The Rostron Piano Studio Blog

January 10, 2017

With thanks to Irene Chu Hsu, for giving permission to post her inspiring story.

Mom's Love Affair with the Piano

In an instant, with no warning, Mom became a widow. On one bright sunny day, Dad collapsed and he was gone forever. Mom had just retired not long ago.

She and Dad had made plans for their golden years. Poof! These plans vanished. "What am I to do by myself?" Her thoughts drifted back to her childhood days when, as a little girl, she first heard the magical sounds emanating from a school music room. She knew right there and then she wanted to play the piano. Back in the 1910s, she had no chance. Someday, I will play, she thought.

Years went by. When I came along, Mom made sure her little girl had the opportunity. Every week after my lesson, I'd excitedly tell her about my new discoveries – the 'out of place' little lines above and below the five long lines; those little notes with two wiggly flags, and so many other mysteries on the score. I played, she played. I practiced, she practiced. She would out-practice me until one day, her older fingers wouldn't keep pace anymore with my little agile ones. She was too busy anyway taking care of my brothers and me. Besides, she had a deadline to meet for her master's degree.

Now, Dad's gone. Mom decided she's going to do something for herself – something she never had a chance nor the time to do. She would learn to play the piano! We went to a piano store and picked out the best-sounding upright there was. Her good friend, an empathetic veteran teacher, gamely took Mom on. She mentored her, encouraged her and cheered her on. She marveled at the sheer volume of music Mom prodded through. A year later, Mom moved out of town, to be closer to my brother, a medical doctor. No more lessons. She was on her own.

From the day her piano set foot into her home, she'd hardly let a day go by without playing. Right after breakfast, she was at the piano; after lunch and a nap, she was there again. Sonatinas, lullabies, waltzes, easy classics, campfire songs, old folk songs, Rogers & Hammerstein, and Disney songs. These, and many more, were her cherished buddies, and she visited her pals again and again over the years. When holidays rolled around, out came Christmas carols and other holiday songs.

Mom made a bet with herself that she could memorize any favorite piece, if she wanted to. She always won hands down. She memorized one piece after another, until she could recite ten pieces during any one sitting. Nobody ever said anything to her about "use it or lose it". She just figured she'd give her brain a little workout.

When Mom was laid up with a spinal fracture, playing did not stop. In her mind she could see her fingers moving over the keys and she could hear what they were doing. When she could sit up again, she was right back there at the piano, every morning, every afternoon. No exception, or at least, hardly ever.

Mom lived until ninety-eight years old. Actually she looked more like seventy-ish. Her fingers were nimble and straight. She never suffered from arthritis. Incredibly, even at three months before her passing, she could still play from memory. Moreover, right up to the end, she needed no help balancing her own checkbook.

Mom missed Dad a lot, but she was happy and content. For almost thirty years, she found constant companionship in her piano. Day after day, she played and played. Her life-long dream came true!

© Copyright 2017 by Irene Chu Hsu. Used with permission.

January 10, 2017

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I love Irene Hsu's beautiful story of her mom, because it reminds us of why we play the piano. At the same time, when playing is a "job" or "homework", we may not always feel so inspired. Read on.....

"Tuning Up" to Practice

Unlike other instrumentalists, we pianists don't need to tune our instrument every time we play. Around twice a year we call the piano tuner to take care of it. However, there are times when we DO need to consciously "tune up" our frame of mind before we can even sit down at the piano.

If you're like me, there are times when you just don't feel like practicing. It doesn't matter if there's a performance or adjudication coming up, or if you're dreading your next lesson because you haven't prepared anything! In spite of that, the last thing you feel like doing is head to the piano.

Over the years, I've found several things that help me get past the procrastination phase, and dive into my pile of music.... including those pieces that I agreed to play for someone, but that maybe aren't my cup of tea, to put it kindly.

First of all, let me say that procrastination, as I understand it, is simply a case of not being mentally and emotionally lined up with the task that you're avoiding. It's actually better if you don't practice when you're not in the mood, so to speak, because it will be harder to make good progress.

Not being "lined up" for practice (or "tuned up") can be the result of many factors, but rather than try to figure all that out, I think it's best to simply jump to solutions! It's really not that difficult to set the stage for a juicy, satisfying learning session, one that leaves you feeling like your brain just expanded, and the music pouring through you is palpable and oh, so delicious!

Here are a few ideas to consider:

Lighting the Fire
Do something, anything, related to your practice. It can be as simple as putting your music up on the rack and seeing yourself practice later today (or tomorrow). Or maybe decide what section you're going to start with when you eventually feel up to it. You could sit down with the score, away from the piano, seeing if there's something you never noticed before. (That's actually important practice!) Or listen to a recording of your piece, or of any piano piece, for that matter, etc..... anything to get the momentum going.

You see, it's mostly about what you choose to focus on, and the longer you focus on something that you're wanting to accomplish, the more the momentum builds and the more in tune you become to the task at hand.

Another important thing to keep in mind: your best, most productive practice is FUN, so putting yourself in a light, playful frame of mind is one of the best ways to tune yourself to practice-mode.

Finding the Sweet Spot of Energy, Momentum, and Enjoyment by Making Lists of Appreciation

What if you don't like the music you're required to play?
Make a list of positive things about the pieces, along with positive aspects of learning these pieces. It doesn't matter what the circumstance (or piece) is, you can always find something positive about it, for example:

• I enjoy the rhythm
• It's easy to play it fast
• This section has a pretty melody
• Playing this piece helps me learn.... [something that's been difficult in other pieces]

What if your parents are making you practice when you're not in the mood?
Make a list of things you appreciate about playing the piano in general, such as:

• I love my piano
• I enjoy hearing compliments from others when I play for them
• I appreciate that my parents are giving me lessons
• I love the feeling of playing easy music
• I love the feeling of making difficult passages easy to play
• I like that sense of accomplishment when I finally "get" the piece, or section

What if you're stuck because you have doubts about your ability to learn a particular piece?
Make a list that starts with something that you know for sure about your ability to learn, such as:

• I've learned pieces before, even though they were hard to start with
• I enjoy learning new things
• I like that I can discriminate.... [dynamics, mood, harmonies, etc.]
• I love the feeling of playing the piano
• It feels so good when "difficult" becomes easy
• Learning to play a piece makes me feel smart
• I love to make music, and this is going to be fun!

Keep the list going until you reach a feeling of confidence and eagerness to learn.

What if you're in the mood to practice, but you're feeling overwhelmed with homework or other activities?
It helps to give yourself permission to devote a block of time every day to piano practice, preferably before homework. In that block of time, be very present with your practice. Even if your practice time is shorter than usual, a lot can be accomplished if you focus on short sections that need the most work.

Before going to sleep at night, make a list of all the things you appreciate about playing the piano. This simple exercise is very powerful!

And finally, have compassion for yourself, be light, have fun learning. Remember that "practice" is simply a series of little moments that comprise a wonderful journey!