Photo: Karl Ferre
"I sometimes think about the way musicians look at the piano and about the relationship we pianists have with our instrument. You open a violinist’s
case and you see pictures of family, friends, loved ones. They cherish their
instrument, polish it, always handle it with care, never leave it just laying somewhere on a desk. Most people and
musicians, even pianists for that matter, see the piano as a tool, nothing more.
Rings from coffee cups, stains on keys, dust, it’s actually a piece of
furniture most of the time. I can’t say how much it drives me crazy to see a
plant or some books on the lid in someone’s living room, once I even saw a huge
bird cage, which made playing fun in a way - but you get my point. Yet one of the
most common problems we encounter in music schools is actually using these
instruments to practice. I organise masterclasses and the most difficult part
of organising a good one is giving the participants the chance to practice on a
good instrument, because many of them do not have such an option at home. But
even piano teachers think you can ruin a piano simply by playing it, so they
keep them locked and they get played a couple of times a year. Ask any piano
tuner what will that do to it. I would like to appeal to everyone who owns one
of these magnificent instruments. Use them, let them be used, teach everyone to
use them for the one purpose they have been created, but, most importantly, teach
them to develop a relationship with each one of them. Students! Closing the lid
after a practice session, even if you are only playing at home, is a sign of
respect towards this marvelous piece of engineering - and the music." (Rok Palčič)
Rok is a Slovenian concert pianist specialising in chamber music. For the past two years he has organised the summer Masterclass, Art-Halieti, for international musicians to study with Kevin Robert Orr (piano, USA) and Koyrun Asatryan (saxophone, Armenia) at the beautiful, seaside enclave of Koper near the Italian border.
Connect with Rok: rok.palcic@ars-haliaeti.si
