It happened, I did it!

BicBic · 2024-07-22T15:01:20+00:00

So I re started somewhat regular piano practice in November, after I was in the train station in Paris CDG and there was a ‘street piano’ and I wished I coul...

thepianoplayer416

Happy you're able to play in public.

Last November I was in a store with an old piano. Sat down and played "What a Wonderful World". Another employee was waching with curiosity. It was a relaxed atmosphere. No hands shaking. The store already started putting up Christmas decorations and someone asked me to play something "Chrismassy". I could play a simplified version of "Silent Night" but no. It's way too early for holidays music.

The piano hadn't been tuned didn't bother me. I practiced for 2 weeks to learn something barely 3 min long.

BicBic

Simonb it was the Schubert impromptu I submitted over at PW for the fast pieces recital. Perhaps I should have tried something easier and there might have been less shaking 🤣

BicBic

MandM awesome tips, thank you!! Not sure I’ll get many opps to play in front of others, which I’m sure is a big part of the problem!

BicBic

Thanks y’all for the supportive comments ☺️

Gombessa

Congrats on taking this step, @BicBic! I think the "public piano experience" is something a lot of us always dream about, but that dream is equal parts excitement and dread. Next time, you should try setting up your phone and recording yourself, so you have a nice memento of the moment 🙂

BicBic

Gombessa excitement and dread captures it well! More dread?? I was so full of adrenaline for a while after. My partner was with me and did video it actually so I do have a memento…. 😮

rogerch

BicBic Very cool. I would love to see the video if you are willing to share it here!

BicBic

rogerch as a performance, it was really quite terrible, i blanked out in the second time round of the section i find most tricky and just... skipped ahead a few bars 😱🤦🏽‍♀️ as well as all sorts of mistakes and pauses throughout the whole thing. i'm glad you've seen my slightly better home recording 😂

BUT in the spirit of feeling brave, and how brave i felt playing in public (with.... no one even to listen!) - here is the video...

rogerch

BicBic That was great! Very fun to play on a public piano! It looks and sounds like a lot is going on around you which seems like it would be distracting. Thanks for sharing, very cool!

navindra

BicBic Wow! And it's all from memory and playing during the hustle and bustle! Very impressive, it seems you'll be able to perform for a bigger live audience in no time. Love all the colors in the video.

I wonder how that piano weathers the elements... I guess someone moves it or covers it at the end of the day.

Gombessa

So well done, BicBic! Great job with a beautiful piece, it's clear how your confidence builds as you play.

Your video totally captures that "outdoor public piano" vibe 🙂 The honky-tonk tuning is really different from a typical home piano or recital hall.

Player1

What an amazing performance! The fingering mishaps and little screams made it even better because it shows that you're a true amateur instead of a pro or semi pro just messing around.

I think the best part is knowing that the people who saw and heard you playing probably have no idea how to make those black and white keys do anything even close to resembling music instead of just making noise. They probably also wonder what the little pedals do too.

And you just know they'd never ever do anything like what you were doing. And yet there you were making beautiful noise in the early morning. BRA-VO!

BicBic

Thank you all for the kind words, this is such a supportive community here - I appreciate you all!

Haha, Player1 - yes, authentically amateur, love it!

navindra - my partner works right by there, he's never seen a street piano there before (or since), and by the time he left work that day it had disappeared. Mysterious!

Gombessa

navindra I guess someone moves it or covers it at the end of the day.

+1, I can't imagine any street pianos surviving more than a summer season (or one instance of rain) if it wasn't moved/stored each night!

navindra

BicBic my partner works right by there, he's never seen a street piano there before (or since), and by the time he left work that day it had disappeared. Mysterious!

That makes it even more awesome. The folks behind it couldn't have hoped for better with your performance and recording!

Nightowl

That was a brave thing to do, especially as you played such a complex piece - I'd not attempt such a task in a million years!
I think we'd all like to have the confidence and skill to play in front of others, but I doubt I'll ever do it.
Well done BicBic. 🙂

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