I think if someone compares medieval music with Rachmaninoff, they simply have no idea about music. Only a fool would compare a painting by Albrecht Dürer with a Picasso and then consider the Dürer to be too simple. Virtuosity exists in every epoch. It survives the centuries. It is the same everywhere in art. I am very grateful for musicians like you, dear Sarah, because you open a door into the world of music for us “normal people” that we would never be able to open on our own.
"That's b e t t e r" I have to give you props for not punching his lights out. Such condescension! As a violinist I can absolutely confirm it is one of the hardest things to play slowly and beautifully; and having sung polyphonic medieval music, I can honestly say it is some of the most intricate music you'll find.
I used to play guitar in a punk rock band when I was younger. We were really bad but we rocked every stage in our area and people still talk about the concerts decades later. And it's not because we were virtuosos, it was because of all the fun we had together. This taught me a lot about what music really is about.
Not my intent to be chopsy, even so, its skill not talent. Talent effects the outcome but has limitations, skill through hard work and commitment creates sound and unlimited work not cack. BTW I’m a numpty who by way of a peak of emotion put my knee through a painting or two and was chuffed to do so.
Love your channel. Ouch. What a story. Why would this guy go out of his way to tell he was disappointed? I had the opposite experience. I suffer terribly from performance anxiety, much more when I was young, less now. I played piano in a jazz ensemble in school. After a performance, a woman in the audience approached me and said, "I loved your performance. It was great." I felt very uneasy. I argued with her telling her all my mistakes. She stopped me. "When someone gives you a compliment, you say, 'Thank you.' And tuck your shirt in." One of the best lessons of my life. I am so grateful.
I was in a recorder quartet (I was Tenor) and I gravitated toward the lyrical pieces with lots of counterpoint and the leader liked the finger twisters. I find the challenge of phrasing in a lyrical piece every bit as demanding as fast runs. Also, maintaining the energy in a gently undulating melody is quite an accomplishment. The technically difficult pieces frequently sacrifice counterpoint and I want every member to have something fun to play.
This totally reminds me of my old teacher who always used to say: 'music is not a marathon or an obstacle parcours'. Instead, if you understand your piece then it doesn't even matter if you hit all the notes or whether you're fast enough
I remember years ago being hired with some folk musician friends to play folk music at an event for barn dance type stuff, and a drunk woman staggered up to us, looked me up and down and said, “is this it?” I was devastated and said I’d never do this sort of event again. But! A few years later and I’m back doing it again and have a gig this weekend. We usually get lovely feedback. I wish I hadn’t let her comment hurt me so much as I’ve missed out on fun I could have had. Thanks for this video Sarah, let’s have more medieval stuff!
It was enlightening to hear what you consider your worst musical nightmare. This is also certainly one of mine but it doesn't stop there - forgetting my music (done that), forgetting my instruments (done that), forgetting my memorization (done that), and yet, like you say, here I am, much older than you, having spent my career as a musician and all has ended well! I love your statement that it isn't really about virtuosity, or technique, or style of repertoire, or venue, size of audience, or amount of fame; it is about sharing a moment of love for the beautiful art of music in all its glorious aspects with the people listening to you. But I will share what has so far been perhaps the scariest moment in my career (you have my permission to howl with laughter): I've played in both the classical world of music and the folk Irish world of music. I was at a folk gig, onstage with my group, at a festival when the director came up and said that he thought we needed bagpipes. As in Scottish highland bagpipes. And we were in luck, because he had a stray bagpiper who was going to come on stage and play with us. There was obviously not going to be no for an answer. We were playing memorized tunes in the fiddle keys, of course, of D,G,A, etc. He was playing in Bflat. I transposed my tin whistle tunes into SOMETHING and I hope to this day that it was perhaps close to Bflat! What a nightmare!
Thanks for the comments, Sarah. As a musician/teacher I always wanted to play as expressively as possible regardless of tempo or “fireworks”. Also encouraged my students, even beginners, to do that to the best of their ability. As I watch your videos, I see that is your ultimate goal. My opinion is that this gentleman needs to do more research before attending a concert so he knows what to expect. He also needs a lesson is not being rude.
Having been a musician for 66 years now, I find the best - and hardest- thing is to really make music; to let it tell a story that touches the listener's heart. A strange remark I heard was from my brother after playing viola in the orchestra for a Bach Cantata: Why don't you smile while playing? I told him, I smile inwardly. It's true. Relating to this incident, a funny business failure happened in my area in Germany. Some people had gathered to teach musicians how to express emotions in more ways than just in the music. They had to cancel the whole thing, nobody booked their classes. The comments of musicians were referring to the old style musicians who often stood perfectly still while playing the most beautiful music.
I can never be fully still while playing, the emotions of the music come out not only through my lips and fingers. But I always have to move, just a little bit
A slow movement played with amazing interpretation and singing tone is one of the most impressive things. Like when Brüggen playes the largo from Telemanns recorder sonata in F major or B flat major. It's so beautiful 🥲
In teaching my piano students I used to tell them that it's all very nice to hear someone play a highly technical piece but to play with attention to dynamic changes and feeling is true virtuosity. This was particularly important for my adult students that would go to RUclips to hear a rendition of a piece that they were working on and find some 5 year old playing the piece, seemingly flawlessly, and at break-neck speed! :)
I had an opposite experience... I blacked out on stage after playing a couple of measures, I tried again and failed, and again and failed again. My mind went completely blank and after desperately waiting for a minute or two nothing came back to me and I went off stage... Everyone applauded and I didn't even hear it. This experience stunted my progression big time, I even gave up on performing. But! Not anymore! I'm so glad I picked up playing recorder again, and piano, and am learning to compose 😊
At my local Irish session, we choose our pieces just by having someone start playing - the musicians around them will either join in or not, depending if they know the tune and if the first player is loud enough. Relative beginners (such as myself) have a more limited repertoire compared to the experts and if we're leading a set we usually pick easier tunes, but I've never seen any more experienced musicians look down on something for being "too easy". The same tunes appear often enough in sets the experts are leading as well. But you can still very much hear the difference between The Kesh Jig (for example) led by someone with 2 years of experience vs someone with 20.
very important, very useful, very practical, and oh so human! I wish I'd had access to someone who spoke of this when I took "music for teachers" back in 1973... I wish I'd had more fire within me when the instructors (three) explained how terrible my lack of skill was... four months with a recorder as a first instrument and no real instruction - buy the book (yes), follow the lessons (yes), play one of 20 tunes (yes). thank goodness you came along an reignited that spark! Thank you.
That's a really useful story. It resonates with something that happened today! I play at a very beginner standard. Today I played someone some slow simple folk tunes like The Rowan Tree. She had just had a vaccination, which she found very stressful, and she found the music really helped her to relax. There was much happiness. In this case at least, simple music did all the heavy lifting.
My duet played a modern piece with very complex rhythms. I found that a certain about of movement helped to keep me in time. Sort of a bounce to the music, nothing outrageous. We played very well and I was really proud that I’d managed it. But afterward a woman (a recorder teacher, no less!) came up and said “You know you’d probably play better if you stopped moving,” Wow.
I remember a fire dancer commenting how the easy, flashy tricks get the most reaction while the harder maneuvers go by unnoticed. I mean, it’d all be hard for me, but now I sometimes try to guess how the performer sees it. But, I love your comment about how other skills are involved outside execution of the performance. Whether showmanship (ability to “play” the audience) or understanding how a piece fits in its historical and modern contexts (which impacts so many other choices), it all has its nuances and difficulties. On some level, it’s a shame so much of it would go over my head when enjoying a performance. On the other hand, I suppose that can be part of it. I won’t know what magic you wrought, just that it was magical, and you made it look effortless.
I once went to a recorder workshop billed as an "Early Music" weekend worshop. There was I think one piece by Josquin we spent an hour on, but the rest of the time it was JS Bach and other Baroque pieces with flurries of notes, and an arrangement of Fauré's Pavane! At dinner I tried to point out to the main tutor, who was evidently well regarded (at least by himself) that this wasn't what I expected as "early music". He quipped "What do you want, to play organum all day?" I was embarrassed (no doubt his intention) but now wonder if that might have been fun! I never went back to another of those workshops and am glad I don't remember the fabulous tutor's name.
😮 My choir does medieval and renaissance music and there's so much material we don't even need to approach Bach or baroque, 11th to 16th centuries keep us well occupied for years now! Kinda ignorant for that person to think the essentials can be dealt with in an hour. Sounds like they didn't even like early music, so that's like me holding a workshop on reagge "uh there's Bob Marley.... so anyway let's go to kpop." 😄
This happens in a lot of professions. Someone who has no idea how to do what you do judges you based on whatever preconceived notions they have of what constitutes "difficult." Depending on the instrument playing slowly and especially quietly can prove much more challenging than the "fast and furious" playing that so impresses the ill-informed.
I remember reading a quote from Marcel Moyse. When asked about Jean Pierre Rampal, Moyse said, (as I remember it) "Rampal plays so fast I can't tell whether or not he's any good."
I used to joke that he won a competition to play all the Vivaldi concerti and finished first, closely followed by the orchestra and conductor. Then I heard him live in concert. He was very good.
