I'm still in the process of updating my piano intentions for 2025.

The classical oriented intentions are pretty straight forward.

I'd really like to finish Piano Adventures level 5, as it would free up 15 minutes of practice time for either other piano things or other hobbies. I thought this one would be easy, but I started Unit 1 out of 6 Units back in September and I'm still on Unit 1. So this one may or may not happen.

Also classical oriented is working through as much piano exam grade 4 repertoire and technical requirements that I can manage during the year.

Pallas I have need for enjoyment. I love all kinds of music, but my favorite genre is arrangements of film scores for solo piano.

I think that has become my new favorite music genre also. It used to be jazz and I still like jazz a lot. Unlike classical pieces, neither of those genres lend themselves to a straight forward learning progression because they're arrangements. I'm in the no-man's land of beyond 'easy piano' arrangements where I can only give something my best guess if I'll be able to play it. Working my way up through graded piano exam literature is one way I can prepare for some of the nicer arrangements (I have champagne taste with beer skills).

Kaydia As far as wishes go... I will say that I am very excited about learning the piano right now, to the point where I've been neglecting my other hobbies. So I do wish to strike a better balance with my time in that regard.

I can relate! I still have some weeds as tall as me in my backyard garden and half a bookcase of garden books that I haven't been reading.

        Pallas So. Much. Therapy. 😝 It only took me 10 years to figure this stuff out. Hopefully, I start learning a little faster at some point. Probably not though. I think I'm stuck in the turtle lane.

        Kudos on your personal growth! And, for what it's worth, you're not alone in feeling like you're in the Turtle Lane.

          • Kaydia

          • Post #18
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          lilypad Gardening is something I've always wanted to really get into. Unfortunately, turns out I don't have a green thumb. So I learned to plant only maintenance-free perennial plants around my house. The only houseplants I don't accidentally kill off seem to be succulents.

          Thinking about this, though, I'm now wanting to give it another try, but keep it simple and make my piano-playing area more inviting with some greenery.

          I don't know where you are weather-wise, but hopefully you'll at least find the time to get some of that gardening reading in.

              Since the beginning of my piano journey I have been trying to run, constantly worrying how little time I have left to learn. I want to stop worrying about time. (Well, actually, I want to stop worrying, period). This year I intend to be more patient. I want to learn properly how to walk, regardless of whether I will be able to run later, but at least I will know how to walk gracefully. I will use the 40 pieces challenge to learn to play as musically as I can as many beginner pieces as I can (and certainly all those that I skipped when I should have been learning them) and as many Czerny and co. exercises as I can bear, so as to build my technique, hoping it will gradually give me proper foundation to play the pieces I love.

              Kaydia I am very excited about learning the piano right now, to the point where I've been neglecting my other hobbies. So I do wish to strike a better balance with my time in that regard.

              Similar here. Semi-retirement has wreaked havoc in my time management, and I can’t seem to get to grips with it. But I need to, and I will.
              All the best to you all for your whishes/dreams/plans for 2025 and beyond 💗

                  • Kaydia

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                  Gooseberry Yep, semi-retirement is what did it to me as well. Hoping to fully retire by the end of the year. Meanwhile, my biggest time-sink is the infinite number of YouTube videos out there. In my defense, I'm mostly watching piano-related videos lately. But I hear the videos related to my other hobbies calling me. Help! 😂

                      Pallas Thank you, knowing that I'm not alone in it means a lot! Best wishes to you too.

                        Kaydia I'm mostly watching piano-related videos lately. But I hear the videos related to my other hobbies calling me. Help! 😂

                        Same 😂

                          Kaydia ... to the point where I've been neglecting my other hobbies.

                          This rings so true.

                            Pallas My husband and I have devoted an entire floor of a 3-story house to our hobbies. One and a half floors, if I'm honest

                            So much room sounds lovely. I have must of my stuff crammed into my computer room. But it's just me so not so bad.

                            Pallas But piano has stepped to the front, and the other stuff is languishing. I refuse to feel guilty about that though. For everything there is a season.

                            I hear what you're saying. I'm fine with some sitting idle for now (like sewing). But some hobbies, such as drawing, can languish to the point where one needs to relearn their skills. Those are the ones that are calling the loudest.

                                Pallas I DO feel guilty. But I'm TRYING not to, because guilt doesn't solve anything

                                That's right! Guilt doesn't solve anything. So stop feeling guilty! Easier said than done, I know.

                                The most recent hobby I picked up (other than piano) was painting with watercolors. I started that late last summer. The last piece I did was a page of doodles to practice various techniques. My profile picture shows part of that page. I'm hoping that as I see it when I'm online here, it will inspire me to get back to it. I'm sure it will. Annnny moment now. 😁

                                Now, to get back on topic... > Pallas Got some dreams?

                                I may have mentioned this in the Alfred's thread, that I would love to one day be able to take piano lessons. I'm fine with self-learning for now. But eventually, I'd love to have a teacher. So I'll be dreaming about/ hoping that I can make that happen this year.

                                    @Kaydia I definitely recommend piano lessons. Sometimes it takes a while to find a teacher who’s a good fit, but having a piano teacher is great, not just for piano learning and progress but also to have someone to share the piano journey with. I have now been playing piano for 25 years (yikes), but I still take lessons. I should sit down sometime and try to figure out how many years of lessons I’ve had, because there were times when I had to stop for various reasons. But I have gained so much from lessons, I’ll probably continue them forever, if I can.

