9.17.2015

# cultivate your mind # Jennifer plays the piano

Jennifer Plays Mozart's Alla Turca



This summer I asked if you'd like me to play Mozart's Alla Turca for you and you gave a resounding yes! I worked on it over my summer break and today I perform it for you. It's not perfect. In fact, it's a little clumsy, but that is not the point. The point is that it's a great thing to challenge and push yourself. To cultivate your mind and not only seek out the arts but create them yourself. To pick up a worthwhile hobby. This keeps us our minds sharp. It gives us achievable goals and a sense of accomplishment. We better society by bettering and pushing ourselves.

Now without further ado, here is my performance of Mozart's Alla Turca.



If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog or subscribe to my YouTube channel to have the videos instantly emailed to you at www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

If you feel inspired to share your art via YouTube or blog post be sure to let me know! Use the hashtag #MADAMECHIC #seekoutthearts Let's encourage each other to raise our standards and challenge ourselves.

Comment of the Week

Laura B. writes:

Dear Jennifer,

You have little time to read all the letters you receive. I understand as a pediatrician your time is limited and valuable. Quickly, your books and blog have me dressing tastefully for my job rather than wearing scrubs. Thank you (say my patients). Your recent post hit home to me and I must write even if you don't read. I have played piano since very young also, so glad that in college I FINALLY didn't have to take lessons. I have not lifted much of a finger since until now. At 38 I'm realizing (maybe as you) what a special thing this is that I can do... that is a secret and maybe unattainable to most that know me. My grandmother played beautifully; my mother missed the trait. She poignantly says I play like "Tine" (christine) even though I never saw her play (she was paralyzed with Lou Gehrig's dz). 6 months ago I splurged on a used Steinway upright and once delivered, sat down with it and cried at the sound that I had forgotten I could make. I grew up learning Chopin, Bach, and the classics only (which I love). Right now I have pulled 'Laura' from a stack of Tine's favorite movie/show tunes, which happens to be how my name was chosen. Learning the tune- so, thanks for your inspiration and Aspiration to be better than is required.

Sincerely,
Laura


Laura, I loved your message to me. Thank you! Your grandmother would be very proud of you.


Artistic Recommendation

Celia on YouTube writes:

I have a great book to recommend that exposes the reader to great composers and their influence. It's called "THE GIFT OF MUSIC" by Smith and Carlson. Very readable. Enjoy.

Thank you, Celia, for your recommendation!

See you all next week...

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41 comments:

Sarah said...

That was beautiful! I think it's wonderful that you not only made and reached this goal but also that you shared it with all of us to enjoy!

Sarah said...

Thank you!

Unknown said...

That was very beautiful! My boys, 2 and almost 6 months were in the room and smiling as you played. We all thank you for a much needed interlude in our hectic day. What are you going to learn and perform next for us? :)

Melanie said...

You did excellent Jennifer. I'm thinking about taking up ballet again. We shall see what the future has for me. I have an autistic non-verbal son who clapped when you finished. He enjoyed it as well. :)

Amber Martin said...

Well done! You have inspired me to get back to playing the piano. It is something I truly love but haven't made it a priority. I plan to choose a favorite piece and practice it as you have done. Also, I have to tell you how much I enjoyed your first book! I'm looking forward to reading the next two which have both been ordered. Thank you for sharing ways to live beautifully and sharing so much goodness :)

LaChelle said...

That was wonderful! Not clumsy at all, it was very clean. Bravo! I took piano lessons from age 5 up through college, and eventually graduated with my BM in Piano Performance (eight years ago). I also got married and had kids shortly after finishing college, so piano practice has been on the back burner for the past several years. You've inspired me to buckle down and finally memorize that Chopin nocturne I started working on last year! I want my kids to grow up with memories of their mom filling the home with lovely music.

Emma Knight Peel said...

That was beautiful! It seems like such a complicated piece, but you did it so well! Piano is such a wonderful way to get your mind off stressors, improve skills and posture, and meditate (because you can't think of anything else). You've inspired me to tackle more difficult piano pieces. Thanks, and Bravo! :)

Nancy said...

