I haven't abandoned piano at all. I have always added new
instruments to my skills--just a habit, but violin was especially an
intense addition, which I continue to enjoy greatly.

I was not saying that adult achievement must be defined, I was
saying in contrast to other accepted indices of achievement, that
there really is not a parallel for adult learners.

Take care,
al

--- In musicalfossils@yahoogroups.com, "klavierneu" <isleif@...>
wrote:
>
> --- In musicalfossils@yahoogroups.com, "zeagle79" <zeagle79@>
wrote:
> >
> > Hello fellow(ette) Fossils! I'm and adult violin student (45)
and
> > heard about this site over in BAVS yahoo group. I've played
piano
> > for about 40 years, and picked up violin a year ago, taking
private
> > lessons. (...)
> >
> > Excellence and achievement belong to any age group. I read
somewhere
>
> (...)
>
> > Part of the problem with understanding adult achievement, is
that we
> > must first defined clearly, adult achievement.
>
> Hello new young fossil!
>
> It always feels good to be exposed to a few new aspects looked at
from
> a few new angles. I find it extremely 'unfair' of you to have
already
> 40 years of experience playing the piano (which actually means I
envy
> you)! It must feel good to be able to read music right from the
> start. Why have you abandoned the piano for the violin of all
> instruments?
>
> I do not think, by the way, adult achievement needs to be defined.
> Unless you want to participate in some kind of competition, or
enroll
> in a university trying to major in music, you progress as you like
or
> can.
>
> If I take my case, I do have a goal, and an outrageous one at
that.
> I want to reach it, yes, but in that process I don't measure myself
> against some yardstick someone else has thought up. All my efforts
> are funneled in the direction of my goal, that is all. The goal
was
> to be able to play one Beethoven Sonata within five years. To be
able
> to play in my case means: "so that I am satisfied".
>
> When I started (from utter scratch) I was 60. Nobody I talked to
> said so, but everybody showed me with all the non-verbal
expressions
> in the book that the goal was impossible to reach. We'll see. A
> little over two years have passed now. That was the preparation
for
> Beethoven, so to speak. Unfortunately, at my age I don't have the
> time left to build a sound musical and pianistic base, playing
> children's songs first, then slowly going on to Bach's inventions
and
> so on... I had to do it my way, the test of which has to be
passed in
> about three years time, when the five years will be over and
Beethoven
> calling... I began with 'real' music from the start, such as, for
> example, the first prelude from Bach's well tempered clavier. I
can
> play that now. I went on like that from one (real) piece to the
next
> one, as soon as I felt it sounded somehow like music. So far, the
> piano seems to be 99% studying and 1% playing what you have
studied.
>
> Two months ago I have started with Op. 79, obviously because it is
one
> of Beethoven's shortest sonatas. I guess a 'normal' piano teacher
> would not put up with a crazy student like me, nor would a 'normal'
> piano teacher be able to help me at the Beethoven-level of
> difficulty. But I am lucky: I have a teacher who is a full fledged
> concert pianist. Of course she thinks the way I am doing it it
will
> never amount to anything, but she doesn't say so out loud! She not
> only gives me the necessary tips about fingering or practicing
> methods, she also keeps me from acquiring bad habits, which is
> probably the most serious danger for a beginner. Hopefully I can
> surprise her, and me, in three years time!
>
> Karl-Heinz Isleif
> Tokyo, Japan
>