"If we can hear a piece of music we normally dismiss and find it in ourselves to embrace it and accept it, think of what we can do with each other.😮. Thank you Sarah - your expression at 7:10 says it all❤
I am basically a singer and I will make an example based on the vocal repertoire because I know it best. Take the Marriage of Figaro, by Mozart. In the opera, the Countess sings two difficult and beautiful arias, Porgi Amor and Dove sono i bei momenti. Stunning music, it takes your breath away. Then there is the arietta of Barbarina, a side character, L'ho perduta... me meschina. It's about 1.45 minutes of music in a very comfortable range and it is one of the first arias a conservatoire student ever learns to sing because yes, it is that easy. Easy, yes, easy and yet hauntingly beautiful. When you listen to it, you forget it is easy. It's just absolutely beautiful music. That man in the audience was misguided. To be polite.
As a chronic concert-goer and a beginner musician: it's an important skill for the audience to learn that the world doesn't revolve around them, and you won't get to enjoy (or even understand) every piece equally. Once you get that, your enjoyment will go up.
What gets me is the audacity of it. If I went to a concert and the music all seemed so simple to me that I was disappointed, I would just think to myself "oh well, it wasn't what I was hoping for" and then leave. It would never even occur to me to march up to the musicians and be like "your playing was shit and you should feel bad about it"
Medieval music is a great example because it can be full of the most interesting rhythms! You’d never know how hard it can be to play if you’ve never done it yourself.
Ugh, i feel you though! It must be so much more hurtful as a professional musician or artist even. I'm a recorder player aswell and i feel like with this particular instrument there is another layer to this story. Still, the recorder is perceived as an "easy instrument". So for people to take you seriously as a performer, i feel like they demand a display of technical genius first. At least that has been my experience while playing sonatas for an audience: the reevaluation of my performance after the allegro is telling...
I’ve always admired skilled musicians, artists and craftsmen. They have been my inspiring teachers for years. Critics are usually the opposed breed, and we waste so much precious time and energy on them. Pearls for the swine. Keep on going. Follow your artistic ❤.
Short and sweet comment. However...! The most useful and authoritative one of the bunch. E.g. Who would *dare* call other people "swine" in 2024? Well. You're not. 1) Probably the best-known teacher planet Earth has ever known used this exact, symbolic language when he was "a complete unknown; just a rolling stone." Usually we must "attribute" this kind of thing. But. Attribution would be lmao ridiculous in this case. ...or should be. 2) But is referring to a fellow sapiens as a pig nice? Said "teacher" further instructed us to be salt and to not lose our savour. "Salty" is the word now in 2024--and Brits, Aussies, we USians, Canadian Anglophones--along with all in-betweens, 2L's, aboves, belows who use English in daily life share the consensus meaning. Chapeaux, HatzOff: Jesus! So. Let's not a single one of us "lose our savour." Certainly not right now for God's (or gods's) sake!! Swine will swine. Twas ever so. ❤
Many years back ( when I was in my playing as fast as possible stage) a fellow musician told me "At the end of the day (sorry, I hate the phrase, but that's what he said) we're all musicians and want just to be at our best. There's no competition, no judgement, we all invest a lot of time. If people understand us or not, when they're all gone, it's just us and our instruments." It took me decades, but IMO he was right.
So many thoughts! I wish we offered more grace to students, especially beginner ones. You've talked about it before, that beginner recorder players especially get flack for how they sound. But shouldn't we embrace that a little bit more? A class of students isn't going to sound like a professional orchestra, and it shouldn't. If you're expecting that, of course you're going to be disappointed. I think we should be gentler overall - especially if you think you want to give "critique" (which, for the record, that guy was NOT giving critique. He was just complaining.) As for my own story, I basically grew up being told my singing was crap. Which was really hurtful, and I still have issues today. But now I know my singing better than I think it is. Granted, I've improved from the scrappy 12-year old trying to sing in-tune, but that's besides the point. A passion of mine was almost ruined by bad "critique". I'm just glad I'm getting past that.
I had a family member laugh at me and tell me basically that my singing was sh** All this when I was starting out as a teenager! Hard to take and yes hurtful as I can imagine you must’ve felt with that person you were talking about in your video. It’s amazing how it stays with us but as musicians, our passion is stronger than all the negative criticism and we carry on and continue with our craft. Thank you for sharing your experience with us 😊
Dino Kartsonakas can play fast and flashy. But it's the subtle, soft, slow and expressive parts of his arrangements and playing that provide such joy when listening to a good recording on a good stereo system. His most famous arrangement "My Tribute" has both.
Recorder players know that the French Baroque level 5 of Hot Cross Buns really is much harder than the semiquaver/sixteenth note division, even if it doesn't sound so flashy!
There is this composition by Schumann that is marked "As fast as possible". And after a few bars, it says "Faster". Seriously, how could anyone think medieval music was easy, like, ever. I wonder whether he has ever heard someone playing Rachmaninoff on a recorder, as I haven't.
In truth, the man was only expressing (in a very rude way) the types of music he prefers. He was also suggesting that he had no understanding of the challenge and vulnerability of performing a slow, mournful or sacred melody. Is not the ability to bring life to such a simple piece a different (and perhaps more challenging) virtuosity. And while baroque repertoire is an intellectual exercise to my listening ears (much in the same way that jazz is), medieval music touches my soul in a profound way that for me, is wonderfully contemplative and feels like home. Sadly, most of us have been so numbed by the constant noise of day to day life, leaving only fast, loud and complicated compositions to awaken us. For me, the richest musical gift is only found when we seek the profound stillness that lives between the notes, echoing the whispers of each sweet tone.
As a musician, I loved your comments. So right! Sometimes the "easy" music is exposed and more challenging to be done well because of all the things you mentioned. We often struggle with programming because what musicians like and appreciate can be very different from what non-musician audiences enjoy. You did a great job in addressing something that we all think about.
Finally a music professional with a nuanced opinion on virtuosity and beauty! I recently discovered bwv 561, a spurious Bach piece, simpler than a normal Bach piece, but massively beautiful. But it's likely not Bach, so it's underplayed... hopefully you're contributing to a new mentality here 🙂
I have played a lot in public and have had the same experience as you. And worse I've played in groups who didn't put on that good of a show and on the other hand I've had some really awesome performances that were a true thrill for me and everyone else. At the end of the day I try to keep in mind that I'm trying to entertain people and trying to make my instrument playing a part of the entertainment. You nailed the feelings and the issues that come when performing very well. Keep up the good work.
This reminds me of Neville Martin's article in Guitarist magazine many years ago. Down at his blues club he put his name on the list and was at the end. When his turn came he had seen everyone playing 100 notes in a bar and the audience look knackered. He played a slow blues and had the best audience reaction of the night. As you say Sarah, it can take a lot more work to make a slow piece sound good and you cannot please all the people all the time.
A few tips from a retired performer of 25 years to younger colleagues: - I'm glad you hated it. Your appreciation would blemish my reputation. - It's not their fault that they strive for virtuosity; they're just misguided to pander to your taste. - Being able to appreciate simple music is a complicated process. Attack is the best form of defense ☠
Thanks for sharing that story; it was very inspirational. It's always tough to take criticism, especially if it's delivered as rudely as this guy did. As an amateur musician I haven't really had that sort of experience (yet), but as a scientist, this happens very often. After a seminar, conference, or examination, more often than not someone will come up and let you know that they think your research project is absolute garbage that doesn't prove nor fix anything. And just as you said, after some initial bitterness, the world keeps spinning and life goes on!
Nice video. I use to love to hear a player play fast but now I listen for how well they communicate and I find myself liking more lyrical qualities then fast notes. One of my favorite things about the recorder is it's beautiful long sustained tones. This is what drew me in to want to learn the instrument.
Thanks Sarah, I listened to your RUclips presentation. It brought to mind The Australian Piano Awards that are held every 2 years. I’ve been a few times but always left feeling unsatisfied. The pianists competing have to be 25 years or younger. Every piece played feels to me like a display of who can play the fastest with accuracy. To me, a slower piece where every note is “pondered” on shows real musicianship. Interpretation and bringing feeling to the music is essential for me, not showmanship. Holding a long note on a recorder requires immense control. The feelings you’re trying to express through your playing are felt by the audience. I’m with you, not the dipstick/tosspot who spoke to you after the performance. Whatever genre of music grabs you, it must be played with feeling, not with the “virtuosity” that the man who tackled you at the concert. As you rightly say, virtuosity comes in many forms. It’s not just speed and complexity. Mx
This was years ago. When I was younger, I was in a competition for voice. As I was singing, a man repeatedly yelled the word, "Basura! Basura!" This means garbage or trash. He yelled it over and over. I did my best to ignore him and kept singing, and the band kept playing. I was proud that i kept going and did not let him rattle me. His daughter approached me later to apologize for her father's poor behavior. He was my first heckler, but I knew he wasn't going to be my last, so I was fine. It's not that I have tough skin. I find that judges make me more nervous than a heckler in a crowd. I still shake before a performance, even small ones. 😁🎤
As a composer, I believe there is a time for flashy technique and there is a time for simplicity. Both can be equally challenging to master. Unfortunately, not enough listeners and performers appreciate the value of the latter. Just because one is talking doesn’t mean they’re saying something.
As many others have said already, that guy was an idiot who clearly knew nothing about music. As an oboist, much of the most challenging music I play are the slow, seemingly simple, pieces. The control it takes to make the slow movement of a baroque concerto sound like it's serenely floating above the bed of the accompaniment takes FAR more discipline, skill, and control than any amount of flashy, fast-moving fingers. As you said, much of the time, it only sounds easy because the skill of the performer makes it seem that way, and the quiet, "easy" pieces are in my opinion what truly lay bare a musician's abilities. I had the great privilege once to attend a live recital of Itzhak Perlman. Everything he played was effortless, except I knew it wasn't. It was his talent, plus a lifetime of honing his skill through countless hours of dedicated practice. I am so glad you have been able to put the ignorance of the man you encountered in the past and gain perspective and understanding from it.
