Week 3: Art, Character, and Imagination

Welcome to Week 3 of the Romantic Music Challenge.

At this point, the notes and textures should feel more familiar. This week, we turn toward the artistic core of Romantic music: character, imagination, and emotional intent.

Romantic music always suggests something human. A voice, a mood, a gesture, a memory. This week is about deciding what your piece is trying to say—and letting that guide how you play it.

Your Focus for the Week

Continue working on the same piece.

Spend time asking:

• What kind of character lives in this music?

• Is it inward or outward, intimate or theatrical?

• Where does the music breathe, hesitate, or lean forward emotionally?

There’s no single right answer—but your playing should start to reflect a clear point of view.

Practice Prompts

Choose one or two and explore:

• Write a short sentence describing the character of your piece

• Assign emotional qualities to different sections

• Shape timing and color to reflect mood rather than volume

• Exaggerate the character in practice, then refine it

Let imagination lead, while staying honest to the score.

Livestream: Technical Q&A

I’ll also be hosting a livestream on January 28 at 11am PT to answer technical questions that may be coming up as your pieces deepen—voicing, balance, fingering, pedaling, or anything else that’s getting in the way.

You can join post any and all questions here!
https://piano-community.tonebase.co/t/g9ypfk7/mastering-tricky-passages-and-answering-your-questions

Sharing for this week

You’re welcome to share:

• A short video excerpt

• A written reflection about character or imagery

• Questions for the livestream

This is a great week to articulate what you’re aiming for artistically.