When I was in high school, I was a decent pianist. I mentioned in a post many years ago that my tour de force was Rachmaninov's Prelude in C# Minor. Over the years I was away at university, I played lots of guitar and not so much piano. Ironically, this seems to have made me better rather than worse; I have a much better feel for the pieces I used to play when I play them now, even if technically I'm not what I once was.
I'm spending some time at home with my parents these days while I look for a job (the fact that I don't have one yet is what enabled us to pick up and go to New Zealand when dad's doctors okayed it). I want to practice up some of my old pieces and record them so that I have recordings of myself that sound decent...
...but I sprained my left wrist carrying my parents' luggage. Doh.
So. This is the best I can do for the time being. It's recorded from a VHS tape of me performing the piece at the local Music Festival during my high school years. It is the my only recorded classical performance. If the physiotherapists can't fix me up (unlikely, but conceivable), it may well be my best performance ever. The sound quality is terrible and it's fairly clear even early on that my dynamic sensibilities were not well-developed. Also, there's a classic VHS smudge in the first two seconds that wrecks the introduction. It's obvious, you can't miss it. On the other hand, I sound technically passable.
So there it is. Sorry I don't have a proper recording to offer you.
We'll see what the oncologist has to say tomorrow.
[ August 19, 2021, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: twinky ]
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Good luck at the doc's....
That was a very good recording, despite the flaws in the medium.....I really enjoyed it.
Kwea
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
I also wish you luck at the doctor tomorrow. Thank you for sharing the recording. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Very nicely done, Twinky. I've listened to it several times over now....
You are quite an all-around musician, aren't you?
Farmgirl
Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
Well heck, it's the song I named my current computer after. Where did you get this recording, anyway? This isn't something MusicFest does, is it?
And I seem to recall a certain performance of a certain piece for one "The Girl TM" when a certain someone's wrists were damaged that certainly seemed to go forward despite my most certain voice of reason.
Ok, I realize that you didn't say you wouldn't play it again, I just wanted to tease you a little
Hope all heals well. You'd be surprised what can be corrected with a few months of work.
Edit to add: Oh hey, this is post #5000. Cool, yo. Grats and all that.
[ October 27, 2004, 06:55 PM: Message edited by: Bob the Lawyer ]
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Thanks, everyone.
Farmgirl, I've been playing the piano for much longer than I've been playing the guitar. I started the piano at age four but only picked up the guitar at fifteen or so.
Dad borrowed a video camera to tape it since I almost never perform at festivals like that.
Yeah, I'm hopeful about the sprain. We'll see. And the oncologist today gave us good news for once, which was awesome.
[ October 27, 2004, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: twinky ]
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Hey, didn't notice this was a big round number post until BtL point it out. Congrats on that, too. I like how we're getting different things for landmarks lately...
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
My copy of Windows Media Player thanks you!
Glad you got some good news today.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Well, this isn't a landmark as such. I was thinking of doing one, but the thread I posted at 4k sort of became a landmark (or at least it wound up in the landmark archives), so I figure I might wait until something big like 8k or 10k.
The reason it's titled the way it is... well, I was thinking of doing a pseudo-landmark and writing about my father's life and stuff like that, but I'm just not ready for it, not while everything is still up in the air the way it is now (he has cancer). Then I wanted to use it to post my next musical project, which is going to be a small collection of covers (some classical piano stuff and some quiet rock stuff), but when I bustigated my wrist that became impossible. But I decided that I wanted to at least have a recording of me playing the piano in MP3 format, so I imported the only one I have, that being the VHS tape. And uploaded it, then linked it here. At the moment, it's the best I can do.
I'm glad that people are enjoying it, though. It's a heck of a piece, and I really hope that someday I can do a good quality recording of it. It's one of my favourite pieces to play, partly because of the frenzied middle section (which I like to play faster now rather than the more measured approach I took in the recording), but mostly because of the huge chords in the last part. I have big hands and long fingers, so it's awesome to find pieces that really make me stretch. This one does.
Other ones I plan to get back up to speed include two Chopin pieces (Nocturne in E flat and Raindrop) and possibly the good old Moonlight Sonata.
Physiotherapist tomorrow. *crosses fingers*
(Also, I probably shouldn't have just ground out a few guitar solos over the new Silvertide album to see if I could do it. )
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Very excellent! I could never play like that! (you must practice )
Talk about multi-musically-talented!