I’m reminded of a school music teacher who despised Mozart - ‘It’s so easy, just scales running up and down’. I seriously wondered what kind of appreciation of music this person ever communicated to his students.
This was a super-important video for me to watch. I've been working very hard on playing very note-ey fast music lately, and while I'm glad to be improving in skill, I often just assume that people will undervalue me and my music if I don't try to show off as much as possible. So for me, it's super refreshing to hear such a clear and concise argument against the idea that we “owe” the audience virtuosity. Thanks for sharing another way of thinking about this.
6:37 This! 🎯 Easy, medium, and hard music can all be beautiful, and should all be equally appreciated. 🎵 Another thing that you did point out that is extremely important later in the video: the rest of your audience liked the performance. 😀 While 1 mean comment can really sting, always look at the big picture. 🖼
Dear Sarah, don’t worry about anything like that. You are the best recorder player I ever heard. When I met your RUclips channel I thought I am intermediate player, but now I know I am not, but you gave me a new point of view on playing. Now I understand how much knowledge and work is behind the scene. I know you would like to bring the best music experience to everybody, but that’s not possible to give it to everybody and every time. According to me, virtuosity means filling yourself with music and experiencing it. And after that to let the music go out in your own submission. With best regards LT
The unbelievable amount of nonsense I have experienced from audience members who are suddenly experts in all kinds of things 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 Cannot agree more about virtuosity and the challenge of slowing down. In my mind, that is often the mark of a great musician, not just because it’s musically challenging but because there is something about not needing to prove yourself to others that I really respect. Thanks for speaking about this! So needed!!!!!
My flute teacher told me that when she performed modern music, she usually gets mixed reactions - but, she said, at least I get reactions. The worst thing would be for an audience to be completely unaffected by the music.
Wow, do I feel this. Several years ago I played on a Master's recital for a lovely countertenor here in Boston, a rather tricky (though idiomatic) 20th-century piece for countertenor and recorder, and at the reception afterwards a woman said to me, unsolicited, "You realize you were basically playing the flutophone up there, right? I played that in third grade...I was pretty good too. Of course, it wasn't hard." 🤪We recorder players certainly have an uphill battle sometimes in terms of public perception , and it's so easy to, as you said, focus on playing a lot of notes because then people will know that we're "serious". And unfortunately there are some recorder players out there for whom playing fast is the only tool in their toolbox (or the only one they routinely use, anyway), which is sad because I feel like it's usually from a desire to be considered a "real musician" (whatever that means) by people like the gentleman who was so patronizing after your gig. We need to have thick skins for sure, and it takes courage, in a world where style often trumps substance, to just play the music as well as you know you can, let the chips fall where they may, and not apologize for it. When I was in school I came across a quote from the Bhagavad Gita that's stuck with me, something like "You have a right to your work but not to the results of your work. Do your work and then let it go; this is the only path to serenity." Easier said than done!!
From my years of playing with the local brass band, there was nothing I loved playing more than hymns. Not fast or flashy but just some beautiful harmonies and melodies.
Agree 100%! I play with some brass pals and our repertoire is the sally army books. So much fun, so much learning and when we get it right absolutely beautiful music.
I love “simple” music, and appreciate the effort to play with beautiful tone, expression and intonation. That being said in my own programs I do like to include at least one item the common person will find “virtuosic” as I find it has pretty successful responses from audiences. I got totally laughed at once when I played a Mozart piano piece in my own interpretation … The person asked me had I ever listened to a recording? And they’re right in retrospect my performance was way out there, but I did enjoy attempting to put my own spin on something classic vs following tradition. In happier news however I’m very excited at my families Christmas concert this year we have a recorder soloist and we’ll do Vivaldi Recorder Concerto in C Major 3rd movement, as recorder locally here has some bad reputation as a badly played school instrument hope we can show what it’s capable of
Very good reflections, that can be used in all forms of art. It still baffles me though, that most (if not all) of those who has negative comments on performers, on any stage, are not performers themselves.
Can't composers compose simple pieces if they want? As an adult piano beginner, I am delighted to keep discovering that some (not all!) real musical classics are not actually that complicated. Some are very difficult, of course, but some are not, and they are no less beautiful.
Virtuoso playing isn't always appropriate either. I am not great at saxophone, trumpet, or any other wind instrument I play, so I tend to keep things simple---long tones, simple riffs, that sort of thing. One time I was at a jam session, and one of the jammers---a virtuoso guitarist, came up to me and said "I like working with you. You play like you're in a horn section." I asked him what he meant, and he explained that I didn't show off. I also play in a worship team at church, and the discussion of conservatory pianists came up. And we realised that many conservatory pianists struggle on worship teams because they suddenly have to play in _a band._
I'm all over the board with this as a musician. In the end, though, I think that if the music is well-served, then that's fine. For example, I've heard countless renditions of the Bach partita sound like the flutist has a full bladder and is wanting to rush off-stage. I've heard others equally as fast that almost sound like a lullaby. And I've heard ones done slowly where every note is like a well-crafted haiku. You can play the notes or you can play to the music. And....tastes change to the time. I find Gershwin performing Rhapsody in Blue to be too fast and prefer the modern take. OTOH, I don't care for how slowly Claire de Lune is usually played, but Debussy playing this at a higher tempo made it sound perfect. Goes to show: composer, performer, audience...you're never going to please everyone. We all march to the beat of a different bagpiper.
Beautiful discussion Sarah. Really touches so many pieces of human relationships, judgments, values, beauty, and human experience. What a breath if fresh air after living here across the pond where the greatest virtues have been hate, paranoia, separation, believing in lies and deception as truth, it is refreshing to exercise less judgment and seeing more beauty in each other.
As an amateur I have few experiences playing in public. One was providing music for a medieval play - presented in a church. I got together a group and we performed. The only feedback I got was that the music was the only part of the performance this listener could hear. And in the other case I played a longish duet on alto recorders with a friend. I really worked on that with a cassette recorder so I could force myself to come in cold basically anywhere I needed to in case I lost my place on either part. In performance my partner made a mistake and I dropped out and then dropped back in and finished the piece. My partner lost his place somehow while I was playing and stopped, so I finished solo. The organist later expressed his dislike of my partner and gave mo reason. Subsequently I started writing poetry and prose. I found out that when I send something out (the equivalent of performing?) I had no control over the reaction in other minds. That's just part of life in the real word. If you can't take the reaction. stop putting your effort out there. That's the way I see it. Someone is probably going to tell me off. And I don't care.
You are SO right. If and when I happen to be at a concert, where I do not like the performance or the music, I tend to not tell the perfomer about my thoughts, if I am not asked. The same with paintings. I just let it pass and hope for something better to occur. If the performers continue doing it (in my opinion) wrongly, I stop joining their concerts.
So much to say about this. A slow piece is often a lot harder than the fast one. A wrong note in a fast run will not be perceived but in a slow tempo it will ring without end. And a note on virtuosity: some musicians are not extraordinary technicians but they are exceptional at carrying emotion and for me they are great.
I had a very special experience a couple of years ago. At the time I was playing regularly with a harpsichordist, and we even played quite a big concert at a very beautiful venue, to show off my new voice flute. The concert wasn’t bad, technically it was even quite good sometimes, but it was a bit meeeh. At my lesson a few days later my teacher tried to find out why I kept playing with this guy. She didn’t want to tell me directly I shouldn’t waste my time with him, but I didn’t really understand what she was trying to tell me. In that same lesson we played a few Mattheson duets, nothing special, just nice music for closing an intense lesson, and then I suddenly understood: it’s not about how many notes you can play, or about playing all this pretentious baroque repertoire. It’s about playing together, reacting to each other and to the music, listening to each other and to the music, being embraced and being carried away by the music, even with these “simple” Mattheson sonatas. I hadn’t experienced that in all of 9 months of playing with that harpsichordist, and here was my teacher taking me there within a few minutes. I’ve talked to that harpsichordist only once or twice after that…
When I saw the title of this video, I thought did she lose her music (or a page from it?), not bring the right instrument, lose your instrument, have the foot misaligned and not notice till you start playing, get stuck in traffic and not make it to the venue on time, someone else not show up who is necessary for the concert? This one didn't occur to me.
Oh Well F sir, thank you! I'm so grateful, whoever you are. Be careful when you leave for any accident. I'll try to live up to your expectations in my future life. (he'd better be some famous virtuoso or apply to his own perfection/wish) P.S. I have a range of instruments across music and play them erratically and badly (although having natural pitch can tune, repair, rebuild and play them) so I'm not allowed to judge anyone by personal awareness. Love your stuff and cheerful method. I have three 40's to 50's clarinet, one Boosey Hawkes so Eng. and never considered Recorder as more than a toy but now I have pursued a score of history and have a Aulos 511B (E) with keys on the way from Japan (if the price wasn't a scam $71) so I'll be learning to tune notes on it if needed by undercutting et al. as per wooden manu. as I tune my string and wind instruments.
I’ve been an amateur classical musician since 1967, and I always prefer to hear and play beautiful music over technically demanding music. After all, we perform to touch our audience (and ourselves) with the impactful beauty of music. If we can do that, then technique is ancillary.
