| I think the grading compared to a 'top performer' is about as silly as grading people that jog for an hour after dinner versus Usain Bolt. Music is something you to do enjoy, not because it is top sport! Obviously there are going to be incredible performers at the high end but there is plenty of fun to be had in the middle and even on the low end. I have a few pieces that are so beautiful compared to evertyhing else out there that if that were the norm those pieces might as well never be performed again, but then again, it's all subjective and what I like you might not. > Similarly the vast majority of students going the chords/voicings/improvisation route will never be able to play Over The Rainbow as well as Keith Jarrett, but they can at least have the satisfaction and enjoyment of doing it in their own unique way. Yes, true. And that too is a lot of fun. I did some jam sessions with the sax (and I wasn't all that good), most fun I had making music to date. > Composing your own music takes it a step further again. That might actually at some level be more essential than just reproduction. The cave men had it easy: everything they did was original. |
The beauty of a piece doesn't depend on its technical difficulty. Back when I used to play classical music more I loved playing a few of Chopin's Nocturnes repeatedly - they were about the right level for me so it was fun, and I could play them pretty well, I think. But I also spent a lot of time learning a few harder pieces (like Fantaisie Impromptu), and I remember getting frustrated that it took me ages to learn them and, although in the end I could play them sortof OKish, my efforts just weren't a patch on what a better pianist could do.
Looking back I can see that I shouldn't have picked such hard pieces until I was really ready for them. It was probably a big part of why I ended up quitting for quite a few years before taking it up again more recently with an entirely different approach.