Beethoven's World of Fantasy

I'm now studying page two of Moonlight Sonata or Sonata quasi una Fantasia.

Learning this piece is like reading one of those novels about some fantasy world with some enchanted forrest full of mysteries and rare beauty. Like a Lord of the Rings or Pan's Labirynth. I just don't get how a music composer can be that powerful, that genius, that gifted, with just one instrument.

I'm amazed... Thank you, Beethoven, for introducing me to a world I just barely appreciated as a listener before. Now that my fingers walk thru this enchanted path of magical notes, I see a world I just didn't know before.

I must admit that as I write these words, it's hard for my heart to hold back so much emotion with tears of awe and appreciation.

Thank you, Beethoven. Thank you, Michel (my coach). Thank you, God, the Tao and the Universe for this gift.


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Moonlight Sonata Page 1 with Accents! Wooohoo!

Woohoo! Page one completed with accents! I still have more work to do (of course) but feeling good with this for tonight. Sweet Beethoven dreams :)

Practicing Sonata quasi una Fantasia

Completed page 1. I'm still getting comfortable with the last part at the end, hence I'm not keeping up with the rhythms. My piano coach, Michel, wants me to start working on the accent notations of the music this week, which will add more character and emotion to the piece. Love it :) *sigh*

Learning The R in Spanish

Trabalenguas or Tongue Twister
R con R, cigarro.
R con R, barril.
Rápido corren los carros cargados de azúcar al ferrocarril.

As I was looking it up online to confirm the spelling, I found this other one to practice the single R. Talk about tongue-twisting!

Tres tristes tigres trigaban trigo en un trigal.
Un tigre, dos tigres, tres tigres trigaban en un trigal.
¿Cuál de los tres trigaba más? Los tres tristes tigres trigaban igual.

Also found this youtube video:

It's a little long and the lady talks funny. But the part where she teaches you the R I think is helpful. She uses the word "butter" for imitating the single R sound and "put it on" (slurred fast) to do the double R sound.

An Artist's Thoughts

All I know is that Beethoven was genius. And he felt sucky sucky a lot too. Learning moonlight sonata is quite a journey into a fellow ocd'er who makes me realize our "quirks" do make us artists.

Playing the piano and sketching...heck, even coding when I enjoy the app I'm working on, are all activities where the ocd in me is what makes me excel in that activity. It's just that society's standards (especially corporate culture) don't align with that unique personality of mine.

So as I find my true identity in this journey and learn to accept it and embrace it I am challenged with another journey to create an environment where my soul can survive.

...

All passions require work. We're all born with certain inclinations that make us work a little less at first (my sketching). Those inclinations may be called "talents" but in escence all talents must be developed, worked on. Some learned from scratch when lacking the genetic inclinations (like I did with singing and I'm doing with the piano).

So it's up to you, your passion, your discipline, your hard work, how talented you are and will become.

If you're questioning your passion for something, your discipline in it, your willingness to work on it, develop it, then, yes, you must question the future of your talent, whatever talent it is.

Creativity is built, like all muscles, like all qualities, like all talents.

Our artistic capacity is infinite as there are plenty of brain neurons to use. Your capacity for greatness lies on your passion, dedication, persistence, hard work.

...

When you're just embarking in a new journey. You'll have learning and growing to do. Be patient with yourself. Acknowledge and embrace the level you're at. Otherwise you'll be frustrated which will lead you to giving up more easily and quickly.

If I thought of myself as a talented pianist, I would surely have given up after a few minutes of practice. I'm having fun with it, learning it, becoming better. That's how I'm sticking to it and getting better. If I just focused on the destination and the long way I have to get to it. I would have quit by now.

Be humble. And you'll be happier.

Ps. I don't think a psychopath would be a better artist than a human with a full array of emotions, especially one who's experienced depression.