musical diaries: existential, nostalgic day in the life of a pianist 

I don't think anyone would argue against you being an artist, but artists who are RU-vid presences do eventually end up self-sabotaging themselves into being more of an entertainer to capture a broader audience and to maintain a consistent stream of uploads. And thus, the world ends up shaping the artist more than the artist ends up shaping the world. I respect that you choose to speak at your own pace and choose individuality over genericism.

"Both software developers and classical pianists lead very solitary lives."

I think the Schumann Fantasy is one of the greatest piano pieces. The more I listen to his music the more I recognize its brilliance.

You are doing a great job. Thank you for producing and sharing.

"I'm an artist first.. Well, maybe a human first. But then sometimes I also forget to eat..!" this is the best sentence I heard in 2023, should be the subtitle of your diaries! 😁Honestly though, to be able to encounter concepts and ideas is what makes us human, and it's a precious quality. But as in practicing piano, it can be stressful or unsettling when we are thinking to much about a precise point, I believe it creates difficulty and makes us feel kinda lost. We have to keep a certain balance between consciousness and "spontaneous genius" in our spiritual life as in practicing musicality. It's counterproductive to try to define an idea or a feeling, their consistence and limits, by the way maybe we don't even need to append a name on those..?🤔So, keep wandering with a careless mind, aesthetics happens by itself when we let it flow!☺

My mom said she had no time to be depressed with 5 children…You’ll look back, and wonder why all the worry? Be in the present and look around at what you have. Later you will see how many wonderful things are hidden in even brief encounters. Drop the word existential and you’ll probably feel much better. “Existential quest, existential journal entries, existential day….quiet the mind, forgive yourself for anything, you do not have to know the future, understand anything….just live the mysteries of life with its joy and sufferings. Meaning of life is always the present in front of you….appreciate…..peace….❤

This video made me shed a little tear. It made me remember so much from my past and how I used to feel. And to see someone who I can relate to on human level is so amazing to me. I'm 'only' 16, but still... I honestly feel very scared for my future, though I'm trying to keep striving. Thank you Tiffany.

My mother graduated from the Calhoun School in 1940. During her early years, she studied ballet with the great Michael Foquin. Thanks for bringing it all back

I've been following your musical journey from the days when "Be kind' got added to your catchphrase. Thanks for the update. Your playing goes straight to the heart.

I just want to say, as a music student, an artist, you are such an inspiration to me. You give me such hope, in pursuing a music career, because through this channel you simulate a life I want to approach, so thank you. Your videos are such a gift to me and to others ❤

This video is very relatable. I've lived in the same neighborhood since I was a child too and have many nostalgic days, reminding me how pleasantly simple things were. Although in addition to the nostalgia, I also experience feelings of pride and progress having been exposed to many more artistries, experiences and incredible people since then, which I hope in many people, like me, would be fuel to excel even further and broaden one's horizon even more.

I have been following you for the last year when i stumbled on your Utube Moon night Sonata and was thrilled at that young lady playing my fathers favorite piece. I started searching out your earlier posts and through them I have been watching an artist grow and question, trying to see the unseen, Thank you for taking the time to do this open diary

Tiffany pond ❤ Thank you for sharing Day in the life pianist God bless Producer Chico Black ❤

I cry only a few times a year. I remember when you got that Steinway. A month later, listening to your livestream while washing my dishes, I suddenly stopped everything when you made it cry and by the time I reached my laptop you were crying too. I didn't know I could ever hear this through all the layers of encryption. So today I got emotional when I understood it would leave and I shed a tear when it left. It was a good piano for you.

Hello Tiffany, I just discovered you through DW Classical Music on a Google feed. Thank you for sharing your amazing gift as a classical pianist. 😊

I’m a student about to start college auditions, been feeling pretty existential as of late & this was very affirming. I hope u know how valued u & ur work are

I have not been watching much lately due to a busy life but tiff you really have inspired many of us. Even though I have lost my way with the piano, I wish you nothing but joy!!

The journey of life is a fascinating one.

Im always so excited when you make a new vid, love that you’re back at it again! ❤

Nice to hear you again, have fun with the trio, sounding great already!

Thank you for the effort that you put into every video Tiffany! I hope you have a peaceful, happy next couple of weeks(:

I thoroughly enjoyed the video. You look and sound awesome & happy. Really cool editing job!

Welcome back! Good to see you again! Hope everything's well!

I'd definitely go to the concert if I was in your area. You play beautifully.

