Your last paragraph about balancing practice foci really strikes home with me. As I progress (and I think I AM progressing) in learning piano, I'm building a repertoire. But I keep "losing" those chosen pieces every time I play them. It's not enough just to play them once or twice a day. Even daily practice is a challenge. At this point, I can remember how hard it was to conquer those pieces, but I still can't play them without screwing up. And the screw-ups aren't consistent. It's crazy. Is it senility or is this the way the mind works? Building a repertoire vs. focusing on total memorization and skill. whew!
I've had that problem with the Banjo...I've learned maybe five or six tunes before trailing off practice...but I would always make unique mistakes. Aggravating for sure! Then again, that is part of the excitement of a live performance--there are real stakes each time!
A really good movie about this is Coda, starring Patrick Stewart, about a concert pianist who refuses to perform because he will undoubtedly falter. He has a dream where he looks at the keyboards and all the black keys are missing. Truly a nightmare.
Thanks! These challenges give lots of ways to push the envelope, sometimes a technique, or a tool, or a composition. But I’m always in awe when something falls in place. Sometimes in the first couple shots, sometimes have banging my head against the table for a while!
Your last paragraph about balancing practice foci really strikes home with me. As I progress (and I think I AM progressing) in learning piano, I'm building a repertoire. But I keep "losing" those chosen pieces every time I play them. It's not enough just to play them once or twice a day. Even daily practice is a challenge. At this point, I can remember how hard it was to conquer those pieces, but I still can't play them without screwing up. And the screw-ups aren't consistent. It's crazy. Is it senility or is this the way the mind works? Building a repertoire vs. focusing on total memorization and skill. whew!
I've had that problem with the Banjo...I've learned maybe five or six tunes before trailing off practice...but I would always make unique mistakes. Aggravating for sure! Then again, that is part of the excitement of a live performance--there are real stakes each time!
A really good movie about this is Coda, starring Patrick Stewart, about a concert pianist who refuses to perform because he will undoubtedly falter. He has a dream where he looks at the keyboards and all the black keys are missing. Truly a nightmare.
ohh, wow, yeah that's a rough dream!
I love how open you are about your process of learning something new. It is fascinating.
Also I really loved the small quote:
Wholeness
Is
Not
Just
Collecting
It’ll have me thinking for the rest of the night.
Thanks! It’s fun to relive the pieces one more time before they dissolve into more pixels on to the web. Happy you enjoy reading about it!
Make pretty on a leaf... I love it, Justus! All of these--they’re alive with movement and layers of color. Your dedication is always so inspiring.
Thanks! These challenges give lots of ways to push the envelope, sometimes a technique, or a tool, or a composition. But I’m always in awe when something falls in place. Sometimes in the first couple shots, sometimes have banging my head against the table for a while!
And then you get to surprise yourself!
Those are the best!