Today I started another duet with a newer student and a friend of mine, Cristine. She started taking lessons a few months ago, and I'm going to do a duet with her for her second recital. It's a beginner book, one that I started with when I first began lessons nine years ago, and we're playing "Ode to Joy", which is kind of funny in several ways.
First, it is the duet I just played with Chris, but this is a much simpler arrangement. Cristine is playing the basic melody and I will be accompanying with more complex chords that will enhance her performance.
This will also be good for me since I need to work on my improvisations when I mess up to not affect the other musician. This is especially important since Cristine is more prone to make mistakes than Chris was since Cristine is just starting out and still new to piano. It is important for me to make sure I can have my part as steady and perfect as possible so it does not mess her up too much, and we both can perform to the best of our ability.
Another reason this song choice is funny is the same version of "Ode to Joy" Cristine is playing is the same version I played at my first recital. While this will not be Cristine's first recital, it is her first non-Christmas recital, which bring this all in a full circle. I find it odd yet intriguing how this happened, and I want to do everything I can to make Cristine's performance as flawless as possible so she can enjoy the experience like I did when I performed it.
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