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
I'm glad the oncologist had good news. Good luck tomorrow at the physiotherapist.
I have to wait to listen to your recording because Andrew is watching baseball with the sound turned way, way up.
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
I love that piece. It is also one of my all-time favorites, and you played it well. I was particularly impressed with how you handled the middle part. At one point in time I could play that part fast and keep it under control, but I'm losing my skills. Someday, when we have room for a piano, I will get them back.
And I also love Chopin's nocturnes. The one in E-minor is my favorite.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Sooooo, what you're saying is that we need to have TwinkyCon someplace with a good piano? (You are coming to visit your southern neighbors before moving to NZ, aren't you?)
Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
Sir, you are awesome.
I shall look forward to having you play for me allthetime (right? ) when you get here. Musical festivity fun!
And I'm very glad the news was good today. Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
You guys flatter me too much. As though my ego isn't already big enough...
Brinestone, I've got a lovely book of Chopin that I've been meaning to explore in greater depth. My secret Chopin dream is to one day learn the Revolutionary Etude! I can play about the first page of it, but after that it just gets too insane.
A US tour, you say? Well, I can think of one time in particular when I might want to come down for such an endeavour within the next couple of years... so we shall see.
Well, if you haven't annulled our marriage by the time I get down there, I would totally be willing to play and stuff for you, tt&t. Unless you wacky Kiwis build your pianos backwards, with the low notes on the right hand side and the high notes on the left... that would be a dealbreaker, just so you know.
[ October 28, 2004, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: twinky ]
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
In case you wanted to make that US tour next spring – Iowa isn’t too far south, and I could get you access to some nice pianos. Including a 9’ Steinway concert grand. With good seating for any other Hatrackers who, ah, happened to be in town.
Posted by Tammy (Member # 4119) on :
((((twinky)))) Oh...just because!
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Twinkycon Ehhhh? I think that I would cry if twinky moved to NZ without coming to visit us first.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I appreciate the offer, dkw (soon to be dks, I see ), but I think the timing will be wrong next spring. The spring after that might be more suitable.
Timing, you see, is everything.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Well, if you decide to hold TwinkyCon 2006 in Iowa, the piano offer remains open. Most people would probably prefer someplace with better airport service, though. Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
(I much prefer the non-rolling version of this smiley, but it'll have to do. )
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
boy did your thread title worry me. jerk.
edit: i had a paragraph here, where did it go?!? it said:
Nice work. I would flatter you more but if your head gets any bigger it could adversly affect your job hunt what with being trapped in your room.
[ October 28, 2004, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: celia60 ]
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
twinky, you are living in or near Toronto, right?
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
When I opened your recoding, it all sounded beautiful and then wierd things started happening. Stange chords appeared interspersed among the correct ones. I thought, she said the recording quality was bad, but this was really outrageous and it kept getting worse and worse, rapidly skipping back and forth between different parts of the piece seemingly at random, with wierd feedback and things being played over each other like someone else was playing in the background.
Finally, I realized that I had accidentally double clicked on the link. Two windows had opened and were battle for control of my speakers.
I shutdown one of the windows and started the piece over again. It's marvelous twinky!! You really must get back to seriously playing the piano. You have a gift.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Tick, I used to live both in and near Toronto, but at the moment I'm in Nova Scotia, which is way over on the east coast.
Pssst, Rabbit, I'm a dude.
The physiotherapist was helpful. She gave me some electrical treatment (the kind where they hook you up to electrodes and it makes your muslces twitch at regular intervals) and some stretching exercises to do here at home. Also, she found a significant amount of inflammation between my left thumb and index finger (which was surprising, that's not where the injury is), so no more guitar for me.
Anyway, I'm hoping this will all just sort of go away if I'm good about doing these stretches. Maybe I'll do my back exercises and hamstrings while I'm at it, seeing as how in the past physiotherapists have assigned me exercises for both (not that I did them for long).
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
did anyone else think of Zoolander when they saw the title? "What, you don't think I know what a yugooglie is? *face*"
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
Oh, that's a lot further from here than Toronto.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
>_<
So I got my citizenship stuff back from the NZ High Commission in Ottawa along with a polite letter informing me that they changed the rules back in April and now if I want to be a citizen I have to send all of this documentation off to Wellington.
