piano – Compulsive Creation

So I had a recital . . .

My recital was last Thursday. I was very prepared and feeling good about it, BUT as I sat and waited for my turn, I got more and more nervous. Basically, my brain hijacked my confidence. I need to work on getting my mind right, y’all. Anyway, my performance ended up being fine-adjacent. PLUS one ofContinue reading “So I had a recital . . .”

Lob der Thränen

As I informed y’all last week, I began working on a new piece called Lob der Thränen (Translation: [In] Praise of Tears) by Franz Schubert. According to my teacher (and the internet), Schubert was a composer during the late Classical/early Romantic periods. This is my first piano piece by Schubert. Prior to this, my experienceContinue reading “Lob der Thränen”

#quitting

I started learning a new piece, which I am going to tell y’all all about next week. BUT FIRST, I needed to lay the Sonatina to rest. My prediction that I would be completely over that song by now proved very, very accurate. I am no longer playing it for my recital. In fact, IContinue reading “#quitting”

Progress Report II: Sonatine

I am still working on this Sonatina by Kuhlau. At this point, I can play the whole thing from memory. YAY! I can also recover after making mistakes. YAY again! HOWEVER, my tempo is still hella inconsistent, sometimes my sixteenth notes sound like soup, sometimes my sixteenth notes don’t sound like soup but I missContinue reading “Progress Report II: Sonatine”

Must Watch: Your Lie In April

I am obsessed with ‘Your Lie in April.’ It is based on the manga of the same name. It is about Kousei, a piano prodigy, who loses his ability to hear his own playing after his mom dies. His mother was his piano teacher and super abusive, so his trauma is hella linked to theContinue reading “Must Watch: Your Lie In April”

HOUSE CONCERT!

As y’all may know, I have been working on this piece for the past little while. I was originally planning on playing it for my music school’s June recital, but now I’m kind of over it. My prediction is that I will be completely over it by June. It is hard for me to keepContinue reading “HOUSE CONCERT!”

Composition Frustrations and Goal

I have been taking theory and composition classes for about a month and some change. I talked about the theory aspect of my lessons here. Anyway, the composition part is what I am most jazzed about, but it is SO HARD because music is a language that I only kind of know. So, for me,Continue reading “Composition Frustrations and Goal”

Progress Report: Sonatine

So, I have been working on this piece for the past few weeks. You can read about and hear my humble beginnings here. I am able to play about 2/3 of the piece. I am using the word “play” VERY loosely. Basically, I am still trying to figure out what to do with my fingers.Continue reading “Progress Report: Sonatine”

Beginning Again . . . Part II

So, the other back-to-basics thing I have been doing DILIGENT work on is practicing my scales. A scale is an “organized sequence of notes,” or, for the willy-nilly musicians among us, boring shit that you don’t feel like practicing. HOWEVER, scales improve finger strength and dexterity, help with hand coordination, and improve intonation. They areContinue reading “Beginning Again . . . Part II”

Beginning Again . . . Part I

Music theory is, according to Wikipedia, the study of “the practices and possibilities of music.” I love how they put this! Anyway, because music theory is essentially the language and rules of music, it is vital for any musician that gives AF. During the past couple years of playing piano, I haven’t moved much beyondContinue reading “Beginning Again . . . Part I”