Welcome to the tonebase Piano Community!

Hey everyone - this is Dominic from tonebase 🙂!

 

As the lead of tonebase PIANO it's such a pleasure to welcome you to the tonebase community. We would love to get to know you! Please introduce yourself in a post below with the following format: 

  • Where are you from and what's your favorite food from there? ;) 
  • What are you currently working on? 
  • What are you hoping to get out of this community? 

I'll go first: 

  • I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and you better believe that I love my barbecue! It is hard to pick my favorite food between ribs, brisket, or a beautiful grilled steak, but if I have to decide...nothing beats a juicy, fall-off-the-bone rack of baby back ribs!
  • Currently working on some old favorites of mine by Carl Vine (Piano Sonata No.1), Beethoven (Piano Concerto No.4) and Scriabin (Fantasy op.28) but also adding some great repertoire by H. Leslie Adams (Etude in A-flat minor Book 2), Laura Kaminsky (Alluvion), and Clara Schumann (Romanze in A minor Op.21 no.1)!
  • I am hoping to getting to know and helping all of you achieve your musical and artistic goals. Let's have some fun and get to work!

Now over to you (after some participation from our tonebase team members!) 

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  • Hi, I'm Kurt, and I'm excited to be a part of this community!

     

    1) I'm from (and live in) Southern California, which means that I am obsessed with In-N-Out.

     

    2) I'm currently working on Clementi's Sonatina Op. 36 No. 2, as well as various pieces in the RCM Level 4 Celebration Series book.

     

    3) I'm hoping to learn more about technique and playing musically through Tonebase. I've always loved their YT videos, so I can only imagine what else there is to discover here on the platform.

     

    Cheers!

    Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Kurt Clements Welcome, Kurt!  Can't wait to hear you play in one of the Community Concerts.

      Like
  • Hello,

    I'm Adam.  I'm in Hamilton, Ontario.  I'm originally from the Los Angeles area.  My favourite food is sushi.

     

    I am currently working on Ravel's Pavane  pour one infante defunte, Bach's French Suite 5, Chopin's 2nd Scherzo, and the Shostakovich preludes, op 34.

     

    My goal's from the community is to find support for my journey to improve as a pianist.

     

    Thank you!

    Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Adam Sperber Welcome, Adam!  You are working on some lovely repertoire.  Can't wait to hear you in one of the Community Concerts whenever you feel ready.

      Like
    • PAÚL
    • PAÚL
    • PAUL.11
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hellow, I´m Paúl Pazmiño i´m from Ecuador an spanish speaking country. I´m working Hanon exercise No 44, Bertini study, and some scales.

    I am really hoping to return to piano study seriusly and im open to any suggestion

    Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      PAÚL Bienvenido a Tonebase, Paul!

      Like
    • Laura
    • Laura.6
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Where are you from and what's your favorite food from there? ;) 

    • I am from United States. My favourite food is from United States.

    What are you currently working on? 

    • I am currently working on anthem of United States, "The Banner of Spangled Stars". 

    What are you hoping to get out of this community?

    • I am hoping to get out of United States.
    Like 1
    • David
    • David.36
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello everyone,

     

    My name is David.

     

    Im a software engineer from Portugal.

     

    I played the piano for 10+ years, finished the conservatory until the 8th grade and recently I have started playing Jazz.

     

    However I miss classical music and I have deep emotional issues when I sit at the piano to play or practice which destroys all the joy I felt in the past.

     

    I hope I can overcome this, become better and recover some of the lost technique because Jazz robs you of a lot of stuff ... 

     

    Either way,

     

    Glad to be here :)

    Like 3
    • David Welcome, David! 

      Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      David Welcome to Tonebase, David!

      Like
      • Michael Bruce
      • Software Architect - but.. really a musician.
      • Michael_Bruce
      • 4 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      David this is awesome man! I am happy to see you following your Classical purpose.

      Like
    • Antonio
    • Antonio.6
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    +I was born in Mexico City. I used to be a full-time opera accompanist at the National Opera company of Mexico City, at the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts. My favorite food is Indian, but from Mexico I love a dish called "Chiles en Nogada" which is like a very elaborated "Chile Relleno", from Puebla State. 

     

    + I am currently working on a non standard Repertory which will include Opera Transcriptions of piano scores that I have been researching in private collections from The National Conservatory. Opera Transcriptions by Latin American Composers like Mexican composer Melesio Morales, on themes by the Brazilian Opera "IL GUARANI", by CARLOS GOMES. But I am also including American and European Opera Transcriptions, like Czerny's "Fantasia on Themes from Marriage of Figaro" (Still learning it) and Leslie Howard's "Fantasia on Themes by the Opera RUDDIGORE". I am also an Opera conductor, and I will conduct this Opera on June 2024! So, I am planning to play this Piano Transcription as a promotion to the Opera! 

