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Sorry for your loss. You have offered a wonderful gift of music he loved as you say "see you later dad."

Sorry for your loss KevinM. What a beautiful gift to give your father. A beautiful piece.

Kevin, so sorry to hear of your loss. I hope planning the music has brought you some comfort.

Kevin, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope your last moment with him was a good one. How special to record a piece for his funeral. I listened to your playing and I remember this part as a happy one, but you have managed to imbue it with some beautiful melancholy.

KevinM

I’m really sorry for your loss.
I relate your feeling of frustration not being able to fly out there.
At least you got to do the recording for him. You must’ve felt his presence when you are recording it.

There is not a day past I don’t remember my mom.

I pray for strength for you and your family to get through this very tough period.

Stubby

The concert venue is called as Sogakudo.
It has the old hall and new hall.
We are using the old hall that has been recently renovated.
It is the first western style music hall in Japan. I’m very excited to be able to play the steinway concert grand. The amateur group originated in old piano club members in universities in Tokyo. 40 years ago, the first piano club members of various universities got together and held concerts. That was the start. It has been continuing for years. They are not music majors. It is quite interesting to meet people there.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sogakudo_Concert_Hall

KevinM - So sorry for your lost. Glad you got to pick the music and do the recording. Very nice!

So sorry for your loss KevinM. It's such an extra blow at an already awful time when you can't travel to say goodbye and be at the funeral. It's lovely that you are planning the music and including your recording. Thinking of you.

Farmgirl - That is very cool.... I've always admired your fearless participation in many public or group recitals, often with very advanced pieces. And now traveling back to Japan to perform? Just Wow! Will you have any family there to watch and support you?

For me, I was never happier than when I learned my teacher had stopped teaching kids and therefore had decided not to do any more organized recitals. We did a few piano parties after that, but there really wasn't a lot of interest from her adult students. And I must say I'm happier without the stress of public performances, even recognizing I would be a better player if it were otherwise.

I "finished" the Pathetique movement last week. As my teacher says, it is one I will keep playing and working on the rest of my life. Looking for something easier as a little non-break we decided on Grieg's Arietta, which I will probably finish up this week. After that, another easier one, this time from Jules Massenet, Elegie op.10 Melodie. With its left hand melody it should sound good on my piano and maybe is a warmup for something more challenging from this French romantic like the piano version of his Meditation, which is gorgeous.

Jim

JimF
Thank you for your feedback. I’m definitely fearless. I enjoy playing for others even if I cannot play well. I figure it will help me get better someday. Also I really like communication with music. It’s like it’s beyond words.

I love Arietta. Looking forward to hearing you play in the PW recital someday.

Good piano lesson today! I actually played a piece well, and got a compliment from my teacher. My teacher is always positive and encouraging, but she doesn't toss off compliments, so I am pleased.

During the summer, my lesson schedule is irregular, which works well for me. I like having some time off the weekly pressure to prepare for lessons, but I don't like to go too long (or too far astray) for the pieces I'm working on. My next lesson won't be until August.

Compliments from my partner from my practising. I can now play Mendelssohn's SWW Opus 19 No. 1. close to tempo, so my practise for it now is playing with the tempo, just trying to feel where I can slow it down and speed it up and she said she could really feel the beauty of it.

The other piece is Bach's BWV 999 little prelude in c minor, which she has commented in the past that she has enjoyed and is recognizing my playing is becoming more sure footed which makes it sound better. I've still got quite a way to go with BWV 999 to get how I want.

With BWV 999 I have two different versions, very similar but not exactly the same, oddly the harder one is in a grade 3 book with the tempo marked at 112 for a quarter note (crotchet) and is just a tiny bit harder. Whereas the other version is in the grade 4 exam book for ABRSM with the tempo marked at 88 for a quarter note. I'm still only around 80 and that is pushing it for me. The expectation in the grade 3 book is quite something I think.

I sometimes feel I do the opposite of what others do with their teachers watching. It gives me added focus and concentration and I quite often manage to get through bits of the piece I know are weak and that I've been working on and I'm looking for guidance as to how to better practise those bits, but all she sees is me getting through those sections without a problem.

Love Mendelssohn and I think your recordings are steadily improving too! I think you are always little hard on yourself, so it's very good to hear that you are getting positive feedback. We do need to see that patience and time do pay back.... eventually.

To continue with the theme of compliments:

I had a lesson this morning and also got compliment from my teacher in an interesting way. I picked up little piece myself during my vacation, because I had an extra week between lessons and started to feel restless, nothing big, just Arietta by Grieg, but it's a sensitive little jam and a real pleasure to play (highly recommend!) and after I was finished, she said "Good, everything is good!... all by yourself!" I felt like a child, little guilty, but very pleased with myself just the same.

Other material was good too and she said - lets do our "fake exam" in 4 weeks and be done with the level 6 (RCM). Woohoo! I'm so ready to move on.

Stubbie turns green with envy.

As well you should! Good luck on your "fake exam." I assume you are doing the syllabus but not officially doing the exams?

Nice to have you back. Sounds like you are making good progress, starting on RCM level 7 material soon with your teacher having confidence in you to take the next step is definitely good.

Yes, I'm not doing any exams officially, but preparing repertoire as if I do one. I started at level 5 when I came back to piano 2.5 years ago and I take entire year with each level as my teacher insists on studying 100% of both études and the main repertoire book, plus I drug other pieces to my lessons because I can't help myself.
Thank you!

Well done InitK….it’s great achievement and love that you included other pieces on this journey too. Inspiring.

Thank you! It's been a difficult year, nothing like yours of course, I am very sorry for your loss.
I think I completely burned out in the area of recording myself, so I took that pressure off altogether. I have up and down feelings about my progress, but worked through lots of material this year and if I'm being objective, there is definitely good progress, but it opens door to other things to reach for, so sometimes makes you feel like there isn't much point in even trying.
The forum and members recordings are always an inspiration.