Musical Meet-ups
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Around Christmas a cello player who lives across town would hold a holidays gathering. There is a lot of Christmas carols singing. Some in the group belong to a church choir so they can really sing. Others like myself would play some of the time. It’s a relaxed social gathering with lots of appetizers on the table. Unlike in a solo recital, in a holidays gathering you don’t feel you’re the center of attention with the audience in anticipation you wouldn’t miss a note.
I would love to be able to play while people sing Christmas carols... but that's not the kind of thing I'm practicing for right now, so I don't think it would be easy to do, not this year anyway!
Although my sightreading is so much better than it used to be, maybe I'm overestimating the amount of prep it would require.
When I first started my group, we did have one rule - no piano teachers. The few people we had were not comfortable playing in front of teachers. That rule did not last. It turns out that piano teachers really wanted to join us and play - the average teacher doesn't get much opportunity to play outside of "work". In our membership now we have two very active teachers with large studios of kids and two retired teachers. So it might be a source of members in your group if you reach out to some music teacher associations.
What you want to avoid is having your monthly meetings become recitals. They should be an informal gathering of people that want to play for each other and share their music, even if the piece is a work-in-progress and far from finished.
And these groups are very fragile things. I worry that my group will fall apart someday, but so far the personalities and playing abilities are a good match. It helps that we have all become friends.
Sam
The main thing about gatherings with music is to have everybody feel relaxed if they want to play a few tunes. Obviously some people are going to have more experience and technical abilities than others but shouldn't deter beginners from playing easy pieces on the piano.
A while ago my father attended concerts with amateur musicians. Some kids played the popular Bach "Arioso" from Cantata 156 on their violins. Coming from a non-musical family, he suggested that people who are not at a high level shouldn't be performing at all. Otherwise it's like a person showing off his/her playing.
Likewise a person learning a foreign language shouldn't wait until he/she learns all the grammar rules before getting into basic conversation. Otherwise there would be little progress. A piano meetup with amateur musicians at all levels is the place to give people the opportunity to express themselves through music. Making mistakes in a performance is part of the learning process.
Some people think of music learning as a competition to reach a high level. Before he would sit down to play something on the piano, the person would tell you he achieved ABRSM-5 or RCM-5. His grade level doesn't mean much until I hear how he performs.
The meeting on Sunday is going to be special for me. It's the 2nd time I play a piece that I arranged from an orchestral score with 4 or more instruments. Playing from your own sheet music you're not judged on the correct interpretation than a piece everybody knows well.
Sam What you want to avoid is having your monthly meetings become recitals
Why? I don’t mean that I disagree with you, but rather, I’m not sure I understand. What are the elements of a recital that should be avoided?
thepianoplayer416 A piano meetup with amateur musicians at all levels is the place to give people the opportunity to express themselves through music. Making mistakes in a performance is part of the learning process.
Yes!
So I met with the cellist today. She was really sweet and we had a nice chat before playing. And I really enjoyed playing with her! Also, she loved the pieces I suggested and it sounds like we have similar interests in terms of what to play. We didn’t play very long, but we agreed to get together again soon.
Yay!!
The feeling that everything has to be perfect before it can be performed is one thing. I encourage people to play works-in-progress. And to play those pieces month after month until they are comfortable, if that is what it takes (and it usually does).
The idea that each month has to be a new piece - not practical for us mere mortals.
We talk about our music before and after playing - when we have our annual concert there is no talking (not enough time, and we have a printed program).
And the audience comments on what they just heard - overwhelming supportive and encouraging. Not something you do at a recital.
So low-key, welcoming, encouraging - all things not associated with the pressure of a recital.
We are lucky that the size of our group is small enough that we can do these things. My other group - the one with rules - requires each performer to sign-up beforehand, including the minutes the piece will take, and there is a limit. There is no talking before playing, and no playing before and after everyone plays - much more formal...
Sam
Thanks for explaining that!! Your approach sounds great! I especially like the talking before, it really helps me personally when I can do that, somehow it takes the edge off the nerves.
