rach3master — Call of Silence: Attack on Titan OST
Wow, I never watched anime (I don't even know exactly what it is, I always thought cartoons for adults). So when I started to listen, it was with the idea of listening to "Tom chases Jerry" type of soundtrack... and I was very pleasantly surprised to realize how pensive and (your words) emotional it sounded! Thank you for opening my eyes/ears!

MarieJ — I Giorni
I can't even imagine recording a six minute piece... very nicely played! What caught me too was your search for the music you want to play... I can absolutely relate to that. I'm still in the process of finding out exactly what I'd like to play someday... so right now I still try "a little bit of everything" (though I'm also finding more pieces I'm very happy to skip in my method book, so it's a process that's already happening). But you found your "musical calling" and the passion/love shows in your performance! Well done!

Sgisela — Danza de los ñáñigos
A very interesting piece! It always fascinates me how tastes can vary from person to person - yet it's all excellent music and can be enjoyed by many. I loved how flawlessly you performed it! When the passion shows this much, it becomes a delight to listen and teaches me to widen my horizon at times. Thank you!

Greta99 — Berceuse, Op. 23 No. 1
What a sweet piece, well played! It's nice to see something from a female composer - not unusual now, but definitely back then. Sweet how she dedicated it to her daughter - very fitting for such a delicate piece.

ShiroKuro — Wind
This is the type of music that often used played in hotel lobbies if they had a live performer and rightfully so - it flows pleasantly and puts people in a good mood. I also much prefer the camera angle you use now - before all we saw was this big piano... it was nice to see your hands dance deftly over the keys.

              Sophia I always thought cartoons for adults

              I would say that's not an inaccurate description, just add that anime is from Japan, and you've covered the most important details. An interesting thing about anime is that the quality of music used in anime, as well as music used in Japanese games (e.g., Final Fantasy) is often quite high. By which I mean, very good music composed by classically trained composers, unlike a lot of animated movies made in the US, which often have pop songs as the driving music, and then more generic movie music in the back.... Hmm, maybe this isn't super accurate, take it with a grain of salt! 😃

              Sophia I also much prefer the camera angle you use now - before all we saw was this big piano...

              😆 I know, like that one video I shared where you could kind of see the top of my poofy hair 😆
              I still hope to some day make cool videos like @iternabe where the keyboard is horizontal, or @Pathbreaker where you can add the score to the video.... Maybe some day!

              it was nice to see your hands dance deftly over the keys.

              Thank you! And thank you for your other kind words about my playing!!

                  iternabe I think this is excellent both technically and musically. And by technically I don't just mean you're playing the correct notes and the correct rhythms. I mean the movements of your fingers, wrists, and arms look very good. Both teacher and student should be commended here.

                    Rob I really like this. it's mellow with a tinge of sadness. Just a beautiful piece.

                    BicBic Great playing! I share your love of the mazurkas. You really caught the feel of this one.

                    Sgisela Nicely played! Those right hand chords look pretty tough.

                    Gooseberry Boy does that bring back some memories. You really caught the feel of it. (I keep waiting for the synth and flute to come in 🙂 )

                              Peyton Boy does that bring back some memories

                              ... of those blissful days before I had to pay bills 😄
                              Thank you for listening and commenting!

                                hebele I am not sure if I want to follow Faber 3B after finishing AIO2. But I think I should get it just to pick and choose pieces like this one.

                                From a performance perspective, 3B isn't necessary, the AIO and 3B cover the same ground in this respect. From a theory perspective, it's probably necessary depending on the student. The AIO series leaves out too much theory (and explanations) while numbing the brain with the world's most horrible pieces to practice.

                                I would suggest that if you have a solid grasp of the theory, then 3B isn't necessary. But, if you have any gaps, then either go through 3B strictly for the theory stuff or pick up an early intermediate level theory book to ensure you are where you need to be and move onto the next level in the Faber regular series.

                                Currently I'm getting help with the theory stuff from another source besides Faber. Simple things that Faber doesn't tell us - like the V7 chord is pronounced FIVE seven - and why the chords progress like they do. It's slow for me because I don't have a sufficient background in theory, thanks to Faber, but the internet helps fill in the gaps. Gaps like; is the F in the G7 chord Natural or Sharp? (It's Natural in the G7 but sharp in the GMaj7 chord. Yeah, go figure.)

                                Anyway, assess where you are and if you have a solid grounding in theory, and can play Canon in D at the end of the AOI, then 3B isn't necessary.

                                  Animisha Sweet. Sounds great.

                                    ShiroKuro Beautiful lyrical playing. Very nice. Ending worked well I thought.

                                        • Sophia

                                        • Post #113
                                        • Edited

                                        Pathbreaker — Op. 116 No. 6, Intermezzo in E major
                                        Wow, very delicately played. It was nice that you showed us the score, it made me dizzy even trying to follow it, let alone PLAY it. You played with so much feeling and emotion, perfect!

