Playing the Piano
"'natural phrasing' and `from the heart' are prized attributes of song, singing that way requires rehearsal, preparation, and getting in touch with whatever it is inside singers and getting in touch with whatever it is inside singers that, by a neural kink or the grace of God, enables them to turn themselves into vessels of musical sound."
On an Alumni Weekend at Milton Academy, I was practicing on a grand piano in the orchestra room. After about two hours of warm-up and practicing, the sun went down and the room became dark. Suddenly, an alumna walked in to confess that she was listening to me for the past thirty minutes. She said how much she liked Chopin's Nocturnes and my playing. She asked me whether I was planning on studying music in college.
To her disappointment, I said, "No, I just play to enjoy the moment."
After thanking me, she left to join her classmates for dinner. I was dissatisfied with my playing that day. I apparently had been playing a piece delightful to her ears, but I could not get into the mode of playing naturally for some reason. To me, my playing sounded clumsy and rigid. You cannot guarantee that you will play the way you like every time you sit at a piano. There are days when your fingers are stiff and days
you may not be able to express your interpretations so well. When your finger hits a wrong note or when your fingers cannot play as smoothly as you want, such subtle mistakes can ruin the voice or impression that you are trying to create.
Chopin's Nocturnes are some of my favorite of all piano music I know. In my opinion, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 is the most challenging and rewarding piece to learn. My piano technique, however, is not sufficient to pl...
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...just comes out," my improvisations when "I am one with the music also just flow out of me. There is no right or wrong answer how to play Chopin's Nocturnes, Ashkenazi and Rubinstein play it differently and I just happen to like Ashkenazi's pause between the cadences more than Rubinstein's. Some people must fmd Rubinstein's pause more effective than Ashkenazi's. Although there may be critics, no one will not allow you to play the way you interpret the piece. Music is personal and I think that I will be happy playing piano as long as I enjoy the time playing and creating music. Although it would be great if others find my playing entertaining, it is not as important as being able to enjoy playing the piece. I think what Hawthorne calls the "enjoyment of the reality" an artist possess "when [he rises] high enough to achieve the beautiful" keeps me practicing the piano.
Chopin’s Impromptu arouses "the very passions ... within [Edna’s] soul"(p.34). The harmony, fluidity, subtle rhythm and poetic beauty of the Romantic composer make Edna loose herself in the music that stirs her emotions. The art completes, for her, what nature cannot bring to a finish. The exquisite, looping, and often fiery melodies of the Impromptu make a cut in Edna’s mind through the conventional beliefs about people and society. Because she is not a musician, her listening is based on intuition, allowing for a direct apprehension of the music by the soul and leading to a confrontation with the reality itself — the reality of "solitude, of hope, of longing, ... of despair"(p.34). This is the beginning of Edna’s awakening, for such emotions, especially despair, are not an end but a beginning because they take away the excuses and guilts, those toward herself, from which she suffers. This revelation of previously hidden conflicts gives birth to dramatic emotions within Edna. It is so powerful that Edna wonders if she "shall ever be stirred again as...Reisz’s playing moved" her that night (p.38).
These essays seem to have different stories, but both have many apparent similarities. In Brent Staples’ essay he discusses how society treats him like a threat and how he can do nothing about it. Likewise, in Richard Rodriguez’s essay, he talks about how he feels that society judged his skin color to be too dark and ugly. Both men felt like outcasts in their surroundings and neither could do anything to change that. Because of this discrimination, both men had to change their lifestyles. Staples adapted to how society viewed him and learned to live that way. For example, he always made sure to keep a certain distance between him and other pedestrians at night to make sure they felt safe. Rodriguez states many times in his essay how much he wanted to just be shirtless in the sun, but could not do it because he was sure his friends would judge him. So although he had urges to do certain actions, he held them back to adapt to the way he felt that his family and his friends saw him. Another similarity these two authors share is how they handled this hate. Staples writes that he learne...
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767 in between the two Carolinas in a small cabin. His father died before he was born and his mother and both brothers all died when he turned 14 years old, he was an orphan (The Seventh US President - Andrew Jackson). He was born poor and worked his way up from the bottom to get through law school with the help of three hundred dollars inherited to him by his grandfather. When Jackson was twenty-four years old he moved to Tennessee, where he would meet his wife that he loved and adored, Rachel Robards, to practice law. He married her in 1791 and helped her raise her eleven children like his own.
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States of America. His terms were served from March 4, 1829 to March 4, 1837. He was a very religious person. Jackson attended church regularly. The president opened his cabinet meetings with a prayer. When he was general, he would say a prayer before battle to his men. Jackson was the first President elected hailing west of the Appalachians. At the time he was the oldest President to be elected into office. Jackson's presidency defined itself in two central points: the “nullification crisis” and the "Bank War." Jackson took office, The "American System" program helped economic development through utilizing transportation subsidies, and through protective tariffs on imports to aid American manufacturers. A lot of Southerners believed these policies promoted Northern growth and that this was at their expense. Jackson slowed down the American System by vetoing road, and canal bills starting with the Maysville Road in 1830. In1832 South Carolina declared the tariff unconstitutional which made it null and void. The state took steps to block tariff collections within its radius. Even though Jackson favored lower tariffs, Jackson acted swiftly to uphold federal supremacy by force, or any means necessary. He declared the Union indivisible. He then branded nullification as treason. Congress reduced the tariff in 1833, defusing the crisis.
Thematic development and structure are considered to be Chopin's weak points in his compositions and this is thought to be especially true in longer pieces such as the three piano sonatas. One critic strongly criticised these pieces as they did not stick strictly to sonata form. Others however, feel that as they are Romantic sonatas, and therefore the structure is not as important as it was in Classical music, that they "should not be straightjacketed by the rigours of sonata form."
