Week 4: Post your Progress!
Hello and welcome to the WEEK FOUR Main Thread for this challenge! 
Alright everyone - this is the thread where we'll all be posting our daily updates.
Make sure you've read the rules before replying (<- click)
Twice a week between August 21 - 26th I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
Post your progress on your pieces! If you are able to perform or play through sections of your music, share it with us! Let's celebrate your hard work during this past month!
We will have a watch party featuring your recordings that you upload down below on this thread, but if you would like to play LIVE please considering joining the "back to school" recital!
Assignments:
1. Record a run-through or performance of your piece!
2. Post it below
3. Write down the progress that you have seen in the last month and share that insight with all of us!
-
Hi everyone! Here is the status of Debussy's Sunken Cathedral. I agree with Juan Carlos Olite, that I could use many more weeks to continue to refine this. It is not at performance level yet, but I have learned so much more about this piece than when I played it 5-6 years ago. I will continue working on this. I do need to memorize it to play it really well. Parts are memorized, but more to do. I thank you so much for this challenge to push me back into serious practice. I look forward to having time to listen to everyone's pieces. Thank you.
-
Jennifer Mehta Very lovely and mysterious. You have inspired me to try to work on this piece!
-
Jennifer Mehta Well done on this performance. You brought out many impressionist colours in this piece:)
-
Jennifer Mehta Bravo, Jennifer!
You bring out all those colors beautifully, and with a sense of direction threw the whole piece! Great performance! -
Sindre Skarelven Vidhya Bashyam Juan Carlos Olite Derek McConville Alexander Weymann Gail Starr Thank you all for your kind words. I appreciate that the dynamic changes came through. I did purchase a microphone and have been experimenting with placement for the best recordings. I have more work to do on this piece, but have really enjoyed this challenge, and the practicing! Thank you all.
-
Jennifer Mehta love the mood you create with this piece and the attention you have given to the dynamics! Beautiful playing, Jennifer!
-
Jennifer Mehta Could you please tell me what kind of microphone you purchased? I really need to get one!
-
Natalie Peh thank you so much! I appreciate the encouragement. It spurs me on
-
Gail Starr somebody suggested 2 different owners to me during the Grieg challenge. The first is the Shure MV 88.
The second is the Rode NT-USB. I got this one. Mainly because it was cheaper. But, it really is a much better quality sound than I could get from any of my devices. I don鈥檛 know that it is the best one out there, but much better than before. It is easy to use. It plugs into the USB-C port, and you just have to tell your device to use that microphone.
Others may have other suggestions as well. I would love to hear what you get and how it works or you.
-
Jennifer Mehta Ha! Should be 2 different ones, not owners. Hahahahaha
-
Jennifer Mehta Amazon calls the one that I bought a few years ago an "IK Multimedia iRig Mic Studio Compact Digital Recording 1" Capsule Condenser Microphone with 24-bit 48Khz converters"
I have no idea what any of that means, but I like it and it works well (and is indescribably easy to use). The sound is softer when I record myself with that microphone as opposed to my iPhone's built-in mic, but it is also much rounder and more refined - there are no tinny or reedy noises mixed in at all, which is nice. -
Jennifer Mehta LOL! I figured it wasn't "owners". I just chatted with a friend who records a great deal, and he knows my piano and set up. I think he'll get me some good info...looks like I'll actually need TWO mics.,..
-
Alexander Weymann Thanks a million! I'll check it out. Right now I just record with my phone because the little phone mic that plugs into my phone doesn't allow me to hold the mic on my stand properly. I think I need to "translate" what all that technical terminology actually means. Someday.
-
Gail Starr oh, you鈥檒l get great sound with 2 mics!!!! Our church piano has 2 mica that sit inside the piano and the sound is really good. Enjoy!
-
Jennifer Mehta Fingers crossed, I hope so! I'll let you know when I finally figure out what to buy and how to set it up.
-
Gail Starr Our next tech purchase will be a 2-mic set up, which will also necessarily include a USB Audio interface (Scarlett 2i2, probably). Right now I use our laptop with a Blue Yeti, and it does a nice job for something so simple! This is what we use for online lessons, too. If I'm just recording for myself, I use my phone or iPad since I don't need separate software for the video/audio to go through. I really want to learn how to use editing /mixing software like Reaper, but though people claim it's not that complicated it looks complicated to me!
-
Michelle R Thank you! We are on this fun tech journey together. I only have a little Shure iPhone mic that I can't use because it won't work with the stand I use to prop up my phone to record. Sigh.
-
Michelle R PS: Martin has hosted a couple of recording live streams already, but I need to re-watch them and pay attention this time. LOL!
-
Gail Starr Yes, I've watched them, and I got really excited learning all the new terminology! I promptly upgraded after watching and have been saving to upgrade again.
-
Michelle R Wonderful!
-
Jennifer Mehta Sounding great--very nice crescendo in the middle. And, I see you got the Rode mic. Awesome! Have you downloaded the Rode Capture app to record video? If yes, it should allow you to turn the "Gain" down a smidge so that you don't get clipping at the loud parts. The rule of thumb I heard was to set the gain so that the loudest you'll play is around -6 dB. :)
Have you asked your tuner about the pedal creaking? My piano's pedal was creaking (was driving me crazy), and all it needed basically was some more felt/microfiber cloth around the pedal spring and pitman dowel.
-
Marc M HI Marc! Yes, thank you for the tips about the mics before. This has made the recordings so much better! And it captures the nuances of dynamics much better. Thanks so much also for the tip about the Rode Capture App. I will explore that and the adjustments. Thank you!!!!
I have been working with the tuner/technician about the pedal. He made some adjustments last time short of taking the pedal arrangement apart. It helped for a while. But, I think on the next visit he will need to be more aggressive in dealing with this.
Thank you for your many suggestions, and encouragement.
-
-
Hi everyone,
Here is my final version of the Chopin Valse op.18. It's certainly progress compared to the start of this challenge but still a lot more polish required. I was struggling to get practice time with other commitments but still glad I took part in this :)
Derek
-
Derek McConville That was great, Derek! While I understand your desire for it to have more polish, there were so many good parts to it. Overall, I found it super enjoyable to listen to and I couldn't help but sway to the music (and if I had been in a larger space, I would've probably gotten up and danced around!).
-
Derek McConville thank you for this! What a great piece. And you are doing really well with this. I totally understand struggling to et practice time. I had the same problem.
-
Derek McConville Great playing! You have captured the essence of this elegant and lively waltz! Amazing piece to complete in such a short time!
-
