My cycling coach said to me - never compare yourself with anybody but with you in the past. Track your progress, never look at the charts, best results etc. Be yourself and enjoy your journey. The same applies to music journey.
He was correct and he is very rare for a coach. Most never recognize the importance of the gifts you were born with. Without those gifts all the training in the world isn't going to get you a spot in the Tour de France.
Thank you for reminding us that we can't be all things to all people. I guess what impressed me most as a returning piano student who is 81 years old and struggling to return to the ability that I had 50 years ago was, that our words, no matter how carefully we chose them, hit some in an unintended way and can really daunt those people.
Thank you for this. I’ve found that I am at my most miserable in my music journey when I compare my progress to other late starters my age. I love talking about music and piano with people- but sometimes it just gets to be too much and I start overthinking and feeling bad about what I cannot do. When I retreat a bit and remember how honored I am to be able to play the things that I can, I fall in love with the process again. It’s a roller coaster ride, and I’m learning to be a little more protective of my own journey. Your channel and videos like this have been infinitely helpful. ~Elizabeth 😊
So helpful!!! So lovely for you to reach out to us on this way. The timing was perfect because I'm the only adult student of a concert pianist. Little 8 year olds perform above my level and I've been feeling a bit discouraged by my slow progress and poor sight reading skills. I like and appreciate your very grounded honest and caring approach. I gave purchased a few of your tutorials...I need to complete them!😊😊 Thankyou Josh. You are the Best on line resource I've come across!
That is a self-aware analysis. Self-awareness is not present in many people, even if they think so. But it can also be learned. The idea is that there should be nothing that creates disturbance in one's own self and one's life to be joyful. Serious music playing leads into that direction -- when the ego is just transcended again and again.
I think you are Superman. And obviously also a great pianist and a brilliant teacher. I'm an adult, married man, with many years of professional piano practice, but _when I grow up_ I want to be just like you! 😅
Josh, I'm a teacher like you. I've been teaching Spanish for over 20 years and, like you, I've come across the most hilarious situations. I've had students coming to me asking for Spanish lessons “with no grammar whatsoever”. I’ve had students who didn't want their pronunciation corrected, and a few who thought that just paying for the lesson was enough to do the learning. Having said that, the majority of my students have been amazing, and I always say that I've learned more from them but they have learned from me. Teaching others is a great honour.
Too many people ever since the "self help" explosion of the 1980s and 1990s seem to enjoy "diagnosing" others. Without needing a therapist or diagnosis, read a little to get perspective: 1. Somewhere there is the very best possible pianist in all the world. 2. Somewhere there is the very worst possible pianist in all the world. 3. All the rest of us fall in between the two. What a comfort! I am neither the very best, nor the very worst! I have no "Title" to defend, and I am also not devoid of ability and POTENTIAL.😊
This really hits home as a beginner pianist. Sometimes I get discouraged comparing myself to others, but you're right - I need to focus on my own progress. Thanks for the reminder to enjoy the journey!
You're going to be 37. I'm a little over twice your age. And, Josh, the struggle to balance between the possible and the real never stops, and the temptation to leap into elation or fall into despair is always there. Life is hard. Life is beautiful. And, as my father used to say, it sure beats the alternative. Grounded-ness coupled with a sense of humor will get you a long way...as you clearly know. Your willingness to share your thoughts is a gift to everyone watching. Keep going, keep growing. You're doing a wonderful job. Also as a teacher... ;-) and performer, and doubtless in many other areas. Bravo!
How frustrating when people ask questions without watching the entire video or reading your notes in the description. You nailed it ... there's no way to win trying to be all things to all people. If you are competing with anyone other than yourself, it just won't work. The only thing you can hope to be (or insure to be with practice) is to be better than the pianist you were yesterday. My husband stunned me with a S&S CG upon our retirement and move to our vacation home. New friends would see that piano and assume things. I am not trained, sadly. However, I have spent a life playing stagnantly, but the last 5 years (since that piano) with lessons wherever I could find them. Unlocking theory and really working to perfect my craft. The great pianists are inspirational! I know I will never be that ... but isn't it fun to try? Find the joy and you'll be a winner! Thank you for your expertise and your time making these videos!!
This is so helpful. When I first started teaching I took everything personally. If a student wasn't practicing and progressing I felt it was my fault and I wasn't being a 'good enough' piano teacher. But sometimes students are just in lessons because their parents put them in it, or piano isn't their thing anymore. And that is ok, there is nothing wrong with them, and also with me as well. As long as I do the best I can by my students, that is enough. :)
This video has such a powerful message! One that is not solely applied to piano playing at all! I truly appreciate how humble you are - to me that is THE MOST admirable trait on a person. Lucky are those who get to have classes with such an amazing professor inside and outside classes. Sending warm regards from Brazil !! Cheers 🙂
I've commented previously - I really appreciate your humility and insight. One thing I think about is my desire (it might be called) to learn pieces that are calming and in a sense like medication. So pieces that are fast and intense do not appeal to me. Feel a little guilty sometimes but your advice here helps. My teacher is patient and has temporarily banned me from nocturnes or moody pieces and fortunately, the few students I have are beginners so not a problem. Thank you again, Josh.