As a relatively new recorder player, I was fortunate to gain access to a late Baroque church through a friendly relationship with the parish priest. One day, I was passionately playing Boismortier up in the choir loft, savoring the acoustics, which, though a bit too echoey, seemed acceptable to me. Suddenly, I heard a shrill female voice from below: "That’s not very nice, what you're playing up there!"-said with a rather nasty tone. I thought of that moment when I listened to Sarah’s description. Some people seem to think they have the right to judge and criticize musicians. Over time, I've grown accustomed to being ignored by casual listeners, usually family members, when I play the recorder. At first, it felt like a stab to the heart-making music without any connection to others, without being heard or acknowledged in any meaningful way. Recently, in Nicaragua, I found myself sitting on a plastic chair, surrounded by four sleeping dogs, playing through Telemann’s Fantasias. The solitude of a musician. It reminds me of the shakuhachi players, who also seem to play without any social connection, sitting in the snow, lost in their own world. Since then, I’ve given up on playing in public spaces like churches or chapels, preferring the quiet of home, where I no longer expect an audience-whether supportive or knowledgeable. Every genre has its own listening culture, and in my case-French Rococo music-competent listeners are rare, if not nonexistent. So now I play for my two budgies. They seem to be the perfect audience.
It happens to all of us: After a concert a guy came up to me and said, well you are really a beautiful woman but you cannot sing at all. That broke my heart. So unfair! First make a compliment and at the same time destroy me as a singer. I think, we do not owe our audience virtuosity but we do owe them authenticity. To show ourselves and share feelings and play the best we can.
I’m so sorry that happened to you!! I hope you didn’t give up. I remember walking into the toilets at college choir rehearsal and hearing a girl renarking “that blonde girl who can’t sing…” - they were talking about me 😪 I quit and didn’t sing for years. Finally I got a teacher who I love, and I love singing now!
The first time I heard a recorder played by a master, it wasn’t just music that filled the air-it was as if heaven itself had opened. I felt the voices of angels pouring out, weaving through each note, carrying the echoes of beloved souls long passed. They sang to me of hope, of love that never dies, of joy that transcends time, and a comfort so deep it could cradle even the most aching heart. I heard the voice of God. Faster playing or wildly complicated compositions don't impress me. What impresses is hearing the musician and composer work together to express themselves through the instrument.
I created an album years ago. It was a little cheesy, and one of the best comments I got was that it was awful. Most people were patronising, and said it was nice for fear of insulting me. I preferred the brutal honesty.
I have only performed for an audience a few times. I enjoy practicing every day but I am cognizant that I do need an audience. Maybe I'm not there yet. I do have trouble memorizing. It is possible for me but I am in awe of classical guitarists on RUclips who have memorized so very much!
Sarah this is a fantastic topic! And beautifully philosophized. It's what got me composing music - "who decided these are the only people who can be composers?"
"It happened to me!" That would make a good title for your first book, and number 1 best seller on Amazon. We are all waiting for you to share his nightmarish anecdote, and other entertaining stories, with your 208K+ subscribers.
From the listener's perspective, it's always up to us to choose what we enjoy. But we should always keep in mind that if we don't enjoy something that others do: 1. We're the ones walking away with less fun, and 2. It's not for us to tell other people they're "enjoying wrong." Leaving critical feedback is something I feel should only be done when we have a strong interest and commitment to helping someone. As such, I only like to give it when it's someone I know well and care about and when I have followed their journey and am committed to their goals. And then it's important to deliver it in a constructive way that inspires rather than discourages. From the performer's perspective, it depends a lot on the goal. But generally speaking, we don't need much negative feedback. We can see how our audience responds. Are they coming back to watch more videos? Are they buying tickets, showing interest in the music we're offering? These clues usually represent more meaningful feedback, whether positive or negative. And if we're finding that we're not generating the interest we like, we can seek out ideas and feedback. This isn't to say that we can't get an idea from a random virtuosity addict. But typically we do better to weigh that input much lower than our own sense about the progress we're seeing in our journey. That person doesn't know our goals, doesn't know the interests of our audience as well as we do, hasn't thought as much about our challenge as we have, and generally lacks data to make the informed decisions we need.
When I was in high school I went to a competition where one of the judges based his marks almost entirely on the technical difficulty of the piece rather than how well the student actually performed it. Something a bit beyond their ability, played mostly accurately but without expression or nuance got a 1 because they aimed high; a beautifully interpreted piece that was a bit less technical got at best a 2 because in his view they must not have really challenged themselves. We joked that we could have just submitted the scores to him to rank by difficulty without bothering to play them and saved everyone lots of time.
Not the same but the worthy thought makes me want to share. I joined an all welcome, inclusive, community orchestra. I’m a beginner but doing well and can make my mollenhauer dream alto sound nice. Clarinet man welcomed me by telling me that he had started on the recorder and that, if I practice hard, I’ll be able to graduate to a real instrument soon. Few weeks later, clarinet woman told me that she does play the recorder with some friends in her house but she wouldn’t bring it to orchestra practice. She didn’t say why but her reasons hung unsaid in the air between us. The orchestra leader has been lovely and really supportive. She genuinely seems pleased there’s a recorder there. The flautists have not been as judgmental as the clarinets!!!
I played a concert once in the wilds of Montana where at the reception afterwards an elderly man came up and told us “You guys were really terrific - It was just as good as eight hours sleep‼️” 😵💫 Although he meant well it didn’t come out quite right. Of course we just burst out laughing… 😂😂😂
That’s a great story. It can be confusing when an audience member who knows the program will not be to their taste comes up to say: “Yep, I came here on purpose, knowing what would be played but now I’m disappointed you all performed what you advertised, I was hoping for something else.” What do you do with that? At least you got to find out he was a ‘flight of the bumblebee groupie’ when he came back, and gain some perspective on it. Thank you for sharing your story and insight.
Miss Jeffery, all that really matters is how did YOU feel about YOUR performance. Because you will never please everyone. Some music can touch someone's soul and bring great joy to them. While at the same time someone else who has heard the same music may find the music as just "meh". So please don't let this one person's comment bring you down. There may have even been a few more folks whom have felt the same way but chose to not say anything about it. I think it's just human nature to focus on the small negative instead of the big positive. Just think of those whom you did bring great joy to them. God Bless you Miss Jeffery. ✝️🇺🇸🕊😊🎼🎵🎶🎺🎷🥁🎻🪗🎸(sorry no Recorders or Flute emojis) 😸🐕🌳❤🧸😊
There is no easy music and a love a nice larghetto or Adagio. Play what you fancy most and enjoy it. The audience will spot thta you are enjoying what you are doing and that is the most important maybe. You PLAY music. Getting something dove very fast can be great fun to do, but a single tone played on a recorder solo is already so wonderful.
I'm not a mucian, but I'm... learning... and I really want to chime in. That was so deep, and useful for many areas in life. (If you ever get tired of the recorder, you could be a psychologist or a philosopher.) The meaning of "value". What price can and should we set on difficulty? In art, maybe like in sports, like figure skating? Is that fair? And what the hell is "difficulty"?? Everything is easy when you master it. Maybe the guy didn't understand the first piece, and so he couldn't appreciate it. I believe many people equal fast and loud with difficult, and I guess I too am often impressed by things that aren't actually difficult, and dismiss some really difficult efforts. But I know what I like, and a lot of what I like, is what I think is really simple and easy.
Thank you for your comment ❤️ and I really appreciate what you say - “everything is easy when you master it”. I think musicians can remember that too, to put ourselves in our student’s positions and have more empathy for each other too.
@@Team_Recorder I think you're a great teacher. Being my own teacher, I'm too impatient, and I can't seem to muster enough empathy, so I critique myself quite harshly :-D But I've picked up some principles from you that I'll take with me.
Preach! Honestly when you said after your second encounter with him he came up and said 'That's better', I had to pause your video for a good 5 minutes to rant at this bloke I've never met haha 😂 When it comes to virtuosity, I think we need to step away from the mentality that the difficulty level of a piece of music determines this, I've found 'how' you play and the emotion conveyed to move your audience, a greater skill than just the technical ability to play a piece.
I think if someone compares medieval music with Rachmaninoff, they simply have no idea about music. Only a fool would compare a painting by Albrecht Dürer with a Picasso and then consider the Dürer to be too simple. Virtuosity exists in every epoch. It survives the centuries. It is the same everywhere in art. I am very grateful for musicians like you, dear Sarah, because you open a door into the world of music for us “normal people” that we would never be able to open on our own.
Beautifully expressed.
I second that! 👍
As a musician myself, I couldn't approve more !!
Rachmaninoff, that renowned composer for the recorder ...
@@markchapman6800😂
"That's b e t t e r"
I have to give you props for not punching his lights out. Such condescension!
As a violinist I can absolutely confirm it is one of the hardest things to play slowly and beautifully; and having sung polyphonic medieval music, I can honestly say it is some of the most intricate music you'll find.
I used to play guitar in a punk rock band when I was younger. We were really bad but we rocked every stage in our area and people still talk about the concerts decades later. And it's not because we were virtuosos, it was because of all the fun we had together. This taught me a lot about what music really is about.
It takes talent to paint a picture, but any fool can put their foot through it.
Not my intent to be chopsy, even so, its skill not talent. Talent effects the outcome but has limitations, skill through hard work and commitment creates sound and unlimited work not cack. BTW I’m a numpty who by way of a peak of emotion put my knee through a painting or two and was chuffed to do so.
Love your channel. Ouch. What a story. Why would this guy go out of his way to tell he was disappointed? I had the opposite experience. I suffer terribly from performance anxiety, much more when I was young, less now. I played piano in a jazz ensemble in school. After a performance, a woman in the audience approached me and said, "I loved your performance. It was great." I felt very uneasy. I argued with her telling her all my mistakes. She stopped me. "When someone gives you a compliment, you say, 'Thank you.' And tuck your shirt in." One of the best lessons of my life. I am so grateful.
