Via The Music Man. Note this is done entirely by memory without looking at any sheet music. I think I was eight years old before I could stumble my way through "Für Elise" (which I have just learned is one of two melodies played on Taiwan garbage trucks to alert residents of their presence).
I was about 12 when I first started playing "Fur Elise" ~ thanks for the memories!!
ReplyDeletebobbie
PS the little girl was pretty amazing!
Some children are just amazing. I teach at a private school and there's a young math and music prodigy who just turned 6-years old. It's funny to see because she comes to school, visits all her teachers to show them the dress she picked for the day and the stuffed animal she chose to bring... then she divides fractions with exponents in class.
ReplyDeleteIs this amazing, or child abuse?
ReplyDeleteNot sure this is what a 3-year old should be doing.
I'm not sure about this particular case, but some children genuinely and of their own accord enjoy learning to play an instrument from a very young age. I myself wanted to learn to play the piano when I was 4 and asked my parents to take lessons (I never became good at it, but that's beside the point).
DeleteTrue. But "some" is doing a lot of work there.
DeleteWe also know that "a lot" of parents push their kids in ways they don't want. Go watch a kids sports game this weekend and see a lot of parents push their kids into directions the parents feel they missed.
Incredible! Such little fingers reaching all those piano keys. I bet she hates wearing that fluffy dress.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing...but I am left to wonder just how different this is from a rooster who can play tic-tac-toe?
ReplyDeleteThat is, does the sweet, young girl truly understand what is going on to any appreciable degree...or is she just operating from mere muscle memory?
I can't speak for the girl, but I can speak from my own experience. When I was in my "tweens" my parents asked me to play the piano while they were having guests over for a party. One of the intoxicated guests came up to me and asked "can you really FEEL that music or not?" I was playing something with a rocking bass, and admitted I didn't feel anything. He advised me not to consider music for a career. Rightfully so. For me it was just rote muscle memory, but I worked my way up to Rachmaninoff before my mother agreed to let me opt out.
DeleteMy daughter started piano lessons at four, because my mother-in-law wanted it. But she was amenable, and enjoyed it. While practicing for her first recital (at five), she knew her song really well, but I wanted her to be prepared for the unexpected. Nerves, you know. I told her that if she messed up, just keep going and no one will notice.
ReplyDeleteIn front of a bunch of people, she played the song slightly wrong in one spot, but did not react and kept going. Like many student pieces, this one went through the melody twice. The second time around, she varied that spot in exactly the same way, so it sounded like that was how it was supposed to be! I was doubly proud of her.