Josh, I listened to one of your vids from about 18 months ago where you recommended the Faber Adult Adventures method books 1 & 2 and a good teacher. I followed your advice and can now play Pachibel Canon. Not great… but my wife likes it. I met with a lot of frustration along the way, but I just pushed through. I’m now taking up lead sheets and more popular music as I am retired and don’t see myself laboring through classical music. Thanks for the direction.
I remember as a girl I always felt "less than" in my piano playing. I never got to be "last" with the most difficult song in a recital. Maybe I actually did but don't remember those??? As I look back at the expansive library of repertoire I had back then, I'm in awe of that self-conscious girl, who never saw who she was. At some point life interfered with piano studies as I majored and worked in health sciences and played for fun. I've never gotten back to that level of excellence in that repertoire, but I've had a GREAT time in life playing piano and organ in church and for singers and events. I've worked hard on very difficult accompaniments never feeling like they were perfect - but I just love playing and know that is worth a lot. I also had the opportunity to become a harpist, which I absolutely love! In my later 40's I was able to study music at our local community college and finish that associate program. I was SO thankful to have such an opportunity. At times I'm tempted to compare my limited knowledge and experience with others like Josh and Lindsey, but when I shift to the great gratitude I have, and focus on my purpose in life to share music and joy and peace thru music and other ways, I have exactly what I need and God has put so many great and inspiring people in my life that I know I'm where I should be and where I should be going. God is Good! I am so blessed. (I'm very thankful). May all of you find joy in the journey.
I'm about 50 years on from you so I have experienced the folly of success and failure many times. I have been playing piano for about 80 years. I started as theoretical physicist but moved to industrial R&D. When I was teaching I used to run a problem class where I made up things on the spot to discuss or solve. In some cases I got stuck myself and found this was a great help to the students - if I could mess up so could they. I am still aspiring to play as well as you.
Great advice Josh, I’m currently finishing up my degree in piano and I also teach. I’m trying to be very aware of each student’s needs and I know that I have to adapt to each one of them, and it does feel like you have an obligation to be very cautious with what you say and do during the lesson’s! Luckily, I understand that you usually need to have someone that pushes you to be your best. I’m very grateful to have a good teacher who pushes me to be my best self!
Thanks a lot for these videos where you open up about mental states and how to deal with judgements, insecurities etc! They are very interesting and helpful. I'm a violin/composition student from germany and this balancing act of not puffing up but also not falling into despair is really difficult for me. This is related to the immaterial aspect of what we're doing, I think. Especially after taking a longer break of a couple of weeks it can be difficult to feel confidence in your own abilities again. It's really crazy just how patient and virtuos (in the sense of mastering every aspect of your life, really) you have to be in music to get somewhere where you want to be. But some of these experiences you make can just make up for all of that and lead to a really fulfilling and interesting life. That's the main reason why I still pursue music as a career, even though there were countless times where quitting crossed my mind. Right now I'm listening to "shaolin spirit", a book about the shaolin monks and their philosophical ideas. Some of the concepts from that book apply really well to our lives (as humans and as musicians) like for example questioning where our beliefs come from, analyzing past events and trying to really understand who you are in order to lead a more harmonious life and discover potential. It's also about what you said - being very grounded in your values, daily actions and in the physical body. Of course there are limits to it but I think it could actually be interesting to some people pursuing music. Anyway, thanks again for your work and continued success!
Piano these days can be rough I think lots of people try to project their shortcomings that’s what makes it hard. Sometimes even your own parents “piano won’t pay the bills so why do you even do it”. Sometimes even your own ‘friends’ will project. Not only that but people here just all wanna smoke and do drugs and chase these materialistic things to the point where doing something they could really enjoy doing is just out of reach for them and when they see someone chasing their passion, all they know is to project. To top it off, piano can be a very lonely thing to go after. Where I’m at, there’s not many people that even play. Cheers to you Josh for getting through all of those hardships. At the end of the day, there will be people that support you.
Thank you for this. Great channel. I tallied up my actual instruction time, my actual practice time. 553 hours. To be proficient I've read it takes 10,000 hours. This brought me much peace. My very next lesson with my instructor, it was if I lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I could bask in what I've accomplished and truly have fun being a Rookie. I realized I'll pay my dues just like you did, and everyone does. Also, Czerny and Hanon were game changers as I had no real security and definition in my hands. One month into Hanon/Czerny technical practices has GREATLY built my confidence. Also, A Soprano on Her Head by Eloise Ristad was also given to me by my instructor. These three items should always be given to an adult student. Thank you Josh, we are so blessed to have you on TH-cam.
Truth! You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. John Lydgate. Great video, as always Josh!!
