Week 5: 10/6/11 I practiced on the piano for 45 minutes as I waited for my next piano student. I am having a hard time keeping my eyes going to the next line even with my yellow lines indicating where the organ plays. I naturally want to go to the piano lines. I really want to get good at this piece, but I can't imagine trying to keep track of my feet. I'm having a hard time keeping track of my hands.
10/7/11 My daughter Joy filmed me practicing the piece on the piano. Then we went over to the church and she filmed me explaining my limited knowledge about the organ. I do not know much. I only know what I learned from watching the demonstration video. I demonstrated a little about the stops and the pre-set buttons. Joy showed us what the foot pedals sound like. She played chopsticks with the foot pedals. I should have increased the volume. If we can't hear it I will have to record her again, it was too good. Then she recorded me playing the last page of the piece. I do not play it very well on the organ. It is a different beast than the piano. It is making me appreciate how difficult it is to learn new things, which I am sure is the purpose of this exercise. We need to feel some of the struggle that our students are feeling when we introduce a new math concept, or have them write an essay for the first time. Anything new and difficult is a challenge.