                                        Sam — "An Important Event" from the Scenes from Childhood
                                        It definitely didn't sound too slow for me... I think speeding it up would make it sound less regal anyway. That's MY story and I'm sticking to it too ^_^

                                        BicBic — Mazurka Op.6 No.2
                                        I think Chopin is rapidly becoming my favourite classical composer... such a pretty piece and you played it well. Lovey use of triples and dynamics, hard to believe you only played for a year! Ok as re-beginner, but still 🙂

                                        bSharp — Journey - Open Arms
                                        Very pretty! to answer your question: I don't know what it was supposed to sound like, but it sounded like a beautiful, rich piano to me 😃 This is a very pretty piece and it was nice to read along with your playing... I like how it starts so gently, then swells and swells, and then quietly fades away again.

                                                Seeker Thank you!!

                                                  Sam I admit that I am not very familiar with Schuman's Kinderszenen. So I've looked it up. Apparently he described them as "more cheerful, gentler, more melodic" than his earlier works. And they were originally titled as "Easy Pieces". Yes, this peace is very cheerful, full of excitement. But not gentle! And definitely does not sound easy! Thanks for sharing. So informative for me.

                                                  SalmonJack ah it is definitely pleasant to listen to. And it was fun to follow to follow the music on the first video with the help of the spray bottle. I like how it guides me through key and meter changes 🙂 Thank you.

                                                  Rob thanks for sharing this. Wales is a special place for me. I got connected to it because of a bittersweet twist of fate. So this was emotional. Thanks again.

                                                  BicBic I had associated mazurkas with Chopin but nothing about him is simple. So never occurred to me that mazurkas are based on folk dances! I agree that this one sounds fun. It is a yet another impressive submission from BicBic. Thanks.

                                                  Sgisela I am not familiar with this at all. But sounds wonderful and exotic to me. You should more than "reasonably happy" about it 🙂. Thanks for sharing.

                                                            plop_symphony — A Hermit Crab Surfing
                                                            That's a fun piece and you played it well. Great progress for 2 years.
                                                            Player1 — Legend of Madrid
                                                            This is a lovely piece and although it's still a work in progress you played many parts of it very well. It must be so frustrating that health problems got in the way of you polishing the piece, but I feel that once your health improves you will quickly iron out any small problems and produce an awesome rendition of this piece (which is quite tricky, but worth the effort).
                                                            MarieJ — I Giorni
                                                            I'm also a fan of Einaudi so this piece is right up my street - nice choice! You played this beautifully and the images were well chosen to fit the music. Great job.
                                                            hebele — Minuet in G
                                                            Great job on a piece that is not as easy as it looks, especially after just a year of playing. I think you travelled through this rite of passage pretty smoothly - job done!
                                                            Pathbreaker — Op. 116 No. 6, Intermezzo in E major
                                                            You played this demanding piece very proficiently - impressive! It must be wonderful having the skills to play at such an advanced level.
                                                            Calavera — Antipyretic
                                                            You played this complex piece very well, you've clearly put a lot of work into developing your skills and it has paid off.
                                                            WieWaldi — Frisco Blues
                                                            You are a natural when it comes to playing the blues. You have a relaxed and gentle style that makes your playing appear effortless - I wonder if perhaps you are quite a laid back person and this is just how you are generally? Anyway, please keep posting your blues pieces - I'm a convert to this genre now!
                                                            Sam — "An Important Event" from the Scenes from Childhood
                                                            I had not heard this piece before, but it's certainly got my attention now! It doesn't scream "childhood" to me, but anyway you played it impressively, your years of experience show in the way you mastered this piece.

                                                            "Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." (Final line from Now,Voyager, 1942)

                                                                            bSharp Wonderful playing. The piano sounds great too. (Can't wait to hear your version of Shallow. I love that song.)

                                                                            Greta99 Sweet piece and great playing! I've never heard this before. Really nice.

                                                                            ShiroKuro Very nice. I swear, right when you started playing I could almost hear wind. (Could be the storm outside ha ha ha). But seriously, you really evoke the feeling of the piece. And BTW, when you figure out how to film horizontally with the i-phone please let me know how you do it.

                                                                                    • Sam

                                                                                    • Post #118

                                                                                    WieWaldi Unfortunately Schumann put a metronome marking on these pieces. This one is quarter note = 138! Faster than march tempo. Almost twice as fast as I played it. He must have been in a manic phase when he wrote that number down.

                                                                                      Peyton Very nice. I swear, right when you started playing I could almost hear wind. (Could be the storm outside ha ha ha). But seriously, you really evoke the feeling of the piece.

                                                                                      Thank you!! It's wonderful to know that I could convey some of that!

                                                                                      And BTW, when you figure out how to film horizontally with the i-phone please let me know how you do it.

                                                                                      uh-oh, so I guess this means it's going to be harder than I thought..... 😬

                                                                                        SalmonJack
                                                                                        Nice composition. Thanks for sharing!

                                                                                          Sam
                                                                                          That was gorgeous! While listening, I thought “It’s so pompous, it must be a parody of sorts” and then I read what you wrote about its mock seriousness. Great playing, as always!

                                                                                            WieWaldi
                                                                                            I love the relaxed, confident way you play those blues pieces – it’s obvious to me that you are a natural!