THE PIANIST.COM - making pianists feel at home » teacher http://www.thepianist.com A journey in the world of pianists, musicians, composers who changed our lives and times - Written by Italian pianist Roberta Pili Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:07:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 When the pupil is ready for his master http://www.thepianist.com/2009/10/when-the-pupil-is-ready-for-his-master/ http://www.thepianist.com/2009/10/when-the-pupil-is-ready-for-his-master/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:47:52 +0000 Roberta Pili http://www.thepianist.com/?p=333 Continue reading →]]> It has been said that the best teacher always recognizes when his pupil is ready to learn something new.
In other words a really good teacher can be as good as his pupil is able to understand and to apply new knowledge upon particular topics related to the learning process.
As usual students are tending to model his master, whithout thinking about the quintessential purpose of those teaching methods.
But how long does it take to step further from the level of simple modeling to the consciousness of active learning and finally reaching at least the same level of the master? When are students ready to develop theirselves and become masters of their own, last but not least to even try to pursue the path which the master has shown?

Individuality, a strong personality, the power of determination are actually the main requisites to reach mastership.
Doubtless we are speaking here about a work-in-progress, during the entire life.
Being a pianist for a choice of profession is a lifelong task, to which we are personally committed to achieve the peak of mastership in being a musician.
Who is the best master that we can find in order to reach this level?
Practicing is the best master to us, and we are never-ending students…

]]> http://www.thepianist.com/2009/10/when-the-pupil-is-ready-for-his-master/feed/ 0 The pianist at Work http://www.thepianist.com/2008/11/the-pianist-at-work/ http://www.thepianist.com/2008/11/the-pianist-at-work/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:41:29 +0000 Roberta Pili http://www.thepianist.com/?p=117 Continue reading →]]> “I practice very industriously…” – Quote Ferruccio Busoni, Letters to his wife 1895-1907, London, Edward Arnold & Co. http://www.rodoni.ch/busoni/bibliotechina/letteregerdaEN/gerdaEN1.html

Do these words of Ferruccio Busoni sound familiar to you? They certainly do, especially if you are a pianist with your heart and soul like Busoni was. He was the pianists´pianist, the musicians´musician. To be as good as he was, or at least if you want to play with his virtuosity and to have a profound knowledge about piano playing, you have to do only a simple thing: practice!

Oh my God, this terribly sounding word…our teachers threatened us with it, I am sure that the more your piano teacher repeated this word during the lessons, the less you wanted to do it.

I practiced up to seven hours a day during the time of my former music education, not only because my teachers said that, but also because I felt that spending many hours at the piano was necessary to get an appropriate technique.

However, practicing should not be just a matter of being a diligent student. If you consider your daily practice like a passionate exercising, you will be improving both your finger technique and your entire personal expression as a pianist.

Practice is the secret of being good in life.

If you repeat every day a task you are still not experienced with, you will be able to discover the strong power of practicing.

Practicing is repeating, repeating is learning, learning is living. And living is knowing more and more who you really are.

Maybe you are now fascinated by reading this and you want to know more about efficient piano playing.

But we will make a break now.

Do you know why?

Because we go practicing…

]]> http://www.thepianist.com/2008/11/the-pianist-at-work/feed/ 0 The Pianist’s Life With Music – A Work in Progress http://www.thepianist.com/2008/11/thepianists-life-with-music-a-work-in-progress/ http://www.thepianist.com/2008/11/thepianists-life-with-music-a-work-in-progress/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2008 09:13:10 +0000 Roberta Pili http://www.thepianist.com/?p=4 Continue reading →]]> Do you believe in coincidence? Or do you prefer to believe in a perfect master plan of the universe? Well, if you are reading this blog, it is probably not a coincidence. You just found this blog because you are making music. Maybe making music is the main component of your personal expression, maybe you are a music student, or music is your profession, either as a career or as a music teacher. Anyway, making music is the part of my life which drives me since my childhood.
Music is my life, this is the reason why I simply decided to be a pianist. But I don´t want to remain “just” a pianist.

Professional development as a pianist is as much essential as personal development in life. Remaining “just” a pianist would mean stopping at a certain stepping stone without considering a wider perspective of experience.

You should not find satisfaction as a simple “pianist”, you should go further.

Be an interpreter, an interpreter of music, and you will feel closer to the composer because you begin to understand his language, his works, his written notes.

This blog is not an omnium-gatherum of anything about music, pianists, composers and so on. This blog is a journey in the world of pianists, interpreters, musicians, composers who changed our lives and times.

You are welcome to share with me this wonderful journey.

Let´s start!

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