So I didn't think it could possibly get worse.
And then after a Thursday with no opportunity to practice (choir rehearsals and yoga classes drove me far, far from the church), driven by the fear of another lesson this weekend, I decided I would try again at 10pm after the last choir rehearsal. At 9:30, a half hour early, I practiced a bit on the upright (free for the first time that day - the yoga room, the daycare room, the voice coaching room), waiting for the sanctuary and the grand piano to be free at 10. Finally the choir leaves. I walk downstairs, anticipating a night with the piano all to myself, and I open the door...and there, seated at the harpsichord, is an ancient man tuning the thing. Oh fine, I think, and stomp back upstairs to the upright. Tuning a harpsichord can't take all that long can it? I remember the tuner at MSM, and she didn't take too terribly long. I think maybe an hour ought to do it.
No. Exasperated and sick of the upright, I finally left the church over 3 hours later, at 1:30am, and the old man was STILL tuning the harpsichord. The worst part? It was still out of tune. What was he doing in there? WHAT was he DOING in there for all that TIME??? I mean SERIOUSLY. Somebody out there hates me.
15 December 2006
14 December 2006
Motivation
Today I have no motivation. None. Being sick doesn't help. I get out of the routine. And I just realized that practicing is going to be impossible for the next 3 days unless I drastically change my sleeping pattern.
I have to get out of this chair...I will not allow myself to go back to bed and watch DVDs...but that sounds so nice. Augh. I'm so lazy.
GET TO WORK!!!!! NO!!!!! YES!!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I WANT A VACATION!!!!!! From what? Seriously. Vacations are for sissies.
A nice piano all to myself for hours and hours would be lovely motivation. Sadly, nothing like that around here.
I have to get out of this chair...I will not allow myself to go back to bed and watch DVDs...but that sounds so nice. Augh. I'm so lazy.
GET TO WORK!!!!! NO!!!!! YES!!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I WANT A VACATION!!!!!! From what? Seriously. Vacations are for sissies.
A nice piano all to myself for hours and hours would be lovely motivation. Sadly, nothing like that around here.
12 December 2006
This land is my land....
This is a very weird city.
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- German animal rights activists have launched a campaign against plans to put up a giant ferris wheel in Berlin, saying it would disturb the sex lives of rhinos in a nearby zoo.
A group of investors has unveiled plans to erect a 175-meter high wheel for 120 million euros ($158.9 million) in the German capital, hoping to attract millions of visitors from 2008.
But animal rights activists oppose the project, saying the fully-illuminated wheel would disturb the rhinos' daily routine.
"We're worried that these endangered animals won't breed any more, which would hamper animal protection programs," Berlin's animal rights association said in a statement.
The planned Berlin wheel would be higher than the London Eye, which claims to be the world's tallest observation wheel at 135 meters, according to its Web site.
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- German animal rights activists have launched a campaign against plans to put up a giant ferris wheel in Berlin, saying it would disturb the sex lives of rhinos in a nearby zoo.
A group of investors has unveiled plans to erect a 175-meter high wheel for 120 million euros ($158.9 million) in the German capital, hoping to attract millions of visitors from 2008.
But animal rights activists oppose the project, saying the fully-illuminated wheel would disturb the rhinos' daily routine.
"We're worried that these endangered animals won't breed any more, which would hamper animal protection programs," Berlin's animal rights association said in a statement.
The planned Berlin wheel would be higher than the London Eye, which claims to be the world's tallest observation wheel at 135 meters, according to its Web site.
11 December 2006
Jump on the bandwagon, kids! Everyone's doing it!
That's right. Follow my lead and move to Berlin. Today I received emails from two friends, a Norwegian and a Californian, saying that Berlin is on the horizon. The Norwegian is a definite, in January, and the Californian...well, give her several months.
Finally, I lead the bandwagon. I drive the bandwagon. This is my band. Wagon. Piano. Whatever. VW? My dad drives a bug.
09 December 2006
By George, I've got it!
