Music Gizmo

I claim to be a music lover and I attend a lot of concerts and recitals, so I don’t try to write a review every time, except for a few notes for my journal. But sometimes the playing is so perfect, the interpretations so poignant that the experience demands a record, if only to help publicise real, perhaps exceptional talent. And so it was with Young-Joo Lee, a Korean pianist. She gave her concert to the Amigos de la Musica de la Marina Baixa on November 9 2007 in Altea’s Palau on Spain’s Costa Blanca.

In summary, her programme looked rather conventional. It featured Haydn, Rachmaninov, List, Ravel and Prokofiev. I envisaged a classical sonata played as a loosener, a couple of preludes, a showpiece, perhaps a little dead princess and then something from the tuneful end of Prokofiev to round things off. I am not suggesting that concert programmes offered to the Amigos de la Musica tend to be predictable. Quite the contrary, they tend to the ambitions, but then I am always sceptical of programmes that list only the composers’ names.

Young-Joo Lee did start with a Haydn sonata, but it was much more than the predicted loosener. She played the piece, Hob XVI:34 in E-minor, with charm, wit and real invention, with some of the rhythmic turns and cadences being delivered with an air of unexpected surprise. Haydn sonatas are rarely played this well, and, when they are, they are a revelation, a real ear-opener.

She followed on with a quite rarely played set of variations by Rachmaninov. We all know the Paganini Rhapsody for piano and orchestra, but how many of us have ever heard a concert performance of the composer’s opus 42, the Variations on a Theme by Corelli? It’s a late work, written in a tougher style than the composer’s more familiar and generally more popular works. But it is a remarkably demanding piece, both in its execution and its realisation. Its twenty variations, plus intermezzo and coda, present a formidable challenge to the performer. They begin after the statement of Corelli’s little, apparently stalling tune, and require tremendous interpretive skill as well as technical mastery and Young-Joo Lee displayed brilliance in both areas to bring out the very best in the music. A set of variations can often descend into the presentation of a list, with each item interesting in itself, but the whole lacking coherence. Not so with this Rachmaninov, and much of the credit must go to the performer’s ability to identify and then communicate the grand design.

Then we did have a real showpiece. Young-Joo Lee played the last of Liszt’s Paganini Etudes. It’s in A-minor and is based on the well known theme of the 24th Caprice for solo violin, the same theme that Rachmaninov used for his Rhapsody. Liszt’s treatment of the material is nothing less than pyrotechnic and as Young-Joo Lee played, there were times when her hands and arms were nothing but a blur. But often pianists present such pieces as if they were nothing more than a gymnastic display. It’s essential that everything should be in the right place, of course, but to achieve that state many players sacrifice the musical vision, as elegance and interpretation are muscled out by sheer technique. Not so with Young-Joo Lee. Not only was the piece a pianistic tour de force, it was also a thoroughly satisfying musical experience. The pyrotechnics made sense and became much more than the coloured bangs and flashes of random display.

After the interval Young-Joo Lee presented her Ravel, which was the Valses Nobles et Sentimentales. Essentially this was the third piece in variation form on the trot. Under lesser hands, this could easily have become tedious, but Young-Joo Lee made it into a triumph. It was more than just an opportunity to show that she could handle the legato ambiguities of Ravel’s idiom after the confident force of the Liszt. She played with poignancy and power when needed. But she also never let the sense of the waltz become subsumed within the detail.

And then the Prokofiev. Young-Joo Lee offered us no less than the Seventh Sonata. Now the pianistic pyrotechnics needed an extra toughness, an almost industrial delivery through which the composer’s thematic and harmonic genius must shine. And Young-Joo Lee’s playing was not only up to the piece, it provided a complete revelation. To say that in the third movement she drove the car straight into the garage would be an understatement! It’s a piece that races towards its abrupt end, but to work it must be utterly relentless in its pursuit, never stalling, never anticipating. To describe her playing as close to perfect would be to do her an injustice. It was much better than that and, frankly, I think the audience was left utterly stunned.

She offered a perfect encore in the form a Piazzolla tango and then retired for a well-deserved rest. Young-Joo Lee is an incredible talent. I do hope that her career as a soloist blossoms.

About the Author: Philip Spires; Author of Mission, an African novel set in Kenya
http://www.philipspires.co.uk. I was born in Wakefield, west Yorkshire in the United Kingdom and grew up in Sharlston, then a mining village. After London University I lived in Kenya. Then I taught in London before moving to Brunei and then the UAE. Since 2003, I have lived in Spain, completing a PhD and my first published novel, Mission.
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Music lessons are a sure way of your child achieving confidence, concentration and math ability. One of the best ways to begin is by playing the piano. However, it can be a little frustrating if your child is not quite ready. Listed below are five questions which should be asked before beginning piano lessons.

