My only hobby is the piano. I enjoy both playing and listening to it. September 7th was the first day of my college club's concert, so I decided to go out for a night out, not just for fashion but for piano.
This event allows amateur musicians to play their favorite pieces. My turn awaits on the second day, the 15th. I perform in front of an audience every two or three years, at friends' weddings and small concerts, but this time I'm feeling extra nervous.
That's because I have to perform from memory (without looking at the sheet music). We had a rehearsal around Obon, and I practiced so much to memorize the music that, combined with the heat, I got so exhausted I developed a mouth ulcer. I've been practicing ever since. Like a busy businessman going to the gym, I even rent a practice room and play a grand piano before work lol.
In the world of classical music, performing from memory is the norm for solo performances (with the exception of some contemporary pieces). This practice is said to have originated with Franz Liszt and Clara Schumann. Both were virtuoso pianists. Liszt, in particular, left behind many technically challenging pieces that even modern performers struggle to play satisfactorily. Why did they stop looking at sheet music? It's said to be because it was cool. Since then, memorization has been a prerequisite for solo performances in competitions, entrance exams, and children's recitals.
However, if you weigh the fear of forgetting the score during a performance against the mere idea of looking cool, wouldn't it make more sense to eliminate fear and play freely? In other words, as long as it's not obvious that you're looking at the score, isn't that enough? That's where wearable computers like Google Glass and Telepathy have been gaining attention.
These devices allow you to wear them and play while the sheet music is displayed on your screen. Since they apparently use voice recognition, the bars will advance as the piece progresses, eliminating the hassle of turning pages. The more common these devices become, the more natural they'll be for live performances. It is said that new technology is first applied to erotic purposes, but I think wearable devices will bring about a major revolution in the world of music. I have a concert coming up in five years, so I'm really looking forward to it.
*Incidentally, the image is of my most beloved pianist, Samson François (1924-1970).
