I met Alton over Google+ when he began commenting on my You Tube videos, and before long we were members of the same CIRCLE.
He has quite a colorful background. He originally comes from Long Beach, Long Island, a place I frequented as a native New Yorker. While its boardwalk was never as tantalizing as the one in Coney Island, I still liked the delectable knishes in infinite variety which I sampled during visits to my grandmother. (From what I’ve heard in the news media, Hurricane Sandy devastated the area, so the boardwalk is no longer.)
Alton shot the breeze with me over a Test SKYPE, after I agreed to be his piano teacher.
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So how did music penetrate Alton’s life and when did it happen?
I’ll just copy the bio he provided me which seems to cover all tracks.
“I had some lessons as a kid, but wasn’t much interested and didn’t have a good teacher so I learned practically nothing.
“Got interested in classical music at 15. At age 20 I asked my sister’s teacher if I could be good at my age. He pointed to Robert Schumann who started later. Of course he was a ‘genius’ and I was not.
“I practiced all day and drove my father crazy as he had sleep problems and I would practice until 2 a.m. on the first floor of our house and his bedroom was on the second floor.
“Took a piano tuning and repair course which allowed me to tune a few pianos and practice all day. I moved to Santa Monica from Long Beach, Long Island, and lived in a cabin so I could practice long hours. I averaged 8 hours per day for 14 years including using a silent weighted keyboard at night watching TV.
“I had 35 pieces memorized including 12 Chopin Etudes and was not making mistakes before I stopped playing. I had an incredible piano library and got rid of it three different times. Of course my playing was not good because I did not have a teacher after the first year. This was over forty years ago."
Alton’s repertoire is mind-boggling. He sent me this rundown:
“Here’s my list of pieces that I did once have memorized and hope to get them up one by one for you.” (I better start practicing!)
Bach Invention # 4 in D minor
Chopin prelude in G Op 28 # 3
Bach prelude # 3 C# major WTC BWV 848
Bach prelude # 6 in D minor WTC BWV 851
Chopin Revolutionary etude Op 10 # 12 C minor
Bach invention # 8 in F major
Schubert Impromptu Op 90 #2 Eb major
Chopin etude Op 25 #6 G# minor
Bach prelude & fugue #5 in D major WTC BWV 850
Bach prelude # 2 in C minor WTC BWV 847
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Personal Life details
“One day I got lonely and looked for a mate. Met L. and essentially gave up the piano. She was a widow with 4 kids, two living in her valley house.
“L. passed the bar and we moved to Twin Falls and then to the Big Island of Hawaii. I got into organic growing and after burning out from digging rocks for 5 years, we moved to Honolulu.
“I didn’t learn to sight-read well. I’m a beginner at that, because it was faster to memorize line by line. This was a big mistake and I hope within 5 years to be an OK sight-reader."
Alton mentioned his meditation journey, and how he believes meditating is the best exercise to keep the mind more silent. He insists it helps with his piano practicing.
Alton beams with enthusiasm:
“After this week watching the Olympics I can practice 5 hours per day. I really want to do 8 because when I do 8 I can see my progress daily. I have a silent keyboard so if I watch TV I can still do finger exercises. I am not gifted, but very determined.
“I think I can get the Bach D minor Invention passable in two weeks and then get the Chopin prelude in G ready soon after that, as well as other pieces that I had memorized and can now revisit.”
Alton’s wish list
“My goals for the next 25 years are to play the pieces I play musically without mistakes. Also I want to learn how to sight read at an Intermediate level.
“Professor Chaikin who lived near me on Long Island could read anything at full speed but I’ll never do that this life time. I’ll be happy if I can read better.”
Alton added:
“I actually took a course at Juilliard circa 57 years ago. At that time if you got a B average after taking courses, you could transfer to their regular school. I did OK but dropped out before the term was over. Most of the last 40 years I did not have a piano.
“Now I wish I had continued, but one can’t change the past.
“I am 77, mostly vegan except for some cheese and honey. I expect to live to 100 as my mom almost did, so there are many years left to prepare… I hope this time around to be a piano prodigy. LOL”
To prove Alton means business, he’s resumed his piano lessons by SKYPE in the Millennium spirit!