I only perform music I compose, therefor the music has a great meaning behind it, whether sorrow or joy, I play the emotion. So most music teachers hate my music, had to separate myself from them to continue. I have a small audience and certainly don't make a living from it, but at least I have shared some joy with others and made that incredible connection with the audience when my piano is crying so are they.
I love stoicism, too. I've been playing and singing since childhood. Lots of awards, accolades, opportunities. I'm also an artist, mixed media. I am a piano and voice teacher by trade. I am not a competitive teacher. I teach it for the heart and as an academic subject. I stopped my performance major (vocal & theater) because of the "commodification factor" in the arts. So much snobbery. I still get sized up all the time when I say I teach. Where did you study? With whom? I was told as an early teacher at a Suzuki 1a camp by another teacher, "you shouldn't even be here without a Master's degree in pedagogy " Etc... I have a MME (Master's of Music Education). Yawn. I am always willing to learn- to grow. I want to be the best I can. But, I am a bit discouraged by all the ego. Then again, I'm one of those super-sensitive artistic types. I am working on the balance. You are so right about the students- everyone is completely different. And, not all of them want to play classical. Thank you for this encouragement with difficult people. I don't want to be one of them.
When asked to play, I always say "why do you want hear me play when you have access to people that does it far better than me ?". I'm 7 years in and I don't realize what I can do so far, because I'm always working on difficult pieces for my skill level and I rarely play something I'm comfortable with. So others can see my progress but I have this tendency to judge me really harshly that once I wondered if my teacher wasn't lying to me when he told me I was doing good.
I wish I would have heard this as a teenager. I really struggled with comparison and didn’t perform well at piano competitions. I decided to study accounting, got a degree, but came back to studying piano simply because I loved making music. Thank you for sharing such great content on TH-cam!
Thanks for the video. Like you, I can't believe that people would be critical of your instructional videos because of your appearance. That seems so shallow. I am a beginner-intermediate piano student of 71 who is studying not because I wish to concertize or pass exams, but just for the pure joy of making music. Although some of your videos are above my level, I have found that a few that deal with specific pieces I am studying (e.g. simpler Chopin preludes) to be interesting and helpful. Keep up the good work.
Brilliant advices! You are a great teacher and performer. It is very good to hear your advises in such a delicate matters as people criticism sometimes distract us from our purpose. Thank you so much Josh!
Thank you for this video! Sometimes I think that university settings will create this kind of environment that encourages trying to be like someone else rather than discovering the best version of yourself as a musician. Can be very hard to regulate these areas of you are going in from an environment that did not prepare you to have healthy boundaries and habits. Good to talk about it so others can hear that message and develop healthy musicianship practices in the middle of it.
In general there are good & bad days, could be sharp one day or unleveled the next day when practicing piano. I’d say if your struggling at piano because of lacking motivation, maybe play another song that was completed, or listen to recordings of other songs you’ve already played on piano.
Really good ideas here. I started as an adult and could not imagine staying focused if I watched videos of 12 year old prodigies constantly. I actually was caught off guard as an adult getting critiques on a weekly basis, but as you say the teacher is only trying to help. I’ve actually noticed in my professional life I’ve started taking constructive criticism better as a result of lessons. Taking criticism is such an important skill that i truly think adults to not practice enough.
Josh, I will try to keep this short. I subscribed years ago as an adult trying to learn piano, something I always wanted to do. Then life got in the way... last weekend I moved my piano to a more prominent place in my house to begin again. I was washing dishes and scrolling to watch a video and I (sorry!) have not watched your channel for years but was drawn to watch this one video randomly. I am working on some new (unmusical) ventures now and I know the 'negatives' you describe are a daunting part of trying to create something new, and perhaps also what might hold us back; as fear usually likes to. Anyway this was serendipitous and inspiring to watch today, and the reminder I needed, as we all do in life to keep going, and only compare ourselves to who we were yesterday. We are all 'teachers' in that way, if we share things with love and compassion, including love for ourselves and who we choose to be in any moment. I believe the word you were looking for is that people can be 'unconscious'! (Eckhart Tolle). So thank you for being such a wonderful beacon of light in the universe and for being true to yourself and for sharing your gifts ❤ my favourite quote: The beginning is always today. -N
Debussy: "I love music passionately. And because I love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth, an open-air art boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art." -Debussy
Gracias por tu transparencia y ayuda al compartir tus experiencias y desafíos. Siento que obtener un equilibrio y balance en la vida es lo más importante de lograr pero lo más difícil!, tus videos me han motivado y ayudado mucho como pianista y ser humano.
