Unanswered Questions

I have exactly the same problem, and I feel terrible about it, especially when the long, thoughtful e-mails come from strangers. You've made me resolve to take care of e-mails today instead of writing another tirade against Norman Lebrecht....

KG replies: No, no, tirades against Norman Lebrecht are high priority!

The readers of this blog should know that you, Kyle, are an impressive pianist and have several Beethoven sonatas- as well as other classical repertoire- memorized, which is a lot more than many of us "professional pianists" can say. Playing the piano is like riding a bicycle. You'll be touring with your own piano concerto in no time.

KG replies: Oh, Sarah Cahill, I'll post this, but you know it's a rank exaggeration. I can play the exposition and scherzo of Op. 28 off the top of my head because I played it in college, and I've half-memorized passages from some of the famous sonatas from having taught them in class so often, but that's a far cry from playing them up to tempo with the right notes. It's embarrassing, actually. But sitting in a practice room was not something I was terribly good at. I wish it was like riding a bicycle, but you yourself panic if you have to go two days without a piano close by.

Kyle, I think there must be an inverse ratio involved. The more thoughtful an email is, the longer it takes to reply, and vice versa. And then, of course, there's the getting buried in the queue, which doesn't help. I always feel so guilty when I don't respond in good time, but there isn't that physical presence, such as a piece of paper, to sit there as a reminder, making me feel guilty.

I hope you balance the regret with the thought that those long/meaningful/searching e-mails were occasioned by your writing, and that they represent intellectual activity that may not have happened without you. As much as your replies would be appreciated, their absence is not a cause for excessive concern. By the way, please don't bother to respond to this - use the time to keep working on the postmin. book.

Your here-and-there comments about your regret at quitting piano have made me reevaluate my own position. I'm a high school senior, and I more or less stoppoed playing a few months ago, when I realized that piano would not be my major and that I'd never be stunning...