You have questions, I have answers. Maybe. If you would like to ask me something, email me at mtmccarthy@gmail.com and I will do my best to respond to you directly. I may put the answer on this page. If you think your question is appropriate for this page, say so, and I will give it extra consideration. If your question goes unanswered, please send me another email - persistence is key, as they say, and every once in a while something gets by me.
On to the questions...
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with this website?
Three primary things. First, I hope to share good, free piano recordings for my visitors' enjoyment.
Second, I hope to show people what they can do at a piano. I don't think I'm terribly talented. I'm simply following some basic directions given to me by my teachers and Dr. Chang from his Fundamentals of Piano Practice. Learning to play piano isn't easy, but I firmly believe that reaching an intermediate/advanced level certainly is accessible to anyone who can type on a computer keyboard. All that is needed are somewhat functional hands and a desire to play. Don't believe me? Read Dr. Chang's book and play 30+ minutes per day. You'll see.
Third, I also hope people will make use of my music for their projects. The music is for everyone's benefit. Nearly all of it is in the public domain. I'm essentially following Dr. Chang's lead and providing the recordings for free.
Q: What equipment are you using to create these recordings? How did you make them?
To make these recordings, I hook my digital keyboard to my computer´s sound card via the line-in jack. To record, I use Audacity. It is not complicated to setup. Earlier recordings were made with a Yamaha YDP-223. Pacaud's Dragon's Prayer and the following recordings were recorded with a Yamaha P-140. In the future, I do plan to make some acoustic recordings - I will let you know what equipment I use if I do not record from the digital keyboards.
Q: How about trying something other than piano?
I kind of have my hands full already with one instrument. And, having started at age 17, I am a late starter! The organ is a definite possibility, as is a harpsichord, if I can get my hands on one. Learning to play non-keyboard instruments like the violin or guitar would be spreading my efforts a bit thin, though, as much as I might like violin or guitar music.
Q: It would be great if you could list your daily regimen that is enabling you to do what you are doing. This would greatly help novices like me to attempt what you have accomplished. I would be checking on this site in the future. Thanks.
A good start would be to read C.C. Chang´s book on piano practice carefully. I believe that this book is one of the main reasons for my progress up to this date. My advice is, basically, that you follow Chang´s advice, and practice every day, consistently. I believe the most efficient way to practice is in multiple 30-45 minute increments - at times, though, I go nuts and go for two hours or something like that.
For me, I don´t have a set daily regimen, exactly. Every day, I make a point to progress a few bars in my pieces (for how to do so, read the book), sight read for at least 20 minutes, and get some scale/arpeggio work done. Also, I generally warm up with one of the pieces which I want to be performance ready, rather than using scales and arpeggios to warm up. I warm down by playing one of my performance pieces slowly. Besides that, in what order this is done isn't really important to me, as long as everything gets done.
Q: Do you plan on putting together a complete CD?
Eventually, I would like to. Before then, I would want both my own skill and the general recording sound quality to improve a bit more. If I sell something, I would want it to be of a highly presentable standard, and I´m not able to do that at this moment. In my own opinion, at least.
Q: I don't think you recorded [insert name of piece here] yourself.
You are wrong. I have nothing to prove and I am not trying to gain your money.
Q: Do you play Beethoven´s Für Elise?
Perhaps I will learn it in the future, but at the moment, no, I don´t.
Q: We want variation!!!! (i.e. the variation from Franck's Prelude, Fugue, and Variation)
I want to finish the entire set and get all three movements in performable shape eventually. Variation is hard, though, so it will take me a long time to get my skills at the right level and record it.
Q: I want to give you money. How might I do that?
Check out the "donate" link to the left!
Clothes. And please, nobody send me questions like this. Thanks.