Poem: Piano Practice by Rainer Maria Rilke This is a poem that depicts a woman practicing an etude at the piano.

Etude, the French word for study, is just that: a musical piece designed to improve the technique or musicality of a performer. Not all are intended for performance, rather, they are aids that can help one play other pieces better. The etude is usually an extremely difficult piece to be practiced repeatedly for years; it destroys the pianist to make him or her grow anew. The woman in this poem is impatient for that growth. She is nameless and faceless because she represents the many pianists throughout history that have sat in a practice room and felt the hopelessness of the piece of music before them. She wants to be great, she wants to have it all, but that goal seems so far from realization that (though it seems counter intuitive) she cannot bring herself to keep practicing. Her series of emotions is very common for pianists: the highly competitive music world and the vast array of virtuosic pieces makes ones rigorous hours of practice seem futile; a fact that would anger almost anyone. Many frustrated musicians throughout America (and by extension the entire musical world) face the same emotions as the pianist in the poem. For young competitors and hopeful performers, piano is not a hobby but an immense amount of work with a very slim chance of making it big. Classical music is no longer a labor of love amongst a limited group of creative minds, but it has become fiercely competitive venture with little hope for success.

Person: Emily Bear (young piano prodigy) Child prodigy and Illinois native Emily Bear represents the American obsession with young virtuosity, and is a symbol of the modern pianists frustration. Emilys grandmother (who just happens to be a piano teacher specializing in gifted youth) first noticed her musical precociousness when she was, allegedly, just two years old. Currently, at only age nine, she has released five CDs of original music, toured many of the worlds major countries as well as worked with other established international stars, like Lang Lang. Is it because she is on the same level as adult professionals? No. Eight years of quick musical development cannot match fifty. But then, what is it that makes her so popular? It is Americas obsession with young people doing adult things. If Lang Lang and Emily Bear each recorded Rachmaninoffs notoriously difficult Third Concerto, Lang Langs would undoubtedly meet the demands for emotional maturity and physical endurance whereas Bear would probably not be able to even reach all the notes with chords spanning fifteen keys across. Will she be able to successfully perform the Third Concerto when she becomes an adult? That is the key question to all modern prodigies. Many reach their max potential at a very young age (like Emily), and fail to develop their own artistic style. They can get away with unmusical performances while critics are busy marvelling at flashy technical pieces that seem so far beyond their years. However, once their cuteness fades into adulthood, it is critical that they continue to advance as artists instead of technicians.

Document: Charles Ives Concord Sonata Photograph: Jason Yang Architecture: Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall Deadmau5 Concert Space Song: Firepower Wolfgang Gartner

Pop Culture Icon: Yo-yo Ma (seasoned internationally renowned artist) Chinese American musician, Yo-yo Ma, was also hailed as a cello prodigy in much the same way as Emily Bear. He played for the president before starting first grade, by eight he performed on national television, and by fifteen he graduated high school and began attendance at the Juilliard School. Beyond adolescence, he attended both Columbia and Harvard Universities, and currently enjoys a hugely successful career as both a soloist and chamber musician.

Interviews: Jon Soifer - (New Trier Student and electronic music composer) What was intended to be an interview slowly morphed into a heated discussion about a shared passion for music. Our clashing roots, he with electronica and myself with classical, provided for an interesting and constructive debate. Initially, I asked him about his thoughts on classical music. He truly appreciates it and all of the hard work and academia that goes with mastering the art form; however, he then proceeded to highlight the reasons why electronic music was infinitely more complex. In a symphony, he explained, there is a limit to the variety of timbre one can compose for. On the other hand, electronic artists have to build a sound with math and computer programming. This leaves room for any number of sounds and colors and precision that was previously impossible. I found this to be my most enlightening conversation, as it totally shaped my answer to my driving question. Classical music is not dying; electronic music is, in some ways, a continuation of the old. Historical music should be preserved but we should also continue to make and accept creative advances just as composers like Beethoven or Debussy or Schoenberg revolutionized music in their own ways. Dr. Soo-young Lee (Lake Forest College Professor of Piano, Special Rate Instructor at the Music Institute of Chicago, Music Theory Teacher at MICs Academy for the Gifted and Musical Director at Saint Lukes Church)

