Glad to see non-famous musicians being interviewed. These young, brilliant students bring a freshness that is badly needed. Thank you! Really great video.
@@baronvonlichtensteinMartha Argerich, Yuja Wang, Lang Lang, Seong Jin Cho, Yunchan Lim, Dmitri Shishkin, Vikingur Olafsson, the list goes on. What are you on about? We’re talking about classical performance musicians, not pop and rock.
@@BreadBoi-0 Seriously, though. There is nothing more impressive than someone playing a complex piano piece from memory. I'm just saying most modern songwriters don't really know what we're doing. We just figure out how to play what we hear in our heads.
It's only a shame those young, talented musicians in those posh schools are trained to replicate the same old crap that has been done, dissected, put in the ground, reanimated, microwaved and put on display over and over and over for literal hundreds of years... Maybe it's a personal thing, but I'm really not interested in hearing the exact same interpretation of the exact same Chopin etudes for the millionth time. I'd rather listen to an improvised, impromptu... anything really, but classical schools don't put emphasis on creation in their instrumental performance programs. Improv doesn't have to mean jazz, but the world of classical music is too stuck up in the eighteen hundreds to understand that. The talent and love for music these young people have will be used up to produce music everyone's already heard, and can access online for free...
@@Falaxuper Jeez, I think this is just you. Is it really that hard to see that classical music interests them and that they enjoy playing it? They wouldn't have made it to Juilliard without enjoying their craft. The concept that something is uninteresting or 'microwaved' just because it was composed a few decades or centuries ago I think is kind of stupid. Sure, you might just be a jazz person, but I'm sick of young, arrogant people telling everyone how and they are just because they don't like classical music.
@@Falaxuperagree. It only makes the distance between the groups of composers and musicians grow more imo. You will always find that the with ratio of composers and instrumentalists in universities, there are always more instrumentalists than composers.
This was a total blast. I am a piano performance graduate of Eastman and this took me back on a wonderful nostalgic journey! What a privilege to see these brilliant young artists! Thank you Tonebase. Continue to inspire!
Brings back memories of being trapped in those rooms for three years. Honestly, the best time of my life, actually. They haven’t changed as much as I thought. Nice to see everyone using iPads now. I remember those days of lugging around scores, and keeping them in the 4th floor lockers at night. One teacher told me if you don’t enjoy practicing, you should do something else with your life, as we spend 90 percent of our time in the practice room. Wise advice. These students obviously do. ❤❤❤ Proud of my alma mater! The key to playing Petrouchka well is doing exactly what that guy was doing, but even better is playing the piano part in an orchestral performance. Nothing beats hearing everyone right beside you.
If you were there post-renovation, not that much has changed. If you were there pre-renovation, well, more has changed. ipads are common but they're not universal. Did a reading a few weeks ago wit ha Piano Quintet and only the Pianist had an ipad.
@@Aaron-xq6hv one thing that has definitely changed is the faculty. When I was there, most were very old and on their last leg- at least the piano faculty. Now you have people who were my fellow students on the faculty- like Stephen Hough- who graduated with me! Our teachers are all gone now, sadly.
Were I independently wealthy, there wouldn’t be a period in this amount. I loved these spontaneous interviews with extraordinary young pianists. Mahalo!
This is so great. I went to Julliard for a short time back in the 80s. Absurdly stressful, but fond memories. Practice room definitely looks much better.😊
So much insight and often these are the things that never get shared among musicians. Everyone has so many different things approaches. Would love this to become a series.
Thanks for "letting me in" on those behind the scenes practice routines of these super talented pianists. I was surprised how open they are in how they work. Great vid!!!
This is so fun to watch. I'm actually studying in the Juilliard Extension program - where adults make their latent, musical dreams come true. One of the best parts is getting to hear these lil geniuses as I stroll through the halls, as well as going to the in house shows. I also get to to use the practice rooms (for voice)! Picking apart a piece and practicing over until it's living and breathing inside of me is truly a highlight in my life. The first time I went into a practice room and heard the level of skill and talent all around me, it was a little intimidating, but ultimately, being in that kind of environment just pushes you to your highest capacity and dedication. It's never too late!! They have some adults in their 80's getting composition certificates.
