Supporting Your Piano Playing Journey
Written by ANDREW EALES
Those looking to “catch some rays” may traditionally head for an exotic tropical beach if they can, but as I drove an early morning errand a few days ago I was struck by the purity of the winter sun blazing brightly, but low, on the horizon.
The fact that in winter months the sun is lower in the sky doesn’t change its essential nature or dim its brightness, even though cloud cover might. On a clear morning, the low angle of the sun only makes it seem brighter.
Blinding, even.
The low winter sun is just as virtuosic as the blazing beast of the equator. The difference of course, is the angle of view, the more modest apex, the changed attitude towards altitude.
Piano Journey
Observing this puts me in mind of how our attitude similarly determines our view of the piano repertoire.
Some devote their piano journey to the pursuit of altitude, learning ever-harder pieces in their ascent to virtuoso prowess.
Others are more content to play “for pleasure”, perhaps neither striving for the same heights, nor ignoring them. They simply enjoy a different viewpoint.
Those who devote their lives to playing the most difficult repertoire may end up doing so with great difficulty.
Better, I believe, to devote ourselves to playing the most beautiful music, and playing it with great beauty.
As the great writer Albert Camus once wrote,
“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”
Albert Camus
Continue reading Playing like the Winter Sun
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