Room for improvement

So today was the garden party.  This was really my first solo performance outside the safe haven of adult learner concerts - and I've only done 3 of those.  In this case it wasn't to other musicians who were performing (and generally sympathetic) and not only were there "non performing" people there, but there were people there who I knew and who had never heard me play the oboe before - the pressure was on.   I had a major panic last night when I was convinced that I couldn't play any of my pieces and I was going to fall flat on my face.  But, when it came to it, I survived.  I don't think I played brilliantly but I got through and kept going.  It felt pretty terrible at the time, and I was very nervous but my boyfriend filmed it and, looking at the recording, it wasn't as bad as I thought - though still not great...

So let's stick with good, tricky, do differently:

GOOD

1. I got through all three pieces without falling apart or needing to stop - this is more than I thought I would manage last night.  Oh and I guess actually turning up and doing it despite being really scared.

2. While I'm playing my posture is not too bad and I do move a little bit to the music - more than I thought I was doing.

3. Most of the finger work sounds quite fluent even when it felt a little clunky,

4. There are times when my vibrato comes through and does sound quite natural.

5. There are occasional flashes of good phrasing and expression

TRICKY

1. I sound terrified when introducing the pieces - which I was!

2. My tone is really quite thin - I need to do some work on this over the summer. Some of this was nerves, but not all of it.

3. Intonation wasn't great - I knew this but couldn't quite seem to bring it in line.  Need some work on control during the summer.

4. A few stumbles along the way - I think the Mozart was a little ambitious!  I could just about play it but there were too many dodgy bits that didn't quite work.

5. Too much frightened rabbit and not enough expression in the music as a whole!

DO DIFFERENTLY

1. Make sure I know exactly what the set up is - there were too many surprises on the day.  I thought it would just be background music rather than having people sitting and watching as the main event.  I was also thrown by having to introduce the songs and there were more people there that I knew than expected.

2. Pick pieces that I can play well - or at least make sure I have time to practice enough to bring them up to standard.  Do not be unprepared!

3. If playing outside - make sure the music is securely fastened!  Mine didn't entirely blow away but my biggest stumble was due to it threatening to!

4. Relax and think about expression more - focus on the music.

5. Blow more air - will bring pitch up, louder would be good and will give scope for more dynamics overall.

Overall verdict - not disastrous but definitely room for improvement.

Catch up

I thought I ought to do a round up of the things that I am practising at the moment:

Technical exercises - I am still doing articulation exercises to try and up my speed.  It is gradually having some effect I think. I'm also doing long notes based on arpeggios - trying to improve tone, dynamic range and tuning. Doing arpeggios is good as it means I'm doing notes across the whole range of the instrument.

Studies - this week's study is Luft No 20 which is in C# minor.  I really like this one but it has some tricky passages and also a lot of rhythmic changees - lots of subdivisions as it goes from minims to crotchets to demi semi quavers to quavers to semi quaver tripets to trying to fit 5 notes into the space of 1 semi quaver....it is making my head spin a bit.  Hopefully I will get another week to work on it.

Hindemith Sonata - There are only 2 movements.  The first one grew on me a bit - though having heard a recording of it with piano I would still say that it is a Sonata that is more fun to play than to listen to.  I really do not like the second movement at all.  Slow, random notes, strange rhythms.  It really doesn't do it for me at all. So hopefully won't be spending too much longer on this. 

Telemann Fantasia No 8 - still working on the second and third movements of this as we haven't looked at it in a lesson for a few weeks.  I really like these pieces but there are still a few bits of this that I am struggling to get into my fingers.  It just doesn't seem to go as expected.  Improving though.

Mozart Oboe Quartet - have been working on third movement in lesson which has some really awkward bits in the middle.  It is getting better though. 

I have finally agreed what I'm playing at the Adult learner concert and Garden Party.

Adult Leader Concert - second movement of the Mozart Oboe Quartet. Sadly the piano accompaniment for French Suite turned out to be too tricky and an alternative needed to be found.  The first movement of the Quartet exceeded the time limit so this is my third (maybe even 4th) choice piece.  My accompanist seems quite happy with this one though.  I need to get practicing and make sure I have a VERY good reed to pull it off!

Garden Party - I've had a run through with pianist for this, which seemed to go very well.  I am playing:
Mozart Quartet Movement 1
Piazolla Oblivion
Dring Italian Dance.

Hopefully this fits the bill of light, accessible, easy to listen to classical music and it should take just over 10 minutes.  I just need to time the pieces and send the programe to the organiser (and practice of  course!).

Piano exam 28th June.  Playing my pieces for a friend tonight.