Orchestral Pianist

Dear Greg,
First let me begin by saying that I discovered you and your musical brilliance via youtube and that extravagant video of you and your accompaniest's interpretaton of "The Blue Danube", an exceptionally well demonstrated piece of art I must say. Anyway in light of seeing your evidently incredibly skills I took some time to look at my own, and though I've only been playing piano for about three years (with rapid improvement due to my prior musical learning via the flute for about 6 years) I was interested in doing it as a career. I just want to know if I'm being realistic. I'm twenty years old now and working on building a repotoire to apply for an undergrad school (certainly nothing as prestigous as Juilliard, perhaps I could end up there for grad school). If my private teacher thinks I have the talent and technique to pursue it do you think it's unrealistic to fulfill my dreams of being a orchestral pianist? Am I just too old to start working towards a dream like that? I'm sure you get numerous variations of this question but any other answer than one specifically catered to my personal question just simply won't do. My sincerest thanks for your time in even bothering to answer. All the best in your own musical endeavours! Your are certainly a talented and devoted individual!
 - Lawrence Scanlan 

Dear Lawrence,

Wow. An orchestral pianist! That is a fantastic idea, but there are a few things you should know about the position:

• Orchestral piano jobs are very hard to come by. There are few positions and the demand for them is high.
• Orchestral piano jobs are usually part time. Most orchestral pianists I know have other jobs on the side.
• Some orchestral pianists are also employed by the orchestra to play in chamber ensembles with other orchestral musicians -- they are expected to be multi-faceted musicians that can fit in whenever and wherever they are needed.
• Orchestral piano jobs often come through "connections" -- in other words, current members of the orchestra often recommend pianists they like to fill this role.
• Orchestral pianists MUST be able to count. The few orchestral piano playing jobs I've taken over the years have made significant demands on my ability to count empty bars (49 bars of rest +3 bars of 5/8 time +7.5 bars of prestissimo 3/4 time, then PLAY!)

Orchestral piano playing is a unique and fun universe! I wish you the best in your pursuits.

- Greg (Nov. 4, 2009)

L'escalier Du Diable

Dear Greg,
I recently stumbled over your interpretation of "L'escalier du diable" on youtube and have to say that I love it. It´s better than any interpretation I heard before. I really would like to buy it in a high quality version. Is it somwhere available or can you make it available e.g. on iTunes. Thanks a lot!
 -Rainer

Dear Greg,
I saw your video of Ligety's "The Devil's staircase" and i loved it (i posted a comment in youtube). Do you have a record with this composition? Thank you in advance.
 - Eduardo Pola

Dear Rainer and Eduardo,

Thank you for your ultra kind and flattering comments! Unfortunately I have not yet professionally recorded the etude. I certainly hope to some day, but it may be a while; the album I am currently preparing does not include the etude.

Best!

- Greg (Nov. 4, 2009)

Enough Practice?

Hi Greg,
First I would like to congratulate you on you amazing achievements at such a young age. I am a 54 year old mother and a true music lover. As a teenager I studies piano for about 4 years. When I fell in love (with my husband), he became the centre of my universe. There was no room in my life for my piano I thought. Sad to say after 30 years of marriage he vanished from my life (I believe forever). I was heart-broken. One day I found a used piano in a local furniture store. I bought it and started to practice. It was depressing at first. After 25 years (minimum) of not touching the piano I had forgotten everything. I could not even read notes past one octave. I struggled to say the least. It’s been exactly 1 ½ years now. I am happy to say that now I can sight-read quite well and I am playing at about grade 8 level. I practice 3 ½ - 4 hours per day. I want to become a meaningful and a very natural pianist. Please tell my how long will it take? Thanks a million notes.
 - Emma Votre Fan

Hi Emma,

First off, I am sorry for your troubled experiences, but I'm happy to learn that you found some respite in music.

At 3.5 to 4 hours of practice a day, I'd say you're well on your way to becoming a skilled pianist. Of course, it's impossible to answer such a subjective question -- how can I possibly articulate the definition of a "meaningful and natural pianist" and the hours necessary to become one??

