Needless modesty

By Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene (get free updates of new posts here)​​​​​​

I've heard you practice on the organ the other day.

The first run-through was quite shaky, it seemed you barely remember the music on the page. You stopped a lot.

The second time you played it, it was already stronger, though very slow.

During the third time I went away from the instrument for a while doing my business. It means I could concentrate on other things besides the mistakes you made in your piece.

The fourth time almost sounded like a slow nice concert performance. I came up to you and suggested to articulate more.

The last time was significantly better already and I said I believe you might be able to make it in time for the first run-through of the recital in about 6 weeks where you could make mistakes but will not be allowed to stop and you'll have to keep a steady concert tempo.

You played this piece just 5 times today and it already made a huge difference.

Oh, and by the way, it took you no more than 15 minutes. Seriously.

Imagine you did the same the next day and the next until we met again in a week.

Would that make a noticeable improvement in your playing?

You said, it would, of course.

​How would you feel to be able to play this piece in public quite comfortably and perhaps even without stress in about 11 weeks from today?

You hesitated and said perhaps playing this piece in public is not for you.

​This is needless modesty.

For two years in a row you played some simple pieces but not at the level of public performance. But this year it's different.

​It's time.