     

    + Since I am dealing with rare Repertory, where there are not recordings at all, and even with manuscripts, I would like to implement many of the concepts and techniques given by the amazing pianists who are part of the ToneBase Masterclasses, and from this wonderful community. Hello and thanks to everyone! 

    Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Antonio Welcome to Tonebase, Antonio!

      Like
  • I just joined Tonebase, and haven't taken any courses yet, though I've watched some videos on YouTube. (Especially by Seymour Bernstein, one of my piano heroes.) I'm 68, retired. I studied piano in my mid-to-late teens after falling in love with the music of Bach. I majored in composition in college, but switched to English and taught writing at the college level for several years. I started playing again a few years ago, briefly having lessons, but having to end them because of finances. So I'm essentially self-taught. I love all classical music, especially Baroque and 20th century. I'm working on the Bach Two- and Three-Part Inventions, with side-trips into easier preludes and fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier. My biggest issues are performance anxiety and focusing while practicing. (I've had pretty bad ADHD my entire life.)

     

    I'm very serious about becoming the best possible pianist I can be. 

    Like 1
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Bob Ballentine Welcome to Tonebase, Bob!  You'll enjoy minute you spend on the platform.  We are a very friendly group and love to talk about Bach 24/7.

      Like
    • Marlon
    • Marlon
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi everyone,

     

    New Tonebase member here. I've vaguely known of this platform for a few years, but now is the time I've decided to dive in and actually be part of it.

     

    - I'm from London UK and I've been a tech professional for several years. But my academic background is a musical one. I finished with a Bachelors of Music a decade ago and I never stopped playing ever since graduation. London is a very diverse city with many different cuisines, so it is hard to pick a top favourite because there is just so much good food here. But if I really only had to pick one, it's gotta be Indian. There's never a day when a good old Tandoori doesn't hit the spot!

     

    - Right now I am working on Chopin Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 just to keep busy while I have a think about what large scale piece (or set of pieces) I'd like to commit to as part of a larger goal, starting from the New Year and beyond. So far I have Bach/Busoni Chaconne in mind and maybe Prokofiev Sonata No. 4. 

     

    - What I'm hoping to get out of this community is simply connecting with likeminded musicians, professional or not, where we can feed and bounce off ideas and inspiration from one another. It's fun to play piano on my own terms as a hobbyist, but it can get very lonely at times. I don't know anybody in my immediate circles who share the same level of passion or enthusiasm for piano as I have, so it would be great to not feel so alone for once and be able to connect with anyone who can relate. If you're a working professional or even retired in a non-musical field despite having a musical background, you'll get what I mean.

    Like 2
      • Gail Starr
      • Retired MBA
      • Gail_Starr
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Marlon Welcome to the Tonebase "family", Marlon!  You'll find lots and lots of folks who work in other fields but love to spend all their free time on piano.

      Like 1
    • Javier
    • Javier.1
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi, dear musicians fellowship,

     

    • Where are you from and what's your favorite food from there? ;) :

    That is a hard one, I guess it would be Tortilla de patatas or Spanish omelet, in very close dispute with cocido madrileño

    • What are you currently working on? 

    Synchronizing both hands while practicing scales.

    • What are you hoping to get out of this community? 

    Sharing the learning path with and lessons learned with the community.

     

    See you around

    Like
  • I am from and live in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, where the local strawberries in season (late May through June) are hard to beat. I am currently working on a Mozart sonata in F, a Bach two-part invention in E, Couperin’s “Mysterious Barricades”, and a Brahms intermezzo in E (Op. 116). Some of this involves resurrecting pieces I worked on in the past, with the goal of bringing them back and improving them. There are a great many more pieces in my past repertoire waiting to be tackled in this way. I am over 80, and the main purpose of studying piano for me is to exercise my mind. I hope that Tonebase will help me learn to practice more effectively and improve my very limited technical skills at the piano.

    Like 2
  • Thank you for this opportunity.

    I am from South Africa, currently staying in Kinross Mpumalanga, a small town. I am originally from Johannesburg.

    I enjoy a braai with friends.