1. What age is your child?

Although it is not always down to the age of your child as to whether they are ready for piano lessons, a majority of children are at a suitable age to begin piano lessons between the age of five and seven. There are those children that are ready from as young as three years old, and there are those that should wait until they are eight years old.

Even if your child meets all of the relevant criteria but remain to be young, they can begin piano lessons.

2. How Long Is Your Child’s Attention Span?

It is essential that your child has a good attention span as they will need to have the ability to sit and pay attention for approximately half an hour for the lesson. Aside from this, the child will also need to practice for a minimum of 15 minutes every day.

If your child can patiently sit for approximately 20 minutes and read a book or color, then they are most probably ready to begin piano lessons. However, if your child can not sit still and pay attention to anything for any length of time then it is advised to wait a little longer. Once your child is in the first grade at school, then they will certainly have a long enough attention span for piano lessons.

3. Does Your Child Play One Note at a Time On the Piano?

Children will more often than not simply pound piano keys, when playing for the first time, or they will play many notes at one time. However, as they develop control, it will be possible for them to play one note at a time.

It will be possible for a child to play one note at a time as they develop the art of writing. However, your child can begin piano lessons if they start to play one note at a time on the piano before they have the ability to write.

4. Does Your Child Recognize Letters and Numbers?

It is essential that your child knows the difference between their left and right hand, the number 1 to 5 and the letters A to G before beginning piano lessons.

Your child will learn these skills very quickly once they are attending kindergarten. If your child recognizes these letters and numbers before kindergarten, then you may begin with piano lessons.

5. Does Your Child Have an Interest in Music?

It is possible that your child is ready for a more formal music instruction, if they are constantly playing the piano, banging on pots and pans or dancing to music. Weekly piano lessons need to be undertaken, therefore it is essential that the child is interested enough in music in order to continue with the lessons.

If your child does not show an interest in music, but appears to be ready in every other way, then it may be better to wait until they are a little older before beginning piano lessons.

Therefore, if your child recognizes letters and numbers and is interested in music, can sit for the 30 minute lessons and is playing individual notes on the piano, then your child is ready to proceed with piano lessons regardless of age.

A majority of children are ready for piano lessons during their first grade. However, if you think that your child is not yet ready for the lessons, for whatever reason, then it is recommended to wait a while longer.

About the Author: Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Imagine being a proficient musician, not just able to play piano but able to play any piece of music you want to play. Sound like a pipe dream? If you have always had the itch to perform but don’t want to invest a lot of time into lessons, I have great news: you can learn to play songs on the piano in relatively no time at all.

Pop music, for example, can be played in a simple chord-based method. You could teach yourself to play some Top 40 hits in a matter of minutes once you understand the basics.

Now, some genres will take longer than others. Jazz and Classical piano music, for example, requires the greatest amount of discipline, talent, and commitment. These arrangements tend to be complex, note heavy, and expressive. Yes, you can learn to play classical piano, but be prepared to invest your time into learning to play it correctly.

That said, you will find how easy it is to accelerate the learning process and reach your goal as soon as possible. Depending on what kind of learner you are, and any prior background you have in music, piano is one of the easiest instruments to learn.

Why? Because hitting a piano key is a lot like pressing a button. If you can dial a phone, operate a vending machine, or type on a computer keyboard, you are using the basic skill required to play piano. All you have to do from there is learn a few rules about how to put together combinations of notes and you’re ready to break into song!

Here are my tips for you:
1) Think about how much time you can devote to practice and set up a schedule that you know you can stick to. You never want piano lessons to become a chore. As soon as you resent the time commitment, you will likely give up entirely.
2) Try to practice for some time…any time…every day. Even 10 minutes a day works better the one hour once a week.
3) Be patience with yourself. Allow yourself to make mistakes and stumble as you learn. Trust that you’ll amaze yourself - and your friends - soon enough.
4) HAVE FUN!

With your practice schedule worked out, a musical genre, and an instruction method, you’ve got all you need to move forward with your exciting, new talent. Can you learn to play piano? What’s stopping you?!

About the Author: Claim your free Online Piano Lessons at http://www.piano-lessons-central.com/! Get ready to add a new dimension to your life. Everything you need to learn piano is right here. And new articles are added each week, so keep coming back for all the free tips, lessons and helpful advice you can handle!
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