Your comment regarding finding a new teacher if you're in a rut really resonated with my daughter. We had her piano teacher the first 5 years of her piano playing and she was a wonderful teacher, but as my daughter entered her teenage years, she started to have a clear vision and goal of what she wanted from her piano playing. The teacher had a different goal and path, the path that she went down. My daughter expressed her piano desires to her teacher, but the teacher blew her off repeatedly and piano lessons started to become dreaded and drudgery. We love this teacher, and she had become a dear friend to us so it was hard to find a new teacher and end lessons with her. We had to take a full year off of lessons because we were afraid of hurting her feelings that we needed to find another teacher. We ended up losing a full year of lessons and we never told her we went to another teacher. Anyways, my daughter was training classically, but realized she wants to focus on improvisation and theory in order to develop her church playing. In church, hymns are randomly called out to play for the congregation, sometimes she shows up to church and the regular pianist has suddenly come down sick and she needs to fill in on the spot without any practice before hand. Hymns need improvised off the satb hymnal, especially if she has to play offering. She does not have the memory capacity to memorize over 700 hymns in the hymnal that could possibly be requested and sometimes the song leader doesn't get the songs to her until the night before. As you can see, improvisation is vital in this type of setting. She found a teacher that worked with her on that stuff and was very aware of it but over the year we were with him, he once again started loading her down with classical pieces and she started having no time for the hymnal and theory work during lesson time and was dreading lessons. She is 17 now and has been out of lessons for 6 months and I was able to find a couple of at home DVD teaching improvisation and she is going through that. There is a huge hole in this style of teaching, if someone could focus on that if would fill a huge void.
I really wish i had kept taking piano lessons! I stopped 12 years ago and am sorry I did. Not i can't play anything I learned. Would love to have you as a teacher, but I think its too late!
A Trial in my musical life: Back when I was really young, when I was brought to the president of a major record label for a meeting for a possible record deal per the president’s request because of having heard my work, he took one look at me, then said right to my face about my race and said because of my race, there is nothing they could do with me. And that was it. He sent me away. I am not sure how I really dealt with it at the time.. I think I blocked it out because it was very hurtful. I should had just held a meeting over the phone instead. 🤣: Just kidding. But, I think because I was raised well enough to be grounded, I didn’t let it make me fall apart… I knew for sure life is bigger than a record deal. I came to remember one other incident from the past: I was going to an audio engineering school. There were people of all races from all over the world to study there…. As time went on, one of my classmates came to talk to me and said: thank you for looking at me like a human being. I didn’t understand what he was talking about.. then I realized what he meant: I was a fresh breath of air to him because it was unusual to him to be treated like he should have been treated - a human being. I treated everyone the same, so it didn’t occur to me that it made a big difference to him. I came to really appreciate what he had expressed as I got older. Reflecting on these 2 events together over the years has somewhat helped me remind myself : whatever hurtful things I have suffered, someone else might have had it worse, and if I could get past this, I can be stronger. I may not ever recover from this and other hurtful things I have experienced in my life, but, I could redirect it into my art instead of anger or hate. And, many many years later, I am still standing. 😎 And, life has been kind to me. I am surrounded by friends and family who care for me. I am grateful. Dr. Josh, Thank you for being open to share these really vulnerable things with us. Some of what you had shared really sounded shocking.. Where do these people come from?!?! 😳😱
My cycling coach said to me - never compare yourself with anybody but with you in the past. Track your progress, never look at the charts, best results etc. Be yourself and enjoy your journey. The same applies to music journey.
Well stated ! The journey is the most valuable experiences one can have !!!
He was correct and he is very rare for a coach. Most never recognize the importance of the gifts you were born with. Without those gifts all the training in the world isn't going to get you a spot in the Tour de France.
Thank you for reminding us that we can't be all things to all people. I guess what impressed me most as a returning piano student who is 81 years old and struggling to return to the ability that I had 50 years ago was, that our words, no matter how carefully we chose them, hit some in an unintended way and can really daunt those people.
Thank you for this. I’ve found that I am at my most miserable in my music journey when I compare my progress to other late starters my age. I love talking about music and piano with people- but sometimes it just gets to be too much and I start overthinking and feeling bad about what I cannot do. When I retreat a bit and remember how honored I am to be able to play the things that I can, I fall in love with the process again. It’s a roller coaster ride, and I’m learning to be a little more protective of my own journey. Your channel and videos like this have been infinitely helpful. ~Elizabeth 😊
Thank you Hazel!
So helpful!!! So lovely for you to reach out to us on this way. The timing was perfect because I'm the only adult student of a concert pianist. Little 8 year olds perform above my level and I've been feeling a bit discouraged by my slow progress and poor sight reading skills. I like and appreciate your very grounded honest and caring approach. I gave purchased a few of your tutorials...I need to complete them!😊😊
Thankyou Josh. You are the Best on line resource I've come across!
That is a self-aware analysis. Self-awareness is not present in many people, even if they think so. But it can also be learned. The idea is that there should be nothing that creates disturbance in one's own self and one's life to be joyful. Serious music playing leads into that direction -- when the ego is just transcended again and again.
Well said, Roland!
I think you are Superman. And obviously also a great pianist and a brilliant teacher. I'm an adult, married man, with many years of professional piano practice, but _when I grow up_ I want to be just like you! 😅
Josh, I'm a teacher like you. I've been teaching Spanish for over 20 years and, like you, I've come across the most hilarious situations. I've had students coming to me asking for Spanish lessons “with no grammar whatsoever”. I’ve had students who didn't want their pronunciation corrected, and a few who thought that just paying for the lesson was enough to do the learning.
