For the past month, my teacher and I have been focusing on a prelude and fugue in A flat major by Bach. It was very insightful to see how technology impacted the way music was played, and how Bach’s music was “limited” or influenced by the technology at that time.  It was challenging at first to recreate the “jagged” sound of Bach’s music, as music after Bach’s time evolved due to the invention of the piano. The “jagged” sound of Bach’s music, came from the fact that Bach was limited to the harpsichord where notes where not struck, but plucked. Although this technology has evolved to the piano, composer’s music were no longer the same style as Bach’s, and the challenge was to recreate the “jagged” sound, whilst I’m use to playing differently. Another challenge was the sheer amount of practice needed, during a time where academic test were frequent. All in all, while writing this, I have overcome these challenges, and have taught me the importance of a deep understanding in not just playing the music itself, but also the history and my musical awareness. It also taught me that with frequent and consistent practice, challenges like these can be overcome and become second nature. I think this closely ties to the two goals I set myself.

• Practice the piano at least 30 minutes each day and stay committed to weekly ITP lessons. (LO4)
• Improve my awareness of music and improve my piano skills. (LO1)

Notice the markings on the piano sheet, which are used to help me remember certain styles and places I make errors.