I was in a recorder quartet (I was Tenor) and I gravitated toward the lyrical pieces with lots of counterpoint and the leader liked the finger twisters. I find the challenge of phrasing in a lyrical piece every bit as demanding as fast runs. Also, maintaining the energy in a gently undulating melody is quite an accomplishment. The technically difficult pieces frequently sacrifice counterpoint and I want every member to have something fun to play.
This totally reminds me of my old teacher who always used to say: 'music is not a marathon or an obstacle parcours'. Instead, if you understand your piece then it doesn't even matter if you hit all the notes or whether you're fast enough
So true
I remember years ago being hired with some folk musician friends to play folk music at an event for barn dance type stuff, and a drunk woman staggered up to us, looked me up and down and said, “is this it?” I was devastated and said I’d never do this sort of event again. But! A few years later and I’m back doing it again and have a gig this weekend. We usually get lovely feedback. I wish I hadn’t let her comment hurt me so much as I’ve missed out on fun I could have had. Thanks for this video Sarah, let’s have more medieval stuff!
Take a look at David Bowie's early career.
Gotta believe in yourself
I like medieval tunes for their simplicity and clear melodies that are easy to memorize. So they go straight to the heart
It was enlightening to hear what you consider your worst musical nightmare. This is also certainly one of mine but it doesn't stop there - forgetting my music (done that), forgetting my instruments (done that), forgetting my memorization (done that), and yet, like you say, here I am, much older than you, having spent my career as a musician and all has ended well! I love your statement that it isn't really about virtuosity, or technique, or style of repertoire, or venue, size of audience, or amount of fame; it is about sharing a moment of love for the beautiful art of music in all its glorious aspects with the people listening to you. But I will share what has so far been perhaps the scariest moment in my career (you have my permission to howl with laughter): I've played in both the classical world of music and the folk Irish world of music. I was at a folk gig, onstage with my group, at a festival when the director came up and said that he thought we needed bagpipes. As in Scottish highland bagpipes. And we were in luck, because he had a stray bagpiper who was going to come on stage and play with us. There was obviously not going to be no for an answer. We were playing memorized tunes in the fiddle keys, of course, of D,G,A, etc. He was playing in Bflat. I transposed my tin whistle tunes into SOMETHING and I hope to this day that it was perhaps close to Bflat! What a nightmare!
SO true! Lots of it I went thru myself (amateur)…
Thanks for the comments, Sarah. As a musician/teacher I always wanted to play as expressively as possible regardless of tempo or “fireworks”. Also encouraged my students, even beginners, to do that to the best of their ability. As I watch your videos, I see that is your ultimate goal. My opinion is that this gentleman needs to do more research before attending a concert so he knows what to expect. He also needs a lesson is not being rude.
Many "professional" musicians seem to feel that a piece is only worth playing if it's "virtuosic" - rather than pleasant to hear.
Empty virtuosity can easily be more boring than less technically challenging material.
Having been a musician for 66 years now, I find the best - and hardest- thing is to really make music; to let it tell a story that touches the listener's heart.
A strange remark I heard was from my brother after playing viola in the orchestra for a Bach Cantata: Why don't you smile while playing? I told him, I smile inwardly. It's true.
Relating to this incident, a funny business failure happened in my area in Germany. Some people had gathered to teach musicians how to express emotions in more ways than just in the music. They had to cancel the whole thing, nobody booked their classes. The comments of musicians were referring to the old style musicians who often stood perfectly still while playing the most beautiful music.
@christianemichelberger8245 I too look like I'm unhappy while I'm performing, and it's the happiest time of my life! 🤣
@@AlexRCarlson , love it, same here!
In the end, it is not about the musician but about the music.
I can never be fully still while playing, the emotions of the music come out not only through my lips and fingers. But I always have to move, just a little bit
On violin, the notes to Schubert's Ave Maria are super simple to finger BUT making it sound transcendent (or even good) requires virtuosity.
A slow movement played with amazing interpretation and singing tone is one of the most impressive things. Like when Brüggen playes the largo from Telemanns recorder sonata in F major or B flat major. It's so beautiful 🥲
In teaching my piano students I used to tell them that it's all very nice to hear someone play a highly technical piece but to play with attention to dynamic changes and feeling is true virtuosity. This was particularly important for my adult students that would go to RUclips to hear a rendition of a piece that they were working on and find some 5 year old playing the piece, seemingly flawlessly, and at break-neck speed! :)
I had an opposite experience... I blacked out on stage after playing a couple of measures, I tried again and failed, and again and failed again. My mind went completely blank and after desperately waiting for a minute or two nothing came back to me and I went off stage... Everyone applauded and I didn't even hear it. This experience stunted my progression big time, I even gave up on performing. But! Not anymore! I'm so glad I picked up playing recorder again, and piano, and am learning to compose 😊
GET BACK OUT THERE, ROCKY!!!!! (shouting is intentional)
@@sanjostube thanks! That helps ☺️
@@sanjostube ☺️
I had a similar experience and I stopped playing for a couple of decades. Needless to say, don’t do that.
At my local Irish session, we choose our pieces just by having someone start playing - the musicians around them will either join in or not, depending if they know the tune and if the first player is loud enough. Relative beginners (such as myself) have a more limited repertoire compared to the experts and if we're leading a set we usually pick easier tunes, but I've never seen any more experienced musicians look down on something for being "too easy". The same tunes appear often enough in sets the experts are leading as well. But you can still very much hear the difference between The Kesh Jig (for example) led by someone with 2 years of experience vs someone with 20.
very important, very useful, very practical, and oh so human! I wish I'd had access to someone who spoke of this when I took "music for teachers" back in 1973... I wish I'd had more fire within me when the instructors (three) explained how terrible my lack of skill was... four months with a recorder as a first instrument and no real instruction - buy the book (yes), follow the lessons (yes), play one of 20 tunes (yes). thank goodness you came along an reignited that spark! Thank you.
That's a really useful story. It resonates with something that happened today!
I play at a very beginner standard. Today I played someone some slow simple folk tunes like The Rowan Tree. She had just had a vaccination, which she found very stressful, and she found the music really helped her to relax. There was much happiness.
In this case at least, simple music did all the heavy lifting.
My duet played a modern piece with very complex rhythms. I found that a certain about of movement helped to keep me in time. Sort of a bounce to the music, nothing outrageous. We played very well and I was really proud that I’d managed it. But afterward a woman (a recorder teacher, no less!) came up and said “You know you’d probably play better if you stopped moving,” Wow.
So glad this did not stop Sarah!
I remember a fire dancer commenting how the easy, flashy tricks get the most reaction while the harder maneuvers go by unnoticed. I mean, it’d all be hard for me, but now I sometimes try to guess how the performer sees it.
But, I love your comment about how other skills are involved outside execution of the performance. Whether showmanship (ability to “play” the audience) or understanding how a piece fits in its historical and modern contexts (which impacts so many other choices), it all has its nuances and difficulties.
On some level, it’s a shame so much of it would go over my head when enjoying a performance. On the other hand, I suppose that can be part of it. I won’t know what magic you wrought, just that it was magical, and you made it look effortless.
Reminds me of Standing Spins on Strictly Come Dancing - flashy, but quite easy to do.
I once went to a recorder workshop billed as an "Early Music" weekend worshop. There was I think one piece by Josquin we spent an hour on, but the rest of the time it was JS Bach and other Baroque pieces with flurries of notes, and an arrangement of Fauré's Pavane! At dinner I tried to point out to the main tutor, who was evidently well regarded (at least by himself) that this wasn't what I expected as "early music". He quipped "What do you want, to play organum all day?" I was embarrassed (no doubt his intention) but now wonder if that might have been fun!
I never went back to another of those workshops and am glad I don't remember the fabulous tutor's name.
😮 My choir does medieval and renaissance music and there's so much material we don't even need to approach Bach or baroque, 11th to 16th centuries keep us well occupied for years now! Kinda ignorant for that person to think the essentials can be dealt with in an hour. Sounds like they didn't even like early music, so that's like me holding a workshop on reagge "uh there's Bob Marley.... so anyway let's go to kpop." 😄
This happens in a lot of professions. Someone who has no idea how to do what you do judges you based on whatever preconceived notions they have of what constitutes "difficult." Depending on the instrument playing slowly and especially quietly can prove much more challenging than the "fast and furious" playing that so impresses the ill-informed.
I remember reading a quote from Marcel Moyse. When asked about Jean Pierre Rampal, Moyse said, (as I remember it) "Rampal plays so fast I can't tell whether or not he's any good."
I used to joke that he won a competition to play all the Vivaldi concerti and finished first, closely followed by the orchestra and conductor.
Then I heard him live in concert. He was very good.
"If we can hear a piece of music we normally dismiss and find it in ourselves to embrace it and accept it, think of what we can do with each other.😮.
Thank you Sarah - your expression at 7:10 says it all❤
I am basically a singer and I will make an example based on the vocal repertoire because I know it best.
Take the Marriage of Figaro, by Mozart.
In the opera, the Countess sings two difficult and beautiful arias, Porgi Amor and Dove sono i bei momenti. Stunning music, it takes your breath away.
Then there is the arietta of Barbarina, a side character, L'ho perduta... me meschina.
It's about 1.45 minutes of music in a very comfortable range and it is one of the first arias a conservatoire student ever learns to sing because yes, it is that easy.
