Losing my touch

[in_love_with_liszt]

Once upon a time, about a year ago, I was my teacher's pride and joy. Largest hands, stongest fingers, and greatest independence. And then this year starts, and it's my junior year in highschool. AP classes. Honors classes. You know the deal. I've become so entwined in schoolwork that I literally go for weeks at a time not able to even touch a piano for a few minutes because I'm so busy.  I can feel my technique and really all of my piano skill declining slowly but surely. I am so passionate about music and piano, but I am also obsessed with school and grades. Is there anything I can do that will allow me to go for long periods of time not practicing without having my technique signifiacantly affected, so then I may pick up again when I have summer vacation or simply more time? I still want to major in music performance and be a composer/concert pianist someday.

[outsyde yn]

you might want to look into home schooling.  it's really great.  A bunch of my friends do this and there is a group that meets.  This can give you time to practice more as well as getting a great education.  But yoiu have to make sure you will be meeting all the right requirements to go to the college you want to go to.  I'm 14 and already thinking about college.

bye,
Clair

[BoliverAllmon]

or take a placement exam early and jump straight to college. my friend did that.

[outsyde yn]

yeah, I want to do that exact same things.

bye,
Clair

[mikeyg]

I too am 16 and was in the middle of my Junior year when I withdrew.  I am currently at UNH.  Seriously, it takes so much less time.  Now, you don't have to matriculate, but just sign up for courses (I have a GED).  eventually, if you prove yourself, they will accept you (this is what they did for me).  My major is physics.  And it is awesome.  The courses really put all those AP classes to shame (I am already in Calc II, and I will take Calc III, Phys I and Chem II this summer).  the way I look at is is, by the time all my friends graduate from High school, I will already be a junior in college.

[bravuraoctaves]

*removed* (posted in wrong topic)

[BoliverAllmon]

I too am 16 and was in the middle of my Junior year when I withdrew.  I am currently at UNH.  Seriously, it takes so much less time.  Now, you don't have to matriculate, but just sign up for courses (I have a GED).  eventually, if you prove yourself, they will accept you (this is what they did for me).  My major is physics.  And it is awesome.  The courses really put all those AP classes to shame (I am already in Calc II, and I will take Calc III, Phys I and Chem II this summer).  the way I look at is is, by the time all my friends graduate from High school, I will already be a junior in college.

if you can do it I say go for it.

[in_love_with_liszt]

So what you're all saying is I have to either choose one or the other-piano or highschool-and there's no way to do both? Well that's a tough decision, and I don't really know much about homeschooling and I generally have a good time in higschool (call me a geek, but yes, I love to learn new&hard things)...and I know my parents would kill me if i dropped out... I wish I could be a 5.0 student and be the great pianist I know I could be if I had time.....but maybe it's just not possible? This is so depressing...

[sharon_f]

Is there anything I can do that will allow me to go for long periods of time not practicing without having my technique signifiacantly affected, so then I may pick up again when I have summer vacation or simply more time?

Unfortunately, I don't believe there is.

I still want to major in music performance and be a composer/concert pianist someday.

If you are planning  to audition at any of the major conservatories or universities, you should be preparing right now.  The competition is stiff and there are only so many openings. Grades are important at the universities, but as far as the conservatories are concerned, it's your playing that counts. Auditions can be harrowing.

I think you have some very difficult decisions to make. You might want to talk to your piano teacher and also your guidance counselor at school. I think they can help you. Just be honest with them about what you want and listen with an open mind and heart to what they say. Good luck.

[m1469]

So what you're all saying is I have to either choose one or the other-piano or highschool-and there's no way to do both? Well that's a tough decision, and I don't really know much about homeschooling and I generally have a good time in higschool (call me a geek, but yes, I love to learn new&hard things)...and I know my parents would kill me if i dropped out... I wish I could be a 5.0 student and be the great pianist I know I could be if I had time.....but maybe it's just not possible? This is so depressing...

