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

I'm attending a piano meetup this Sunday. I haven't been performing piano pieces in public for a while. The last time was last November playing "What a Wonderful World" in a store with an untuned piano.

Not sure how many will be at the event. A month ago whan I signed up there were only 4 names on the list. The repertoire is totally open and announced by each performer at the event. I've picked 2 Bach pieces including my arrangement of a Chorale in Cm and "Sarabande" from French Suite #3 in Bm. I worked on both pieces before and know them reasonably well.

This is not a competition but a chance for people to gain confidence playing in front of others starting with a small audience up to 20 at most. Some will be playing from the score while others improvise. Nobody is judged so mistakes are allowed.

ShiroKuro

thepianoplayer416 This is not a competition but a chance for people to gain confidence playing in front of others starting with a small audience up to 20 at most. Some will be playing from the score while others improvise. Nobody is judged so mistakes are allowed.

Sounds wonderful!!

Next week, I will get more information about the event I'm playing at, but I don't think it's like what you're describing, which to me sounds like a "music for musicians" kind of event. Maybe some day I can find one like that -- or make my own!

thepianoplayer416

ShiroKuro
Today practiced the 2 pieces I'm planning to perform for just over an hour. I performed pieces on violin before but not very much on a piano.

A few years ago I was at a Christmas gathering. At least half the people in the room said they took music lessons for a few years but nobody was comfortable playing a tune on the digital keyboard in the room. I've given it a lot of thought. I've always feel there is a disconnect between what people learn in the classroom and what they should be able to do supposedly, In a typical workplace, if you say you took Spanish classes, the manager expects you to be able to communicate with customers in Spanish than the fact that you took Spanish for 10 years. Apparently some people who spent years learning music and even took conservatory exams but performing in front of others is still a challenge.

I also met music students who performed before. Some would stick to pieces assigned by their teachers. I don't have problem playing my own pieces the way I feel they should be performed. The upcoming event on Sunday gives me the opportunity to showcase my playing and to share my passion for music with others.

Sam

Make your own if there is not one around you. I made one, which started really small and gradually grew over the years. We are in our fifth year. We meet monthly, go from house to house, and have one formal recital in the fall in a local church. We don't have any rules, collect no dues or fees, and allow any type of music.

Our monthly meetings start at 3PM, and we each play one or two pieces. We bring food to share after playing. It is all very low key and a lot of fun. We even have some people who do not play and just come to listen. We average about 10 or 12 people each month, but when we started it was only 4 or 5. We do not advertise or publicize our events in any way - it is all friends telling friends.

I also belong to another, much more formal, group that has dues, rules, and a more intimidating atmosphere. They meet monthly in a piano store (one reason for the dues), have one Zoom meeting a month, and one meeting in a home every month - so very active. And also periodic concerts and other events.

If you are in Georgia, either north or south of Atlanta, and want to join us - send me a PM.

Sam

ShiroKuro

Sam Make your own if there is not one around you.

I would love to do this. The group you started sounds exactly like what I want. But it’s kind of hard to get it started without at least one other friend who plays. That’s why I reached out to the strings teacher, because she’s the only music teacher I’ve found so far who specifically caters to adults. And through her is how I got to connected to the cellist I’m going to go meet today. Hopefully meeting her and doing the retirement home concerts will help me start to get to know more musicians.

I would also be happy to be part of something like the dues paying group you described, but so far I haven’t found something like that and there’s not a big music store (or even a small music store) here in town. I’ve been wondering if there’s a church with a nicely maintained piano that would let a group like that rent the space. So again, hopefully I can make a few more connections and then help things grow from there.

I think the big thing is bringing together people who play, because we are each other’s best audience, for one thing. For another, I’m wondering about playing at the retirement center… what I mean is, the people who attend may not be interested in the kind of music I’m playing, and I’ve been thinking about the question of “who this event is for”… Is it for them, the audience? Or for us, the musicians? It seems to me that the answer to that question should inform the way you choose what to play. Ideally it could be a bit of both, of course. But I’m going to talk to my piano teacher about that today.

ShiroKuro

thepianoplayer416 I do think piano students should be encouraged to make performing for others part of their piano study, although not everyone wants to do that.

But for adult beginners (or people who started as adults) it can be hard to play when you feel like the expectation is that you’ll play at a professional level. I think that’s what stops people from playing casually when there’s a piano and someone says “why don’t you play?”

But on the other hand, if there’s even one person brave enough to make the first move, then it makes it easier for everyone else.

I hosted my program at my house a few weeks ago (so about five profs and 10 grad students from uni). Someone asked me to play, so I did — far from perfectly but it was fine. Well after that, all the students who had played when they were younger wanted to try the piano. I found a book that had some pieces they knew and several of them poked around at the piano together, it was charming. And probably they were encouraged by my normal (i.e. not professional) level of playing.

Pallas

ShiroKuro But on the other hand, if there’s even one person brave enough to make the first move, then it makes it easier for everyone else.

I've been thinking about creating a piano meetup for North Shore MA, as I feel intimidated by the seriousness of the Boston group. In my limited experience, people have seemed impressed at the courage it takes to start learning as an adult. I was very nervous at my recent "recital," but for the most part I don't have a problem playing in front of people, because I always say I'm a beginner. I haven't had anyone respond with anything but admiration for the hard work that goes into studying. And honestly, if anyone ever sneered, I would not respect their opinion. I think some of us bring our critics around with us in our heads, and we'll rarely find them among regular people. When we do, they should be easy to ignore, as they're either ignorant of what it takes to learn, or they're insufferably arrogant and not worth trying to impress anyway.

I'm trying really hard to take my own advice, but I still feel nervous. So this comes from a place of understanding and empathy for those of us with shaky hands on the keys.

ShiroKuro

Pallas I've been thinking about creating a piano meetup for North Shore MA, as I feel intimidated by the seriousness of the Boston group

You should definitely do it!

Pallas I think some of us bring our critics around with us in our heads, and we'll rarely find them among regular people.

Exactly!

thepianoplayer416

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.

ShiroKuro

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!

ShiroKuro

Although my sightreading is so much better than it used to be, maybe I'm overestimating the amount of prep it would require.

Sam

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

ShiroKuro

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!

thepianoplayer416

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

ShiroKuro

ShiroKuro 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?

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

ShiroKuro

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!!

keff

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.

ShiroKuro

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?

ShiroKuro

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!

thepianoplayer416

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.

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