Week 1: Status check! (also pick your piece!)
Hello and welcome to the WEEK ONE 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 January 23 - 30 I hope to be reading your daily updates in this very thread right here!
Here is this week's assignment!
1. Pick your piece!
2. If a new piece, post your sight-reading of it (never hurts to practice this valuable skill!) If it is an old piece, let's try and dust it off, and play through what we can, to evaluate its current condition. Let us know what your "piece status" is!
3. Optional: Tell us WHY you picked this piece that you love so much!
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- For the last few weeks I found myself waking up every morning with the g-minor Prelude or Fugue of Bach WTC 1 in my mind. So I have decided to learn those. I truly love these pieces and I‘m happy to share my progress for the challenge. Here the Fugue - not purrfect , still plenty to work on - but at least there is a cat in the video
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Andrea Buckland Lovely Bach. Nice to see that your cat plays too!
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Andrea Buckland you played so beautifully that you inspired your furry friend to participate! :)
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Andrea Buckland Beautiful and insightful playing, Andrea! Despite the jumping cat...
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Michael Absolutely, Michael! Yes, yes and yes!
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Juan Carlos Olite Hazel Natalie Peh Vidhya Bashyam Michael Thank you for listening! Your support means a lot to me!
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Andrea Buckland Bach's music is so glorious, and your playing suits the music. Just lovely!
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Michelle R Thank you, Michelle! I love his music more every day.
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Andrea Buckland Beautiful playing, Andrea! It seems you were ment to play Bach for this challenge <3
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Sindre Skarelven <3 thanks Sindre
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Andrea Buckland very nice!
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Andrea Buckland Thanks for this piece. Wonderful.
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Andrea Buckland This piece is played in one of my favorite keys, so you had me at G minor! Wonderful expressive playing Andrea! This fugue was so comforting and nostalgic. Thank you for sharing it!
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Andrea Buckland What a rich and serene interpretation. A day with Bach and kitty cats is the BEST!
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Darrell Jenkins Thank you very much, Darrell! Strangely enough G- minor is also one of my favorite keys. Something I can’t explain. I feel this key to be very human somehow.
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Gail Starr Thank you, Gail! My cat probably prefers the days with more Kitkat and less Bach.
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Andrea Buckland Me too! g minor and c minor are the BEST!!
- For the last few weeks I found myself waking up every morning with the g-minor Prelude or Fugue of Bach WTC 1 in my mind. So I have decided to learn those. I truly love these pieces and I‘m happy to share my progress for the challenge. Here the Fugue - not purrfect , still plenty to work on - but at least there is a cat in the video
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Today I tackled Beethoven Son12 Op26 Andante Variation 2, made progress, but man, I don't have the visual tracking and focus skills to check the score and find where my hands are. I think the only hope is to memorize, something I've never done before. Playing this is a high bandwidth effort.
Another thing that's weird about this piece--it's generally annotated as piano, like the rest of the Andante and variations. Piano isn't the volume that comes to my mind when I see leaping staccato notes and repeated mashing of 4-note cords. I just wanna play it really fast and loud.
Perhaps in 3 weeks I'll be able at least to hit the notes.
Once again, thanks to all of your for your supportive comments!
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Michael So much progress! Sounding great. Looks like your dog enjoys your practice sessions too!
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Michael Well done, Michael!
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Michael Good job, here with dog instead of cat, pets like Tonebase pianists!
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Juan Carlos Olite and Vidhya Bashyam My dog provides encouragement when I practice, most of the time. But when he gets fed up, he stands on his hind feet and bangs on the keyboard. Or just stares at me and barks relentlessly.
Maybe we need to start a new forum topic with photos of our critters lurking around the piano: "Pets of Tonebase"
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Michael Brilliant idea, Michael! Our cat used to sleep inside the piano when he was small. Now - when he is fed up with my practice, he puts his paw on the strings and looks at me provocatively. If this doesn’t help he bites the music or kicks it off. Quite a terrible cat really. Here is a photo of his wicked self when he was small… #tonebasepets #pianocats
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Michael this sounds wonderful! Well done.
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Michael Our cats do something similar. They visit me when I start to practise. My playing is their signal for demanding more food. I sit each of them on the side of the piano stool, not together - there's not enough room for all of us. They then retire elsewhere when my movements are too disturbing for them.
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Michael What a vivacious interpretation! No wonder your puppy loves it.
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