Maybe I should become a squatter! It's better than being a prisoner, I think, though I might become one in the process. Glenn Gould would be proud.
Now if only Michelle would move here so we could cause trouble together.... :)
Now if only Michelle would move here so we could cause trouble together.... :)
The Code
There is an unspoken code amongst musicians, a code governing behavior and social manners between colleagues. Every musician knows it and most follow its rules. For the benefit of non-musician readers, I will enumerate the main points below - if anybody would like to add to the list, please comment. (These are across-the-board valid for all musicians relating to one-another with the exception of a teacher-student relationship or between musicians who are good friends).
1. Never, never, never ask a fellow musician how much he or she practices. This is a very personal question, a very touchy subject. It's like asking, "How much do you weigh?" It's absolutely none of your business. Besides, it's more important how a person practices than how much. Some people need more time to accomplish what others can do more quickly. Of course, the best musicians combine the how and the how much, and in 8 hours, get done what mere mortals can't do in a week. To each his own.
2. Don't volunteer information about how much you practice. That's just rude. Nobody cares, and nobody is impressed. You're probably lying anyway.
3. Nobody wants to hear all the technical exercises you do. "I play the complete Hanon in a different key every day." Yeah, nobody cares. And you're probably lying. If you want a high-horse, be a gymnast.
4. Don't give unsolicited advice. If they don't ask, they don't care. "You should play the complete Hanon in a different key every day." Who are you, my teacher? Um, no.
5. Occasionally, if the conversation progresses in a civilized way, it's ok to ask current repertoire. But you have to cough up your current repertoire too. Please remember that personal anecdotes and stories about how you learned and performed Carnaval in 4 days are prohibited. Unless you want people to hate you.
6. If all the above problems have been avoided and the conversation is moving along nicely, civily, respectfully, and both people are interested, it's ok to talk about the interval span of one's hand. "How much can you reach?" is an more or less a neutral question. Everyone's hands are different, and everyone must come up with unique solutions for unique hands.
Again, in a teacher/student relationship, all this changes. A teacher should give advice--should make demands--and should ask all the tough questions, especially the "how much are you practicing" question, though usually it's clear by the playing; a student, in return, should be able to ask the teacher those "how" and "how much" questions. Also, musicians who are friends and need each other for support and inspiration may cross the line every once in awhile since it's not about bragging but about helping.
I don't know how much any of my friends practice, except that it's a lot. I don't ask; I don't need to know. And they don't ask me. We know the code. We follow it. However, it was my recent misfortune to encounter someone who crossed the line, someone who should've known better. It's insulting, offensive, and eliminates the benefit of the doubt we usually extend to new acquaintances. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to non-musicians, but it is. The code-breakers are the type who put razor blades between the piano keys.
----
Moving on, I listened to some recordings of mine from ages 17, 19, and 20, and it alarms me a bit to say that I like my playing back then better than I like my playing now. Especially at age 17. I was much closer to my aesthetic ideal back then. I think conservatory derailed me into main-stream thinking for 4 years. Somehow I've got to get back. Back in the old days, my Bach was a pretty good (if mild) imitation of Glenn Gould - and you know what? It sounded really good. Now...now it's just a mush of half-piano style, half-harpsichord style, half-nothing style, a battlefield of differing opinions. I sound like nothing because I can't make up my mind.
I also listened to some chamber music recordings from the past couple years. I miss my girls, Sara, Rena, Joanne, Gaby. Making music is so much fun with someone else. Those were special times. These days making music is a lot of work. My lessons are fun, sometimes, when I'm not terrified or he's not kicking my butt. Then we start laughing and can't stop. A threatening comment like "I'm going to KILL you if..." usually sobers things up. Actually, he's one of the most wonderful, generous people I've ever come across, not to mention a fantastic pianist and teacher. I'm very lucky.
----
Tonight I babysat two adorable, clever little American-German boys, ages 6 and 9. We played soccer for a long time in their attic, and the older boy showed me all sorts of tricks. Sometimes I wonder if I never developed beyond the 4th grade. There's something to be said for sweet little kids who just like you because. Because nothing. Just because. I like them too, just because.
