1) I talked to Laura. She is a goddess who comands the respect of everyone in the musical world. I went to talk to her because I needed an honest answer to the question "Were the imperfections in my playing yesterday enough to distort my musicality and musical intentions?" This was the main issue I was having yesterday and part of today. If the mistakes I make cause me to sound like someone who likes music but isn't a pro at it, then I am not serving the music itself, and not doing it justice.
Laura's response was good enough to cheer me up. She said that she wasnt in the hall for it, but she was listening through the door ( she wasnt just saying that, I often see her ear pressed to the door) and she heard a lot of 'really great' sounds from the piano. Her advice in terms of the perfection was to remind me that it really isn't a reasonable goal, and thats the hardest part of being a musician, that there will always be those little things, no matter how small.. and its our job to get the music out, beyond those little things. Thank you Laura.
Laura is definately on my good list. Last year at the Genser finals, after the winners were announced( of which I was neither) she made a point to come over to me and express how well I did, and how many colours and textures and tones I got out of the piano.
2) The other good thing that happened today was my practicing. With renewed vigour, I aimed for perfection, and I was doing well enough in achieving it. Yesterday, during me lesson, we worked on a section of 4 bars and we started it at 60 bmp, and worked it to about 80bpm, and I felt like I was going to die. That was that half hour I mentioned. Today, I worked the same section as well as the next 4 bars after it. I worked this whole section starting at about 70bpm all the way up to 136bpm...and its reliable! I was really enjoying the sense of mastery I was feeling, and I only stopped because I had to go meet my parents downtown for dindin.
It was delicious, I had a baked chicken and brie focaccia... spectacular!!! YUMMY! Elephant and Castle.. good times.
ANyway, tomorrow will be a good day, Im going to go to the rehearsal with my choreographer.. she said shes been productive... although she still hasnt picked up the phone to get ahold of me...
then after that Fi and I are going to the Ballet. Dracula with music by Mahler... Im excited.
2 comments:
It's my personal thought, where perfection and music are concerned, that one must strive for perfection. That ought to be the goal when working on a piece of music - to make it perfect. However, one must also have the wisdom and capacity to accept mistakes, errors and imperfections when they come along. One of the most fascinating things about music is that it exists only for those few seconds that it is being performed. Before and after that time it is merely an idea. In this musicians have a great advantage over other artists - our mistakes only last a brief moment as well. Listeners might remember, but it's not as though your performance won't get hung in the Louvre because of a pear-shaped brushstroke.
I'm rambling a bit and potentially not making much sense; apologies. Basically, I don't think it has to be all or nothing with perfection and unmusical crap. There is a great deal of worthwhile, usable and acceptable space in between. The trick is to find where you are comfortable and where you fit.
Interesting point Andy-Pandy,
I've always liked the thought that music only exists for a brief and sometimes shining moment... but another version just occurred to me.
When performing you control the audience. You work for so hard before that moment so that you can be in absolute control. When else do you have that kind of power.
In terms of Improvising, yes, that moment will be entirely fleeting, and you haven't the same control, but when you prepare a piece to perfection, like a play, you know what will happen and the power is overwhelming; i think thats why distractions and mistakes are so frustrating...
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