My advice to you: forget how long it will take to become "good" or "better" -- instead, focus on having a wonderful time doing exactly what you are doing right now. Enjoy practicing the pieces you are currently learning and forget about what is yet to come. I've been playing the piano for over 20 years, but I've loved *every* day of it.

- Greg (Nov. 4, 2009)

Scales

Hey Greg!
I love your website and your music. To study most standard literature, how fast should I be able to play scales? I understand that the quality of the scale is more important than the speed and that more speed will come with time and relxation. Thanks,
Josh

Hi Josh,

Oh goodness, you're asking the wrong person. I've never played scales -- not one day in my life -- never. I'd much rather play music than learn scales. ;-)

- Greg (Nov. 4, 2009)

Do What You Love

Hi Greg,
I am a high school student who's been studying ARCT repertoire for 3-4 years now. I'm in an academically demanding program and I study hard. Nowadays I find that because of my studies I tend to practice piano less and less (AHHH!!). I only get to practice an hour a day at most- if I'm lucky. Last year, I entered a lot of competitions and played at nationals for one of them. Overall, I think I did relatively well (compared to the extremely limited number of practice hours I put in, that is). I love music, but I find that in the past I've been putting it aside just because I thought "what am I going to do in life with a music degree? Let's just be a doctor" haha. But I've just recently realized that I actually want to do what I really love to do. Do you think I should drop out of my academic program and devote myself fully to the piano? But what if I decide I want to go back..? Ahh :s
 - Confused

Dear Confused,

Wow! These are intense questions!

I'm obviously of the mentality that one should base one's career on what he or she loves to do. What may surprise you is that I also believe one can love to do a great many things. Job satisfaction comes from how you chose to respond to situations at work, not the situations themselves. How did I get through high school without going crazy? I made the most of my assignments -- I turned them into projects that interested me. A simple report became a full magazine spread; an essay became a passionate opinion piece; a science project became a wild and engaging museum piece. I filled speeches with appropriate magic tricks, and I found ways to insert music into everything. I may have created more work for myself, but because I was invested in what I was doing, it felt like less.

The point is: you can probably turn anything you do into something you love. It all depends on your approach. I honestly believe that you can drop out of your academic program or you can stay registered, and in either case, you can find ways to be happy.

And what if you want to go back? If you are truly determined, you'll find a way to make anything happen.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

- Greg (Dec. 30, 08)

Self-Taught

Hello Greg!
I've taken piano lessons when I was about 9 years old, but quit due to lack of money in the family. Ever since, I have been playing for fun and composing my own music. I'm 17 years old right now, and for the past year I have been teaching myself to read music because I wanted to learn classical pieces. An orchestra director at my school overheard me play Liebestraum by Liszt and said I was very talented, especially for someone who's self-taught. She actually didn't believe I could read music that difficult in one year. I want to become a pianist, and I finally realized it. My parents aren't supportive of my decision, they would rather I go to university for med school. Anyway, I've been doubtful about considering being a pianist because I started so late. Regardless of my passion for piano, I look at all the great virtuso pianists, and they all started at such an early age and went to prestigious conservatories. I'm just a regular, self-taught, seventeen year old girl. I'm not expecting to become a concert-level pianist or anything, but I do want to do this for a living, and I will put every ounce of willingness, dedication, and passion I have. Any advice for me? I'd appreciate it.
 - Irina

Dear Irina,

I'm impressed by your determination, but I can only give you the same advice I give to everyone. Whatever you do, please remember that no matter how good you are, the musical world is a fickle place. One can never truly predict his or her successes. As long as you choose to play the piano because you love it, you will be content with a musical career -- as a teacher, a concert director, a composer, an arranger, a critic, a writer, a concert pianist, an accompanist, a publisher, an entrepreneur, a conductor, or whatever else. If you choose to play the piano because you want to be a famous pianist or wealthy, you will very likely be disappointed with your choice.

Best wishes!

