Also I'm bored and thought these pictures were pretty cool: 
I REALLY want this chair:
...And this is probably what I look like when I play the piano:
Monday, July 9, 2012
Just An Update (seeing as I've neglected you...)
Well, it seems as though I have neglected this blog for quite some time. So I decided to write an update-post just because there were a few page views a couple of days ago, so I figured some people might still occasionally check up on my abandoned blog. Anyway, I participated in my 4th Guild Auditions a few months ago, and I recieved 33 C's and 1 A. The program I played consisted of the following: Bethena (by Scott Joplin), Sonata Op. 45 No. 2 (by Beethoven), Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 (by Chopin), and Tribute to Roberto Garcia Morillo (by Ginestera). The last piece was a very loud, weird modern piece that was under a minute in duration, but was still pretty fun to play. I was pretty happy with the way the Guild Auditions turned out - I was quite comfortable with all of the pieces (I learned Bethena a reallly long time ago, for instance). Here is a picture of all my past Guild certificates (this years is farthest on the right).
Also, I recorded and compiled all these pieces onto a CD that my mom was very generous to help me with (despite her slight fear of technology, she managed very well to record my pieces). So if anyone would like a CD, they're free, so just ask me via Facebook or email. I also have another CD from last year, when I played in a "senior recital," which I do believe I mentioned in a previous blog post. I'd be happy to give any of you one of the old CDs, too.
Gahh, what else to write about...I guess, seeing as this is an "update," that I should inform you of the current pieces I have been playing. Well, I just finished up with an 11-page (!) piece called "Pour le Piano," by Claude Debussy. It has been the most challenging, interesting, fun-to-play piece I have ever learned, and I am so glad of the way it turned out. Although it may not be the most beautiful piece (it's very...shall I say 'modern'), I really love the harmonies in it, and it is very rich and complex. Now I am learned another, more well-known piece by Debussy - The Girl With the Flaxen Hair. Its peacefulness and beauty makes up for its lack of duration.
Oh, I also sort of played around with the theme song/song that plays at the credits of BBC's "Sherlock" series - for any of you who haven't already noticed from my Sherlock-covered Facebook timeline, I'm completely and utterly obsessed with this show. It's a modern take on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories and books, which I am also currently reading. Anyway, it's a really cool little theme song.
I guess I'm really too lazy to write anything else...and there hasn't really been anything else going on in my piano career...so, because I'm bored, here is a picture of me playing the piano at a recital:
Bye for now; I probably won't see you in a while,
Karen
Also, I recorded and compiled all these pieces onto a CD that my mom was very generous to help me with (despite her slight fear of technology, she managed very well to record my pieces). So if anyone would like a CD, they're free, so just ask me via Facebook or email. I also have another CD from last year, when I played in a "senior recital," which I do believe I mentioned in a previous blog post. I'd be happy to give any of you one of the old CDs, too.
Gahh, what else to write about...I guess, seeing as this is an "update," that I should inform you of the current pieces I have been playing. Well, I just finished up with an 11-page (!) piece called "Pour le Piano," by Claude Debussy. It has been the most challenging, interesting, fun-to-play piece I have ever learned, and I am so glad of the way it turned out. Although it may not be the most beautiful piece (it's very...shall I say 'modern'), I really love the harmonies in it, and it is very rich and complex. Now I am learned another, more well-known piece by Debussy - The Girl With the Flaxen Hair. Its peacefulness and beauty makes up for its lack of duration.
Oh, I also sort of played around with the theme song/song that plays at the credits of BBC's "Sherlock" series - for any of you who haven't already noticed from my Sherlock-covered Facebook timeline, I'm completely and utterly obsessed with this show. It's a modern take on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories and books, which I am also currently reading. Anyway, it's a really cool little theme song.
