Hive Open Mic, week 115, Solas by Jamie Duffy

The topic Doing The Work, selected by @lk666 for week 115, made me think about the approach we have towards the work and what it means to each of us.

Work, for me, is a creative process that includes mental and physical efforts. It is not that we can work something just mechanically. We can, but then the work is not really meaningful. The outcome might not be as good as it should be. Having an idea is the first step in every process of creating and working around something, and the inspiration and all the mental guidance is the essential part of doing any work.

The same is happening while playing the piano or studying it. I always remind my students how important is to think and have a clear idea of how the music should sound. Without active listening, it is not possible to shape the sound as we want, as we perceive it in our inner hearing. Studying just mechanically is not leading to a good result.

Speaking about students and teaching. Yesterday was the last school day, so now I will be free from teaching until September. That is what I do, giving knowledge about piano playing to others. My work is now done, for this school year. I received a few bouquets of flowers, the most modest one is the one I posted as the cover photo, but I really liked it. It is just one type of a flower, I am not sure about the name of it but I remember having them in grandma's garden.

Two days ago, before we ended the lessons, one student asked to learn to play a composition during the summer holidays. The title of the piece is Solas and the artist who wrote is Jamie Duffy. The piece was released in April, this year. I haven't heard this one before, but I liked when I found the piano scores for him. I started to practice it also, in the same instant.

I worked around the piece in two phases. First I learned the repetitive parts. Then I analysed the parts that are different and learned them too. Added them together, polished the whole thing by playing it in several short practising sessions and the composition was learned. The work around it is done.

Just a few words more about the artwork that Cabe prepared for the community. When I saw it, the first association was that this person is struggling. He has to do some work but the paper is empty, he is waiting for the inspiration. Maybe he suffers and thinks about another thing another person or else that doesn't let him concentrate. This can be sometimes true, as when we lose focus it is difficult to finish some work. But I hope we all can do good work for this week and present our entries in the scene of Hive Open Mic.

Here is my entry, with the composition that one of my students asked for.
Oh, I don't mind my piano. It is a bit shaking while I play it :D (I should fix it...)