Fortunately I still have plenty of time -- I have until March to take care of all of this stuff.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Enjoy your citizenship-getting; looks like mine is going to be up in the air for another half-year at least! (nearly two years now...)
If your parents have NZ ties, do you have to swear allegiance or what? Does that come thruogh your birth?
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Wait, you live here in Canada! Why did I never notice this before? Cool
Anyway, yeah, it's through my father, who was born in NZ and as such is a NZ citizen. I dunno if they want me to swear allegiance or something. If they do I don't mind, that's fine. What I won't do is renounce my Canadian citizenship. *waves Maple Leaf*
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I downloaded all your Idolatry album songs onto my hard drive and made a Twinky playlist -- I hope that is okay with you....
FG
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Of course that's okay. That's why they're there. Glad you like them. Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
Siiiiigh. It's lucky I got you good and married while you were here, twink, or else I can see I'd have to fight for your affections.
Also, I totally think you should bring your citizenship papers to Wellington in person. Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Now that you mention it, the female/male ratio in this thread does seem a little high... there's me, BtL, Bob, Tick... um... is that it? I chalk it up to the Bobs' devastating wit and popularity.
Or maybe it's just that more jatraqueras than jatraqueros are interested in classical music. *shrug*
You know, I'd rather courier the papers to Wellington in person, because I'm really quite leery of sending off all of this irreplaceable documentation (birth and marriage certificates, etc). *checks bank balance*
Posted by Allegra (Member # 6773) on :
I have really wanted to listen to the recording. But due to my dial up it would take an hour to load, and would make my internet unbearably slow. I might just have to suck it up and download it anyway.
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I hate dialup. Especially since I am presently stuck using it. I empathize.
Also, I just realized (belatedly) that I do have a couple of other piano recordings of myself... just not classical performances, rather, stuff I've written and recorded on pianos.
I Am Not A Duck came from The Breakfast Opus, which I put together for my buddy D's birthday when we were both in high school.
The Painting came to be after I watched What Dreams May Come and enjoyed it. Appreciating stuff like landscapes, songs, movies, and books puts me in a music-writing mood oftentimes.
I've linked both of these here before in the past, which is why I didn't think to do it in the opening post.
[ August 19, 2021, 04:49 PM: Message edited by: twinky ]
Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
Wow. I love The Painting. *relistens*
Did I say wow?
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Edit: Um, on us, anyway. You'd have to ask tt&t if you wanted to take that in any other way.
[ October 28, 2004, 11:03 PM: Message edited by: ElJay ]
Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
I say nothing.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Come on, us kiwis have to stick together....
Wait, that's right...I DON"T WANT TO KNOW!!!
Nevermind...
Kwea
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
ElJay, you crack me up. Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
twinky, the fact that you not only are performing the stuff in those files but actually conceived of it completely blows my mind. It is a talent that I admire immensely and of which I have not the slightest iota. Being amusing, however, usually is one of my talents, so I'm glad you enjoy it.
How's the ego doing, there? Aren't these threads where people say nice things about you fun? Good thing they never last, or we'd all be insufferable. But I'd much rather participate in them then the snipey-rude threads, so I'm staying purely fluff until after the elections are settled, I think everyone's just a leetle too worked up right about now.
Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
S'ok ElJay, twinky's ego can't possibly get any bigger. Even he admits it's as big as it possibly can be. In fact, I think that was one of the first things he said to me when we met.
"Hi, I'm twinky. I have a big ... ego."
Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
hehehe.
Posted by Zotto! (Member # 4689) on :
Twink, dude, wow. Gotta love the breakdown in the prelude. *grin*
I also really enjoyed The Painting, 'specially the little theme variation at 0:55.
Good stuff, m'man. Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
I'm in a fluff 'n stuff phase myself. It will probably outlast the election, though. My ego is freakishly large. As celia said, I have to be careful or I won't be able to get through doors soon.
I'm kind of keen to write something new on the piano, but of course I can't really play these days.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
Good stuff there twinky. I really want to learn to play the piano. I wish that I would have been interested in playing music at a younger age (didn't start until the end of grade 10). My parents aren't really musical so I was never pushed in that direction. I come from a sports family so all of my activities as a youth were focussed in that direction even though I showed talent in music in elementary school. I don't really know why I didn't pursue it more then. I always liked doing it but I guess I didn't get a lot of encouragement in that direction from anyone other than the music teacher at school.
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) when you get here. Musical festivity fun!![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
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