- Greg (Dec. 30, 08)

Career Choices

Dear Greg,
Im currently starting on Chopin's Revolutionary etude How long would it take to fluently play the Revolutionary study? I just seriously got into tonight, and just want to know..Im an okay sightreader, and I learn pretty fast..I learned Beethoven's 1st mov. of the Appassionata in about a week! But this piece seems a bit more challenging-as in note wise. Currently the most challenging piece I can play is Rachmaninoff prelude op.3 no.2 Scriabin's etude no. 2 and 3 op.65, and Beethoven's full Appassionata. Oh, and by the way, what is the salary of a concert pianist ?For the past couple of years the piano has been my passion, and I thinking about becoming a concert pianist.What are the benefits of majoring in piano?Ive been playing for 8 years now(I'm currently 14).Can I do it on the side if I become a film scorer? John Williams did that I think..
With all due respect, Kalen.

Dear Kalen,

Your questions don't have straightforward answers! It will take some pianists years to learn Chopin's Etude in C minor, Op. 10, No. 12; it will take others only a few weeks. There is no prescribed salary for a concert pianist; the total sum depends on the number of concerts performed and the size of the venues. Some pianists are impressively weathy; most are not.

Yes, you can play piano and be a film composer. All musical experiences are useful as a musician -- I've learned a great deal about playing the piano from composing (as well as from playing the violin!).

The benefits of "majoring" in piano vary from person to person. A degree in piano performance gives some people the time, focus, and education to hone their skills as a pianist. During my years at Juilliard, I not only became a better pianist, but I also learned about myself -- my strengths, my weaknesses, interests, and goals -- and this has served me immensely in my career.

Best wishes to you!!

- Greg

Developing Your Ear

Hey, Greg!
Not really a pianist. But I am planning on studying music. I'm a junior in high school and have played the trumpet for about 8 or so years. Right now I have my sights set on Duquesne University's music school for music technology. In the audition, you have to pass an aural musicianship exam. I'm told I have a good ear, but I just need to develop it. ...How exactly does one do that? What would you say is the best way? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
-Rachel

Dear Rachel,

The best way to develop your ear is to learn to identify and sing intervals - in fact, I'll bet that's exactly what they'll test you on. First practice with a friend. Have him or her play a scale at the piano and then play a note against the tonic pitch. Example: your friend plays a D major scale and then plays a "D" with the "A" above it. Your challenge would be to identify the interval (a fifth). Practice this until you can nail it every time. Then switch it around. Have you friend play a scale and ask you to sing an interval above the tonic pitch. Example: your friend plays a D minor scale and then plays the "D" and asks you to sing a minor third above that. Your challenge would be to sing an "F." Eventually you should be able to get rid of the reference scale beforehand and simply be able to identify and sing random intervals.

Best of luck in your audition!

-Greg

Solo Recital Programming

Hello Greg,
I am a Senior Music Education student and was wondering if you had any ideas for a senior recital program design. I play the Alto Saxophone but I thought that maybe you'll have some different aspects to bring to it.
Thanks,
Jordan

Dear Jordan,

Gosh, I can't say I've given much thought to Alto Saxophone programs. The first programming idea that comes to mind is a group of pieces based on song, capitalizing on the lyrical nature of your instrument. You could create your own transcriptions (it's really easy - just play the vocal line). ...perhaps a Schubert song or two, Faure (Apres un reve), Rachmaninoff, even Bach. Then you could include a couple more recent songs - a jazz standard, and a sophisticated pop ballade. A friend of mine played transcriptions of Sigur Ros and Radiohead on his senior recital. Is it sacrilegious to transcribe classical songs for sax? I don't really think so. I think such a program it would highlight just how much today's pop music has in common with 18th and 19th century music.

I wouldn't recommend filling the whole program with song transcriptions - too much of a good thing! You could balance them with some virtuoso showpieces, or a meaty contemporary piece.

You should also toy with finding ways to add your friends to the recital. It's really difficult to program a solo recital that will hold an audience's attention from beginning to end. Continually changing the performing forces is an easy way to prevent monotony. It will also help bring in more audience members! A good rule of thumb is to increasingly add more people to the stage and end with the most, although sometimes the reverse can be surprisingly effective.

I wish you and your audience a wonderfully enjoyable program and performance!

-Greg