The Freethinker

Piano Performance Tips

I'm not an expert, but I've learned some things along the way these past few months that other aspiring pianists may benefit from. I've had a crazy few months that have really pushed me in piano performance, and I want to share what I have learned with others that may be struggling.

1. You will hear this alot. Know your music! Learn it well enough to even play a portion of it with your eyes closed, or be ambitious and play the entire peice in practice with your eyes closed (Ray Charles style).

2. Perform, perform, perform. Don't shrink away from the spotlight if you can somehow weasle your way out of a performance. Learn how to deal with the 'pressure' of having all eyes on you. It will be hard at first; the first six or seven performances where you must push yourself WILL be the hardest, if you are shy or nervous. Granted, you will feel like disgorging every once in a while and you will be so nervous  your fingers will tremble when applying pressure to those ivories, but it will pass, if you get over this early stage. You'll learn theres nothing to be afraid of, there is no danger upon that piano bench! You'll be increasingly comfortable the more times you are confronted with the stage.

3. Learn to concentrate. Have a family member or a friend make alot of noise and be distracting while you practice your peice, and you will learn how to concentrate. The main reason aspiring pianists blank out while they're in a middle of a performance is because their mind starts to wander. "I wonder what we'll be eating afterwards. I could go for some pizza. We should eat at iHop when we're done... Uh oh! What's next?!" And bam, before you know it, you're completely lost. Learn how to concentrate correctly. Do not overly concentrate. I know this is confusing, I am telling you to concentrate and then I am telling you not to concentrate, but when you overconcentrate, aiming for total perfection, mistakes abound. (I've learned from experience!) Music must be focused, but never forced. It has to come from your heart! Forcing a performance by concentrating TOO hard never produces the right results. If you don't understand what I'm saying, you will have to wait, someday you will understand this concept after performing enough.

4. Don't let bad performaces discourage you. We've all had it happen. You totally screwed up the climax... And guess what? You're not the first pianist to ever do this. If the piano is really your instrument, you'll pick up the peices, perhaps even cry a little, move on to preparing for the next performance and vow to do better. Don't let a sour recital have an effect on you for eternity in negative ways. Learn from your mistakes, identify why you performed badly (Bad pedal? Out of tune piano? Low lighting? Not knowing your music?), and try to keep that in mind for the next performance. If it was nerves that got you down, you will just have to keep playing and get over this. Failure does not lie in the fact that you did not play perfectly, failure would lie in the fact that you never even tried or shrinked away from the challenge.

The BIGGEST tip that I could ever give for those aspiring to play for God is, pray, pray, pray and praise, praise, praise! Let your performance be an offering to God every time to sit at that bench. Be it practice, performance or just plain playing around. If you're nervous about a recital or concert, pray! Yes, it's as simple as that.

Another thing that may really help some, know your limits. You don't need to play Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 to have people appreciate your performance. Understand your own ability. It is okay to aspire and set goals, but be realistic. If you've only been taking piano lessons for less than a year, a performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is not for you yet! Aspire, but know only your worst limitations.

I hope this helps someone! It's not scientific but it's something I wish some people would have told me when I was anxious about performing in front of people.

What do Russ Taff and Baseball have in common?

I'm not quite sure.

We found out a few weeks prior to the event that Russ Taff was going to be playing at our local baseball field for the "Altoona Curve" on August 26th, 2005, for "Faith Nite"... We got the tickets way in advance, and found out that we were going to be sitting in the 216 section of the stadium.

I had gotten myself ready early in the day, gathered up all the neccessary accessories and went on our merry way to the stadium. There wasn't too much traffic to deal with, considering we were about a half hour early. We parked two miles away from the stadium though, which was good, (I suppose), for excercise.  (Since I'm such a lazy bone...)

After we had taken our seats, we went through the normal baseball rituals (Such as singing that "Charge!" Song, clapping around to that Adams Family song, and dancing around like maniacs, which I did not do. I'm much too old for that. No, really, I just didn't feel like jumping around like a maniac just to get on camera. Haha.) I was quite interested in the game though, the Curve won, of course, because I was there.

Its quite odd though, every time I attend a game at the Curve stadium or the Pirates stadium, the Curve or the Pirates always win! Every time! I'm like their good luck charm. Things that evening were looking a bit grim though, and I thought my good luck charm had worn off, but it didn't! The Curve won just in the nick of time.

So afterwards we moved down to the first floor to grab a seat near where Russ Taff was going to be singing while workers at the Curve were setting up the stage.

The neccessary equipment was set up and we waited patiently for Russ Taff to make his appearance.

He arrived a few moments after a pastor who was responsible for Russ Taff's appearance for "Faith Nite". Russ Taff was greeted by applause, and began the evening by singing "Trumpet of Jesus" which he had sang with the Imperials. He also sang some other songs I wasn't completely farmiliar with, but they were catchy and I had a good time none the less.

Before the concert, we were informed Russ Taff would be doing a "Meet and Greet", so we had walked over to the area in which he was supposed to do so. We waited about a half hour or so, after someone informed us he would bring Russ Taff out for the meet and greet, but we grew slightly impatient and headed out the entrance to leave. But then my mother spotted a man whom she had seen in the office. She asked him if Russ Taff could sign a photo I had bought earlier during the baseball game. The man said, "Sure, I'll be right back." And he walked into the office. (Note, during this whole time, I kept thinking "Good things come to those who wait.")

We just waited, and I had a slight inclination the man was going to come back to bring us into the office. And lo behold he appeared out the door and said to us, "This is going to make your night!" And he waved us over to the door. We walked in, and he instructed us to go through a door and down a hallway. And then, there was Russ Taff!

