In Pursuit of Mastery: Ten Thousand Hours at the Keyboard

Artist Statement When I applied for admission to Bard College, I was set on continuing my studies in the field of mathematics. By the time I arrived in the fall of 2012, I had decided to abandon a sure and stable future career in fund management to pursue my life’s true passion: music. Despite being told by teachers that starting at the age of 18 would not allow for the necessary time to become proficient at the piano, I was utterly determined to realize the potential I knew existed within me. I started from the absolute bottom, dedicating the entire summer prior to starting classes to running scales and arpeggios for four hours a day. I read three full classical harmony theory textbooks and wrote 40 pages worth of counterpoint exercises with only Johann Joseph Fux for guidance. It was only two months before starting lessons at Bard that I actually started learning a few simple pieces. Over the past four years, I have spent five thousand hours at the piano. I have sacrificed relationships, time with friends, and many activities I used to enjoy for the sake of music, and I regret nothing. I know that nothing else could inspire me to wake up at 6:55 every weekday morning and practice for nine hours. Nothing else could fill me with such satisfaction and delight as composing an elegant fugue. Nothing else could excite me more about the future, than knowing that there is more music to be played and to be written. Music is my vocation, and I intend to continue on the path I have set for myself. This concert is a testament to the fact that I have devoted my life to the mastery of my craft, and I am extremely appreciative to Bard for providing a place for me to pursue my passion. To 10,000 hours by 2018! - Thorvald Spartan Daggenhurs