Wow i was just remembering you earlier and rewatched some videos at work a few hours ago, and now a new video when i get home! Been needing this lately, when feeling overwhelmed and lost in which direction to go with piano. Your thoughts and reflections on how you navigate things are especially therapeutic during these times

Lovely video. Being a human that chooses to persist, being an artist that chooses to go on - they're both an act of faith. Faith in a future that is better than the present and the courage to confront the challenges that come with transforming it to something more ideal. Thank you for posting. And don't forget to eat.

Welcome back Tiffany, and thanks for sharing. Hope all is well!

I’ve been a long time fan and your work has always inspired me to not only seek growth but to own myself (flaws and all) I truly appreciate you sharing your life with us and making a career in classical music performance so genuine,human and relatable ❤

Great to see you in a new vlog! I too sometimes find myself immersed in these "existential" thoughts, especially during critical moments and major changes in life. But you are extremely brave for reading the diaries you have written in the past. I'm too scared to read what I wrote back in 2020!

After the patreon stream this morning, I felt a little sad for Young Mr. Piano too. Even through the screen, I can appreciate the time you two spent together, and I am glad he got a little send off in the video. I am sure he will remember you fondly, and I hope his story goes on to new and wonderful things like I know yours will.

we missed you, tiffany!!

I love how you inspire me to continue to study piano! Every time I watch your videos, I just wanna get in to my room, sit on my piano and play, study and live that. Thanks for everything! I'm here cheering for you and I hope I can see you personaly one day!

Enjoyed this vlog, and as always, even after all these years, you’ve maintained your honesty and the authenticity comes through every time. You consistently share not only music but also philosophy that keeps us grounded. It remains a genuine pleasure and a privilege to be able to follow you on your human-pianist journey and to continue to be inspired by such an incredible accomplisher. (Is this even a word?)

What a beautiful video this is. ❤

Nice to see you again and I hope that all goes well. It may also help those who also like to play piano.

Thanks for continuing to share your journey, however often, it is always unique and interesting. Won’t be able to attend the fundraiser but will send a contribution. Aside from whatever else TWG is up to, the CB videos are very good. Hope you get a chance, if so inclined, to tell us more about that new piano. Waiting on the ANNOUNCEMENT! Off to view the DW Doc. Have a Happy Healthy Holiday Season.

I love music and I'm glad I found your channel to learn more about classical music and it's performers and writers. Cool channel.

This was a beautiful end of the day in the life of a youtube viewer who happened to play the piano only for a few years. Big thanks everytime you return. The squirrels look like the arbiters of existential matters. Good to give nuts to them, like to give cookies to Neo, who is expecting a verdict that is tricky.

Hello Tiffany. I have a great deal of respect for all that you do to bring classical music to the world. I marvel at your gift/talent as a classical pianist. Most of all however I love you for your courage in opening yourself up and the window that you share into your life. Have a good night from your old retired would be friend in Florida. By the way I missed you since August. God bless you my dear. I close wishing you joy and success. ✝️🙏🏻❤️🎼🎹🤗☺️ PS. I am thrilled to see you post this. My best wishes. See ya. ☺️🎼🎹

Sharing your existence with someone is not just being physically present at the same time as someone else. Sharing our existence is sharing our feelings. Our joys, sadness, security, fears, our beauty, our ugliness. You already share a lot with us. Thank you very much. There are feelings that can only be expressed through music and art. The cerebral abstraction called language alone is not enough.

Every day, we wake up where we are and who we are. Reflect if you need, but plan you must. Thank you for sharing your journey.

Glad that you are back.

Please bring back your 'Under The Piano' podcast! I love it🥲

Your emotions are contagious 😢

Enjoyed this quite a bit.

You’re voice is so calm and relaxing i just love it :))

finally u post again, great great great, cheer up

you're a great inspiration Tiffany!

Thanks for the Tellyschool.😂. Schumann. the smile in the "of course", Wonderful. Greetings from a midnightconcert in the swiss mountains and Bolero.

she has grown less actor like in front of the camera. relaxed. I like the edit and sync on the short phrases. I too have a tendency to stop short. thankfully my ever abundant (and never not passing through) attention seeker likes to finish unfinished quotes. thanks for the reminder of what New York and her ever churning mechanism can do for those given a helpful path in the arts. great to see you're still working and sharing your feelings and talent with us all. very much appreciated. thank you.

Wow! Your editing and punch in skills with audio and video are outstanding. Wow. You play a clip of the song, of you playing the song, next to you playing a different song. Wow! You are a very talented and smart person. I'll have to subscribe.