At your piano parties, do people usually play more than one piece in a row?
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Sam The idea that each month has to be a new piece - not practical for us mere mortals.
We made our meetings once every six weeks because of this issue but of course that periodicity has its own problem in that the dates are rather irregular. Once every two months was too infrequent.
There are some piano groups in the UK that are rather formal and recital like but we try to keep our group as informal, friendly and encouraging as possible with 'works in progress' very much welcomed. I have never made the effort to attend the most formal of relatively nearby pianos groups for fear of making a fool of myself relative to the other pianists.
I am always worried that we will not attract sufficient members to the meetings because we have a small room hire fee to pay.
I think once a month, and replay the same piece(s) is a perfect solution!
And re the room fee, I would gladly pay my share of that!
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It's becoming common to find a video or audio recorder at a music event. Like it or not, somebody like me who decides to participate in an event with other musicians is going to be recorded. The last one was for a fundraising event in a church. There was an amplifier in front of each performer (guitar, keyboard & violin) and somebody recording the hour-long event. Before that I went to a piano meetup as an audience. There was a Steinway grand in the room and a camera setup close-by to record the event. The upcoming piano meetup later this afternoon is no exception.
Last December I attended a Christmas gathering. There was an old "Made in Canada" Heintzman upright at the corner of the small living-room with at least 40 people. At some point I went to the piano and started playing a version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" assigned by the teacher a week before taking her holidays break. There was little room to pull the bench out so decided to play standing up without pedals. A lady walked by and said the piano used to belong to her husband and my playing brought back a lot of memories. She pulled out her camera and asked for permission to record the song so I started from the beginning again. I wanted to bring some holidays spirit to a gathering but didn't expect to be recorded.
I am planning on asking my husband to record me when I play at the concert, mostly for my own benefit, so I can later watch and see what went well and what didn’t.
But I would really not like it if someone else recorded me and posted it online without my knowledge or permission!
I record my group's annual concert, but post the videos as unlisted on youtube, so no search can find them. Then I share the links with the performers. If they want to share, it is up to them.
Sam
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The piano meetup this afternoon turned out ok. Everybody including myself made some mistakes. We were expecting 10 but only 5 showed up to play.
1 of the main organizers of the event came late. He played the theme “A Time For Us” from the Romeo & Juliet movie improvised. An older man played the Bach Prelude in C from the WTC Book1 and the fugue after. There was a kid who played a Chopin Grand Polonaise. He is already in Gr. 10 piano.
Nervous during the performance definitely. Played through my pieces without stopping despite some misses. Had the sheet music in a bag just in case. There are 2 sides to playing in front of people: physical & mental. You drill finger sequences & muscle memory by repetition. And then you get your mind to focus and not be distracted by the audience supposedly with high expectations. We’re not in a solo recital or a competition. Everybody was anxious being the first to play and eventually somebody volunteered to go to the piano.
Sounds like a success!!
BTW I always want to play first. The longer I wait, the more nervous I get. And if I play and get my part over with, then I can enjoy everyone else more!
Today's meetup experience was an eye-opener as well as a milestone for an adult learner like myself. In my school days piano wasn't my instrument.
The first piece I played was a movement out of the Bach French Suites that I learned a few years ago. Never performed it in public until today. I explained that I heard a recording made by Keith Jarrett back in 1985 (the tri-centenery year of Bach & Handel). I like this dance movement in particular because I only needed a few days practice to relearn it before a performance.
I hope to be able to attend more piano meetups in the future.
thepianoplayer416 Today's meetup experience was an eye-opener as well as a milestone for an adult learner like myself
That’s great! I think I had sort of forgotten about how much performing/playing publicly is a learning event as much as anything else. What I mean is, I’ve been focusing so much on the “learning” that has to happen to be ready to perform, I forgot about that part of it.
BTW you said only half as many as expedited to showed up to play, how many were in the audience?