a good memory is necessary, so you will also have to train your mind, but the method above also discusses that.

If you manage to get rid of your sloppiness, and develop a practice strategy that enables you to study pieces more efficiently. There's plenty of people who can learn to play piano in 5 years time well enough to master some advanced-level pieces (Beethoven sonatas, Chopin etudes etc.) so I don't see why a 13-year old who already has an intermediate skill level can't progress to the same level in 5 years time.

[thesixthsensemusic]

If you have to ask....

Very doubtful.  College prof, teacher, pro accompanist more likely.  International concert artist?  Doubtful.

The ones who will do that aren't asking.  They're already playing X-concerto by (major composer) with the (large city) Symphony.  Probably have a musical family, money, access to a top-notch teacher, etc., etc., etc.  Technique probably isn't much of a concern.  They're probably already cranking out Chopin Etudes. 

5-6 years till secondary school graduation is a LONG time. One doesn't have to be a child prodigy at all to become a succesful musician.

[Bob]

But a solo career?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

If you have to ask the question...

Nah,

[thesixthsensemusic]

No.

But I'm not surprised at anything anymore these days.