I missed you! Glad to see your face

❤❤❤ Great informative video…🙏 Thanks…

Be well and be happy Tiffany!

Dear Tiffany,thank you so much for this video truly.I am 16 years old and live in Greece,my programme is so hectic now more than ever(its almost unbearable)because of the high school.I also study piano on the side and i tend to overwork myself and have those existential awakenings myself.Το be competely honest i feel like i am ignoring my feelings and thoughts in order to not carried away and ruin the hard work ive done so far,if you know what i mean.SO I AM SO GLAD that today i decided to take a little break between my lessons to watch this video of yours, you have influenced me so much in becoming more real to myself and your videos never fail to give me hope.I am so happy yout back !!! (english is clearly not my first language,sorry about that x)

I’m so happy to see you, it’s been three months

Really like your channel. Happy to see new video again! I learn piano in part time and always receive power from your video.

Love you Tiffany ♥️ You make me feel true music

THANKS FOR THE UPLOAD, INTERESTING. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO NEW YORK. I THINK OF YOU AS A GREATTTT PIANIST. YOU SEEM TO PLAY WITH SUCH EMOTION. GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

Since I watched your livestream on Patreon I know a little more background about the piano😉. Personally I like the sound of vintage S&S (found them in churches where we service organs, and think they have a distinct 'personality'). I'm feeling truly happy for you that you got one of those, and look forward to seeing you sharing musical adventures with your new friend.

Thank you !!!!

Love your videos Tiffany, a fellow musician, also hope everything is going well I see your channel has a default icon hope everything's okay:) happy thanksgiving! thank you for your videos!!

Do remember to eat Tiffany ! I think you are amazing to make a gift to us in this way ! A new musical piece for us to enjoy, listen to, study and share with Tiffany !

I’ve been waiting for your video ♪ いつでも投稿楽しみに待っています。お体に気をつけて頑張ってください♪

Id be so excited if you tell us it is some sort of world tour. You're awesome!

Sir Edmund Hillary said in 1952 this after being the first man to summit Everest: “It’s not the mountain we conquer, it’s ourselves” Tiffany, you are on your climb, keep going and reach your summit.

Being an artist first is a part of what makes you good as a pianist. However my dear Tiffany don’t forget the human component. Balance is good 😉🤗

Your value, talent and individuality is beyond measure. Views, likes and comments can drive a content creator mad. I am just an observer and I love your videos, tour truth and seeing the process but I become incrementally happier when I lay social media down. For starters getting rid of facebook was a game changer.

18:49: Always enjoy your videos, I've been looping Mozart's concertos and sonatas for years, and it always drives me nuts when I hit the reused segments, it's like I suddenly think I'm somewhere else. He'd probably find it incredibly amusing how technology enables even casual listeners to pick up on these time-saving, compositional cheats.

i think it's so cool to create and create and create from one's personal life, for that to also kind of be very natural, like waking up wanting to play debussy's reverie and that being like a breakfast? i also really like how you talk tiffany, ms. poon, i really like watching these vlogs of yours, big big thank you!!^^

❤❤ Big hugs!

"Be a human first, then an artist." Man, I really needed to hear this, thank you. Don't forget to eat :P

Great to see you again on RU-vid after that extended hiatus. It was nice to know that it's due to a lot of productive behind the scenes stuff and not from something that prompts concern. You have a way of evoking strong sentimental feelings like when you were talking about various past relationships with people and having to let go while watching your old piano being sent off. You triggered my own moment of nostalgia there 🥲. It's among what I missed in your videos. May I also ask what the piece was that accompanied that moment? I forgot. It's so fitting. I have a feeling and bet that the big upcoming announcement involves Schumann. Let's see.

Que bonito lugar con esas ardillas debe ser muy inspirador. Para ti😊 Que genial debe ser ser una concertista de piano como tu.

Dear Tiffany, you have given me a gift in being able to listen to you play. I haven't even paid you any money. I think of what I can offer you, in return. Here it is: many of your existential questions, dilemmas, etc. can be relieved, answered, in the traditional Catholic faith. Thank you! My favorite piece you play: Moonlight Sonata.

Beautiful Girl, Beautiful Artist … 💖💖💖

תודה!

I’m looking forward for your concert in Orange County, California.