I guess I'm really too lazy to write anything else...and there hasn't really been anything else going on in my piano career...so, because I'm bored, here is a picture of me playing the piano at a recital:
Bye for now; I probably won't see you in a while,
Karen
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Hello Again
I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but I thought I would post an update about some piano-related things:
The Guild Auditions I told you about in the last post went great! I got 31 "Cs" (which stand for "commendation"), and 3 "As" (which stand for "needs attention"). Some of the reasons I got the "needs attention"s are because of my nervousness affecting my memory of the notes I was supposed to play, a little bit of hesitation, etc. I'm pretty proud of my score, and feel like my hard work paid off.
The big piano recital is coming up - this Sunday!! I'm really nervous, even though I've been playing all of these pieces for SO LONG, and I have been playing through the 9-piece program a lot. My teacher and I have added a few to the program, but I won't tell you which pieces they are unless you come to the recital (which, by the way, is at St. John's Methodist Church on 1200 Old Santa Fe Trail on Sunday, June 5 at 2:00 PM).
Anyway, that's about it for now.
The Guild Auditions I told you about in the last post went great! I got 31 "Cs" (which stand for "commendation"), and 3 "As" (which stand for "needs attention"). Some of the reasons I got the "needs attention"s are because of my nervousness affecting my memory of the notes I was supposed to play, a little bit of hesitation, etc. I'm pretty proud of my score, and feel like my hard work paid off.
The big piano recital is coming up - this Sunday!! I'm really nervous, even though I've been playing all of these pieces for SO LONG, and I have been playing through the 9-piece program a lot. My teacher and I have added a few to the program, but I won't tell you which pieces they are unless you come to the recital (which, by the way, is at St. John's Methodist Church on 1200 Old Santa Fe Trail on Sunday, June 5 at 2:00 PM).
Anyway, that's about it for now.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Conclusion - Goodbye (Until a Few Months) Everyone!
Well, today is the last day of my Tech class that we will be working on our projects. I guess I'll talk a little about what I accomplished and such. Overall, I pretty much accomplished all of the goals I had set for myself. This includes posting blogposts regularly, posting cool links and videos, recording and posting videos of me playing piano, etc. I did all of this, and even discovered a cool video converter-thing that I had to use to convert all my videos which were in some crazy ".mod" format to ".mov." I learned a lot about piano, felt satisfied with my little group of followers, and was quite surprised and happy with the total number of page views I received. Although this also includes my own editing views, still, my estimate for how many of my views leaves a pretty good number of views from you guys.
So I suppose this is goodbye, except I think I might post something in a few weeks after my great shared piano recital with a senior in high school, and after I have played my pieces for this piano competition-like recital, called the Guild Auditions. During the Guild Auditions, I will be playing about six pieces, the same ones I listed in an early post about the recital with the senior in high school, for a judge. A few days later, my piano teacher will be given the results and scores of how well I played the pieces for the judge, and will show them to me to improve my playing as best as possible. Every Guild participant also receives a pin, as well as the certificate with the results on it. Here is a little picture of a Guild pin (didn't have time to take one of the two that I have, from doing it twice):
Last year, I got a perfect score of no mistakes, and I don't mean to brag. The year before was my first year, and I got a fairly decent score. It was interesting, more than anything, to be able to know what an expert thinks of my playing, and what constructive criticism they can give to me, so that I am able to improve my playing.
Until next time!
Karen
So I suppose this is goodbye, except I think I might post something in a few weeks after my great shared piano recital with a senior in high school, and after I have played my pieces for this piano competition-like recital, called the Guild Auditions. During the Guild Auditions, I will be playing about six pieces, the same ones I listed in an early post about the recital with the senior in high school, for a judge. A few days later, my piano teacher will be given the results and scores of how well I played the pieces for the judge, and will show them to me to improve my playing as best as possible. Every Guild participant also receives a pin, as well as the certificate with the results on it. Here is a little picture of a Guild pin (didn't have time to take one of the two that I have, from doing it twice):
Until next time!
