Learning with distracting sounds

[galonia]

Today, I went to my piano lesson, and for the first time in several years, my teacher's husband had his violin students at the same time.  For the first ten minutes or so, I couldn't play in time, and my teacher told me off, and I finally told her the violins were distracting me, that every time they played a note, my feel of my own beat wavered.

My teacher then complained about how I never go into the conservatory or practise except in my perfect quiet environment anymore.

Do any conservatory students find that they can more easily block out distracting sounds, because they practise in an environment where they can hear other people playing (whatever instruments)?

[bernhard]

A couple of years ago, Andras Schiff gave a recital, where there was an unusual amount of coughing and shuffling on the seats. Finally a mobile rang. Schiff stopped playing (that was 15 minutes into the recital), stood up, turned to the audience and said: “I am going to give you gentlemen and ladies a ‘coughing’interval to cough as much as you want, to answer your phones and to find the best position to sit. Thank you”, and then he left. Everyone was sort of slightly shaken, not knowing exactly what to do. Would he come back? In the event he let them wait some 20 minutes, and then come back and started the recital again. You could hear a pin drop, since no one dared to make any noise.

Maybe your teacher should have a word with Schiff as well about how he never goes to the conservatory anymore etc.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Rez]

I heard a Program on NPR about an instructor at Julliard, Dr. Don Greene, who taught a course on how to overcome stage fright; it included instruction on how to play amidst distractions.  He taught students how to "center" the focus of their attention.  The levels of distractions increased every week.  Toward the end he would drop large wooden 2x4s behind the student while s/he was playing.  You can listen to the program at:

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4269706

And read about his book at:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076790625X/102-0522924-2572111?%5Fencoding=UTF8

I'm not shilling for Dr. Greene, but think that learning focus on playing despite distractions is an important technique for any performer.  In an ideal world the audience would be silent during a performance and no one would answer their cell phone during a lyric opera performance, or hum out of time during a chamber perfomance.  But they do and I've been an unfortunate witness to this and more. 
I used to play guitar, and was playing in an acoustic ensemble.  A child in the audience began shooting rubberbands at us presumably in an attempt to get them in the soundhole.  It totally threw me.  One of the more veteran players not only didn't miss a beat when hit in the forehead but shot back when he had a break in the music.

[keys]

A couple of years ago, Andras Schiff gave a recital, where there was an unusual amount of coughing and shuffling on the seats. Finally a mobile rang. Schiff stopped playing (that was 15 minutes into the recital), stood up, turned to the audience and said: “I am going to give you gentlemen and ladies a ‘coughing’interval to cough as much as you want, to answer your phones and to find the best position to sit. Thank you”, and then he left. Everyone was sort of slightly shaken, not knowing exactly what to do. Would he come back? In the event he let them wait some 20 minutes, and then come back and started the recital again. You could hear a pin drop, since no one dared to make any noise.

Maybe your teacher should have a word with Schiff as well about how he never goes to the conservatory anymore etc.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

Wow, that is hard core. I think Andras Schiff needs to get out more. I've had a few experiences where noise from the audience has affected me a little, but only if the piece I'm playing is fairly new to me or if I'm really nervous. The worst was when I had to play at a small recital, and they had a really loud clock. That was reallly distracting, I wanted to throw it out the window.

[galonia]

Oh, the funny thing is, when I am PERFORMING, I don't get distracted at all.  If I am focused on my music, people can do whatever they please.  My brother told me he was stunned that I didn't even bat an eyelid when a baby screamed in the middle of my Mozart once, and I just said, "what baby?"

My problem is that when I am PRACTISING, I get distracted by noises.  And apparently when I am having lessons, too.  I wouldn't like my teacher to start dropping planks of wood during my lesson.

Regarding the Schiff story, I went to the recital of a young Australian pianist, David Fung, who is currently studying in the US.  David was not playing particularly well, and a lot of children were in the hall.  When he came back on stage for his second piece, before he sat down to play, David addressed the audience very haughtily, "Could people please not talk while I am playing, and if children cannot sit still, perhaps they should sit somewhere more appropriate, like outside the hall"

We were stunned.  A friend later said, maybe all the fidgeting should tell him somthing about his playing.  Admittedly, mobile phones are a pain and a real disturbance, not just for the pianist, but for other members of the audience.

[bernhard]

Wow, that is hard core. I think Andras Schiff needs to get out more. I've had a few experiences where noise from the audience has affected me a little, but only if the piece I'm playing is fairly new to me or if I'm really nervous. The worst was when I had to play at a small recital, and they had a really loud clock. That was reallly distracting, I wanted to throw it out the window.

Here is another Schiff story (which perhaps explains the previous one). I cannot remember the exact details, but apparently he went to play for a groups of school children. This was when he was younger and perhaps not so famous. He was in that mood that sometimes gets pianists, to bring classical music to the children. So it was a sort of educational recital. Anyway, this group of children was particularly boisterous, and they kept making noises and generally paying no attention to him. He trudged on with the music hoping that maybe they would quiet down, when he felt this incredible pain in his nose, and blood everywhere: one of the kids had thrown a stone at him. 

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

P.S. He never again played for school children.

[ted]

I think a bit of compromise on both sides is the story. A player shouldn't be so sensitive that the occasional sneeze or accidental sound disturbs his concentration. The listeners, for their part, should have sufficient manners to keep quiet. I wouldn't attend a concert at all if I was full of a cold and likely to cough and sneeze. Nothing much worries me when I am in deep concentration at the piano but I do feel mildly annoyed if a somebody asks me to play and then immediately begins a heavy conversation or wanders off and takes no notice of the music.  I'm only referring to playing in private homes though; I know nothing of how public performance feels.

[apion]

Today, I went to my piano lesson, and for the first time in several years, my teacher's husband had his violin students at the same time.  For the first ten minutes or so, I couldn't play in time, and my teacher told me off, and I finally told her the violins were distracting me, that every time they played a note, my feel of my own beat wavered.

If you paid for PRIVATE piano lessons, then you should receive that, without untoward or extraneous distractions.