Having said that, the majority of my students have been amazing, and I always say that I've learned more from them but they have learned from me. Teaching others is a great honour.
I detest people who snipe about appearance. Never could stand shallowness.
Great video Josh, and I like them all.
Thank you!
Too many people ever since the "self help" explosion of the 1980s and 1990s seem to enjoy "diagnosing" others. Without needing a therapist or diagnosis, read a little to get perspective:
1. Somewhere there is the very best possible pianist in all the world.
2. Somewhere there is the very worst possible pianist in all the world.
3. All the rest of us fall in between the two.
What a comfort! I am neither the very best, nor the very worst! I have no "Title" to defend, and I am also not devoid of ability and POTENTIAL.😊
Well said!
@@joshwrightpiano Thank you, Dr. Wright! I hope you, Dr. Lindsey, and your dear children are doing well. 😊
This really hits home as a beginner pianist. Sometimes I get discouraged comparing myself to others, but you're right - I need to focus on my own progress. Thanks for the reminder to enjoy the journey!
You are such a gentle and kind teacher, thank you for your insights and effort you have been putting all your lessons...
I appreciate your support
You're going to be 37. I'm a little over twice your age. And, Josh, the struggle to balance between the possible and the real never stops, and the temptation to leap into elation or fall into despair is always there. Life is hard. Life is beautiful. And, as my father used to say, it sure beats the alternative.
Grounded-ness coupled with a sense of humor will get you a long way...as you clearly know. Your willingness to share your thoughts is a gift to everyone watching. Keep going, keep growing. You're doing a wonderful job. Also as a teacher... ;-) and performer, and doubtless in many other areas. Bravo!
How frustrating when people ask questions without watching the entire video or reading your notes in the description. You nailed it ... there's no way to win trying to be all things to all people. If you are competing with anyone other than yourself, it just won't work. The only thing you can hope to be (or insure to be with practice) is to be better than the pianist you were yesterday. My husband stunned me with a S&S CG upon our retirement and move to our vacation home. New friends would see that piano and assume things. I am not trained, sadly. However, I have spent a life playing stagnantly, but the last 5 years (since that piano) with lessons wherever I could find them. Unlocking theory and really working to perfect my craft. The great pianists are inspirational! I know I will never be that ... but isn't it fun to try? Find the joy and you'll be a winner! Thank you for your expertise and your time making these videos!!
Thank you for your support and kindness
This is so helpful. When I first started teaching I took everything personally. If a student wasn't practicing and progressing I felt it was my fault and I wasn't being a 'good enough' piano teacher. But sometimes students are just in lessons because their parents put them in it, or piano isn't their thing anymore. And that is ok, there is nothing wrong with them, and also with me as well. As long as I do the best I can by my students, that is enough. :)
Josh, you are an amazing teacher and a pianist. That’s all I can say. I wish I had access to great teachers like yourself to learn in person. :)
Thank you
you are such a gentle teacher, thank you for your insights and kindness.
Thank you!
Learning a lot. I wish I could have been listening more. Chopin's Nocturne in E flat major is my favorite and still Learning it.
This video has such a powerful message! One that is not solely applied to piano playing at all! I truly appreciate how humble you are - to me that is THE MOST admirable trait on a person. Lucky are those who get to have classes with such an amazing professor inside and outside classes. Sending warm regards from Brazil !! Cheers 🙂
Josh, I follow you for Years.... I remember You called " the Beast" about Chopin 2 opus 10... You are very good person , love your way
I've commented previously - I really appreciate your humility and insight. One thing I think about is my desire (it might be called) to learn pieces that are calming and in a sense like medication. So pieces that are fast and intense do not appeal to me. Feel a little guilty sometimes but your advice here helps. My teacher is patient and has temporarily banned me from nocturnes or moody pieces and fortunately, the few students I have are beginners so not a problem. Thank you again, Josh.
Thanks. Good luck in your studies!
Josh, I listened to one of your vids from about 18 months ago where you recommended the Faber Adult Adventures method books 1 & 2 and a good teacher. I followed your advice and can now play Pachibel Canon. Not great… but my wife likes it. I met with a lot of frustration along the way, but I just pushed through. I’m now taking up lead sheets and more popular music as I am retired and don’t see myself laboring through classical music. Thanks for the direction.