Karen
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Different Styles of Piano Playing
Today's blog post topic is different styles of piano:
Many modern styles of piano playing are based around the blues, but other modern styles often tend to be a very emotional, popular style. What classifies a piano style as emotional-popular is often an ever repeating melody or theme, and many chords. Watch the video below to get a general idea of what this style is like:
Another popular style of piano playing is ragtime, which is not only a style of playing, but a genre of music itself. This style of piano playing is often very... "jumpy," so to speak, as it moves around a lot, and is very playful. It is a very fun and bubbly style of playing. Watch the video below to get a general idea of what this style is like:
And then, of course, is the classical piano style, which is the more traditional, older style that is used for practically all classical music. I almost always use the classical piano style, although, if you refer back to one of my older posts, the C'etait Salement Romantique piece I learned to play part of is actually emotional-popular style. So watch both my classical style videos that I posted a few weeks ago, as well as the song I learned! Thanks!
Many modern styles of piano playing are based around the blues, but other modern styles often tend to be a very emotional, popular style. What classifies a piano style as emotional-popular is often an ever repeating melody or theme, and many chords. Watch the video below to get a general idea of what this style is like:
Another popular style of piano playing is ragtime, which is not only a style of playing, but a genre of music itself. This style of piano playing is often very... "jumpy," so to speak, as it moves around a lot, and is very playful. It is a very fun and bubbly style of playing. Watch the video below to get a general idea of what this style is like:
And then, of course, is the classical piano style, which is the more traditional, older style that is used for practically all classical music. I almost always use the classical piano style, although, if you refer back to one of my older posts, the C'etait Salement Romantique piece I learned to play part of is actually emotional-popular style. So watch both my classical style videos that I posted a few weeks ago, as well as the song I learned! Thanks!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Nocturne (Op. 54 No. 4, in C)
Enjoy this video of me playing "Notturno," or Nocturne, by Edvard Grieg:
Child Prodigies
Recently, I've been looking up a lot of the pieces I play or have played on YouTube, and always discover some little five or six-year-old music genius who has already perfectly mastered it. It always gets me down in the dumps, because, obviously, I know that a little kid can play the same pieces I can. But sometimes, though, I have the reassurance from some YouTuber's comment that, actually, the little kid just plays the piece fast, and doesn't actually put any dynamics (that's loud and soft, etc. for all those people who don't know music very well) or emotion into the pieces. So that makes me feel a little bit better.
But, in any case, this brings up the interesting topic of child prodigies. After doing some research, I've found that basically anyone can force a little kid to play well and not stop until they play perfectly, but what actually defines a child prodigy is that they themselves have the ability to play greatly, and work hard enough that they can do well in the music world. This could mean that, for instance, maybe they can play with the same level of dynamics and emotions and near perfection of a music expert, or simply that they can compose some really wonderful music. And I found a video with several comments from people who are very...passionate about the subject of child prodigies. So pay special attention to the comments on the video, but before you do, take a look at the definition of the word "prodigy," then go to the link below and compare it to the comments the people posted on the video:
prod·i·gy
–noun, plural -gies.
But, in any case, this brings up the interesting topic of child prodigies. After doing some research, I've found that basically anyone can force a little kid to play well and not stop until they play perfectly, but what actually defines a child prodigy is that they themselves have the ability to play greatly, and work hard enough that they can do well in the music world. This could mean that, for instance, maybe they can play with the same level of dynamics and emotions and near perfection of a music expert, or simply that they can compose some really wonderful music. And I found a video with several comments from people who are very...passionate about the subject of child prodigies. So pay special attention to the comments on the video, but before you do, take a look at the definition of the word "prodigy," then go to the link below and compare it to the comments the people posted on the video:
prod·i·gy
–noun, plural -gies.
1.
a person, especially a child or young person, havingextraordinary talent or ability: a musical prodigy.
2.
a marvelous example (usually followed by of ).
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