Easy, yes, easy and yet hauntingly beautiful. When you listen to it, you forget it is easy. It's just absolutely beautiful music.
That man in the audience was misguided. To be polite.
As a chronic concert-goer and a beginner musician: it's an important skill for the audience to learn that the world doesn't revolve around them, and you won't get to enjoy (or even understand) every piece equally. Once you get that, your enjoyment will go up.
What gets me is the audacity of it. If I went to a concert and the music all seemed so simple to me that I was disappointed, I would just think to myself "oh well, it wasn't what I was hoping for" and then leave. It would never even occur to me to march up to the musicians and be like "your playing was shit and you should feel bad about it"
💯
Medieval music is a great example because it can be full of the most interesting rhythms! You’d never know how hard it can be to play if you’ve never done it yourself.
Ugh, i feel you though! It must be so much more hurtful as a professional musician or artist even. I'm a recorder player aswell and i feel like with this particular instrument there is another layer to this story. Still, the recorder is perceived as an "easy instrument". So for people to take you seriously as a performer, i feel like they demand a display of technical genius first. At least that has been my experience while playing sonatas for an audience: the reevaluation of my performance after the allegro is telling...
I’ve always admired skilled musicians, artists and craftsmen. They have been my inspiring teachers for years. Critics are usually the opposed breed, and we waste so much precious time and energy on them. Pearls for the swine. Keep on going. Follow your artistic ❤.
Short and sweet comment. However...!
The most useful and authoritative one of the bunch.
E.g. Who would *dare* call other people "swine" in 2024? Well. You're not. 1) Probably the best-known teacher planet Earth has ever known used this exact, symbolic language when he was "a complete unknown; just a rolling stone." Usually we must "attribute" this kind of thing. But. Attribution would be lmao ridiculous in this case. ...or should be. 2) But is referring to a fellow sapiens as a pig nice? Said "teacher" further instructed us to be salt and to not lose our savour. "Salty" is the word now in 2024--and Brits, Aussies, we USians, Canadian Anglophones--along with all in-betweens, 2L's, aboves, belows who use English in daily life share the consensus meaning.
Chapeaux, HatzOff: Jesus!
So. Let's not a single one of us "lose our savour." Certainly not right now for God's (or gods's) sake!!
Swine will swine. Twas ever so.
❤
Many years back ( when I was in my playing as fast as possible stage) a fellow musician told me "At the end of the day (sorry, I hate the phrase, but that's what he said) we're all musicians and want just to be at our best. There's no competition, no judgement, we all invest a lot of time. If people understand us or not, when they're all gone, it's just us and our instruments."
It took me decades, but IMO he was right.
So many thoughts! I wish we offered more grace to students, especially beginner ones. You've talked about it before, that beginner recorder players especially get flack for how they sound. But shouldn't we embrace that a little bit more? A class of students isn't going to sound like a professional orchestra, and it shouldn't. If you're expecting that, of course you're going to be disappointed. I think we should be gentler overall - especially if you think you want to give "critique" (which, for the record, that guy was NOT giving critique. He was just complaining.)
As for my own story, I basically grew up being told my singing was crap. Which was really hurtful, and I still have issues today. But now I know my singing better than I think it is. Granted, I've improved from the scrappy 12-year old trying to sing in-tune, but that's besides the point. A passion of mine was almost ruined by bad "critique". I'm just glad I'm getting past that.
I had a family member laugh at me and tell me basically that my singing was sh** All this when I was starting out as a teenager! Hard to take and yes hurtful as I can imagine you must’ve felt with that person you were talking about in your video. It’s amazing how it stays with us but as musicians, our passion is stronger than all the negative criticism and we carry on and continue with our craft. Thank you for sharing your experience with us 😊
Dino Kartsonakas can play fast and flashy. But it's the subtle, soft, slow and expressive parts of his arrangements and playing that provide such joy when listening to a good recording on a good stereo system. His most famous arrangement "My Tribute" has both.
Recorder players know that the French Baroque level 5 of Hot Cross Buns really is much harder than the semiquaver/sixteenth note division, even if it doesn't sound so flashy!
There is this composition by Schumann that is marked "As fast as possible". And after a few bars, it says "Faster".
Seriously, how could anyone think medieval music was easy, like, ever. I wonder whether he has ever heard someone playing Rachmaninoff on a recorder, as I haven't.
Schumann trolled the musicians!
😂😂😂😂😂😂
In truth, the man was only expressing (in a very rude way) the types of music he prefers. He was also suggesting that he had no understanding of the challenge and vulnerability of performing a slow, mournful or sacred melody. Is not the ability to bring life to such a simple piece a different (and perhaps more challenging) virtuosity. And while baroque repertoire is an intellectual exercise to my listening ears (much in the same way that jazz is), medieval music touches my soul in a profound way that for me, is wonderfully contemplative and feels like home. Sadly, most of us have been so numbed by the constant noise of day to day life, leaving only fast, loud and complicated compositions to awaken us. For me, the richest musical gift is only found when we seek the profound stillness that lives between the notes, echoing the whispers of each sweet tone.
As a musician, I loved your comments. So right! Sometimes the "easy" music is exposed and more challenging to be done well because of all the things you mentioned. We often struggle with programming because what musicians like and appreciate can be very different from what non-musician audiences enjoy. You did a great job in addressing something that we all think about.
Yes, yes, yes, on so many different levels. Thank you so very much!
Finally a music professional with a nuanced opinion on virtuosity and beauty! I recently discovered bwv 561, a spurious Bach piece, simpler than a normal Bach piece, but massively beautiful. But it's likely not Bach, so it's underplayed... hopefully you're contributing to a new mentality here 🙂
Thank you!
A beautiful sustained note without vibrato on the clarinet or recorder is more virtuoso than most of the fast fireworks we usually see around
I have played a lot in public and have had the same experience as you. And worse I've played in groups who didn't put on that good of a show and on the other hand I've had some really awesome performances that were a true thrill for me and everyone else. At the end of the day I try to keep in mind that I'm trying to entertain people and trying to make my instrument playing a part of the entertainment. You nailed the feelings and the issues that come when performing very well. Keep up the good work.
This reminds me of Neville Martin's article in Guitarist magazine many years ago. Down at his blues club he put his name on the list and was at the end. When his turn came he had seen everyone playing 100 notes in a bar and the audience look knackered. He played a slow blues and had the best audience reaction of the night. As you say Sarah, it can take a lot more work to make a slow piece sound good and you cannot please all the people all the time.
A few tips from a retired performer of 25 years to younger colleagues:
- I'm glad you hated it. Your appreciation would blemish my reputation.
- It's not their fault that they strive for virtuosity; they're just misguided to pander to your taste.
- Being able to appreciate simple music is a complicated process.
Attack is the best form of defense ☠
I love the first one, tbh! 😁
Thanks for sharing that story; it was very inspirational. It's always tough to take criticism, especially if it's delivered as rudely as this guy did. As an amateur musician I haven't really had that sort of experience (yet), but as a scientist, this happens very often. After a seminar, conference, or examination, more often than not someone will come up and let you know that they think your research project is absolute garbage that doesn't prove nor fix anything. And just as you said, after some initial bitterness, the world keeps spinning and life goes on!
Nice video. I use to love to hear a player play fast but now I listen for how well they communicate and I find myself liking more lyrical qualities then fast notes. One of my favorite things about the recorder is it's beautiful long sustained tones. This is what drew me in to want to learn the instrument.
Thanks Sarah, I listened to your RUclips presentation.
It brought to mind The Australian Piano Awards that are held every 2 years.
I’ve been a few times but always left feeling unsatisfied.
The pianists competing have to be 25 years or younger.
Every piece played feels to me like a display of who can play the fastest with accuracy.
To me, a slower piece where every note is “pondered” on shows real musicianship. Interpretation and bringing feeling to the music is essential for me, not showmanship.
Holding a long note on a recorder requires immense control. The feelings you’re trying to express through your playing are felt by the audience.
I’m with you, not the dipstick/tosspot who spoke to you after the performance.
Whatever genre of music grabs you, it must be played with feeling, not with the “virtuosity” that the man who tackled you at the concert.
As you rightly say, virtuosity comes in many forms. It’s not just speed and complexity.
Mx
This was years ago. When I was younger, I was in a competition for voice. As I was singing, a man repeatedly yelled the word, "Basura! Basura!" This means garbage or trash. He yelled it over and over. I did my best to ignore him and kept singing, and the band kept playing. I was proud that i kept going and did not let him rattle me. His daughter approached me later to apologize for her father's poor behavior. He was my first heckler, but I knew he wasn't going to be my last, so I was fine. It's not that I have tough skin. I find that judges make me more nervous than a heckler in a crowd. I still shake before a performance, even small ones. 😁🎤
Maybe he just had Tourette's. You were probably fabulous!
@taniacummings9207 Aw! Thank you! 😊
As a composer, I believe there is a time for flashy technique and there is a time for simplicity. Both can be equally challenging to master. Unfortunately, not enough listeners and performers appreciate the value of the latter. Just because one is talking doesn’t mean they’re saying something.
As many others have said already, that guy was an idiot who clearly knew nothing about music. As an oboist, much of the most challenging music I play are the slow, seemingly simple, pieces. The control it takes to make the slow movement of a baroque concerto sound like it's serenely floating above the bed of the accompaniment takes FAR more discipline, skill, and control than any amount of flashy, fast-moving fingers. As you said, much of the time, it only sounds easy because the skill of the performer makes it seem that way, and the quiet, "easy" pieces are in my opinion what truly lay bare a musician's abilities.