Hi Josh,
Just wanted to say that I am proud of you and you are so loved❤
Thank you so much
I remember as a girl I always felt "less than" in my piano playing. I never got to be "last" with the most difficult song in a recital. Maybe I actually did but don't remember those??? As I look back at the expansive library of repertoire I had back then, I'm in awe of that self-conscious girl, who never saw who she was. At some point life interfered with piano studies as I majored and worked in health sciences and played for fun. I've never gotten back to that level of excellence in that repertoire, but I've had a GREAT time in life playing piano and organ in church and for singers and events. I've worked hard on very difficult accompaniments never feeling like they were perfect - but I just love playing and know that is worth a lot. I also had the opportunity to become a harpist, which I absolutely love! In my later 40's I was able to study music at our local community college and finish that associate program. I was SO thankful to have such an opportunity. At times I'm tempted to compare my limited knowledge and experience with others like Josh and Lindsey, but when I shift to the great gratitude I have, and focus on my purpose in life to share music and joy and peace thru music and other ways, I have exactly what I need and God has put so many great and inspiring people in my life that I know I'm where I should be and where I should be going. God is Good! I am so blessed. (I'm very thankful). May all of you find joy in the journey.
I'm about 50 years on from you so I have experienced the folly of success and failure many times. I have been playing piano for about 80 years. I started as theoretical physicist but moved to industrial R&D. When I was teaching I used to run a problem class where I made up things on the spot to discuss or solve. In some cases I got stuck myself and found this was a great help to the students - if I could mess up so could they. I am still aspiring to play as well as you.
Thank you for your kindness Robert!
Great advice Josh, I’m currently finishing up my degree in piano and I also teach. I’m trying to be very aware of each student’s needs and I know that I have to adapt to each one of them, and it does feel like you have an obligation to be very cautious with what you say and do during the lesson’s! Luckily, I understand that you usually need to have someone that pushes you to be your best. I’m very grateful to have a good teacher who pushes me to be my best self!
Thanks Beau!
Thanks a lot for these videos where you open up about mental states and how to deal with judgements, insecurities etc! They are very interesting and helpful.
I'm a violin/composition student from germany and this balancing act of not puffing up but also not falling into despair is really difficult for me. This is related to the immaterial aspect of what we're doing, I think. Especially after taking a longer break of a couple of weeks it can be difficult to feel confidence in your own abilities again. It's really crazy just how patient and virtuos (in the sense of mastering every aspect of your life, really) you have to be in music to get somewhere where you want to be. But some of these experiences you make can just make up for all of that and lead to a really fulfilling and interesting life. That's the main reason why I still pursue music as a career, even though there were countless times where quitting crossed my mind. Right now I'm listening to "shaolin spirit", a book about the shaolin monks and their philosophical ideas. Some of the concepts from that book apply really well to our lives (as humans and as musicians) like for example questioning where our beliefs come from, analyzing past events and trying to really understand who you are in order to lead a more harmonious life and discover potential. It's also about what you said - being very grounded in your values, daily actions and in the physical body. Of course there are limits to it but I think it could actually be interesting to some people pursuing music.
Anyway, thanks again for your work and continued success!
Thank you for these great and insightful thoughts!
Piano these days can be rough I think lots of people try to project their shortcomings that’s what makes it hard. Sometimes even your own parents “piano won’t pay the bills so why do you even do it”. Sometimes even your own ‘friends’ will project. Not only that but people here just all wanna smoke and do drugs and chase these materialistic things to the point where doing something they could really enjoy doing is just out of reach for them and when they see someone chasing their passion, all they know is to project. To top it off, piano can be a very lonely thing to go after. Where I’m at, there’s not many people that even play. Cheers to you Josh for getting through all of those hardships. At the end of the day, there will be people that support you.
not a classic piano advice/tutorial/breakdown video but still appreciate the advice on the general topic of improvement, thanks for the vid
Thank you for this. Great channel. I tallied up my actual instruction time, my actual practice time. 553 hours. To be proficient I've read it takes 10,000 hours. This brought me much peace. My very next lesson with my instructor, it was if I lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I could bask in what I've accomplished and truly have fun being a Rookie. I realized I'll pay my dues just like you did, and everyone does. Also, Czerny and Hanon were game changers as I had no real security and definition in my hands. One month into Hanon/Czerny technical practices has GREATLY built my confidence. Also, A Soprano on Her Head by Eloise Ristad was also given to me by my instructor. These three items should always be given to an adult student. Thank you Josh, we are so blessed to have you on TH-cam.
Truth! You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. John Lydgate. Great video, as always Josh!!
Great quote! Thank you
I only perform music I compose, therefor the music has a great meaning behind it, whether sorrow or joy, I play the emotion. So most music teachers hate my music, had to separate myself from them to continue. I have a small audience and certainly don't make a living from it, but at least I have shared some joy with others and made that incredible connection with the audience when my piano is crying so are they.
Great thoughts!
I love stoicism, too.
I've been playing and singing since childhood.
Lots of awards, accolades, opportunities.
I'm also an artist, mixed media.
I am a piano and voice teacher by trade. I am not a competitive teacher. I teach it for the heart and as an academic subject.
I stopped my performance major (vocal & theater) because of the "commodification factor" in the arts. So much snobbery. I still get sized up all the time when I say I teach. Where did you study? With whom? I was told as an early teacher at a Suzuki 1a camp by another teacher, "you shouldn't even be here without a Master's degree in pedagogy " Etc...
