(1202) MUSIC AND ME (Feb. 25, 2016) OLD AND YOUNG PIANISTS GUESTS OF PRR

A PIANIST IN HONG KONG IN HER YOUNGER DAYS
     A little rusty but this lady pianist from Hong Kong can play classical songs. She likes soft music. When Roberto learned that she's from Hong Kong, he plays Chinese songs but she doesn't like Chinese songs.


  OLD AND YOUNG PIANISTS GUESTS 
          OF PALAU ROYAL RESORT
 

ON FEBRUARY 17, 2016, an old lady from Hong Kong appreciated my rendition of Chinese songs that I played alternately with American and Japanese songs. Sometimes she would come near me and watch how I play especially with the 2 pedals that I played almost the same number of times.

                She gave me $20.00 tip and later asked if she can play for a few songs. I let her play and she’s good but a little rusty. She said she is retired now but used to play in restaurant/hotel in Hong Kong during her younger years.

                After her short performance, she sits again at her table and I played more Chinese songs. Later she comes back again and asks me not to play Chinese songs. I know a lot of guests/friends/colleagues that don’t like music from their countries: Yuriko Irikedamoto doesn’t like me to play Japanese songs at her Teppan Dragon or Donburi Dragon Japanese restaurants. She wants me to play Italian songs. I can play for only 30 minutes straight all Italian songs but I can play for more than 2 hours straight playing Japanese songs; Kasiano Sugiyama, a Palauan singer/recording artist, doesn’t like Palauan songs. He likes American songs more than Palauan songs; and now this lady from Hong Kong, who also prefers softer and slow tempo music.

While the lady from Hong Kong is playing, I took a shot of her with Palau Royal Resort's Chief Engineer Tony Penas and her girlfriend Shirley, Manager at Mandara Spa, while having dinner.

                                        (Photo by Roberto Hernandez) 

                In August 17, 2015, a Japanese boy is watching me play piano as if he doesn’t know about music. I let him sit on the right side of the piano chair and hold his 2 fingers and we played the song “Chopstick” with me playing the accompaniment on the left side and him playing only 2 fingers to the delight of his parents and younger brother.

                To my surprise, the father asked me if I can let the boy play the piano and when he play, Oh boy, he’s very good at his very young age and playing classical pieces. I think the boy has formal training on classical piano music at his young age.

                There’s another Japanese father with his 2 girls watching the boy plays, who cannot even reach the 3 damper pedals of the upright piano. After his performance, I gave the boy my card, which I always do to anybody who became my ‘guest’ performer.

Sources: Music and Me
                   By Roberto Hernandez
                   Tia Belau Newspaper
                   March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
                   http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
                   April 2013 -- February 25, 2016

                   Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
                   The Beginning of Chess in Palau
                   By Roberto Hernandez
                   To be published as a book in the future