Bravissimo! Jennifer, as always, you are an inspiration. Thank you!

Elisabeth said...

SO SO Lovely!! Thanks for sharing! Inspiring!

galant said...

Oh, very well done! You made it right to the end and it's not a short piece. I thought you did so well, Jennifer! I was clapping at the end, didn't you hear me all the way from Devon in the UK? Husband was sitting next to me at his computer and he was highly amused that you said you'd promised to play for all your readers and he thought you'd done well, too! What will be your next piece? The Moonlight Sonata? A piece of Gershwin? And I liked the way you had dressed for your performance, too!
Margaret P

Sally Bright said...

Well done Jennifer you did brilliantly - not an easy piece to play!

Farbenformerin said...

You played the piano very good, Jennifer.
It was a pleasure to listen to you. What's up next?

Anonymous said...

Brava, Jennifer.

Debbie From Illinois said...

That was lovely, congratulations on your accomplishment.

Rose said...

Brave Jennifer, brava! You are sending me into Friday with this delightful music to accompany my day. Well done on setting yourself a goal and working hard to achieve it.

Unknown said...

Great job! That was beautiful!

Unknown said...

Absolutely fabulous! You are such an inspiration!

Patricia said...

Jennifer, I echo Lisa McEvoy's comment. Yo've inspired me to take up the piano again.

Stephanie Clayton said...

I listened to your video while preparing my lunch today. It brought me joy. You play beautifully! Mozart is one of my favorite composers.
In my early teens, I begged my mother for piano lessons, mainly because all my friends could read music and play. Not surprisingly, I felt a little left out. Alas, I only had a few lessons before my mother realized she could no longer afford it. I got over the disappointment and returned to other passions such as sewing - more economical since we already had everything on hand. (My mom loved to sew.)
Lately I've been thinking of sewing again, among other things. Thank you for the inspiration!

Melissa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
teres said...

You outdid yourself this time, Jennifer.

You humbly aspire to be the best of what you can be. That is truly admirable.

Busy Pottering said...

Wonderful Jennifer! I really enjoyed hearing and seeing you play! I'm reviving my old hobby of sewing and it is such a consuming passion for me these days - and spending way too much time visiting all the fabulous sewing blogs. Let's hope I move towards a home-sewn 10 item wardrobe!

Anonymous said...

Jennifer, I believe we all have magic in our lives. Thank you for sharing some of yours through your piano, your blog and your wonderful books! Waiting expectantly for the appearance of my copy of the newest Madame Chic wisdom! XX Cyndee

Shelly said...

Sensational Jennifer! I loved every minute of it. I used to play as a teenager but have not done so for many years now. Sadly I had to sell my piano when we moved as I no longer have the room for it. I really miss it now :(

I have however, been inspired by your blog and books to make more of an effort to be more presentable on an everyday basis and cultivate my interest in the arts. I don't really go to the theatre as I don't have anyone who wants to go with me but I decided that was no excuse and recently went alone. I had the best time. So, thank you for giving me that little push and getting me out there enjoying life's simple pleasures.

Jill Foley said...

What fun - thanks for sharing this with us!

Unknown said...

You have inspired me as to go back and try the piano again now that it is my choice and not my parents'! Also, this was the music for a very cute Curious George tape that my children watched for years and years (when Curious George is in the Hospital) so it brought back fond memories of those days as well. Thanks Jennifer!

Joni said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joni said...

(Can't stand spelling errors, so I'm redoing my comment.)

Brava, brava, Jennifer! That was wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

1812Quilts said...

Awww, that was fun to listen to! Congratulations, so proud of you!

Pammie said...

I adore piano music and you played this beautifully !

Also, Jennifer, I'm re-reading your Lessons from Madame Chic and enjoying it all over again. As an almost 60-year-old woman with grown children and small grandchildren, I can say there are still things to be learned in this world and you teach it so delightfully! I love your philosophy on life. Thank you so much.

