Chris Hardwick

Chris Hardwick Instagram – I got SOOO CLOSE to the end! But there was one spot that I almost always messed up. Somehow, I finally got through it, which surprised me enough that I exclaimed internally “holy shit I did it!” which then prompted me to completely lose my place and forget how my hands work. But this is the journey of learning new skillsets! I think one of the most important things you can conquer is overcoming head chatter. You can possess all of the mechanical skill in the world, but that’s only half the battle. The rest is what’s going on in between your ears. Sometimes it’s helpful, and sometimes it’s Abe Simpson shouting “YER GONNA BLOW IT!” right when you get to the hard part of the routine. I see so many great pianists here on the Instagrams and I always think, “How are they playing that while filming and not messing up?? WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?!” But I’m sure it’s dedication and time spent practicing and trial and error and occasionally swearing at the piano just like the rest of us.
 
One of the many things I love about piano is that it really demands you to be wholly present. It’s REALLLLLY hard to do when you’re not (for me, anyway), especially when you’re learning. I still haven’t mastered not getting super nervous when I’m recording or anyone is watching me play, but it’s all part of the process! A great big fun (and often frustrating) journey. But if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t appreciate those times when we DON’T get in our own way and actually accomplish the thing!
 
PS I like how I still haven’t learned how to frame properly and for most of the video it looks like a sentient nose is playing.
 
TL;DR this piece is “The Wild Horseman” by Robert Schumann | Posted on 19/Feb/2022 23:17:28