Hard to say! My advice is to not play any of your pieces by memory if you don't feel super safe doing so. The risk of playing worse because of (the fright of) a memory loss is much greater than the probability of winning extra points if the rules say that you won't if you perform by heart. Also, it's not time for small tactics, stay focused on giving the best of yourself instead.

The judges are supposed to be listening with their eyes closed. Seriously, it's my understanding that at most competitions where the competitors are allowed to play with their scores, the competitors are judged on the artistic merit of their performances only and not on whether they do without the music or not. However, I don't doubt a bit of prejudice might creep in every now and then (judges are human beings, after all). I do second Alfonso - if you're still uneasy playing without the score, you'll probably be less musical and secure in your playing and would be better off using the sheet music. That's my mantra, anyway.

I would play everything from memory, but that's because I hate scores. Once the piece is memorized (which is usually within a week or two of working on it) I hardly look at the score again, and I would find it nerve-wracking to try to perform with a score and turning pages and all. I like the freedom of being able to look at my hands and nothing else.

I'm very weak at memorizing the score, since I'm lacking of that sort of training.... Thus I would have the music in front of me at all events. But do you have a page turner, Monica?
Anyway I want to suggest to decide for which piece you will use the score and for which not as soon as possible and to stick to it during every practice and rehearsal. Since also it requires extra pratice from you, to divide your concentration into seeing the score and seeing the your hands.
Good luck wishes from one of your angels

Pianolady wrote: For me it does!

OK, if you're not having any sinus symptoms and if the cause is not post-nasal drip, then don't take Augmentin. Penicillin or erythromycin may be better if it's bacterial. However, if it's viral, time is the only cure and only a culture can confirm which it is.

But in the meantime, honey or lemon tea is the best home remedy. Avoid sodas and caffeine - it will dehydrate you further. Warm salt water rinses are good too (1/2 tsp of salt in 1 cup water). Honey lozenges can help soothe the throat too. I hope you're starting to feel better?!

Thanks for the advice. I have been intending to play my first-round pieces by memory. I feel they are pretty good and tight in my head right now - really I think I can play them with my eyes closed! But I'm just a little worried about what my brain will do when I'm actually sitting there in front of judges. Will my memory go out the window? I've copied my music and put in a black 3-ring binder (so it looks nice and neat) and think I will bring it to the piano but leave it sitting on the side of the piano - just in case. Except if I do have a problem, opening up the notebook and finding the page will take time and I only have 10 minutes to play and I timed myself a couple times yesterday - one time was 10 mins. 14 sec. and the other time was 9 mins 50 secs. so I you can see that I don't have time to spare! Hmmm...I may rethink this whole thing today....

Hye-Jin - they will provide a page-turner if I need one, but I already told them that I don't need one. I can do my own page-turning if necessary. I do agree with you about practicing with the music so you are used to doing so. I've learned that lesson the hard way...

George - Yes, no antibiotics since what I have is viral. But I am getting better; my throat still feels a bit like sandpaper, but it's like a 'fine grit' sandpaper now. And my arms still ache but it's the 'regular' ache/pain that I'm used to. I think by tomorrow it should be mostly all gone. And tomorrow is day of pampering - exercise class, and then to the salon where I'll get buffed, waxed, and polished all over. Oh and also a pedicure. Because of course one must have pretty toes to play the piano, right?

Pianolady wrote: WOW! I don't think the GT3 gets such pampering when I detail it. After tomorrow, I believe the Concours d'Elegance will be in your favor... I am glad you're feeling better as the angels have indeed been working overtime.... Bravo Monica! Shock them all with your music!!!!!

hehe - well, I may not have the skills necessary to make it past the first round, but I do have some skill in spending money on myself.

I've decided to put my music up on the piano but opened to just that one page of the mazurka where I sometimes stumble. At least that's my current plan as of this morning. Tonight is the first event - a 'meet and greet' dinner. I may try to ask around to see how many other competitors are using music.

my heart rate is already up....

I hope I don't shock them by playing terribly...

actually, I've just thought of a new tactic - I'm going to disguise myself so that if I do make a total fool of myself, no one will recognize me later. Yeah - I'll have them dye my hair a different color at the salon today...

I am not nervous, I am not nervous, I am not nervous, I am not nervous....

You will do great, I know you will! It's perfectly natural to be nervous. I am feeling excited for you, too. Enjoy the dinner this evening!

You'll be fine, Monica. Just be glad your career is not riding on it.

I never made it to the dinner! I drove through a tornado and then was stuck on the highway for 3 1/2 hours!

OMG this was a terrible night!! I thought I was going to blow away to China or something! We had some really really bad weather come through right at the time when I left my house to drive into the city. (I went by myself) Yes, I knew that storms were approaching, but I didn't think it was going to be so bad. So it's 5:00 and I'm all dolled up and my car is all gassed up and I get onto the highway for what should have been a 45-minute ride into Chicago. About 20 minutes in, the sky is getting blacker and blacker and it's raining like crazy - traffic is crawling on the highway. Then it gets even blacker or more like greener and the radio tells me that tornadoes are practically on top of where I'm at! So now I'm scared and crying - I hear all the tornado sirens going off in the surrounding towns, and I'm calling my husband on my cell phone and he's worried sick about me -and I can't see anything except that things are flying sideways in front of my car and everybody on the highway (it's a 'big' highway - 8 lanes) has stopped. Little by little the sky starts to brighten a bit. So good, I'm moving forward again - about 20 mph. Then we stop. And stay stopped for over 3 hours. Turns out a viaduct up ahead on the highway I was on flooded and they had to shut down the highway. I was trapped, along with hundreds maybe even a thousand other cars. Finally, I ended up turning my car completely around and going the opposite way down the highway until I could get myself onto another road and then to home. So that was my nice dinner with the other contestants. At least there is another one on Sunday night. Probably some other contestants had similar problems like me, though. Another major highway leading into the city was also shut down because of flash-flooding.

Well, I'll try again in the morning. I have to wake up at 5:00 and be in my car by 6:00. My time to try out the piano is at 8:24. Then I'll have two hours of time to myself in a practice room before my 'real' playing time which is 11:36. I'm so wired up right now though - how am I going to sleep tonight?

Wow, that sounds awful! Sorry to hear that, even though I haven't really been participating in this thread. If you're still up now, my advice is to avoid any kind of stimulation (like a computer) and just try to relax, eventually your body will become naturally tired out. Good luck with the competition! From what I've heard from your recordings, I can tell that you play very well. I'm sure you'll do great

Oh Monica, how terrible! I am so sorry. That must have been terrifying. I hope everyone's prayers for today will go into effect and things will be much better.

I'm very sorry to hear what you experienced!
While you were waiting for your turn today, I was cooking. I look at the watch, realized that the time is coming near, so I started to say the prayers for you! Hopefully you enjoyed your appearance on the stage!

Sorry to hear that, Monica. Yesterday evening, skimming through my news roundup, I came across an article about the storm (http://www.ilpost.it/2010/06/24/i-video ... a-chicago/). Those videos are scaring!