     

    I took lessons with a brilliant teacher while in Johannesburg but unfortunately he died of cancer. After that I got married , relocated to Secunda, Mpumalanga, completed my B.Mus at University of South Africa without any lessons as the teachers in my area couldn't assist me as I knew more than them. Life situation changed a lot (had to divorce to survive and I lost everything). For 12 years I didn't play piano, couldn't afford to buy a piano again, stayed in small places which also didn't allow a piano. Then I met my fiance 2 years back which loves my piano playing, he bought me an Antique piano during the year and I started playing again. I am trying to build up my repertoire again. So currently working only on Mozart Sonatas, Beethoven Sonatas and some Chopin Waltzes and Chopin Etudes.

     

    Currently I to play just for entertainment where possible so the people can be aware again of great piano music. Here are so many different cultures and races where I am currently staying in Kinross Mpumalanga.

    I want to broaden my repertoire and enjoy my piano to the fullest.

    Like 1
    • JordiMS78
    • Hobbist
    • JordiMS78
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Good afternoon from Spain!

    I'm Jordi and I am from and living in Girona, north of Spain near the Mediterranean sea. My dish tastes tend to be towards the mountain, being my fauvorite dish a "chuletón", or what is the same, a big and fat slice of cow meat grilled over a wood fire. Nonetheless, I also like a wide variety of seafood like "ostras" (oysters), "mejillones" (mussels), "almejas" (clams) and "navajas" (razors).

    I am a software engineer. I gave up my piano studies 25 years ago when I enrolled to the University for Computer Engineering. The later repertoire I learned at that time was "Pathetique"  sonata and Chopin's "Fantaisie Impromptu". I've been playing from time to time piano when visiting my parents, but 25 years had been a lot of time without having a piano at home. Last summer I decided to buy an entry point digital piano to exercise again my fingers. My plan is to refresh as an starting point (some years surely) some of the last pieces I learned and that motivated me most. Since tnis last month I am working on remembering "Pathetique" at very low speed and Etude op.25 no. 1 at an absolutely exagerated low speed.

    I am expecting to learn from this community tips and tricks to get back the technique lost and to get used to play as a hobbist.

    It's a pleasure to meet people who loves piano!

    Like 1
  • Hello I'm from Southern California, I'd say my favorite local food is a California Burrito, which is a specific type of burrito that has french fries inside of it.

    I'm currently working on Chopin Op. 28 No. 15 "Raindrop"
    I've never had piano lessons and I was hoping that having access to the tonebase piano service would make sure I don't stray far from the path. I'm really looking to improve my absolute fundamentals as I have none. I'm looking to learn music theory, and be able to identify the chords and scales of what I play, as well as study the Taubman approach tutorials. I would like to be able to learn my pieces faster with music theory knowledge, and then be able to execute them in a safe and effortless way with Taubman approach knowledge. I'm just a hobbyist but I find piano quite fun and am really excited to dive deep in the lesson modules.

    Like 1
  • Hi! I am thrilled to be joining this group. I am from Highland, Utah. Favorite food is a little tough. Right now it's cold outside and we just had Thanksgiving so I'm thinking of making some really yummy split pea soup with my ham hock. Yum! I have 6 children and 2 grandchildren. I'm 49 and love to play the piano.

     

    I have 10 students that I teach in person and have 4 that I upload new lesson assignments for them every week. One of my students is working on Debussy's Hommage à Rameau from Images 1. I tried playing it this morning and think maybe I underestimated its difficulty. I am going to try to learn it to see if she is capable of learning it. Mind you, she has already learned the first page fairly well. Another student wants to start Chopin Nocturne in C# Minor. I want to learn it as well so I can help her with it. I just finished learning Brahms Intermezzo in A Maj Op 118, No. 2. I failed horribly at a performance yesterday in front of my students and a group of residents at a rest home. It was embarrassing. I nearly gave up and threw in the towel for my piano career. It's so frustrating to practice 1-3 hours a day, and not be able to execute a piece I should know really well. I have also been working on Bach Prelude and Fugue in C minor from the 1st Well-Tempered Clavier book. I have it learned and memorized but I'm terrified to perform it in front of anyone because there always seems to be a catastrophe whenever I perform. Not sure if anyone can fix that. 

     

    I did not get a degree in music, however I have my NCTM from MTNA and I am constantly taking classes and have participated in my Level 8 RCM exams with First Class Honors. If I can overcome my performance anxiety that seems to take the form of brain turning to mush, I'd like to continue on the RCM path and pass ARCT exams.

    Like 2
    • Melissa
    • Melissa.1
    • 5 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    Hello Everyone!

    Like 3
      • JordiMS78
      • Hobbist
      • JordiMS78
      • 5 mths ago
      • Reported - view

      Lisa Lovely views where to play the piano! I've allways dreamed to have a big window near the piano. It must inspire to learn lovely music for sure!

      Like 1
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