A little background...
I had a natural gift for piano from an early age but I never practiced. I preferred playing outside (it was the 1960's and kids did that kind of thing back then). I took lessons from a competent teacher for about 5 years then quit due to disinterest. When I was about 14 I wanted to play progressive rock (Emerson Lake and Palmer, Yes) and found some old lady that somebody recommended to start lessons up again. That was a waste of time. I don't even know what I was thinking. I had natural ability but really squandered it, though I did use my ear to take some of the ELP and Yes to the 'woodshed' as it were.
Next chapter... graduated from High School in 1975. What to do? Since I loved music and had a natural thing for piano, I auditioned at Georgia State University. My audition was a total wreck. I think I had my foot on the wrong pedal throughout my audition somehow because the keyboard on the 9' Steinway shifted every time I pedaled. I was nervous and really out of my element with this kind of repertoire. I was accepted 'on probation'. My teacher was one of the youngest faculty members and she either got me due to a lack of seniority, or she thought I might make a decent project. Long story short now, 4 years later I was winning piano competitions. Since a music degree takes 5 years, that gave me on last year - the year that I got mononucleosis - canceled my trip to the Aspen Music Festival where I was to study with John Perry - and then eventually decided I was not cut out to be a professional pianist. I could have been, but that last year ragged me out in a very big way. I remember cutting classes, skipping lessons, and performing my Senior recital on the last day possible so I could have a little extra time to prepare for it. I recall sitting in a practice room in front of the Schumann Am Concerto and after an hour of practice feeling as if not one note of it stuck in my head. I was sick then and did not realize it, but it discouraged me terribly.
What I will never forget is my young piano teacher (I say young, she seemed old at the time, but she was probably in her mid 30's). Her name was Betty Anne Diaz. A wonderfully sensitive musician. A gifted person who understood music and whose sole desire was to turn her students into musicians, not piano players. Not a week has passed in the last 34 years since I graduated that I do not think of what she taught me.
So, instead of going to Indiana to study with Pressler, I took odd jobs until I ended up becoming an architectural photographer. I had a fairly major health crisis this past summer and it seems that out of that crisis (with death being a potential outcome...) I have decided to spend more time at the piano. I am working on a few things now - Debussy's L'isle Joyeuse and, heaven knows why - the Brahms Second Piano Concerto. Maybe I chose the Brahms because after that the Debussy is a cakewalk... pun intended.
BTW, I found an old recording of my Chopin Gm Ballade performance from 1979 or 1980. I stuck it over in the Audition Room. It's full of youthful energy. I would play it significantly differently today. Vladimir Ashkenazy was my hero back in those days...
That's me. Thanks for asking.
Topic: How do you practice Chopin Ballade Op23 No1