I had the great privilege once to attend a live recital of Itzhak Perlman. Everything he played was effortless, except I knew it wasn't. It was his talent, plus a lifetime of honing his skill through countless hours of dedicated practice. I am so glad you have been able to put the ignorance of the man you encountered in the past and gain perspective and understanding from it.
I’m reminded of a school music teacher who despised Mozart - ‘It’s so easy, just scales running up and down’. I seriously wondered what kind of appreciation of music this person ever communicated to his students.
This was a super-important video for me to watch. I've been working very hard on playing very note-ey fast music lately, and while I'm glad to be improving in skill, I often just assume that people will undervalue me and my music if I don't try to show off as much as possible. So for me, it's super refreshing to hear such a clear and concise argument against the idea that we “owe” the audience virtuosity. Thanks for sharing another way of thinking about this.
You’re welcome, thank you for sharing!
6:37 This! 🎯 Easy, medium, and hard music can all be beautiful, and should all be equally appreciated. 🎵 Another thing that you did point out that is extremely important later in the video: the rest of your audience liked the performance. 😀 While 1 mean comment can really sting, always look at the big picture. 🖼
Dear Sarah, don’t worry about anything like that. You are the best recorder player I ever heard. When I met your RUclips channel I thought I am intermediate player, but now I know I am not, but you gave me a new point of view on playing. Now I understand how much knowledge and work is behind the scene. I know you would like to bring the best music experience to everybody, but that’s not possible to give it to everybody and every time. According to me, virtuosity means filling yourself with music and experiencing it. And after that to let the music go out in your own submission. With best regards LT
I would have asked him to name ONE Rachmaninoff Recorder piece...not arranged, but actual recorder composition.
The unbelievable amount of nonsense I have experienced from audience members who are suddenly experts in all kinds of things 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
Cannot agree more about virtuosity and the challenge of slowing down. In my mind, that is often the mark of a great musician, not just because it’s musically challenging but because there is something about not needing to prove yourself to others that I really respect.
Thanks for speaking about this! So needed!!!!!
My flute teacher told me that when she performed modern music, she usually gets mixed reactions - but, she said, at least I get reactions. The worst thing would be for an audience to be completely unaffected by the music.
Wow, do I feel this. Several years ago I played on a Master's recital for a lovely countertenor here in Boston, a rather tricky (though idiomatic) 20th-century piece for countertenor and recorder, and at the reception afterwards a woman said to me, unsolicited, "You realize you were basically playing the flutophone up there, right? I played that in third grade...I was pretty good too. Of course, it wasn't hard." 🤪We recorder players certainly have an uphill battle sometimes in terms of public perception , and it's so easy to, as you said, focus on playing a lot of notes because then people will know that we're "serious". And unfortunately there are some recorder players out there for whom playing fast is the only tool in their toolbox (or the only one they routinely use, anyway), which is sad because I feel like it's usually from a desire to be considered a "real musician" (whatever that means) by people like the gentleman who was so patronizing after your gig. We need to have thick skins for sure, and it takes courage, in a world where style often trumps substance, to just play the music as well as you know you can, let the chips fall where they may, and not apologize for it. When I was in school I came across a quote from the Bhagavad Gita that's stuck with me, something like "You have a right to your work but not to the results of your work. Do your work and then let it go; this is the only path to serenity." Easier said than done!!
From my years of playing with the local brass band, there was nothing I loved playing more than hymns. Not fast or flashy but just some beautiful harmonies and melodies.
A lot of hymns are beautiful indeed!
Agree 100%! I play with some brass pals and our repertoire is the sally army books. So much fun, so much learning and when we get it right absolutely beautiful music.
Similarly, I was thinking of Christmas carols. How pleasurable they are to sing but also how affecting to hear.
"even if he was a bit of a patronizing... ... ...person" - I would love to know all the words you chose *not* to say there!
I love “simple” music, and appreciate the effort to play with beautiful tone, expression and intonation. That being said in my own programs I do like to include at least one item the common person will find “virtuosic” as I find it has pretty successful responses from audiences. I got totally laughed at once when I played a Mozart piano piece in my own interpretation … The person asked me had I ever listened to a recording? And they’re right in retrospect my performance was way out there, but I did enjoy attempting to put my own spin on something classic vs following tradition. In happier news however I’m very excited at my families Christmas concert this year we have a recorder soloist and we’ll do Vivaldi Recorder Concerto in C Major 3rd movement, as recorder locally here has some bad reputation as a badly played school instrument hope we can show what it’s capable of
I heard this once "when people don't like more modern music, they blame the performer. When they don't like early music, they blame the music."
Very good reflections, that can be used in all forms of art. It still baffles me though, that most (if not all) of those who has negative comments on performers, on any stage, are not performers themselves.
Can't composers compose simple pieces if they want? As an adult piano beginner, I am delighted to keep discovering that some (not all!) real musical classics are not actually that complicated. Some are very difficult, of course, but some are not, and they are no less beautiful.
Virtuoso playing isn't always appropriate either.
I am not great at saxophone, trumpet, or any other wind instrument I play, so I tend to keep things simple---long tones, simple riffs, that sort of thing. One time I was at a jam session, and one of the jammers---a virtuoso guitarist, came up to me and said "I like working with you. You play like you're in a horn section." I asked him what he meant, and he explained that I didn't show off.
I also play in a worship team at church, and the discussion of conservatory pianists came up. And we realised that many conservatory pianists struggle on worship teams because they suddenly have to play in _a band._
This is a video every musician needs to watch! Thank you Sarah 😊
Very good speech, simply "professional".
A true nowtime story.
Thanks
I'm all over the board with this as a musician. In the end, though, I think that if the music is well-served, then that's fine. For example, I've heard countless renditions of the Bach partita sound like the flutist has a full bladder and is wanting to rush off-stage. I've heard others equally as fast that almost sound like a lullaby. And I've heard ones done slowly where every note is like a well-crafted haiku. You can play the notes or you can play to the music. And....tastes change to the time. I find Gershwin performing Rhapsody in Blue to be too fast and prefer the modern take. OTOH, I don't care for how slowly Claire de Lune is usually played, but Debussy playing this at a higher tempo made it sound perfect. Goes to show: composer, performer, audience...you're never going to please everyone. We all march to the beat of a different bagpiper.
Beautiful discussion Sarah. Really touches so many pieces of human relationships, judgments, values, beauty, and human experience. What a breath if fresh air after living here across the pond where the greatest virtues have been hate, paranoia, separation, believing in lies and deception as truth, it is refreshing to exercise less judgment and seeing more beauty in each other.
Thank you 🥹
As an amateur I have few experiences playing in public. One was providing music for a medieval play - presented in a church. I got together a group and we performed. The only feedback I got was that the music was the only part of the performance this listener could hear. And in the other case I played a longish duet on alto recorders with a friend. I really worked on that with a cassette recorder so I could force myself to come in cold basically anywhere I needed to in case I lost my place on either part. In performance my partner made a mistake and I dropped out and then dropped back in and finished the piece. My partner lost his place somehow while I was playing and stopped, so I finished solo. The organist later expressed his dislike of my partner and gave mo reason. Subsequently I started writing poetry and prose. I found out that when I send something out (the equivalent of performing?) I had no control over the reaction in other minds. That's just part of life in the real word. If you can't take the reaction. stop putting your effort out there. That's the way I see it. Someone is probably going to tell me off. And I don't care.
You are SO right. If and when I happen to be at a concert, where I do not like the performance or the music, I tend to not tell the perfomer about my thoughts, if I am not asked. The same with paintings. I just let it pass and hope for something better to occur. If the performers continue doing it (in my opinion) wrongly, I stop joining their concerts.
So much to say about this. A slow piece is often a lot harder than the fast one. A wrong note in a fast run will not be perceived but in a slow tempo it will ring without end. And a note on virtuosity: some musicians are not extraordinary technicians but they are exceptional at carrying emotion and for me they are great.
I had a very special experience a couple of years ago. At the time I was playing regularly with a harpsichordist, and we even played quite a big concert at a very beautiful venue, to show off my new voice flute. The concert wasn’t bad, technically it was even quite good sometimes, but it was a bit meeeh. At my lesson a few days later my teacher tried to find out why I kept playing with this guy. She didn’t want to tell me directly I shouldn’t waste my time with him, but I didn’t really understand what she was trying to tell me. In that same lesson we played a few Mattheson duets, nothing special, just nice music for closing an intense lesson, and then I suddenly understood: it’s not about how many notes you can play, or about playing all this pretentious baroque repertoire. It’s about playing together, reacting to each other and to the music, listening to each other and to the music, being embraced and being carried away by the music, even with these “simple” Mattheson sonatas. I hadn’t experienced that in all of 9 months of playing with that harpsichordist, and here was my teacher taking me there within a few minutes. I’ve talked to that harpsichordist only once or twice after that…
When I saw the title of this video, I thought did she lose her music (or a page from it?), not bring the right instrument, lose your instrument, have the foot misaligned and not notice till you start playing, get stuck in traffic and not make it to the venue on time, someone else not show up who is necessary for the concert? This one didn't occur to me.
