Yah, well im tryin to decide what to do next with music. Firstly, my practice time on piano has seriously diminished over the last year, im not as easily motivated, dunno is it stress from exams or what and im not really getting much done. I dont think ive progressed much this year in comparison to other years. Also, I did do the grades kinda quickly and I only had a keyboard at the time (got a real piano after grade 8). Its been almost 2 years since i did grade 8 but it seems to take ages to learn pieces and I can never play them as I want to play them and its getting increasingly frustrating. I also think I picked up some nasty habits after rushing the grades a few years back. I also know that people think im a bit over ambitious with piano. So heres the question. What do people think I should do, go back and work through all the grades again, and be extremely careful with it, or just get on with diploma's and stuff?

Sometimes it can be good to take a little step back. Especially when you have progressed very fast. It seems to me that the brains sometimes can be saturated with information and just can't take any more. You need to go back a little in order to be able to absorb more information, and improve. Good Luck!

I would like to know a bit more about you before giving any advice.

Why do you play music?
Do you enjoy listening to other people performing? if so, who?
What sort of music do you like? Have you favourite composers?
Have you ever played the piano in chamber music or as an accompanist to a soloist? Have you ever played any other instrument?
Do you sing?

I would also add to the questions- do you have a teacher and how long have you been with that teacher?

Music is my life and I really dont know what i would do if I didnt have music. In my spare time, If im not playin it im usually reading about it or listening to it, I do alot of that over the internet. As I said I have been quite unmotivated and discouraged lately. Ive always known that I wanted to have music as a career in some way but some people find that kinda hard to believe since I started late (had a few months of lessons at age 7, had to stop for reasons beyond my control, couldnt start again till age 13). Im not sure what to say really, I get alot of enjoyment out of it, I like being able to express myself through music.

I love listening to other people perform. I dont get to go to concerts that often though ( only 3 this year.2 string quartets and an orchestra), but If i could go more often I would. Im currently tryin to convince people to come see a concert pianist with me later in the month.

Its mainly classical music I listen to now, and a little bit of jazz and other stuff. I dont really have one composer whom I like more than others. I like alot of composers for various different reasons and It would be kinda hard to narrow it down to just one. Among those are bach,scarlatti, chopin, debussy, ravel, rachmaninoff, mozart, beethoven, alkan, liszt, wieniawski, sarasate...

I dont have a teacher at the moment (nothing I can do about that), I dont have that many musician contacts, and Im the only person in my family whos into classical music or playing instruments so I rarely have the opportunity to play with other musicians. Cant go to uni so I wont be able to do anything like that that way.

I play a bit of violin (have a friend helpin me out with this) but i havnt been playing that long. I used to like singing as a kid and was in the school choir but havnt done much besides that.

Hello, I'm feeling the same way! I've just done the DipABRSM. It seems that our music lives have revolved around getting to the next grade, and speaking for myself I often think the music itself gets lost in all the technicalities. I've decided to take a different musical tack and start singing - I have had some really moving experiences singing - far more than the piano, and also doing some improvising on the piano. I've started to have some fun just making stuff up - which was never mentioned during my own lessons. So I guess my suggestion is why not try doing something different with your music and getting away from the exams.... If you've got technical problems do you need exams to get over them - or can you just work on them yourself? I was also thinking of ringing some local teachers and asking if they have any students who'd be interested in getting together to make music - far more fun than doing it on my own! Good luck.

The musical isolation you describe is a problem in itself, and I am not surprised that your enthusiasm for playing should have diminished in these circumstances. I see from your time zone (unless the Forum clock is wrong again ) that you are not in the UK. Are you in the European Union? If so, you have right of entry to the UK, where you could meet lots of other people who share your interests. I think you need to plan your music as part of your overall plans for the next few years; in modern times, trying to plan more than a decade ahead is likely to be pointless, because the job market changes on that sort of time scale. You say that you can't go to university. Is that because you don't have the academic qualifications for entry or some other reason?