Ben has mastered the mix of didactic content with great humor and delightful graphic “ornaments “ This was great for those of us with “Julliard envy”. I learned so much from this. Bravo Ben and thank you!
I basically "lived" on the fourth floor for six years. Still cannot get used to seeing the electronic room reservation system. The whole school looks quite different now based on the videos I've watched.
@@yishihara55527 I think it kind of takes away the fun of roaming around for an empty room…then reserving a room with your winter parka, scores, and coffee….and staying for however long you like.😊
@@Dulce_Domum Oh I remember the roaming around, especially when it was busy. But I never "reserved" a room by placing anything in it. I simply walked in, practiced for however long, and then left. Sometimes this was several times a day between classes. The acoustics are horrible in those rooms, so it was nice to be able to occasional find an unlocked teaching studio on the 5th floor.
@@jeffaldridge4051 Some people might not like this answer, but it's a Tuesday... Although I'm not a "legal" pianist, I was good friends with a handful of the "monster pianists" (as in a few of the top 10 pianists there at the time). They were actually very close and constantly having in-depth conversations about music and the art of the piano. Some of them were even roommates. These people have gone on to have impressive careers playing dream concertos with dream orchestras. I am not sure about the stories that you have heard. I've heard about razor blades being placed between the keys of pianos, but that was probably just a single incident involving a stone-cold psychopath. The main issue has always been the very deep racial divide between the Western students and the Asians, namely the Koreans. They were very clear to show everyone that they were out for blood and that they wanted absolutely nothing to do with us. There was an unofficial policy of apartheid, which extended to not even greeting each other in the halls, ignoring each other in classes, orchestra, chamber music sessions, etc. (yeah...very uncomfortable). I remember one Korean, a girl that I had no previous contact with, who turned to me in solfege class and said, "U ugly." I laughed my ass off AHAHAHAHAHA. What used to make my blood boil is when I'd see one treating their superstar "American-as-apple-pie" teacher like a God. I wanted to scream, "Do you realize that your student treats the rest of us like subhumans in our own country?!" I'd like to think that things have changed in that regard, but I really don't think they have based on what I know. And God forbid if you catch the eye of an "outlier" because if the Asian men there find out, you might be harassed/threatened, especially if the girl is hot (hmmm...wonder why that is...).
Wow. I always forget just how amazing at music people can be. I'm always flabbergasted whenever I hear the detail and sophistication of top tier pianists.
Didn't go to Julliard, but I was a Piano performance major and I can relate to living in the practice room from 10+ hours a day. Dedication to the extreme.
This video made my whole night. Going there has always been a dream, and this is wonderful just to see what it's kind of like. Plus your wit makes it even better. Thanks for doing this!
Something special about practice rooms…for an introvert like myself, they were my safe place (when I wasn’t pulling my hair out over whatever piece I was practicing anyway😅).
Wonderful video! It's really fascinating to see how others practise-not just how they summarise their practise in interview, but to see them actually talking over what they're working out in their own practise time. Between this video and a lot of Tiffany Poon's videos, I feel I've seen a lot of that on piano and find myself wanting to hear cellists and violinists working through their practise too. XD
Wow, this is just so incredibly awesome!! Thank you for doing this. There are some real gems in there on tension, wrist, thinking and phrasing, etc. Very motivational. Brings back the music major days of practice rooms for God knows how long...
Wow this is crazy, I just went to a random chopin performance my mom got tickets for. Sarah Tuan was playing it all and I swear I recognized her. I came back to this video and I realized that it was her that I had seen before on this video. 💀 Shes actually insane, she’s a professional, my ears aren’t trained to judge these talented players but she is amazing. It’s unreal to see her play.
