Tuesday-February 11, 2003

I met up with my 1st piano teacher (Ms. Hsu) on Saturday and I played for her a couple pieces for about 10-15 minutes. Although my playing didn't go without a hitch, it went pretty well. I just have to remind myself to practice breathing (sounds like a le mans class) techniques and not curve my fingers (instead, have 'em flatter on the keys) when I'm playing.

I finished a book The Pianist's Problems that I purchased in Atlanta. Lots of good advice on technique, how to practice, memorize, fingering, and playing by ear. I gotta remind myself that it's better to hesitate than to err. It's good to know that even Horowitz and Rubinstein, towards the end of their performing years, still got butterflies. I'm polishing up a couple of Chopin etudes and the Brahms Capriccio that I finished learning and memorizing. I'll prob make a couple recordings of those....and practiced the long (and very fast) "run" on the first page of the Mazeppa (3/4's of a page long). The fingering is tricky but it's progressing just fine. So i'm pleased.