Third Year Recital

Here is the link to a recording of my recent recital at Rollins. The program is below:

Années de Pèlerinage II (Italie), S. 161                            Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

    IV. Sonetto 47 del Petrarca (at 9:30 in the video)

Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57                           Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

    ("Appassionata")

    I. Allegro assai (at 16:38)

    II. Andante con moto (at 26:35)

    III. Allegro ma non troppo - Presto (at 32:40)

Preparing this recital was a long journey. I had to learn and memorize the pieces, of course, but this is only one step among many others. There was also much mental preparation involved in getting ready to sit down and play difficult music for thirty minutes straight. If I lost confidence at any moment, I would also lose my concentration and momentum, and the music would suffer as a result. Even when I made mistakes, I had to maintain a positive attitude and stay focused. I found stamina and being fully present essential to giving a recital.

These concepts apply just as well to beginning students. Remember that practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent! If you are focused and stay on track while practicing, you will find that performance comes smoothly. However, even hours and hours of practice cannot help you when it is done carelessly and without a goal in mind. If you are facing a particularly difficult concept or passage, do not let yourself become overwhelmed. Instead, figure out the exact spot that is troubling you and work on it until you can't get it wrong. This is the core of what practice is, and if you do this enough times, you will soon play all your music with ease!