Musical Meet-ups

ShiroKuro · 2024-09-12T13:52:54+00:00

Some of you may remember that I've commented in various threads here how much I wish I had piano friends and casual opportunities to play for and/or with fri...

thepianoplayer416

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.

ShiroKuro

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!

lilypad

ShiroKuro 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!

Me too! For that reason and also most of the players in the group play things that sound like grade 10 and they're hard acts to follow. I think only two other players are around the same level as me and I think they're already pulling ahead.

thepianoplayer416

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.

ShiroKuro

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?

Sam

We had our monthly meeting yesterday - at my house this time. 14 in attendance, 9 playing and 5 listening. Oh, and one baby and one lap dog! A wide variety of music, as is always the case with our group. Mostly piano, but I also played one piece on the harpsichord and one on my VPO (virtual pipe organ). Also clarinet/piano and one person who sang while playing.

I barbecued chicken and people brought side dishes and way too much dessert! So a good time was had by all - keeping the dream alive!

Sam

BicBic

Sam that sounds awesome, I enjoyed reading all your posts about how you run this group. When the time is right for me, I hope I will be able to find something similar. Or if not, to take inspo from you and start my own!

ShiroKuro

@Sam that sounds absolutely wonderful!!

ShiroKuro

Well, shoot. I was planning to attend a concert this evening at the location where I'll plan next month, it's organized by the same group. But several of the performers cancelled at the last minute, so the concert itself has been canceled.

That means I won't be able to see the venue and see how the concert is run before playing myself. Also, it makes me worry about whether the Nov. one is at risk of being canceled.

-_-

Animisha

ShiroKuro

Isn't it possible to take a look at the venue anyway? To ask a kind receptionist if they let you check out the place for ten minutes?

thepianoplayer416

I was a bit nervous during my last performance playing just 2 pieces. Some of us are probably in the same situation with hands shaking. Every piano feels different. When it comes to action, some are easier to play than others. During the last meetup, I arrived early and spent a few minutes getting used to the action of the old Steinway grand in the room.

The meetup started half an hour late. 1 lady left early and we had 7 in the audience. Only 5 played while the other 2 listened. Everybody played either 1 or 2 pieces. The meetup before there was a kid who played beginner pieces but not the last time.

Already planning for the next meetup. The theme is "Peace". Haven't piece(s) I'll be doing. Probably 1 or 2 of these: "What a Wonderful World", "Over the Rainbow", "Blue Skies" & "When You Wish Upon a Star".

ShiroKuro

That sounds like a good size!

Sam

Curse of the pianist - playing on unfamiliar instruments, in a strange setting. I have gotten more used to it than I used to be, only because I have done it a lot and experienced just about everything - including keys that didn't work. That was at a retirement village. A fairly upscale place, but it was common for new residents to give them pianos. I don't remember what I was playing, but the Db in the bass didn't work - just went thud. I needed that note...

And since I organize the annual concert for my piano group, I hear all the complaints. We go through this every year - the church is large and has good acoustics and a nice piano, but people complain the lights are in their eyes, there are shadows on the keys, the AC is too cold/noisy, they can't get the bench adjusted the way they like it, the music is too far away and too high (the upright and keyboard players trying to adjust to a grand), the pedals aren't working right (they work fine, just different from what they have at home). It is a bit tiresome!

Sam

TheBoringPianist

Sam Curse of the pianist - playing on unfamiliar instruments, in a strange setting. I have gotten more used to it than I used to be, only because I have done it a lot and experienced just about everything - including keys that didn't work.

I think my nastiest piano surprise was when I played the Bach-Busoni Chaconne for a local "Bach in the Subways" event earlier this year on an upright in a shopping mall without a chance to try it out beforehand only to discover on the first chord that the damper pedal didn't work at all! Ended up making changes on the fly to hold down keys longer, do more finger legato and go for a faster drier touch in certain sections and at the end of the day random shoppers aren't going to notice but I was definitely panicking in my head.

Animisha

Sam Curse of the pianist - playing on unfamiliar instruments

Always such a shock. It takes me about an hour(!) to be able to play as I do at home. So I empathise with your complaining group...

ShiroKuro

Sam And since I organize the annual concert for my piano group, I hear all the complaints.

I'm sorry! Esp. since none of those are things you can do anything about.

I like to have a sort of high seat, and at my home, I have an adjustable bench. But none of the piano rooms where I take lessons (there are multiple) have adjustable benches. I got a large bath towel in black, and folded up, it adds enough height for me. I have a cloth tote bag, the "bench towel" lives in there and is always ready, so I just grab it as I'm heading out on lesson days. Problem solved.

As for the height of the music, that's just something you have to get used to! I have a grand at home, and often (but not always) have my lesson on an upright. I just try to go with it.

It's more important to me to work with my teacher than to have the sheet music sitting where I'm used to seeing it.

keff

Gosh Sam I don't think I could cope with that number of complaints. It is hard enough to find a comfortable venue with a nice piano.

thepianoplayer416

I haven't been playing piano in public very much. There are some pianos that are easier to play than others. So far the one I like the most is a Heintzman upright that was made in Canada until a decade ago. The company went bust and sold to a Chinese buyer. There are still many old Heintzman pianos (upright & grand) in people's homes. The last one I played on was at a Christmas gathering last year. I feel very much at ease with the action.

A while ago a friend got a 2nd-hand Baldwin upright for his wife from his church. Great action. Played it a few times. The feel of the piano action is very personal. Some concert pianists would to ship their favorite piano to a venue across the continent to be performed.

Now that I'm familiar with the Steinway at the last meetup, I'll be more at ease for the next meeup.

ShiroKuro

Animisha Isn't it possible to take a look at the venue anyway?

I don't know, actually. I've never been there, so I don't know if it's in a space that's open when not in use.... The concert I'm to play at isn't until the end of Nov, so I can try to find out.

ShiroKuro

keff It is hard enough to find a comfortable venue with a nice piano.

Exactly!

@Sam 's post made me think "no good deed goes unpunished!" :/

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