“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
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This is a quote by Wayne Gretzky. It’s a quote that can be used by everyone, every day, but it doesn’t mean you pretend to be Wayne Gretzky. What I want to say is, if I quote Beethoven to highlight something, it doesn’t mean I think I’m Beethoven…
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Emma, I didn’t understand if those people on the train were actually acting for a commercial for real? And just so you all know, I don’t have a cellphone…Are people like that in Stockholm? Hm. I’d say, if you want a friendly town, go to Växjö.
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How enormously great to see Romuald comment…one of my oldest and best friends (not old, but old friend!) and it made me warm at heart to see that a little innocent one-liner meant something. Well, I owe him a big bunch of one-liners he has given me through the years.
One little example is when we had a public discussion at the Helsingborg Piano Festival about different recordings of Beethoven’s piano sonata op.2 nr.3. The second theme ( it’s more of a transitional theme but that’s not important here) I thought everyone played too stiff, it should be quite flexible. Romuald turned to me (we were sitting on the stage) and said quietly “hmm, I think there is a scary, sneaky feeling to it, shouldn’t be played too sweet”.
I finally got what he meant, months later when I recorded, and now I’m pretty happy with it on the recording. For those reading my Beethovenblog you would know that much in the music is like Opera, and with “sneaky” he means that it should sound a little insincere, like a person who doesn’t really show what he is feeling. This melody somes around 0.20:
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Shan-shan is practicing Franz Schubert. Painfully beautiful music, that.
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To continue my Studio blog, the second day of recordings was waaaaay better, it was actually really good. I did everything I planned to do, and even a little more. Now, I’m back home and I have been working in my studio downstairs in our house. Inspired by Marianne’s comment (and yes, Svanö sounds amazing), I actually made a little video to show you how it looks like. Some outside the house, but no, no time for that, instead I have to spend lots of time in that basement. Which I proudly can say have soundproofed walls.
doneThe music is track 11 from the first Beethoven CD…
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That is good advice indeed, Christina. I could actually say that I did that during the first day, partly I stopped recording and just practiced instead. But I didn’t walk away. And I think what we all think is that even when we have our downs, we just keep at it. We have to accept and work through the fact that not every day is blessed with us being our 100%. And that reminds me of another Gretzky-quote:
“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.”
And talking about feeling untalented, don’t even think about it. One of the quotes I’m proud of myself is from “Solisten” , I say something like “I don’t have the time to ponder whether I’m talented or not”
Talent is sometimes a very overrated gift.
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Sara, do you know what we did for Halloween? We went to watch some College Hockey! The teams were Princeton versus Yale. I expected some really smart plays…but those kids were rough and tough, I tell you.
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During the second day of recording, I had a short e-mail conversation with Per Bjurman, who was also stuck as I mentioned in the last post. I had commented on his blog that the last blogpost was much better, best of the year, and the conversation is as follows (sorry of most of it is in Swedish…)
PB:
Tack du.
Jag fick skärpa till mig helt enkelt.
PT:
Skärpa till sig är knepet. Inspiration is for wussies. Samma sak med musik.
PB:
Indeed
Heh.
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Majsan asks how I keep my hands strong. Very good question, because the interesting thing about strength on piano is that you should use as little muscle tension and effort as possible. Keeping flexible, flexible, flexible. Sounds simple, but it’s not, and it’s perhaps the most overlooked part of piano teaching. That part, by the way, I learned a lot from 1) Romuald and 2) because I did a lot of sports and there the coaches are teaching this ALL the time. You can’t shoot, run or throw anything if you’re not flexible and smooth in your movements.
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Strange…a really cool word. As Laura mentions, it can mean “not common”, “unique”. Like it means on the name of this blog, actually. And perhaps, if compared to The Ark’s studio blog, I should rather call it non-GLAMorous?
And thanks Laura, it is nice indeed to hear. Or read I should say.
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As i mentioned, the second day was so much better. I recorded this and I think I can actually hear how happy I am that things are working. And hey! Would I be that relieved, have that kind of happiness if the day before wasn’t crappy? It just struck me as I wrote this, but I think we’re on to something.
OK, some happy Beethoven:
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And oh, not to forget…coming soon to a store near you:
Hmmm…starting this post I had planned to quote Beethoven. That will have to wait until next one.