We walked into the tiny room, and Russ Taff exclaims, "HI ANNETTE!" And quickly rushes towards my mother and mows me down. (Literally!) My father recalled he just saw this huge yellow shirt pummeling its way past me. I just continued grinning the whole time, acting a bit confused. Then the man who had brought us in said, "No no no, thats Annette! *Points to me*" And my mother exclaimed, "No no thats our daughter! Thats Annette! *Points*"

Russ quickly turned to me and went, "Oh! Ah, oh, er, oh, ah!" Then he bursted out in a laugh and gave me a hug and said sorry, and I just laughed. Then we made some small talk about the show, and then got a group picture. My parents told Russ about our music ministry and how we play some of his songs, and I told Russ how I was raised on his music, and he just gave me another hug and said "God bless you!" And as we were leaving, my mother said, "I pray God will give you many more years to His service!" (Or something of that sort), and Russ replied, "Well Jesus is comin' back soon!!"

So yes, that was fun. :o)

Heres some pictures!

Russ singing...

People at the concert...

My dad, mom, Russ and me! :o)

Sonshine Fest!

Currently listening to: "Open the Eyes of My Heart" from "Worship" by Michael W. Smith

Current mood: Sleepy!

Currently craving: My bed!

Hi ya'll! Saturday was Sonshine Fest! I'm still tired from it! It was such an eventful day.

I woke up around 10:45. I was actually up since 9 AM trying to fall back asleep, but I just couldn't do it. Perhaps my anticipation kept me on my heels? I'm not quite sure. It was a sticky and humid day. My hair was still slightly damp from the shower I took the night before. The sky was warning of rain clouds, and so was Weather.com, which, seems to be bi-polar with their weather reports now and then. (I guess they just aren't the Miss Cleo's of the weather world. Too bad!)

I staggered out of my tiny cocoon in the study room, which was drenched in a pleasant warmth seeping its way in through the french doors. Its my temporary residence, considering my father has box upon box piled in my own room since he is working on a dormer on the third floor of our home. I grabbed my planned outfit, which, I made the mistake of wearing pants on a 90 degree day, with sultry humid tempetures. Smart me, eh? Later you'll learn what became of these demon pants. (Which I think would be the correct term, since there are fires in Hell and all... I imagine it would be hot. And believe me, was I roasting like a doomed turkey on Thanksgiving day in these pants! I bet I probably looked like one too! *Wink*)

It seemed when my mother kept trying to get ready, folks just were itching to call her. At least four phone calls within 15 minutes. Talk about running like chickens with our heads cut off! Not only was it crazy running to get the phone, having a rambunctious dog which enjoys galloping all over the house with you doesn't exactly make anything easier!

So somehow, we got out of the house by 11:29. We had to meet a group from Ohio for them to follow our SUV to the church. About this time I was scorching. I felt like a human torch. Those baggy pants proved to be a menace four minutes into the car ride. Poor me, and I just thought I was running around too much! (How naive!) We arrived at the appointed area to meet the band. I thought to myself, "Well! That sure went smoothly enough!" But then the menace of sloth strikes! The band member who was driving the van to follow us was literally trailing along at 20 miles per hour. Even by the time we hit a major highway, they were still traveling at 20 miles per hour! Yipes. But thankfully nothing happened and everyone made it safe to the church.

Around 12 we arrived. Arrived to the parking lot of death. (At least to me it was, in those demon pants!) The sultry, sticky humidity was hard to bear let alone the scorching sun on the black (Well, grey.) parking lot. My father was alerady present, he was already helping the first act prepare for their performance at 1:30. My mother and I took some boxes of T-shirts and other assorted equipment to our table area beside the soundboard. As we were setting up, a woman who was invovled in the puppet ministry, Maggie, helped us fold some T-shirts and offered to buy one. But surprise, surprise! Her shirt was free because of her participation in this years Sonshine Fest! She wasn't thrilled, she insisted upon paying. She then decided she would buy two shirts for two friends of hers. We agreed upon it and Maggie was pleased.

Now, not only was it so humid we were constantly sticky, and hot that we were (Well, at least I was...) roasting like turkies, the wind brought a nice cool breeze... Now see the breeze was really nice to cool me off, but it made my hair fly wildly in a million different directions at the same time... (Keep in mind my hair is down to my waist.) So yeah imagine all that hair flying in the wind! (No, it wasn't glamourous like in the movies.  ) And yes the demon pants were still torturing me. Poor me, eh? Yeah yeah I know this is turning into a whine fest, not a Sonshine fest.

The first act had begun and my mother got a call from a mutual friend from Maryland. He needed a way to get to the church from a Wal-mart down the road, so she went off to give him directions. I was left at the soundbooth to take photos of the first act and take a few videos also. (Whilst my work, my father is running around like a chicken with his head cut off making sure everything is working.)

Our friend arrived, a friend which I had not seen for at least seven or eight years. I recognized him immediately and popped over to say hello. My mother explained it was "Me", of course, and our friend John exclaimed, "Good Lord! Look at you!" I grinned instantly. John asked if I remembered him. I replied, "Of course! How could I forget? I wasn't that little!" And the conversation lead to the last time he had visited and what had happened during all this time. John was a little bit stockier and greyer (In the hair!) from when the last time I had seen him. He still had the crazy personality of any Maryland native. (No offense to Maryland-ers, you are all wonderful people! I know quite a few of them!  )

Wow, I'm not even through the first hour of Sonshine Fest... I think I will continue tomorrow and display some pictures while I'm at it. So expect that from me tomorrow! I'm so sleepy...

Good night, ya'll!

-Annette