Last week I adjudicated for the North Fraser Music Festival. The advanced-level pianists I heard played very well on the whole, and the adjudication was asynchronous - pre-recorded performances rather than live. The festival organizers allotted lots of time, so I never felt rushed when hearing the 80-odd performances, and was able to write nearly a page of input for each pianist, sometimes more - which explains why there was no newsletter last week.
This week I finished off a recording project which you'll be hearing about shortly once it's produced (not by me). The music I had to record was challenging! I felt the familiar adrenaline rush when playing these difficult works and recording them in my own studio. In performing situations, I'm used to having these rushes of stress hormones in performing venues - concert halls, churches, recording studios - rather than in my own house. Now I understand when my students tell me about how weird it is experiencing performance anxiety on their own instruments when they have to record themselves for asynchronous competitions or doing live exams - the rush of hormones is the same whether you're in a 1,000-seat hall or in your living room. I'm hoping that in the coming months we can beat this pandemic and return to a life where the thrill of performing is something we experience in actual performing venues, and where people can hear magnificent musical works in person rather than on screens.
As we return to concert halls once again, it's important to bring to the stage a fully revitalized repertoire for the piano. On the Collaborative Piano Blog this week, I wrote about Piano Music She Wrote, a project by Sandra Mogensen and Erica Sipes to compile a list of piano works by women composers available on IMSLP. The full directory sells for $15US, and is well worth the investment for filling in massive gaps in the traditionally male-dominated piano repertoire.
Some articles and videos I've come across to invigorate your creative process:
- Put Your Ideas in the Freezer - wisdom from Rika Sukenik on the creator's life, looking for true north, and finding community.
- What's the difference between note-taking and note-making? - Anne-Laure Le Cunff on a better way to process information based on the generation effect. I use this method and it works!
- a beautiful life - Advice from Rebecca Toh at a challenging time of life for so many of us.
- The Great Online Game - If you're on social media, write a blog, create videos, or buy crypto, you know about the Game. Packy McCormick: "The more you evolve and level up, the more opportunities you’ll have. If you build up a following, meet the right people, and get involved with the right projects, you’ll have put yourself on an entirely new trajectory."
- All About Pencils - Andy Welfle in conversation with Harry Marks about a rabbit hole with a side effect of enlivening your creative projects.
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When Wendy finished Rose-coloured Enthusiasm last week, I mentioned that it would 100% be going in my next newsletter. You can find this painting and more on our website.