Finger Memory

Have you ever tried to play a piece you learned before and find that when you "use you brain" you can't play it, but when you "shut off" your brain, and just use your fingers, you somehow, magically figure it out? Or perhaps, your brain takes a vacation while you're in the middle of practicing a piece, but your somehow still able to play it? This is because of finger memory or muscle memory. We use finger memory all the time, while your texting (if you're not like me and know how to text) and typing, dialing a phone number, a pin, or something that use done so many times you don't have to think. I, however notice my finger memory most while playing the piano. Yesterday, when I was playing, I started to think about how amazing it was. To be able to play to hands at once. How do you keep track of it all? How are you able to think of everything at once? But you're not... kind of. It's your fingers who are doing a lot of the thinking. They already kind of know where the notes are, and they move to there. A bit spooky, huh?

Libertango

Composing is hard. Especially composing good music. And perfecting the piece too. That is why think the piano duo Anderson and Roe are amazing. To make a good four hands piano duet for Piazzolla's Libertango is astonishing. It's almost better than the actual Libertango...

Energetic, exciting, refreshing. This is exactly how the Libertango should be.

Hum

Humming while playing the piano is a really common. I do it. My sister does it. Most musicians do it. Maybe not when they perform, but they do it. They hum to help get themselves into the music and when they start humming it's hard to stop... until you make a mistake... One pianist that hums while performing though, is Glenn Gould, famous for his interpretations of Bach. The thing is, of all the pianists and musicians out there, why is it a pianist who plays Bach that hums? Bach's music usually has more than one voice. His inventions have two voices, his sinfonias have three, and he is known for his multiple voices. When you hum you can usually only hum one melody at a time, not two or three at the same time, so wouldn't it be hard to hum and try to play three voices at once? And wouldn't it be easier, and more helpful, to hum a piece with a hidden melody, like Haydn's music?

Lang Lang, do we like him or not?

I have always thought that Lang Lang was such a awesome pianist until now. I know Lang Lang is a really excellent pianist, definitely a lot better than me, and I'm not saying anything bad about his skill, but does he really need to express himself that much? Is he maybe, just maybe, I bit too theatrical? I'm not really sure. What are your opinions?

Mark Yu - AMAZING piano prodigy.

Mark Yu is just the cutest piano player I have ever seen. He is also really into classical music. On youtube, I heard him talk about tons of famous composers like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, ect. He also plays piano music by these composers. Even ones that I haven't played, and he is only like in elementry school.

"You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow."

-Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket

Just a funny quote...

Favorite Composers

My favorite composers are probably Mozart and Ravel. Mozart because he is funny and I think I play his music best. I especially like his Magic Flute Opera. I like Ravel because of his Bolero.

Who are your favorite composers? Why?