“I’m a software engineer born and raised in the Bay Area in California. I started learning piano at around 5 years old and enjoyed it at first, but didn’t have the discipline to practice so I gradually lost interest. I continued to take lessons on and off with local neighborhood teachers until college, and reached a level where I could play some of Chopin’s easier nocturnes and waltzes. In college and throughout my 20s, I was too busy to play piano, but discovered and cultivated a love for listening to different YouTube recordings of classical piano (especially Chopin and Liszt). When I turned 30, I decided to practice piano seriously for the first time in my life, after 10 years of not playing, without a teacher, beginning with Chopin etudes. How I deluded myself into thinking this was a good idea is a long story, but I’m still pushing down that path today!
My favorite pieces tend to be from Chopin and Liszt, but I’m excited to say that my taste has been evolving (mostly backwards toward Classical and Baroque), so this may change!
One of my motivations for learning Chopin etudes was to develop technique while making music, so I would never have to do boring technical exercises. However, in trying to address some issues I was running into while learning the etudes, I did end up giving in to learning some technical exercises. I typically start off with some Dohnanyi exercises, and scales (and variants), for about 20 minutes as warm-up. Then I play bits and pieces from Chopin etudes that I’ve completed, at various tempos, before practicing my etude-in-progress. I do this in the morning before breakfast, and then try to play more after dinner and nighttime. Since I have a full-time job, it can be hard to practice a long time on weekdays, but on average I practice 3-4 hours a day.
I do not compete, but I make YouTube videos for some etudes that I learn. Preparing for those is grueling because I get nervous and lose focus in front of a camera, so it’s important that I really know the piece very well. Metronome practice, eyes-closed, hands-separate, no pedal, slow practice, and isolated practice of certain phrases are all a “must” for me.
I didn’t study with anyone, but I watch a lot of YouTube videos of great instructors (Josh Wright, Paul Barton, Denis Zhdanov) and also have a Tonebase subscription where I’ve learned useful things from famous pianists like Garrick Ohlsson. I also found Zlata Chochieva’s lectures on Chopin etudes to be very insightful. I began studying from the Cortot edition of Chopin’s etudes, which has detailed exercises to prepare for each Chopin etude, so I feel I have one of the best instructors in history. From Cortot, one of the most useful things I’ve learned is how to derive mini-exercises from the music to overcome a tricky passage, and how to divide a passage in multiple dimensions.
My musical dream is to be able to play the pieces I love, uninhibited.
I am a regular supporter of Liberty in North Korea. They help North Korean refugees resettle outside of China. I dream to see North Koreans liberated in my lifetime. It would double the musical talent coming from Korea too!”