Nice interviews Ben! As an intermediate amateur, I can't believe how much I have learned about practicing tips and methods from these very talented young pianists. The importance of slow practicing, careful listening and flexibility of wrist should never be underestimated at any level of playing.
I really like Daniela''s approach of having a list of things she wants to accomplish in the day practicing - to keep things focussed. But I'm impressed by the various ways in which each one has attention to detail. As to the practicality of studying to be a pianist, first I'm reminded of Naida Cole whose teacher Leon Fleisher told her that if she could imagine herself doing something else, she should follow that path and in her case become a published anesthesiologist. Second, studying to become a pianist is an extraordinary course of study which teaches one much - learning structure and profound meaning from marks on a page, mastery of one's own body, a noble sense of what is important and so on. Having gone through that process, almost any profession will prompt a converted pianist to seek the challenges since most other professions are much easier. When I was studying piano, I heard that only doctors spend more time studying for their profession than musicians. I personally didn't see how that was possible since I spent 9.5 hours per day for an extended period.
@@nmsland426Nah...u don't have to book orchestras to perform concertos. You only need to find someone who can play the second piano part for you. Booking orchestras and learning concerto are two different things.
11:17 “Thank you Rach!” I recently looked up Igor Sikorsky’s bio because the subject of Russian emigré nobles and aristocrats came up. I remembered that Sikorsky’s helicopter production in the US had a smattering of archdukes working on the factory floor. What I had not known was that Rachmaninoff was a critical early investor in Sikorsky Helicopter. So, yes, Thank you Rach!
More videos like this, please! I've always wondered what must be like to attend Juilliard (even though I live a mere half an hour away). Thank you, ToneBasePIANO/ Ben Laude! 😊 🌻
Watching these amazing young pianists is so inspiring and makes me pull these pieces to work on and try to upscale my meager playing. The practice rooms take me back to when I was in Law School at Memphis…the Music School was next door to the Law School and my undergrad BFF Kim (we lived in adjacent dorms next door to the Law & Music Schools) and I would get a practice room (no sign ups, reservations etc) for me to play while she sang. “On The Street Where You Live” was our Fav. We lost track after graduation but I still play those songs along with Rach & Bach.
Remarkably talented pianists. The amount of practice they put in is staggering. I found the last pianist very interesting following the orchestral score to understand "how" to play it on the piano. I wonder what percentage of Juillard students make a successful careeer as a concert pianist? It must be a tough battle and ultimately boils down to having that undefinable musicianship.
Back in the 1990s, The NY Times did a review of Julliard piano performance grads after 10 years. There were actually about 5 even groups. One-fifth earned a living as piano performers, another fifth made money by teaching, with a little concertizing. The next fifth had a job in the music industry, perhaps working at a publishing house, or a booking agency, another fifth had a job unrelated to music, or wasn't working at all (often being a mother or something else), and the final fifth didn't respond to the survey. So even few Juilliard grads have a career as a concert pianist.
What a fantastic video!! (I'm a performance grad of Indiana U). You are obviously a crackerjack pianist yourself, I loved your questions, and learned so much from each one of these young people. it makes me want to go back to my pieces (Like the Mozart K. 310 A minor Sonata that one of your people played) and apply their techniques - I learned a lot from the guy practicing "Rach 2" with his groupings which you knew a lot about, too. Thank you!!!
Great stuff. The dedication to minute detail is amazing to see. I'm just happy when I get my fingers through a piece. Wonderful to see these young artists. Now I know what Jorge Bolet meant when he said to students "We have chosen the worlds most insane profession"! No doubt about that!
I really enjoyed this video. All of these young artists are so good - wow! I remember Sarah Tuan from the Chopin competition (she's wonderful). I hope you do more impromptu videos of students practicing.