1. Never, never, never ask a fellow musician how much he or she practices. This is a very personal question, a very touchy subject. It's like asking, "How much do you weigh?" It's absolutely none of your business. Besides, it's more important how a person practices than how much. Some people need more time to accomplish what others can do more quickly. Of course, the best musicians combine the how and the how much, and in 8 hours, get done what mere mortals can't do in a week. To each his own.
2. Don't volunteer information about how much you practice. That's just rude. Nobody cares, and nobody is impressed. You're probably lying anyway.
3. Nobody wants to hear all the technical exercises you do. "I play the complete Hanon in a different key every day." Yeah, nobody cares. And you're probably lying. If you want a high-horse, be a gymnast.
4. Don't give unsolicited advice. If they don't ask, they don't care. "You should play the complete Hanon in a different key every day." Who are you, my teacher? Um, no.
5. Occasionally, if the conversation progresses in a civilized way, it's ok to ask current repertoire. But you have to cough up your current repertoire too. Please remember that personal anecdotes and stories about how you learned and performed Carnaval in 4 days are prohibited. Unless you want people to hate you.
6. If all the above problems have been avoided and the conversation is moving along nicely, civily, respectfully, and both people are interested, it's ok to talk about the interval span of one's hand. "How much can you reach?" is an more or less a neutral question. Everyone's hands are different, and everyone must come up with unique solutions for unique hands.
Again, in a teacher/student relationship, all this changes. A teacher should give advice--should make demands--and should ask all the tough questions, especially the "how much are you practicing" question, though usually it's clear by the playing; a student, in return, should be able to ask the teacher those "how" and "how much" questions. Also, musicians who are friends and need each other for support and inspiration may cross the line every once in awhile since it's not about bragging but about helping.
I don't know how much any of my friends practice, except that it's a lot. I don't ask; I don't need to know. And they don't ask me. We know the code. We follow it. However, it was my recent misfortune to encounter someone who crossed the line, someone who should've known better. It's insulting, offensive, and eliminates the benefit of the doubt we usually extend to new acquaintances. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to non-musicians, but it is. The code-breakers are the type who put razor blades between the piano keys.
----
Moving on, I listened to some recordings of mine from ages 17, 19, and 20, and it alarms me a bit to say that I like my playing back then better than I like my playing now. Especially at age 17. I was much closer to my aesthetic ideal back then. I think conservatory derailed me into main-stream thinking for 4 years. Somehow I've got to get back. Back in the old days, my Bach was a pretty good (if mild) imitation of Glenn Gould - and you know what? It sounded really good. Now...now it's just a mush of half-piano style, half-harpsichord style, half-nothing style, a battlefield of differing opinions. I sound like nothing because I can't make up my mind.
I also listened to some chamber music recordings from the past couple years. I miss my girls, Sara, Rena, Joanne, Gaby. Making music is so much fun with someone else. Those were special times. These days making music is a lot of work. My lessons are fun, sometimes, when I'm not terrified or he's not kicking my butt. Then we start laughing and can't stop. A threatening comment like "I'm going to KILL you if..." usually sobers things up. Actually, he's one of the most wonderful, generous people I've ever come across, not to mention a fantastic pianist and teacher. I'm very lucky.
----
Tonight I babysat two adorable, clever little American-German boys, ages 6 and 9. We played soccer for a long time in their attic, and the older boy showed me all sorts of tricks. Sometimes I wonder if I never developed beyond the 4th grade. There's something to be said for sweet little kids who just like you because. Because nothing. Just because. I like them too, just because.
07 December 2006
Trumpet Tragedies, Queen of Nightmares, and God
Just when you thought things were starting to get boring....
http://www.billandellie.com/sounds/TrumpetBloopers.htm
Also includes that not-to-be-missed Queen of the Night by the notoriously esteemed Florence Foster Jenkins. Really, your life is not complete until you hear this recording.