I have a MME (Master's of Music Education).
Yawn.
I am always willing to learn- to grow. I want to be the best I can. But, I am a bit discouraged by all the ego. Then again, I'm one of those super-sensitive artistic types. I am working on the balance.
You are so right about the students- everyone is completely different. And, not all of them want to play classical. Thank you for this encouragement with difficult people. I don't want to be one of them.
When asked to play, I always say "why do you want hear me play when you have access to people that does it far better than me ?".
I'm 7 years in and I don't realize what I can do so far, because I'm always working on difficult pieces for my skill level and I rarely play something I'm comfortable with.
So others can see my progress but I have this tendency to judge me really harshly that once I wondered if my teacher wasn't lying to me when he told me I was doing good.
I wish I would have heard this as a teenager. I really struggled with comparison and didn’t perform well at piano competitions.
I decided to study accounting, got a degree, but came back to studying piano simply because I loved making music.
Thank you for sharing such great content on TH-cam!
I am so grateful found you on TH-cam. Been helped lot by your teaching
Thank you Carolyn!
Thank you. This is probably the best life advice anyone will ever need to have a good life. It helped me a great deal...even if it comes late in life.
Thank you for your kindness!
Thanks for the video Josh, it's great to see you always bringing us value through the years!
I appreciate your support
The idea that the goal is more important than the journey has caused a lot of problems for people.
Thanks for the video. Like you, I can't believe that people would be critical of your instructional videos because of your appearance. That seems so shallow. I am a beginner-intermediate piano student of 71 who is studying not because I wish to concertize or pass exams, but just for the pure joy of making music. Although some of your videos are above my level, I have found that a few that deal with specific pieces I am studying (e.g. simpler Chopin preludes) to be interesting and helpful. Keep up the good work.
Such a wonderful post! I’ve only recently found your channel, and I’m so glad I did. ❤
Thank you!
Brilliant advices! You are a great teacher and performer. It is very good to hear your advises in such a delicate matters as people criticism sometimes distract us from our purpose. Thank you so much Josh!
Thanks, Josh. The mental aspect actually drives everything else so I appreciate these videos.
Thank you Mike!
Thank you for this video! Sometimes I think that university settings will create this kind of environment that encourages trying to be like someone else rather than discovering the best version of yourself as a musician. Can be very hard to regulate these areas of you are going in from an environment that did not prepare you to have healthy boundaries and habits. Good to talk about it so others can hear that message and develop healthy musicianship practices in the middle of it.
Thank you!
In general there are good & bad days, could be sharp one day or unleveled the next day when practicing piano. I’d say if your struggling at piano because of lacking motivation, maybe play another song that was completed, or listen to recordings of other songs you’ve already played on piano.
Well said Josh… this would apply to all walks of life.
This is an excellent video, Josh. Your intersection and insights are applicable not only to the domain of piano but are universal. Thank you.
Thank you Ezra!
Really good ideas here. I started as an adult and could not imagine staying focused if I watched videos of 12 year old prodigies constantly.
I actually was caught off guard as an adult getting critiques on a weekly basis, but as you say the teacher is only trying to help. I’ve actually noticed in my professional life I’ve started taking constructive criticism better as a result of lessons. Taking criticism is such an important skill that i truly think adults to not practice enough.
Josh, I will try to keep this short. I subscribed years ago as an adult trying to learn piano, something I always wanted to do. Then life got in the way... last weekend I moved my piano to a more prominent place in my house to begin again. I was washing dishes and scrolling to watch a video and I (sorry!) have not watched your channel for years but was drawn to watch this one video randomly. I am working on some new (unmusical) ventures now and I know the 'negatives' you describe are a daunting part of trying to create something new, and perhaps also what might hold us back; as fear usually likes to. Anyway this was serendipitous and inspiring to watch today, and the reminder I needed, as we all do in life to keep going, and only compare ourselves to who we were yesterday. We are all 'teachers' in that way, if we share things with love and compassion, including love for ourselves and who we choose to be in any moment. I believe the word you were looking for is that people can be 'unconscious'! (Eckhart Tolle). So thank you for being such a wonderful beacon of light in the universe and for being true to yourself and for sharing your gifts ❤ my favourite quote: The beginning is always today. -N
Thank you so much for your kindness. I wish you all the best in your musical journey!
Thank you for this ❤
Beautifully said, Josh.
Thank you for your candid thoughts 🙏
I appreciate your support
Thanks Josh….i really needed to see/hear this.
Amazing video as always. Thanks Josh
Thank you!
Thank you 🙏🏽 I needed to hear this today❤️
Brilliant video full of useful insights for music and life, thanks so much Josh!
Thank you!
Debussy:
"I love music passionately. And because I love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth, an open-air art boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art."
-Debussy
And yet he joined the academia of the Conservatoire! He did not throw over the conventions there, as he knew which side his croissant was buttered on.
Thanks for sharing!