Oh Well F sir, thank you! I'm so grateful, whoever you are. Be careful when you leave for any accident. I'll try to live up to your expectations in my future life. (he'd better be some famous virtuoso or apply to his own perfection/wish) P.S. I have a range of instruments across music and play them erratically and badly (although having natural pitch can tune, repair, rebuild and play them) so I'm not allowed to judge anyone by personal awareness. Love your stuff and cheerful method. I have three 40's to 50's clarinet, one Boosey Hawkes so Eng. and never considered Recorder as more than a toy but now I have pursued a score of history and have a Aulos 511B (E) with keys on the way from Japan (if the price wasn't a scam $71) so I'll be learning to tune notes on it if needed by undercutting et al. as per wooden manu. as I tune my string and wind instruments.
People who can't appreciate simple, yet historically significant pieces don't truly understand what music is.
I’ve been an amateur classical musician since 1967, and I always prefer to hear and play beautiful music over technically demanding music. After all, we perform to touch our audience (and ourselves) with the impactful beauty of music. If we can do that, then technique is ancillary.
As a relatively new recorder player, I was fortunate to gain access to a late Baroque church through a friendly relationship with the parish priest. One day, I was passionately playing Boismortier up in the choir loft, savoring the acoustics, which, though a bit too echoey, seemed acceptable to me. Suddenly, I heard a shrill female voice from below: "That’s not very nice, what you're playing up there!"-said with a rather nasty tone. I thought of that moment when I listened to Sarah’s description. Some people seem to think they have the right to judge and criticize musicians.
Over time, I've grown accustomed to being ignored by casual listeners, usually family members, when I play the recorder. At first, it felt like a stab to the heart-making music without any connection to others, without being heard or acknowledged in any meaningful way. Recently, in Nicaragua, I found myself sitting on a plastic chair, surrounded by four sleeping dogs, playing through Telemann’s Fantasias. The solitude of a musician. It reminds me of the shakuhachi players, who also seem to play without any social connection, sitting in the snow, lost in their own world.
Since then, I’ve given up on playing in public spaces like churches or chapels, preferring the quiet of home, where I no longer expect an audience-whether supportive or knowledgeable. Every genre has its own listening culture, and in my case-French Rococo music-competent listeners are rare, if not nonexistent. So now I play for my two budgies. They seem to be the perfect audience.
This sounds really sad!
There's a place for technical virtuosity. But sometimes it's the seemingly simple things that are so very difficult.
Obvs should have hit him with some of Rachmaninoff's recorder masterpieces.
😂 I chuckled, thank you
😂
It happens to all of us: After a concert a guy came up to me and said, well you are really a beautiful woman but you cannot sing at all. That broke my heart. So unfair! First make a compliment and at the same time destroy me as a singer. I think, we do not owe our audience virtuosity but we do owe them authenticity. To show ourselves and share feelings and play the best we can.
I’m so sorry that happened to you!! I hope you didn’t give up. I remember walking into the toilets at college choir rehearsal and hearing a girl renarking “that blonde girl who can’t sing…” - they were talking about me 😪 I quit and didn’t sing for years. Finally I got a teacher who I love, and I love singing now!
@@Team_Recorder Don't worry, I didn't quit. It made me even more determined to sing 😁
Music is a communication game
The first time I heard a recorder played by a master, it wasn’t just music that filled the air-it was as if heaven itself had opened. I felt the voices of angels pouring out, weaving through each note, carrying the echoes of beloved souls long passed. They sang to me of hope, of love that never dies, of joy that transcends time, and a comfort so deep it could cradle even the most aching heart. I heard the voice of God. Faster playing or wildly complicated compositions don't impress me. What impresses is hearing the musician and composer work together to express themselves through the instrument.
Yes! That is it!
Thank you for your comment!
I created an album years ago. It was a little cheesy, and one of the best comments I got was that it was awful. Most people were patronising, and said it was nice for fear of insulting me. I preferred the brutal honesty.
I have only performed for an audience a few times. I enjoy practicing every day but I am cognizant that I do need an audience. Maybe I'm not there yet. I do have trouble memorizing. It is possible for me but I am in awe of classical guitarists on RUclips who have memorized so very much!
Sarah this is a fantastic topic! And beautifully philosophized. It's what got me composing music - "who decided these are the only people who can be composers?"
"It happened to me!" That would make a good title for your first book, and number 1 best seller on Amazon. We are all waiting for you to share his nightmarish anecdote, and other entertaining stories, with your 208K+ subscribers.
Great insights! May I say this is perhaps one of your best vids ever?
Oh thank you 🥹
From the listener's perspective, it's always up to us to choose what we enjoy. But we should always keep in mind that if we don't enjoy something that others do: 1. We're the ones walking away with less fun, and 2. It's not for us to tell other people they're "enjoying wrong." Leaving critical feedback is something I feel should only be done when we have a strong interest and commitment to helping someone. As such, I only like to give it when it's someone I know well and care about and when I have followed their journey and am committed to their goals. And then it's important to deliver it in a constructive way that inspires rather than discourages.
From the performer's perspective, it depends a lot on the goal. But generally speaking, we don't need much negative feedback. We can see how our audience responds. Are they coming back to watch more videos? Are they buying tickets, showing interest in the music we're offering? These clues usually represent more meaningful feedback, whether positive or negative. And if we're finding that we're not generating the interest we like, we can seek out ideas and feedback. This isn't to say that we can't get an idea from a random virtuosity addict. But typically we do better to weigh that input much lower than our own sense about the progress we're seeing in our journey. That person doesn't know our goals, doesn't know the interests of our audience as well as we do, hasn't thought as much about our challenge as we have, and generally lacks data to make the informed decisions we need.
When I was in high school I went to a competition where one of the judges based his marks almost entirely on the technical difficulty of the piece rather than how well the student actually performed it. Something a bit beyond their ability, played mostly accurately but without expression or nuance got a 1 because they aimed high; a beautifully interpreted piece that was a bit less technical got at best a 2 because in his view they must not have really challenged themselves. We joked that we could have just submitted the scores to him to rank by difficulty without bothering to play them and saved everyone lots of time.
Not the same but the worthy thought makes me want to share. I joined an all welcome, inclusive, community orchestra. I’m a beginner but doing well and can make my mollenhauer dream alto sound nice. Clarinet man welcomed me by telling me that he had started on the recorder and that, if I practice hard, I’ll be able to graduate to a real instrument soon. Few weeks later, clarinet woman told me that she does play the recorder with some friends in her house but she wouldn’t bring it to orchestra practice. She didn’t say why but her reasons hung unsaid in the air between us. The orchestra leader has been lovely and really supportive. She genuinely seems pleased there’s a recorder there. The flautists have not been as judgmental as the clarinets!!!
I played a concert once in the wilds of Montana where at the reception afterwards an elderly man came up and told us “You guys were really terrific - It was just as good as eight hours sleep‼️” 😵💫
Although he meant well it didn’t come out quite right. Of course we just burst out laughing…
😂😂😂
Actually, 8 hours of sleep is extremely good! 😂
Thats *not* funny when someone says that to your face that your playing is as good as sleep😱 We may laugh now but it wasn’t a compliment‼️
That’s a great story. It can be confusing when an audience member who knows the program will not be to their taste comes up to say: “Yep, I came here on purpose, knowing what would be played but now I’m disappointed you all performed what you advertised, I was hoping for something else.” What do you do with that? At least you got to find out he was a ‘flight of the bumblebee groupie’ when he came back, and gain some perspective on it. Thank you for sharing your story and insight.
Miss Jeffery, all that really matters is how did YOU feel about YOUR performance. Because you will never please everyone.
Some music can touch someone's soul and bring great joy to them. While at the same time someone else who has heard the same music may find the music as just "meh".
So please don't let this one person's comment bring you down. There may have even been a few more folks whom have felt the same way but chose to not say anything about it.
I think it's just human nature to focus on the small negative instead of the big positive. Just think of those whom you did bring great joy to them.
God Bless you Miss Jeffery. ✝️🇺🇸🕊😊🎼🎵🎶🎺🎷🥁🎻🪗🎸(sorry no Recorders or Flute emojis) 😸🐕🌳❤🧸😊
There is no easy music and a love a nice larghetto or Adagio. Play what you fancy most and enjoy it. The audience will spot thta you are enjoying what you are doing and that is the most important maybe. You PLAY music. Getting something dove very fast can be great fun to do, but a single tone played on a recorder solo is already so wonderful.
I'm not a mucian, but I'm... learning... and I really want to chime in. That was so deep, and useful for many areas in life. (If you ever get tired of the recorder, you could be a psychologist or a philosopher.) The meaning of "value". What price can and should we set on difficulty? In art, maybe like in sports, like figure skating? Is that fair? And what the hell is "difficulty"?? Everything is easy when you master it. Maybe the guy didn't understand the first piece, and so he couldn't appreciate it. I believe many people equal fast and loud with difficult, and I guess I too am often impressed by things that aren't actually difficult, and dismiss some really difficult efforts. But I know what I like, and a lot of what I like, is what I think is really simple and easy.
Thank you for your comment ❤️ and I really appreciate what you say - “everything is easy when you master it”. I think musicians can remember that too, to put ourselves in our student’s positions and have more empathy for each other too.
@@Team_Recorder I think you're a great teacher. Being my own teacher, I'm too impatient, and I can't seem to muster enough empathy, so I critique myself quite harshly :-D But I've picked up some principles from you that I'll take with me.
Preach! Honestly when you said after your second encounter with him he came up and said 'That's better', I had to pause your video for a good 5 minutes to rant at this bloke I've never met haha 😂 When it comes to virtuosity, I think we need to step away from the mentality that the difficulty level of a piece of music determines this, I've found 'how' you play and the emotion conveyed to move your audience, a greater skill than just the technical ability to play a piece.