Keyboard Friday
After some Dave’s Fresh ravioli and vino tonight, Terri and I watched the somewhat awful Bette Davis movie The Great Lie, in which Mary Astor played a classical pianist. It inspired me to get out my electric piano (a Yamaha P-80 which I bought maybe 7 years ago and haven’t touched since maybe 2004) and a book of Chopin Noctournes and Polonaises.
Ouch. It was sort of like trying to run sprints after a decade of eating cheetos and never breaking a sweat. I downgraded to a book of standards which was at least fun, and it reminded me of the time my high school/college g.f.’s mom, who ran a SIDS charity in Pittsburgh, asked me to play the piano at one of her fundraisers at some schmoncy restaurant. I think I might have bought this book for that occasion. I remember being super nervous, I remember being relieved that once it was over I hadn’t embarrsed myself, and I remember being excited that I made some cash out of the deal. I wonder how all those peeps are doing these days.
February 9th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Chopin? Gak.
February 9th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Until I actually played Chopin I thought it (like a lot of the stuff from the era) was sort of syrupy and overly dramatic. But it was written for the piano, and something about it it just clicks and feels so good to play.
February 9th, 2008 at 9:45 am
(and I ended up actually liking it a lot after playing it)
February 9th, 2008 at 10:49 am
If there are things you enjoy playing, I would love love love it if you would practice and play more. As you know, one of my fondest desires is to get our piano fixed.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Yo!
C’mon up to Maine and check out the new harmonium. Didn’t you play the accordian, too? It’s like a piano/accordian fusion. I was surprised to learn that the instrument is actually British in origin…the Indians just ran with it.