After years of subscription on RU-vid, to me, Tiffany's wellbeing and peace of mind comes first. Any content of her choice, any posting frequency --welcome. _Just saying._

Your amazing 👍

The widmung made me cry. 😢

Big hugs for you 🫂🫂

I first saw your videos in 2019-2020 with your vlogs about New York (because I like New York) and Steinway piano playing when I got interested in acoustic pianos in general. I was already aware that classical music doesn't have as much of an audience as the mainstream stuff so I understood that I shouldn't be watching with a hyped up feeling and just watch to relax and vibe. Also, I don't think it's narcissistic to think about us remembering and thinking about you, it's normal. First, from a "living on Earth" perspective you want usually your loved ones to remember the cool stuff and nice things you did for them. And second, an artist is not popular unless the fans keep the name and legacy going! We keep you up! I remember showing my coworkers that majority of professional piano players don't make INSANE money, I showed my coworkers Lang Lang salary for example and how he has sponsorship deals and he's like the top 1%, and I showed other examples including yourself which shows you can still make money with professional piano playing but it is highly competitive and there are years of mastery to it. I clarified to my coworkers that you [Tiffany] play really well and have your RU-vid channel to make revenue so it did make my coworkers think and really see what its like and not just assume things like "no one listens to classical music" or something. They liked the fact you had 300K subscribers and that was cool as it is.

Nice to see you again - have missed you. So... why did old piano have to leave and new one in its place? Weird how attached to things we get. I am having to say good-bye to a post office box I've had for 10 years - very emotional as to why. So weird to feel attached to that. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

I love you and I look at the stars and they say so too...

keep it simple: work towards your goal. Some experiences tend to make you forget where you are going, but always know your priorities. ... There is this framework of emotions that touches us and cannot be set aside. Enjoy those, hate them, or be confused. Maybe demand of your emotions to be resolved in something clear. But rememember always, just like training a piano piece, if you let emotions run your life, every unresolved emotion will train your brain to follow a loop of unresolved emotions until it become second nature to run around in circles. You can also train yourself to set things aside and let the emotions be. And never let your emotions make you forget to enjoy the moment, together with family, friends, and people you allow to touch your soul.

I can relate to having to part with your piano, I once lived in a small appartment too, had a Petrof Model 125 upright (which is a great instrument by the way) and cannot say that the neighbours were very happy with it, so after a couple of months traded it in for a Yamaha Clavinova. I regret it to this day. Should have kept it and had a Disklavier system built in.

Congratulations on the"new" piano! My model M is from 1917, maybe a little brother to yours. ☺️

New upload 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Best way to get out of a funk is to learn a new piece! 😊

I remember watching you when the pandemic was underway, and things were very anxious, worrying, job security was an issue.....so i feel that you are in a completely different situation with a whole different set of issues...once during a discussion I was having with a therapist, complaining about all my problems, the therapist asked me if I remember what i was upset about 1 week ago when i again was talking about how bad things were for me ....and I thought about it, but for the life of me i couldnt think of the issues of a week ago....the therapist pointed out how insignificant my problems could be even though in the moment they seem impossible and I cannot see the light at the end of my troubles ..but light always comes ...in my magnificent magnifying mind I some how blow things out of proportion..I am not implying you have problems at all ..what im saying fron my own experience I have had a tendency to really be uspet by an issue but a week later i forgot what that issue was ..so i habe to keep that experience in mind when issues and pressures do start hit me....ahhh this probably came out all wrong..i hope you dont think i am some weird fan or something....anyways I do love your videos and especially your playing and this great classical genre 😮

I CRY everytime I hear someone play that Schumann-Liszt liede. Van Cliburn is so missed ! Liszt gave us 56 of these songs.I wonder did he have access to the Sonatas and quartets ? What did the 19th century get to discover about Schubert .

Waiting for your videos!!! Please also upload performance videos I hope for chopin etude you are my inspiration in piano thank you very much!

Timeline-wise 😊

Watching Mr Sokolovs rendition. He is amazing

Hearing parts of the Schumann Piano Trio in d minor reminds me slightly of the first movement Rach 3( Again, I’m not a pianist but I found it interesting).

Nice to see you, Tiffany! You look cute and healthy 🙌

Where is your concert again and how to reserve a seat? I would definitely go.

About major decisions, developments. may one suggest you a "vlog", about labels, like the yellow label, growing up, how you experienced them. how you feel about them?. Feeling about contracting, about Networking, what to look out for, what mistakes not to make etcetera.?

Learning Organ music sometimes far too difficult at short notice is very unadvised, the individual instrument and performer struggle to cope. You have a strong theme in your Artistic journey and I welcome your good looks. I hope you are eating well !