Week 4: Final Submissions!
WELCOME TO THE LATEST COMMUNITY CHALLENGE!
For this challenge "A Fresh Start" the goal is to pick a BRAND-NEW piece to work on this month.
This is the time to finally open that score that you have been thinking about and get to work!
WHAT ARE WE DOING IN WEEK 4?
1. Let's share our final progress this week - post a video of a selection, part, or entire piece to showcase your progress this month!
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I found it much more challenging than expected to play the Prelude & Gigue back-to-back in a "successful" manner. So I lowered my expectations a bit, and am mostly satisfied with this submission: it is memorized, at a decent tempo, and only a couple of pauses in the Gigue. I decided that I could either remember the notes or be aware of my wrist dropping too much - you'll see that moment! The wrist will take more time and effort to correct. Great challenge experience. As always, thanks for all the support and encouragement from my piano friends.
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Michelle R Great job. Thanks for sharing.
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Michelle R Great job, Michelle! Sounds very nice.
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Heng-Pin Chen Vidhya Bashyam Angela Fogg Jack vreeland Juan Carlos Olite Thanks so much everyone! It has been a great learning experience.
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Richard Littlewood Thanks, Richard. I was gently teasing myself about it being take 372. It just felt that way - it was 3 days of trying to get a halfway decent recording!
Sindre Skarelven Thanks, Sindre. I hadn't realized how challenging it would be to play them back to back. I'm now learning a two movement Sonatina, so this experience should help me when I play both movements together.
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Judy Kuan Thanks, Judy. I'm patient and encouraging with my clients (fitness/stretching), and need to learn to be this way with myself! I have tried to learn proper form/technique from the outset, so was more than frustrated when I recorded myself this month. But I can't improve if I don't see the problem, so in that respect it's been a good month. And the character change was much more challenging than I expected!
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Michelle R awesome job!!!! I really love the melody in that first part too. You brought that out beautifully
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Michelle R Lovely little set of pieces
I always love your sensitivity at the piano. You certainly are progressing quickly on your piano journey :) -
Andrea LeVan Thanks so much, Andrea! I had to find something interesting in the Prelude becasue I didn't really like playing it!
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Priya Viseskul Thanks, Priya. I wanted to learn to play the piano from a young age but never had the opportunity, so now that I have the chance (at a not-so-young age), I'm trying to take full advantage! I am inspired and encouraged by all of my piano friends here on TB.
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Michelle R Ah that makes so much sense! You've probably noticed that your clients with good self-awareness and persistence are the ones who make solid (but perhaps not linear/constant) progress. As Alexander Weymann has mentioned before, it's important to give ourselves some grace
Also since you mention frustration & progress - have you seen Andrew Huberman's work on neuroplasticity? It's fascinating and really motivating for piano struggles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx3U64IXFOY&t=1831s
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Michelle R as others have pointed out, the evenness of your playing in the Prelude is really good! And that Gigue is simply charming; a moment of hesitation matters not since you brought out the joyful character and the rhythmic energy so well.
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Judy Kuan Thanks so much, Judy. Interestingly, I'm halfway through that particular Huberman video, and have been enjoying his topics related to "play" as well. I really enjoy his channel.
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Alexander Weymann Thank you, Alex. I enjoyed learning and playing the Gigue, and am happy that you noticed the joy that I felt when playing it.
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Here's my final performance for the challenge. Thanks to everyone for the journey we've had together learning new pieces :)
Now I need to but this one aside for a bit, but look forward to work more on it later and hopefully perform it on the June recital.
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Sindre Skarelven Well done Sindre! Not an easy piece to tackle in a month but you have achieved so many good things here. Thank you for sharing!Sindre Skarelven
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Sindre Skarelven Olé!
Lovely to listen to that here on a calm Sunday morning.
(Very, very impressive)
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Sindre Skarelven So impressive and sounding charming where it should and dramatic where it should! Recalling the parts I really struggled with playing, much less memorizing, and you're just breezing through them. Looking forward to hearing it in the future concert!
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Sindre Skarelven Bravo, Sindre!! Can’t wait to hear you at the June concert!
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Sindre Skarelven That's impressive! I spent a year memorizing and learning that one way back when (back when I memorized pieces). I have it top of my list of pieces that is just a joy to play. Magic. Piano and recording sound excellent as well. Look forward to hearing it again in June. Congrats.
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Sindre Skarelven Incredible work, Sindre! You play this piece with delicacy and a beautiful lyrical style, a great performance, Bravo!
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Sindre Skarelven Bravo! I've always appreciated your ability to tell a story through your playing, and that skill shines here. Such warmth, such beautiful phrasing - listening to this has given my Sunday a wonderful start. Your performance brought tears to my eyes. Thank you!
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Sindre Skarelven Amazing and solid work in such a short time! Can't wait to hear it again in June recital!
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Angela Fogg Richard Littlewood Judy Kuan Andrea Buckland Jack vreeland Michelle R Priya Viseskul Juan Carlos Olite
Thanks everyone for your kind comments! It’s been a true joy learning this piece, and I look forward to work more on it before the recital.
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Sindre Skarelven Wow! So beautifully played- you brought out the sweetness/charm of this piece in a very relaxed way. Bravo!
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Sindre Skarelven Bravo! Very impressive to bring this piece to this stage in a month.
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