@@joshwrightpiano
Your thoughtful approach to technical issues is always valued. Thanks for the wonderful music.
Sooo gooood to listen to this. Thank you.
Gracias por tu transparencia y ayuda al compartir tus experiencias y desafíos. Siento que obtener un equilibrio y balance en la vida es lo más importante de lograr pero lo más difícil!, tus videos me han motivado y ayudado mucho como pianista y ser humano.
Many thanks brother Josh,
Sam 🎵♥️
Thanks for your ongoing support Sam!
Your comment regarding finding a new teacher if you're in a rut really resonated with my daughter. We had her piano teacher the first 5 years of her piano playing and she was a wonderful teacher, but as my daughter entered her teenage years, she started to have a clear vision and goal of what she wanted from her piano playing. The teacher had a different goal and path, the path that she went down. My daughter expressed her piano desires to her teacher, but the teacher blew her off repeatedly and piano lessons started to become dreaded and drudgery. We love this teacher, and she had become a dear friend to us so it was hard to find a new teacher and end lessons with her. We had to take a full year off of lessons because we were afraid of hurting her feelings that we needed to find another teacher. We ended up losing a full year of lessons and we never told her we went to another teacher. Anyways, my daughter was training classically, but realized she wants to focus on improvisation and theory in order to develop her church playing. In church, hymns are randomly called out to play for the congregation, sometimes she shows up to church and the regular pianist has suddenly come down sick and she needs to fill in on the spot without any practice before hand. Hymns need improvised off the satb hymnal, especially if she has to play offering. She does not have the memory capacity to memorize over 700 hymns in the hymnal that could possibly be requested and sometimes the song leader doesn't get the songs to her until the night before. As you can see, improvisation is vital in this type of setting. She found a teacher that worked with her on that stuff and was very aware of it but over the year we were with him, he once again started loading her down with classical pieces and she started having no time for the hymnal and theory work during lesson time and was dreading lessons. She is 17 now and has been out of lessons for 6 months and I was able to find a couple of at home DVD teaching improvisation and she is going through that. There is a huge hole in this style of teaching, if someone could focus on that if would fill a huge void.
Thanks for sharing. There are teachers out there that could help her with what she wants to work on - don’t give up the search!
I really wish i had kept taking piano lessons! I stopped 12 years ago and am sorry I did. Not i can't play anything I learned. Would love to have you as a teacher, but I think its too late!
It's never too late! I hope you find your way back to piano someday.
Vielen lieben Dank für ihre Mühe, sie sind sehr nett 👍
Thank you!
Dankeschön 🙏
Thank you for this 😭
You’re welcome 😊
Love your style
Thank you Butch
It really sucks not being accepted to Curtis Institute of Music. Lang Lang and Yuha Wang got accepted and I didn't? I suppose Julliard will do. 😅
A Trial in my musical life:
Back when I was really young, when I was brought to the president of a major record label for a meeting for a possible record deal per the president’s request because of having heard my work, he took one look at me, then said right to my face about my race and said because of my race, there is nothing they could do with me.
And that was it. He sent me away.
I am not sure how I really dealt with it at the time.. I think I blocked it out because it was very hurtful.
I should had just held a meeting over the phone instead. 🤣: Just kidding.
But, I think because I was raised well enough to be grounded, I didn’t let it make me fall apart… I knew for sure life is bigger than a record deal.
I came to remember one other incident from the past:
I was going to an audio engineering school. There were people of all races from all over the world to study there…. As time went on, one of my classmates came to talk to me and said: thank you for looking at me like a human being.
I didn’t understand what he was talking about.. then I realized what he meant: I was a fresh breath of air to him because it was unusual to him to be treated like he should have been treated - a human being.
I treated everyone the same, so it didn’t occur to me that it made a big difference to him. I came to really appreciate what he had expressed as I got older.
Reflecting on these 2 events together over the years has somewhat helped me remind myself : whatever hurtful things I have suffered, someone else might have had it worse, and if I could get past this, I can be stronger.
I may not ever recover from this and other hurtful things I have experienced in my life, but, I could redirect it into my art instead of anger or hate.
And, many many years later, I am still standing. 😎
And, life has been kind to me. I am surrounded by friends and family who care for me.
I am grateful.
Dr. Josh,
Thank you for being open to share these really vulnerable things with us. Some of what you had shared really sounded shocking..
Where do these people come from?!?!
😳😱
Thank you so much for sharing, and I’m so sorry you went through that!
@@joshwrightpiano Thank you, Dr. Josh, for this platform for me to share this in this way. It gave me the courage.
Everyone needs to learn early on that there’s always someone better…
My father used to say that all my growing life ❤
Hey Josh did you go to school in Clearwater Florida?
PLEAC I NEAD HELP school is starting i nead a 6 hurs piano program school start 7 and finish 3 plaece sameone answe
Hi Josh
I am from Mexico. How can I get in contact to have piano lessons with you? Is that possible ?
Thanks
He has a website in the links
Feel free to email me
👍❤❤❤