Kate Liu - (New Trier Student, Internationally recognized pianist and member of the MIC Academy for the Gifted) Katie Schultz - (High school student who is not involved with music as an extracruricular; representative of the average teenagers opinion) Mischa Zupko (Composer-in-residence at the Music Institute of Chicago and Fulcrum Point, Composition and Music Theory teacher at Trinity College and DePaul University, Active performer and private instructor (piano)) Artifact Contents:

A = Yo-yo Ma, pop culture figure B= Emily Bear, person C= Piano Practice, poem D = Ives Piano Sonata, document (sheet music) E= Jason Yang, photograph F1 = Deadmau5 concert space, architecture F2 = CSO & Carnegie Halls, architecture G = CD of Gartners Firepower, song

Works Cited (A) Ma, Yo Yo. Biography. Yo-Yo Ma Official Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://www.yo-yoma.com/yo-yo-ma-biography>. (A) Johnson, Lawrence A. New concerto an effective star vehicle for Yo-Yo Ma, but short on musical substance. Chicago Classical Review. N.p., 14 May 2010. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://chicagoclassicalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/yo_yo_ma.jpg>. (A) Lisitsa, Valentina. Videoblog comment. ValentinaLisitsa Youtube Channel. Youtube, Winter 2011. Web. 28 May 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnangtY3UH0>. Bach is always a best-seller. The problem is usual prejustice and stereotypes coming into play. If a presenter decides on hiring me - for example- he or she will immeditely think of something virtuoso and flashy. Or at least complete Chopin Etudes. It is very hard to fight. But not impossible :-) I will work on it ! (B) Bear, Emily, perf. The Next Mozart? 6 Year Old Piano Prodigy Wows All. WGN News at 9. WGN. WGN, n.p., 15 May 2008. Television. (B) Emily Bear. N.p., 2010. Web. 3 June 2011. <http://www.emilybear.com/>. (C) Wilke, Rainer Maria. Piano Practice. Poem Hunter. N.p., 13 Jan. 2003. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/piano-practice/>. (C) "Piano Practice." 1900. Rilke: Selected Poems Bilingual Edition. Trans. C F MacIntyre. 1st edition ed. N.p.: University of California Press, 2001. 116-117. Print. (D) Ives, Charles. Piano Sonata No. 2 Concord. 1915. New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1921. Print. Ives himself crafted an introduction to this pieces sheet music. It was a great insight into his composition and why he chose to compose this piece for the people he did (Emerson, Hawthorne, the Alcotts and Thoreau). Therefore, I am citing both the music and the writing. (D) Struble, John Warthen. The History of American Classical Music: Macdowell Through

Minimalism. N.p.: Facts on File, 1995. Print. General history: Charles Ives was one of the earliest American classical composers of enduring international significance, producing music in a uniquely American style, though his

music was mostly unknown until after his death in 1954. Many of the later 20th-century composers, such as John Cage, John Corigliano and Steve Reich, used modernist and minimalist techniques that further revolutionized Americas classical world. (E) Jason Yang Violin. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2011. <http://jasonyangviolin.com/uploads/ members/222691/images/222691_site_bg_file.jpg>. (F1) DJ Kreations. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://djkreations.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2010/10/midland1.jpg>. (F1) Flickr. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/ 4639607739_4b5dc4500d.jpg>. (F2) Birkey. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://www.birkey.com/uploads/ CSO_ConcertHall_800-516x335.jpg>. (F2) GetinTravel. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2011. <http://www.getintravel.com/wp-content/ uploads/2010/05/Carnegie-Hall.jpg>. (G) Gartner, Wolfgang. Firepower. Musical composition.