Rita said...

I love piano music. I don't have any musical talent, but I'm a good listener. This was beautifully done, thanks for sharing it with us. (And, yes, I did applaud as well).

Alina Pilińska said...

Wow! I want to be that good!

Unknown said...

I love it! So glad you shared that with us! My daughter has been taking piano lessons the past 4 years and has far surpassed my level (I only took two years of piano). I've often thought I should be learning what she's learning, but I never feel I have the time. You've inspired me to give it a try! :-)
By the way, we are in the market for a new (to us) piano. We currently have a digital piano, but would love to have an acoustic. I see that you have a Yamaha. We've been looking at the U3 model. Would you mind sharing which model you have and any thoughts about it? It sounds beautiful to me! Thanks for being so inspiring! I can't wait to read your new book!

Rambling said...

Lovely dynamics.

Vicki Zimmerman said...

Standing ovation here in Orange County! Thank you for sharing your artistic self and wonderful musical talent. Keep playing; I want to hear more of your beautiful classical pieces.

You've shown here how rewarding it is to keep setting personal goals and then enjoy the pleasure and satisfaction of meeting them.

Encore, s'il vous plait!

Unknown said...

Jennifer, what a wonderful performance!

I have a little "hobby" of mine that I recently abandoned - and it was inspired by you in the first place. I began teaching myself french last year! I always wished I could speak french and begged for lessons when I was a little girl, but I was never given the opportunity. After being inspired by many of your videos and your books, I downloaded a few apps, began watching children's television shows in French, and e-mailed a friend who lives in France to practice. I was doing fairly well, but due to some life changes I stopped all together. After this video and your recent messages of refusing to be dumbed down, I have returned to my lessons! 15 minutes a day is all it takes for me to achieve something I've always dreamed of.

Merci beaucoup, Jennifer! A bientôt!

Unknown said...

I think even Mr. Darcy would consider you accomplished!

I've recently expanded my knitting techniques, just in time for knitting weather. I can now make more than just squares and rectangles! My end goal is to learn knit lace so I can embellish the scarves I frequently gift. You've inspired me to browse patterns so I have my goal in mind as I learn!

CashmereLibrarian said...

Jennifer, that was beautiful. Thank you for putting n the effort, and sharing with us!

Andrea W said...

My piano is staring at me so hard right now!

Seriously, I enjoyed this so much. Thank you for sharing your considerable skill with us. More than that, thank you for the inspiration and the message that it is not about being "perfect", it is about the joy of the process when it comes to learning, and especially music.

I have been thinking about giving away our piano because I have rarely been using it, and as our space is limited I feel I need to play it to justify having it. I still feel that way, but you have inspired me to reconsider my relationship with the piano again. Thank you for that, too.

Love;
Andrea

clburbach said...

Hi Jennifer!

My friend recently introduced me to your blog and I am so enjoying it! Living in rural west TX, on a ranch and being married to a large animal vet makes it difficult to always be presentable. However, my friend and I are trying to adopt some of your philosophies, and convey them to our girls. I call it channelling my grandmother(who was always dressed and ladylike even in the middle of nowhere)! So, thank you for your inspiration and encouragement! I am looking forward to reading your books.

Also, thank you for sharing your performance of Alla Turca. My 5 yr old daughter happened to be watching with me and liked it so much that we went to iTunes and bought the song. I have been trying to introduce more classical music into our homeschool curriculum.
I look forward to seeing your new videos each week, thanks again!

Chelsea B.

Ashley G said...

When I was in middle school I played the flute for the school band. Up until about 3 weeks ago I had not even looked at my flute in about 10 years. After your post about getting back into piano, I- like so many others- felt the urge to dust off my old instrument and give it a try. I have been playing about 3-4 days a week for almost a month and it's addicting! I love to play classic songs, Disney songs, and holiday music (of course!). Playing the flute again has made me so happy and I'm grateful to you for inspiring the resurgence of that old love! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving, Jennifer!