My passion is to help others in the community, young, old, and everyone in between, find relevance and joy in learning, performing or listening to classical music.

CONTACT ME

Contact me at ericasipes1@gmail.com if you have any questions or if you're interested in working with me.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Erica,
    Love your blog, just a few questions from a teenaged pianist.
    How long does it take you to perfect a piece?
    Why do you enjoy playing piano?
    When you pick a piece to work on, what is your goal at the start that inspires you?
    And finally, do you get bored with a piece once you've learnt it?

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    1. Hello there, Kevin-Ke.
      Thank you for reading my blog. I'm glad you enjoy it. Let's see if I can answer your questions...

      *How long does it take me to perfect a piece?
      It depends on the piece. If it's sightreadable for me and not terribly long I can learn the notes pretty well in a very short amount of time, a day, two days, up to a week. The more difficult pieces can take up to a month to really feel like I know the notes, even longer if it's really hard. But I should also add here that I rarely feel great about a first performance of everything no matter how much time I've had to work on it. Once I get a piece out of my system once really learning the piece at a deep level happens much more quickly and comfortable.

      *Why do I enjoy playing the piano?
      I don't know. I've always felt right at home at the piano and it gives me a place to express what I can't express using words. I'm kind of a shy person so music and the piano gives me a more extroverted voice.

      *When I pick a piece to work on, what is my goal at the start that inspires me?
      Depends on the piece. Some pieces I'm inspired just by hearing and feeling the harmonies I get to play when I'm practicing and learning a new piece - like in Rachmaninoff's or Brahms' music. Challenging pieces inspire me to figure them out, especially if they're challenging harmonically or rhythmically. And finally there are some pieces that I've always dreamed of playing so when I actually get to learn them I am incredibly eager and excited to get to work and ultimately to perform them for others.

      *Do I get bored with a piece once I've learned it?
      Rarely, if ever. I know there's always more that I can do with any piece of music. My job is never done! I think that's partly why I like being a musician. It's a constant challenge.

      Hope that answers your questions.

      All the best,
      Erica

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  2. God bless you Erica. There are so few people who can write simply and well about music. You are a treasure!

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    Replies
    1. Martin, you are so kind. Thank you for taking the time to send me some feedback - I am glad you are enjoying the blog.

      All the best,
      Erica

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