To cleanse the palate, watch God play the violin. Go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwEbOoVIwak
http://www.billandellie.com/sounds/TrumpetBloopers.htm
Also includes that not-to-be-missed Queen of the Night by the notoriously esteemed Florence Foster Jenkins. Really, your life is not complete until you hear this recording.
To cleanse the palate, watch God play the violin. Go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwEbOoVIwak
05 December 2006
B.S.
That's right. B.S. This country is full of B.S. I've just about had it.
1. Beethoven and Schumann. Last December, I was battling Bach and Schubert. Stupid German composers.
2. Boys Suck. Last December: Boyfriends Suck. Know what else sucks? The price of the Euro. When I first arrived, not even three months ago, 1 Euro = 1.25 Dollars. Now, 1 Euro = 1.33 Dollars.
3. Yesterday, somebody took the plastic bag covering my Bike Seat. Yep, a Bag Stealer. In a rainstorm. That's just mean.
4. Lest I forgot what country I'm in, I had a Gestapo agent as my visa interviewer yesterday morning at 7:30am. He made up all sorts of rules that none of the other Americans I know with visas had even heard of. Result? No visa. He wouldn't give me a visa. I didn't get a visa. They let all those Muslim terrorists into Germany, they let all those unsavory Turks invade Berlin, but they won't give me a student visa. Talk about BULLSHIT.
Seriously. All I want is my own apartment with a kitchen and a piano. And a visa. Is this really too much to ask? SERIOUSLY.
1. Beethoven and Schumann. Last December, I was battling Bach and Schubert. Stupid German composers.
2. Boys Suck. Last December: Boyfriends Suck. Know what else sucks? The price of the Euro. When I first arrived, not even three months ago, 1 Euro = 1.25 Dollars. Now, 1 Euro = 1.33 Dollars.
3. Yesterday, somebody took the plastic bag covering my Bike Seat. Yep, a Bag Stealer. In a rainstorm. That's just mean.
4. Lest I forgot what country I'm in, I had a Gestapo agent as my visa interviewer yesterday morning at 7:30am. He made up all sorts of rules that none of the other Americans I know with visas had even heard of. Result? No visa. He wouldn't give me a visa. I didn't get a visa. They let all those Muslim terrorists into Germany, they let all those unsavory Turks invade Berlin, but they won't give me a student visa. Talk about BULLSHIT.
Seriously. All I want is my own apartment with a kitchen and a piano. And a visa. Is this really too much to ask? SERIOUSLY.
03 December 2006
Pianist as Psychologist
Dear Greg,
My love life sucks. I haven't been on a date in over a year. I find the piano more interesting than any of the guys I've met lately. What should I do?
Desolate in Deutschland
Dear Desolate,
Good grief! I'm not a psychologist, nor do I pretend to be!
Regardless, I can offer you two bits of common sense. 1) Be authentic. If you'd rather interest yourself with the piano, no one's stopping you. If you'd rather be out on dates, get yourself out there. 2) The piano is there to enhance real life, not supplant it.
Now, if your some reason, you are intimating that pianists (myself included) are stuck in the practice room and have no love lives, I suggest you reconsider! "Us Weekly" could easily devote an entire issue to the torrid romantic records of the great pianists.
-Greg
(www.andersonpiano.com/interact/ask.html)
My love life sucks. I haven't been on a date in over a year. I find the piano more interesting than any of the guys I've met lately. What should I do?
Desolate in Deutschland
Dear Desolate,
Good grief! I'm not a psychologist, nor do I pretend to be!
Regardless, I can offer you two bits of common sense. 1) Be authentic. If you'd rather interest yourself with the piano, no one's stopping you. If you'd rather be out on dates, get yourself out there. 2) The piano is there to enhance real life, not supplant it.
Now, if your some reason, you are intimating that pianists (myself included) are stuck in the practice room and have no love lives, I suggest you reconsider! "Us Weekly" could easily devote an entire issue to the torrid romantic records of the great pianists.
-Greg
(www.andersonpiano.com/interact/ask.html)
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