Video project

As I've mentioned before, I am working on a project to make a video every day (when possible) for the rest of April 2011. I'm having a great time with it, and heartily encourage others to give it a try. Here's a link to my Youtube playlist for this project. I invite you to subscribe to my channel!

Here is my process:

1. Choose a piece (or related pieces), preferably something relatively simple and unfamiliar to me. They will very in difficulty but will need to be short enough to not require page turning, and should not have more than a few technical difficulties. 
2. Record myself sightreading it.
3. Analyze the result; make note of any difficulties, determine interpretation.
4. Isolate technical issues and practice
5. Refine interpretation
6. Record again and post!

The audio will be somewhat close-mic'd (2-3 feet away) and will remain unprocessed.

The end result probably won't be perfect, but one thing I have learned from performing is that at some point you just have to let the music out into the world. The sooner and more often, the better.

I've just started, but here are some random things I have learned or been reminded of so far:

• Recording yourself is good, especially with video, but doing it frequently is even better. The feedback you get is incredibly helpful.
• Give yourself a deadline every now and then to help you focus. A recital, open mic, video recording, etc. 
• I need to pay more attention to my right hand fingerings. I'm surprised by how much I repeat fingers, although left to its own devices, my hand will start alternating once it becomes necessary to achieve the necessary speed.   
• Left-hand positioning is really important. I don't think there's one universally "perfect" position, but if you're making a shift (for example) make sure you land in a position that's advantageous for what you're about to play. 
• You can learn a lot about your playing by watching your face while you play.