This is a fantastic video. It is very interesting and it is so refreshing to see you cleverly draw out the various personalities of each piano student. It’s invaluable and quite enriching to experience these human spirits as they express themselves and their processes. Your work is not just crafty, it’s artful. Thank you. 🙏
I imagine you are in full concentration practising piano and suddenly someone bank at the door strongly. Each time this happen to me, it’s more like my heart stop one second.😂 This video was really great!!! Thank you
Loved this!! I was a piano major for ONE semester. Then,....I heard some of the others play, and realized I was so far below their level, I should switch to my second instrument, percussion. Seeing these gifted players makes me realize I made the right choice for me. Music school was the best time of my life and set me on a path I never would have dreamed of. I so enjoyed hearing their insights and depth of knowledge about the music, and their approach. To be that focused and disciplined at such a relatively young age is so impressive. I would love to know where they will all be in 5 years,.....or 20!
I really enjoyed this video, so interesting! And showing the score as they played is great. (2:27 I was wondering why she only has one page of the music on the piano, and then I realized it's on an iPad. I must be getting old! 🙂)
People always say to me: go outside see people... Listen... I want to, but it's just a piano thing you know 😆... He's the only one that has always been there for me, it's my biggest form of gratitude and it gives sense to my life. Great Video btw!!!
seeing this i'm not sure i miss my 6+ years spent in practice rooms. the guilt part is real; i'd always be thinking what i needed to practice, how i should be doing it, if i didn't do enough on a particular day. it is satisfying though if you see your technique improve and can play things in a way you previously couldn't.
In case Joshua Mhoon is reading the RU-vid comments: 8:48 The left hand plays a b natural on the top (3rd minim of the first two bars shown in the screenshot) 🙂
I love this video. I am a composer, and for me to hear the perspective of proffesianal performers is teaching me a lot about music. Thank you for this video!
Great video, thank you - I was amazed by the talent and dedication of these students Felt oddly rude to Daniela though, please be careful how banter comes across
Yeah, he did come across badly. Even more irritating is that the piece she's playing is one of the most difficult in the video, not to mention the emotions in it are so dark and disturbing. He doesn't give her enough credit.
It would have been interesting to know the cost of studying in such a school. From Tuition fee, board and lodging, extras like books, tablets, piano studio rentals etc. , not to mention the additional cost for the upkeep of their social lives... Gosh, surely these kids must come from very affluent family backgrounds!!! In another YT, a student compared the difference in cost between an American and German music University. The difference is enormous in Malthusian sense!!!!!!
About 80 grand. However, there are some very good scholarships and financial aid packages at conservatories like this…. A dream experience, to be sure.
When I attended Juilliard in the 1970s, the tuition was $3500 per year (at least when I started, in 1974). But you had to find your own place to live in NYC. How times have changed!
Oh!, i would love to sneak around there!, i am playing piano but my stage fright is in the way and i am a pretty shy person, i almost never play for people. Even playing for my teacher is hard. And these kids who play here are so talented. O my.
As soon as my son learns a new piece, I rarely if ever see him with the sheet music again. His teacher says it's part of the "Three M's of piano: Memory, Metronome, and Matisse(sp?)". The last being touch, basically. Seems to be working for him thus far.
How old is your son? (By the way, forget about the Metronome 😉). Practicing by heart is excellent, but later on some teachers told me it's also good to go back to the score so you can check what the composer wrote exactly as signs, dynamics or other notations that you may have forgotten from your first reading/learning.
6:43 just shows a couple of simple things that her teacher remedied. And others less fortunate could spend years doing wrong without realising. It shows to me that a great teacher is paramount to reach the top. Amongst of course dedication starting young and some latent talent And the rotation on the Mozart downward run. But surely they would have learnt all that years before as children?
@@superblondeDotOrg very true. They play the piano a bit but don't study the pedagogical methods. All my teacher told me was to shake my hands when tense. And just do some exercises. Without showing me any hand or body movements etc
I am a fairly crappy pianist who plays just enough to recognize what greatness is, and it is very gratifying to see young people coming up and keeping classical music alive in this era of Taylor Swift. Thanks for the great job on this video. Well done!
