We are going to close "Your Voice" soon. I copied some of the comments by Shoko, Asa, and Carol.
Hello, hope everyone is doing well. It is such fun to read what other GMG members are working on recently at home. For me, it has been so rare to have more time for practice and having more of family time. I have been working on the following pieces. - Chopin Ballade No.3 in A flat major Op.47 (Played at Steinway concert on March 1st - this was the last concert before the COVID-19 pandemic started) - Chopin Etude in F minor Op.25 No.2 (My first Chopin Etude) - Beethoven Sonata No.1 in F minor Op.2 No.1 (I have not had a chance to play Beethoven much, but be obligated to play this year as it is his 250th anniversary). - Schumann Aufschwung in F minor (It was on my music bucket list for a long time) You may notice I have picked all F minor after I played the Chopin's Ballade in A flat Op.47 which is a relative key of F minor! It is just a coincidence. Shoko Tanaka a month ago Reply 0likes currently
Hi Guys! I've been taking advantage of this crazy COVD situation to resume practicing. I'm dividing my time between a new Chopin Waltz (Op. 42) and starting to learn Blues Piano (something I thought about but never had time to try!). Also, continuing to learn the piano parts for some cello sonatas so Damian & I can play for you once we can get together agin. Thank you, Utako, for this lovely forum and all the hard work you put in! Gail Starr a month ago Reply 0likes currently
Hi everyone! Utako highly recommends we communicate using YOUR VOICE rather than email. I have missed the GMG activities during this stay at home period of time. So I put aside the music I was readying for performance occasions to learn something new. The new piece I am learning is really a new piece for me – not a rehash of something from decades ago. I am working on Schumann’s Fantasy in C, Op. 17. I started in late 2019 by buying the score then listening to the music for hours on end while at the gym and when driving places. The entire work consists of 3 movements and is about 30 minutes playing time. The 1st movement is free flowing with various tempos ranging from Adagio to Allegro. The 2nd movement is a fast pace Allegro with a slower middle section. The 3rd movement is a steady, quiet, and slow in 12/8 time. I started the process of playing and learning the 1st and 3rd movements in late January. This piece is challenging and a lot of fun! Asa J Williams a month ago Reply 1likes currently
Hi everyone. This is has been a strange 2020 to say the least. GMG has a concert at Steinway Galleries then everything shuts down due to this coronavirus. Even the Spivey Hall 2020 concert has been cancelled. I miss the group, visiting everyone, and listening to everyone play. Recently Jimmy Baskerville sent out an email to most of the GMG group titled GMG Withdrawal. A suggestion was made to comment on any new music that GMG members might be learning. Great idea! While my wife has been working puzzle after puzzle, I have been learning a brand new work for me: Fantasy in C by Schumann, Op. 17. This is a 3 movement piece. I am learning the 1st and 3rd movements. The first movement is HARD! Asa Williams a month ago Reply 0likes currently
Dear Julie and fellow GMG members: I'm so sorry I wasn't able to attend the home musicale as I had planned. Julie, I would have loved to have seen your studio and talk to you about our favorite student! I actually took my name off the spreadsheet a day or 2 earlier, but I realize now i should also have contacted Utako. Time got away from me and I forgot I had signed up. I'm trying to plan better for the next event at the Cherokee Arts Center in April. I believe Utako would like us to be signing up, so now's the time to make plans! Carol Wazlavek 3 months ago Reply 1likes currently
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