                                    ETA: I just did a back of the napkin calculation 😅 and subtracting all the times when I was without a teacher (when we moved, or the teacher moved, or I took a break from lessons for professional reasons)… I think I have had 20 years of lessons so far. Wow.

                                      On the topic of hobbies…

                                      I used to do Aikido (a Japanese martial art). When I started piano, I had been doing aikido for probably 7+ years. I had a black belt, I sometimes taught classes, and I met my husband through aikido, so we generally went to practice together etc.

                                      After I started learning piano, at some point, I started to notice that as we would be leaving the house to go to the dojo, what I really wanted to do was stay home and practice the piano. I worked full time (then as now) and so time is always limited. Eventually, I was skipping more and more aikido practices for piano, and I decided to “take a break” from aikido. I never went to practice again after that.

                                      I still work full time, so my free time is limited by that. Over the years, there have been other things I’d like to do, and other instruments I’d like to learn, but in the end, I always decide that piano takes priority and I realize I can’t pursue more than one hobby. I’m ok with that. The only thing I’ve managed to do with any consistency besides piano is make time for exercise, but I didn’t see that as a hobby so much as a health maintenance thing.

                                      For those of you who are retired, I’ll let you all decide whether or how you can have more than one hobby.

                                      But for those of us not retired, then there are many more restrictions on our time, and I think it’s ok to just pick one hobby.

                                      Or if you can make it work with your schedule, have more than one hobby and be ok with possibly slower progress but more activities.

                                      I think your heart tells you how you want to be spending your time. Mine did, and does.

                                        Josephine I think my dream for this year is to be able to say nice and positive things to myself more often.

                                        This is a lovely idea! I should do it too, not just to myself but about myself when I talk to others.

                                        I have a tendency to criticize my piano playing too much when I play for other people.

                                        We had guests over on Christmas Eve and I played for them (four pieces, my three recital pieces from November and a newer piece I’m hoping to perform in February. After I finished, one of the people, who knew that I started piano as an adult, asked how long I’ve been playing. I said something like “an embarrassingly long time.” This comment comes from what’s in my head, which is, “given how long I’ve been playing, I should be better by now.”

                                        My friend responded kindly, “there was nothing embarrassing about how you played for us just now.” I remember thinking what a gracious come-back that was!

                                        So here’s another thing to strive for: 1) to not criticize my piano playing out loud to other people, and 2) to compliment my piano playing to myself. I think it’s fine, important even, to be able to articulate areas for improvement etc., but I think we should all be complimenting ourselves, our piano playing, a lot more.

                                            ShiroKuro

                                            That's a good idea! I didn't think of that, but I have the same habit. I will try to do that as well.

                                              Pallas and @Josephine have you heard of the Buddhist idea of “monkey mind”? I don’t know that it’s the same as your hamsters, but probably close.

                                              I always use that expression (about myself) when talking with my piano teacher about how (or why) I have trouble staining focused and concentrating while performing or trying to record.

                                                ShiroKuro I definitely recommend piano lessons. Sometimes it takes a while to find a teacher who’s a good fit, but having a piano teacher is great, not just for piano learning and progress but also to have someone to share the piano journey with.

                                                I've gotten a taste for the benefit of a teacher from pairing my method books with the guy from Let's Play Piano Methods on YouTube. His channel is awesome, but like he has said himself, he can only show us so much in a video format, plus we're missing out on personal feedback. Even so, his videos are really enhancing my self-learning lessons for now.

                                                ShiroKuro ETA: I just did a back of the napkin calculation 😅 and subtracting all the times when I was without a teacher (when we moved, or the teacher moved, or I took a break from lessons for professional reasons)… I think I have had 20 years of lessons so far. Wow.

                                                Wow, indeed! That's great!

                                                    Kaydia The only houseplants I don't accidentally kill off seem to be succulents.

                                                    I once killed 17 house plants (with help from my cat at the time, who liked to dump them onto the floor). Almost the same story with container plants. A plant has to be in the ground to have a chance with me.

                                                        ShiroKuro But for those of us not retired, then there are many more restrictions on our time, and I think it’s ok to just pick one hobby.

                                                        Absolutely!

                                                        ShiroKuro Or if you can make it work with your schedule, have more than one hobby and be ok with possibly slower progress but more activities.

                                                        This was my approach when I was working full time. I've never minded slow progress in learning new things. I like learning new things and can happily research a new hobby (ie: YouTube, reddit, facebook) for hours on end. I get just as much enjoyment out of the learning phase as I do with the activities themselves.

                                                            • Kaydia

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                                                            lilypad I once killed 17 house plants (with help from my cat at the time, who liked to dump them onto the floor). Almost the same story with container plants. A plant has to be in the ground to have a chance with me.

                                                            That's what your cat was trying to tell you. 😆 If you haven't already, you may want to consider giving succulents a try. They come in small varieties, so maybe you can keep them up out of the way of any feline monsters.

                                                            ETA: Or a terrarium. Those can be cool. I had one of those many decades ago. So I've just given myself another hobby idea here. So much to do, so little time!

                                                                Pallas from the sidelines, in the movie trailer voice
                                                                Thusly was Brain Hamster 2,321 born...

                                                                Must. Not. Watch. 200 terrarium. YouTube. Videos.

                                                                🤣 I never knew about Brain Hamsters until this forum. So interesting. As for the video watching? I'm pretty sure it's a forgone conclusion.