What am I thinking when I play the piano

My quest for mastery has been long and relentless, starting from the vibrant days of youth, always in search of a method that could meticulously encompass the entirety of piano performance. In this journey, I've often found myself distancing from prevailing thoughts and attitudes, yet discovering profound intellectual companionships with thinkers like Zhu Guangqian, Goethe, and William E. Caplin.

As my exploration deepens, becoming more personal and artistic, I've gradually realized that mastering the piano isn't about explaining any single facet of technique outright. It's about how you cultivate music in the process—considering not just the piece but the whole and the details. Think about the values, attitudes, aims, and the atmosphere you want to create. Think about how the phrases move, the overall structure, whether the tone is warm or bright, abrupt or lingering.

What is the character of the music? Does it align with a Christian's pursuit? Is it dreamy, confessional, insightful, humorous, symbolic, prayerful, instructive, or repentant? How do you touch the keys? Is it a caress, a connection, a press, a release, or a leap? How do you combine technique with space, speed, quality, and control over dampers ?

How do you brew your connection with the piano, prepare your emotions, and transition between musical segments to energize and open windows to different vistas?

This reflection should occur every day, in every emotion you experience, and in each session of diligent or strenuous practice—whether at the piano bench or in the rhythm of life, with or without music sheets, awake or in dreams. All these elements blend into the essence of your music, defining what it becomes, shaping how it is perceived.

I am ready to share my insights on playing the piano with you.

If you are also interested in taking piano lessons in South Loop, Chicago, please feel free to email me at pianistchangchang@gmail.com or text me at 773-936-7506. My name is Chang Liu :)