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15th, 1767 in the state of Virginia. He was a slave owner from the south who was highly passionate but also had an uncontrollable temper. He was a different kind of leader, very outspoken, enthusiastic and wanted things done his way. The historical context of Andrew Jackson’s presidency should be taken into account because the 19th century was a horrendous place in terms of racism and slavery. At that time, the notion of slavery and not giving the slaves equal or any rights was considered to be the norm in most of the southern states because they made profits off of slavery. Since President Jackson was from
He worked many apprenticeships in order to best prepare to practice law. In 1787 he was able to take the bar, and in 1788 he became a prosecuting attorney west of the Appalachian mountains in what is now Tennessee. His law practice provided him with enough success to move to Nashville one year after he became an attorney. With his successes in law, he started to buy and sell land, one of his most prosperous land investments was the hermitage which had 640 acres of land. He began to befriend very important people in Tennessee politics, and it was said “that would become the foundation of his involvement in Tennessee politics.” (Hourly History). During one of his visits to the frontier forts where he practiced law, he met a woman named Rachel Donelson Robards. He fell in love with this woman and in 1794 married her. Andrew Jackson also adopted one of Rachel's nephews. Andrew Jackson in 1796 was elected to be in Tennessee's first house of representatives. However, he was not finding much success in this career and resigned eight months after taking the position. He then returned to the legal career being a circuit judge on the Tennessee superior court until 1804. The frontier required more military help at this time. Andrew Jackson stepped up to help as a man not lacking military experience and a hatred for British
Sergei Rachmaninoff is considered to be the final, magnificent composer of the Romantic era in Russian classical music, ushering forward its traditions into the twentieth century. His four concertos are a reflection of his development as a composer and pianist, with regard to maturity and compositional style. The evolution of music during the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century had no significant effect on Rachmaninoff; rather he continued to produce ingenious works reflective of his Russian upbringing and the Romantic era.
Andrew Jackson as a kid had a very bad life. He was named after his father for one reason. His dad died right before he was born so his mother decided to name him after his father. He also was early into the military and fought alongside his brothers. He fought from 1778 to 1781. His oldest brother died during combat and he was sad. While fighting Jackson and his other older brother were captured and were brought behind enemy lines. While their his older brother caught smallpox and died to this illness. Andrew Jackson was able to escape though from a prisoner exchange
Andrew Jackson was one of the most controversial presidents that has governed the United States, both historically and while he was the leader of the country. Like many Americans during the time he was born, Andrew Jackson was born to Scottish and Irish immigrant parents on March 15, 1767. It is unclear for certain which, but Jackson was born in one of the Carolinas, which at the time were British colonies. Jackson was raised as a child of the frontier, and likewise received the type of sporadic education that most children got at the time, with formal primary education being years away. Jackson would become an orphan in the American Revolution, and gained early experience in battle, foreshadowing his future military career. In the years after the war, Jackson would study law for a time, becoming a traveling lawyer on the frontier. He would also rise in prominence and gain wealth through the purchase of land and slaves, becoming a planter as well as a merchant and lawyer. At the same time as he acquired affluence, Jackson delved into politics, becoming a delegate to the constitutional convention for the state of Tennessee, where he was living. In a quick timeframe, Jackson would go from this position to a representative in the House for his state to becoming a U.S. senator representing Tennessee (Tregle, Joseph G., Jr.).
What can appear to gleam and reflect such beauty and craftsmanship yet can be handled by a three year old. It’s sound so pure by a touch of a finger has been in existence for well over a hundred years and is the foundation for creating music. It’s black and white keys produce sounds when played correctly that can bring tears to one’s eyes, touch your heart and soul, bring hope, or even joy and laughter to an event. All of this power… lies in the piano. The piano from its creation to this very second had transformed the world of music no matter what class, talent, and ability.
Frederic Chopin, a Polish Nationalistic composer of the Romantic period, is a famous musician. Chopin’s compositions are individualistic to his talent and love of the piano. Chopin lived in Warsaw as a child and spent a great deal of his life living Paris amongst other artists of the Romantic period. He was influenced by people surrounding him and even more from his childhood in Poland. The Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-Flat major opus 61, is musically representative of Chopin and the Romantic period, nationalistic styles from Poland and unique innovations especially from Warsaw.
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States also known as the people’s president. First president from a western state. He lived from March of 1767 till June of 1845. He was born into poverty in the Waxhaw’s region between North Carolina and died in Davidson County, Tennessee. At the age of fourteen his brother and parents had died and he was an orphan. His uncles raised him. Andrew Jackson held many positions before his presidency such as U.S. Representative, U.S. President, Judge, Lawyer and U.S. Senator.
He pushed me to let my voice be heard, not just to receive the A that I desired, but because he believed that I had musical talent. It was from his encouragement that I received attention from other peers and my teachers. Finally, I had been noticed for doing something remarkable- other than certificates that I had previously been awarded for academics. Now, when I spoke- or sang, rather,- people began to listen. I had haphazardly discovered a talent of mine that may have gone unnoticed if I allowed myself to switch classes to one of a higher academic rigour to assuage the fears that came with being a perfectionist.
Frost gives just enough details in his writing to provide the viewers with a clear picture but allows them the freedom to create their own interpretations. One of the main things that make this poem attractive is the dilemma of picking a path. People immediately relate to that dilemma because most people face it numerous times throughout their lives. The Paths in the woods and forks in roads are metaphors for the many problems and decisions that fill one’s life. This poem says that we are free to choose, but we do not really know what we are choosing between. It does not say to take the path less traveled by nor take the path that is more traveled. The speaker knows that he will either second guess the decision somewhere down the line or wonder what was down the other path. In reality there is no right path, only the chosen path and the other path.