It's possible to do both.  You must be extremely efficient with your time and energy, however, as you might have guessed.  You know whether you are already being as efficient as possible, and if you are, then you know whether it is possible for you or not.  If you are not, then buck up laddie, there's still hope!  Organize, organize, organize.  It mostly depends on you. 

Take an honest assessment of how you spend your time.  Cut back in the areas that don't matter as much to you to allow for the things that matter more.

Find an average of how much homework you have each day.  Think about which subjects need more attention, which subjects will help you learn from the other.  Organize your homeworks in a way that one aspect will help the others, if possible.  Don't study the things you know you already understand and will not forget.  Make sure your environment is extremely conducive to concentrated effort.  While you are on a break from reading, clean your room.  Organize your practice sessions thoroughly.

Get a detailed calendar that has the week at a glance and breaks down each day into 15 minute segments.  Prioritize.

Talking with your parents, guidance counselors and your piano teachers are great ideas as Sharon suggested.


m1469

[Derek]

My, my how different people are. I HATED highschool, and I never gave a damn about getting grades or pleasing anybody but myself. My parents pulled me out of highschool and homeschooled me. THATS when I began playing piano! I wouldn't be a musician at all if things didn't go that way. Well, I may have learned a bit on guitar and piano but I doubt I would have taken it to the same level. I'm actually very grateful for the way things have gone, because it has introduced me to something so beautiful and pure and infinitely engaging that will last me for my entire life, no matter WHAT happens to me academically or career-wise.

[m1469]

Well, the thing about getting good marks is that it allows a person more options than without them.  It is tough when you are in highschool (or any other time in a person's life  ) to know for sure what you want.  So leave doors open.

Think with the same creative mind in everything you do and tie as much together as you can figure out how.

m1469

[mikeyg]

(call me a geek, but yes, I love to learn new&hard things

Well, me too!  That is one of the reasons I left.  You go through so much more stuf so much quicker in college or on your own, as opposed to high school.

[will]

Is there anything I can do that will allow me to go for long periods of time not practicing without having my technique signifiacantly affected, so then I may pick up again when I have summer vacation or simply more time?

Perhaps, it depends what you mean by significant. One thing to do is to make sure you have an efficient technique before you take a long break. Your talk of 'strongest fingers' and 'greatest independance' is somewhat worrying - Are you a fan of Hanon or similar exercises? 

I remember reading somewhere (I think on this forum, a post by Bernhard) that there was a very well known pianist who was involved in a serious car crash. The pianist's arm was badly damaged and took several months to heal (in which time the pianist did not play piano at all). Once the pianist got back into it he regained all his powers of playing within a year.
I have taken long breaks before and been able to regain most of my touch with a month a playing. Playing piano is more a matter of co-ordination than strength. You should not lose much co-ordination even if you take long breaks. 

I still want to major in music performance and be a composer/concert pianist someday.

Go for it. Even if you took several months or even a year off just to concentrate on your piano playing you could no doubt reach close to your best.

[in_love_with_liszt]

Thanks everyone, this has been helpful. I think I'm going to cut a few extra-cirriculars and see if that gives me more time. I also am able to have two free periods next year since I've taken so many AP and honors courses up to this point, so although it doesn't help right now, it will help next year (I was origionally thinking of signing up for two more classes, but I think I'll leave my schedule blank for those two periods now). And as an aside to Will, I'm not exactly a fan of Hanon, although I do write my own technical exercises/etudes mainly involving trills and tremolos...I know, I know, the new mentality is that technical exercises are the devil, but they have always worked for me, and give me a chance to be creative at the keyboard  so I don't plan on departing with them anytime soon unless I am duly convinced of their 'counterproductive' nature.

[Derek]

Since you have some facility with writing your own exercises, why don't you try breaking them up a bit, i.e. try making them more musical rather than just exercises. Then maybe throw in a left hand pattern like chopin uses...before long you could be improvising nocturnes! You should try this, if you feel comfortable with creating anything at the keyboard. Who knows where it could take you?

[jiwongirl]

I don't know how much sleep you get, but maybe you can sleep an hour less? to fit practice time?  I think an hour everyday is plenty to keep your techniques. 

Good luck