Performance is not the only possibility for a pianist. Pianists with a complete technique and excellent aural skills can become repetiteurs in an opera house, and for some this is a route into conducting. Both these careers are for the minority, however, who are likely to have shown themselves to be exceptionally talented (which you don't claim) by your age.

I am in the european union. I cant go to university because my exam results, even after resitting, are not enough to gain entry to any college I know of, and partly because of finances (if i ended up havin to go away from home). Ive also been turned down by most places ive applied to.
I dont have a teacher because I havnt yet found one who will teach students who have already sat grade 8 and those who do are in colleges who wont unless youre doing their degree, and also because of finances. Will hopefully apply for next year if I find some place to go, should hopefully be able to by then.
Ive tried teaching but 3 of the 4 students ive taught gave up within 3 months. Is it like this for everyone in the beginning? I would consider ctabrsm at some stage but it will be a few years before could do that.

I get the impression that you could usefully get a wider view of music. What exam subjects did you take?

Three possibilities, not mutually exclusive:

1) Learn another instrument. Pianists who want to play in orchestras often learn percussion. Pianists who want to become accompanists learn an instrument or instruments that they are likely to accompany. E.g. my wife plays flute (diploma) and viola (modest amateur standard, no exams); Ian Brown, accompanist and founder member of the Nash Ensemble, played trumpet, bassoon and 'cello to c. G8 or better when he was still in his teens.

2) Save up for a week at a summer school, either as a piano soloist or as an accompanist. You will meet other musicians, learn from a tutor with professional performing skills and be able to put your own abilities in context.

3) Try to find another musician (singer or instrumentalist, including piano) with similar ability and ambitions, and form a duo; if you fit together well, look for performing gigs. Weddings can be lucrative.

Lots of musicians get some other job but continue working towards a career in music. Some of them achieve their ambition; others, to their surprise, find the non-musical job interesting and remain keen musical amateurs.

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I could continue working at violin and see if I could join a local orchestra at some point in the future. I only know of two youth orchestras a friend was in, and im slightly too old to join (under 18's I think). If I was to take up a third instrument it would probably be flute. I could also look into summer schools.

I don't know the scene near you, but in the UK, there are amateur orchestras with a large range of standards, rather few of them as good as the best county youth orchestras (because the latter still have the potential professional players). Some of these are for absolute beginners. If there isn't one near you, you might try to find out whether there are enough keen amateurs within convenient travelling distance to support a new start-up. If Ireland is anything like the UK, lots of people will offer to conduct, but most will be inadequate.

As for what can constitute an orchestra, strings alone (ideally in the proportions 8 Vn 1, 7 Vn 2, 6 Va, 4 Vc, 3 Cb) have a good repertoire, albeit not very large since the Baroque period. The minimum Classical orchestra is two oboes, two horns and strings, and if you can add two bassoons to that there is quite a lot of early classical music, mostly symphonies, to play. Next you can add one or two flutes, then two clarinets. Trumpets and timps can be added to all but the first of these configurations. A few Classical works need four horns, and Beethoven added various extras in his symphonies, like trombones, piccolo and contra-bassoon.

If you have a marginal technique, but want to get into an orchestra, violin is a much better bet than flute, and viola and double bass even better. Orchestras need more than twice as many violins as anything else, and few amateur orchestras have enough violas and double basses. In the UK, flute players (even very good ones) wait for someone to die or leave the area to get a seat in a reasonably competent amateur orchestra.

For information concerning musical opportunities for beginners, see COMA and DA CAPO.

After I had logged out of here, I looked at the COMA site, and discovered that they are aiming to start up in Ireland, but have yet to appoint a musical director. However, if you send tham an email expressing interest, they may be encouraged to move more quickly. I don't know how Dublin-centred Irish music is, but I expect that's where COMA will be located, unless there is a concentration of interest somewhere else.

Thanks kenm and all.
Will look into that....

Chopet, have you considered looking up regional music festivals and taking part?
I've found that this year without any exams my motivation was a bit low, so took part in the North London festival. Low key, good atmosphere, but most importantly the opportunity to play in front of people - you'd also meet some like minded people! The local festivals shouldn't be prohibitively expensive either.

thanks,
looking into it....