Tomoko knows the value of persistence, even when
experiencing challenges and failure. She asserts: “Each piano piece has some kind of physical challenge. Tomoko also
associates learning to play the piano to mountain climbing. “You need to go up lots of small mountains. If the road is right, you will reach up. So practice
daily, and step nicely.”
Tomoko also shares stories about pianists and composers of
piano pieces with her students, and sometimes mentions the challenges these
individuals faced and overcame.
For instance, Mozart was a court musician in Salzburg, but
was very unhappy in his job. He quarreled frequently with the Archbishop, and
was fired from that position. However, he felt liberated, and became a famous
pianist after performing in competition before the emperor.
Rachmaninov’s composing career had a rocky start. His first
symphony’s premier was a disaster, partly because the orchestra hadn’t
rehearsed enough and the conductor was drunk. For three years, Rachmaninov
composed very little because he was so depressed. Fortunately, he was able to
get psychiatric help, and his later Piano Concerto No. 2 became internationally
applauded.
Robert Schumann also started as a performing pianist, but his
little finger on his right hand was weak. He tried to fix that problem, but his
hand became permanently damaged instead. With that career out of the picture,
he turned to composing, and is known for his romantic piano works.
Jean Sibelius started his musical career as a violinist but
was turned down by orchestras. He thought he was too old to train further for performance
but instead of foregoing music, he decided to switch to composing. He not only
wrote great violin concertos but also impressive piano compositions.
Beethoven experienced several challenges. As a boy, he was
dominated by his alcoholic father, and then had to be the breadwinner for his
family when his father declined and died. Then as early as in his twenties,
Beethoven’s hearing started to decline. However, he wrote his best musical
compositions when he could hear the music only in his head.
Tomoko too has had her own challenges, but has succeeded as a
piano performer and award-winning piano teacher. She and the musicians above
are worthy models for piano learners.
