Back at It

The good news, in the midst of all this despair, is that the long break from piano doesn't seem to have affected my playing. I got to play throughout the day yesterday, and it was sooo nice to (1) be able to play for so long, and (2) sound really good!

Morning Practice

I tried to work yesterday morning (from home), but I couldn't concentrate. My head hurt, and my eye was (and still is) killing me because I have a scratch on my left cornea. So I told my boss, and she said I have three days of bereavement leave, and to feel free to take some time.

So I did. I turned off the computer, went downstairs, and practiced piano for a couple of hours. Mostly I worked on hymns, starting with the PWJ Amazing Grace that I wrote about earlier, and then moving on to a medley I'm arranging of my dad's favorite hymns. I was going to make it three hymns, but I've decided to just do two: In the Garden and The Old Rugged Cross. I'll play through ITG twice (where the second time is an octave up), and through TORC twice (where the second time is in a punchy gospel style). So my "practice" including arranging both songs.

Afternoon Practice and Piano Lesson

I picked my daughter up from school at 3:00, and then I came back home to practice some more. I worked on "Solace," which I hadn't looked at in a week and a half, and I was able to play through it a few times to reacquaint myself. And then it was time to get to Augusta for my 4:30 piano lesson.

At piano, we talked some about the medley arrangement, but mostly we worked on the Chopin. Remember, I have that masterclass in 24 days. Yes, the masterclass that I was going to spend all of August and September preparing for.

But there is good news: Eric asked me to play it on one of the grand pianos there, and I did play it, by memory, all the way through. I stumbled here and there, but overall it was pretty solid!

Last Night's Practice

Then last night, I played the Chopin for Dan and it was the best I've ever played it. And it was all by memory!

I also played through a few other pieces last night: Bare Necessities, the Rondo, Maple Leaf. They all sound pretty good. You wouldn't think I'd been away from the piano for the better part of the past month.

This Morning

This morning I also resumed my Blues Endings course. I started it before Europe, got halfway through, touched on it for a day or two after Europe, and then never got back to it. So I'm working on that as well and hope to post a video of the endings before long.

I did have to go to work today, so no hours-long practice for me this time. But I'll be playing this evening, just as soon as I'm done with dinner and dishes!

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Picking Up the Pieces

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