My day often start with this, yes, practice!!
I practiced the piano for three hours this morning, had lunch quickly, then headed to my teacher's place. I restarted my piano lesson last December. I met my teacher about 17 years ago and had lessons with her for the next two years or so and stopped seeing her. This time, we've become not only a teacher and a student, but like good friends with the same interests. Sometimes she talks about her grandchildren, who are elementary students. Both of them are so talented with music but don't like practice. She is worried and cares about them but they don't like to be cared. I understand, I'd often say. I used to hate practice, really hated it! I didn't like to see my piano teacher when I was 6-7 years old then stopped the lesson with her. I almost hated her not because of her personality but because she was a piano teacher. Then as I got older, inspired by several occasions or people, I realized how happy I am to be able to do music, to be able to learn the beauty of music, to be able to explore the true meaning of the piece I play. The more I get interested in the piece, the more I want to improve my technique and my knowledge..... So I would say to my teacher, "Don't worry! I'm sure they will be appreciated with the beauty of the music some day and spontaneously, will become to want to improve their music ability then! Now they are just in the age of resistance, that's it!"
Her suggestions to my piano are always challenging. Speed, powerfulness, deep sound, nonstop once started, good balance between the melody and the backing part. After getting her suggestions, I do my best to improve my piano for the next two weeks till I see her next time.
Now I'm mainly working on the first mov of Schumann's Sonate No2 for the school's student recital which will be held in mid July. Supplementary materials are Czerny 50s and Bach pieces. Every piece is challenging for me after not having any piano lesson for the past 15 years. Takes hours and hours to be better. But nowadays, I feel much more comfortable to play the pieces compare to the time I restarted lessons last December. I'm so glad I decided to do this again!
Music building work is so sacred and I love the time when I polish the pieces by myself and then bring it to my teacher to share the result of the two week work. Sometimes I fail to improve myself, then try harder for the next days. It's because of my teacher I can try hard. If you don't have anyone who listen to your improvement, you would lose your motivation.
In the end of today's lesson, my teacher told me that..... I might be the last player at the student recital, which means, I guess, I'm doing good with the Schumann so far.
The biggest problem for me right now is I have to memorize the piece till the performance day! When I accompany with a choir, it's OK to see music but for the solo performance I'd better not see the music, I agree. But I haven't done that for a long time, playing from memory.... It seems impossible for me for now, but I have to overcome this difficulty, I want to do it. Again, life is short, you should try anything you can enjoy your life, this is it, I think.
When I can make it, I think and I hope, I be a better piano teacher for my loving students!
Oh before I forget, our Tigers won by walk-off victory tonight! The players of the day was Ryota Arai who newly joined the team this season. We were so glad to see the new family made the team win!
Good night from Osaka, Japan!
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