Here's how it has gone down so far. A good friend and I decided to do a recital in the US, where he's from. We wanted to do a summer recital, but he ended up being in Texas all summer with his doctorate degree he is doing. So then the option was for me was to go to Texas at the end of July for the performance in the firs bit of August. What was I thinking for heat stroke sake, I do not know.
So far this is all great right? Performances, new locations, immersing myself in music?
Well in the meantime I decided it was a good idea to coach this repertoire with one of my good friends here in Mannheim. She's a brilliant pianist and a super sensitive collaborator. She is also very good at giving me the harsh feedback that I crave. (I sometimes wish she didn't sugar coat what she wants to say as much as she does, but that's part of the sweet appeal of her.) So we coach to prepare me to walk into the Texas recital and then I get this brilliant idea. If we are going to do all this work coaching it, why don't we do a recital too?
On track with me so far?
Planning and practicing for the recitals then are in full swing. Oh the excitement and the trepidation. The following steps have been done though: theme has been chosen, reworked, deliberated, ignored, rehashed, and written in erasable pen. The initial picking of the repertoire (and the so far 4 edits of said repertoire) has been decided, the ensuring identical copies of the pieces are in the hands of all collaborators, Texas date is set, and the Germany tentative date chosen. Still to do/find; decent recording equipment/technician, Germany location, Germany date, advertise, making and printing of the advertisement posters and programs, deciding on reception, to bouquet or not to bouquet the performance venue, and mostly learn the last few pieces before the polishing can begin. The fundraising for both recitals have begun too. Magical things like flight, advertising, travel for coachings, coaching fees, hall rental fees, piano tuning fees, and collaborator recital fee all need to be paid for somehow. Heavens forbid I should get my hopes up to raise enough to buy a proper gown for the event. Maybe I can find a friend here whom will loan me their gown? Wishful thinking there?
This administrative side of recitals is just as consuming as learning/preparing the music. I've done many recitals in my day, so I'm getting good at it. Yet, I still would be nice to know some current ideas for variety and time efficiency to make these labours of love less labourous. Well, I'm off to the studio to practice for an hour before my teaching schedule kicks in for the day. Do you remember I'm still in that other theatre show in May/June while preparing my student for their studio recital? And it's only April.
I'll keep you posted on the planning and learning of the music. Or, I'll just vent all the extra energy I have here in my blog. Snicker - extra energy!? Who's kidding who now. More like recognition of a workaholic state.
Well in the meantime I decided it was a good idea to coach this repertoire with one of my good friends here in Mannheim. She's a brilliant pianist and a super sensitive collaborator. She is also very good at giving me the harsh feedback that I crave. (I sometimes wish she didn't sugar coat what she wants to say as much as she does, but that's part of the sweet appeal of her.) So we coach to prepare me to walk into the Texas recital and then I get this brilliant idea. If we are going to do all this work coaching it, why don't we do a recital too?
On track with me so far?
Planning and practicing for the recitals then are in full swing. Oh the excitement and the trepidation. The following steps have been done though: theme has been chosen, reworked, deliberated, ignored, rehashed, and written in erasable pen. The initial picking of the repertoire (and the so far 4 edits of said repertoire) has been decided, the ensuring identical copies of the pieces are in the hands of all collaborators, Texas date is set, and the Germany tentative date chosen. Still to do/find; decent recording equipment/technician, Germany location, Germany date, advertise, making and printing of the advertisement posters and programs, deciding on reception, to bouquet or not to bouquet the performance venue, and mostly learn the last few pieces before the polishing can begin. The fundraising for both recitals have begun too. Magical things like flight, advertising, travel for coachings, coaching fees, hall rental fees, piano tuning fees, and collaborator recital fee all need to be paid for somehow. Heavens forbid I should get my hopes up to raise enough to buy a proper gown for the event. Maybe I can find a friend here whom will loan me their gown? Wishful thinking there?
This administrative side of recitals is just as consuming as learning/preparing the music. I've done many recitals in my day, so I'm getting good at it. Yet, I still would be nice to know some current ideas for variety and time efficiency to make these labours of love less labourous. Well, I'm off to the studio to practice for an hour before my teaching schedule kicks in for the day. Do you remember I'm still in that other theatre show in May/June while preparing my student for their studio recital? And it's only April.
I'll keep you posted on the planning and learning of the music. Or, I'll just vent all the extra energy I have here in my blog. Snicker - extra energy!? Who's kidding who now. More like recognition of a workaholic state.
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