Oasis in the concrete jungle
When I was booked for the first time for that new place, a newly opened hotel in Benidorm I was not thrilled at all. That city has a reputation for being a place for tourists that come just to spend all their money on drinks and parties, leaving behind them an ugly image. But work is work, and it is also the thing that I like to play the piano. It feels like putting together fun and being paid for it. Why would I ever refuse that? Well, if a place is bad and the conditions are not good I will not go, that is why I avoid working in Benidorm, but I was assured by my manager that it is different. I could feel safe and that I would like the place. (Not everything in that city is bad, don't get me wrong, it is just the nightlife of it and the consequences of the same that are not very attractive). After a few phone calls and messages we agreed, I got the directions and that Saturday evening headed to the concrete jungle with my good friend, Voyager.
Red light. Green light. Skyscrapers. Roundabout. 30 km/h. Palm trees by the roads. Convertibles that don't care about the speed limit. Police cars. For a moment I thought I found myself in a Spanish version of the Miami Vice series 😂
But actually, I found myself in a little oasis in that madness. Very friendly hotel staff, zen ambience and then... and then I was introduced to the garden where piano music was needed for that night. It was a garden full of palm, olive and banyan trees around the pool and hammocks, with a terrasse for having dinner or drink.
The staff of that newly opened hotel was very kind. First, they showed me the place and asked me where I would like to play. It was my stage piano that was installed in the place I found the best for myself, being discretely camouflaged between the tables. I don't like to be at a stoplight if we talk about this kind of event. I just like to be there, bringing from somewhere the tunes that will please a few souls. I don't even like applause between the pieces I play, it kind of reveals that there is a musician but what is actually important is not me, but the music. I want to be in the background.
What in reality happened is... that the people who occupied those few tables applauded, loudly, after every single song I played. What an abashment!! After a bit less than an hour of playing I took a break to have a drink myself too and let those people go to their rooms :D
In the second part of my performance, just those more relaxed people stayed and enjoyed the music, approving the sounds coming from my piano with a smile or meeting my sight. I understood they enjoyed the experience and saved it for the enrichment of their inner peace.
But guess what? Those who were clapping after every song in the first part continued to listen to me from their balcony and here and there I still heard applause 😂
After I finished my piano playing time, I wanted to stroll around in that little oasis. I wanted to be the guest, not the one who worked and feel the presence of these trees. Do they feel something, the trees? Can they hear sounds and distinguish the vibrations that music can bring from the vibrations that the busy city and its life, just outside of the fence can provide? Is there a difference between music and noise?
Well, let's live that question unanswered, we would just suppose and not know for sure what the trees can sense. Another stroll, now in the hall and bar of the hotel. It was a very calm evening for them, a place that just opened a few months ago needed time to get more guests. Also, October is a month when the tourist season gets a bit weaker. I imagine this summer will bring more guests to a place like this.
It is tempting to take a few moments and relax. Just be. But Voyager and my piano were ready to go, and I went back to the streets of the concrete jungle, heading home.
This is one of the examples of what work means for me and the places I get booked sometimes. I have to confess, I would gladly go back here to work, anytime they need piano music for an evening like this! 🎶
Great to see a post about you and your piano, or rather one of them!
And I see you got it from a well known German company.. 😄
I only know Benidorm from a (very funny) British sitcom, but would most likely not chose to go there, but if you play at this hotel again, who knows, I might just book a stay there just to listen to some expertly played music! 😍
Thank you, dear Anke :)
That's me and my piano, at one of the places :))
I went a few times there but then in November, it was already cold for being outside, for people and for me too to play, so it stopped. Let's hope they will start again with music in spring or summer and who knows, maybe I will be back there. I would gladly play for you, and with your guitar and singing!! 😇
Wow, me and my guitar? Haha, that would be sooo cool!! 😄
Have a lovely day! 😀
And I forgot your harmonica too :)))
Have a great one you too @anna-newkey 😀
Ah, yes, don't need to book a seat for that! 😄
😂
I would want to go back there if it's me. I hope I could hear you playing piano someday in real life hehe..
I think it is a place where both guests and people who work there want to go back :)) 🍀
Wow! I thought you were a piano teacher!
This is one of the good sides of this type of work rather than tied up in the office.
Got a chance to visit different places
Yea, you are right, I am a piano teacher too ;)
But I am also a pianist, which is connected. I have two jobs, but they have one thing in common - the piano 🎹
Hello dear friend @mipiano good day
What a charming place, I loved the place you have chosen, very close to nature.
It's good that the public enjoyed your music and you were well received and loved.
Beautiful photographs, I appreciate that you have let us know
Have a nice day
Yes, I was kind of hiding among those trees :D
After all, it is just the music that matters. Thank you for stopping by @jlufer and have a nice day you too!
I remember when you talked about this place, but not to this level of detail hahahaha, you made me laugh a lot when you compare it to Miami Vice and more when your audience was applauding you from the balconies of the rooms hahahaha... that's great, but I understand your point of going unnoticed so that it's the music that is the protagonist!!!!
I love that place, you can see that it is a small hotel, but it is well conditioned and its decoration seems beautiful to me, it is certainly a cozy place to rest!!!!
Considering what you say is a fact that it is better to work occasionally there, certainly there are types of nightlife that simply do not go with you and that is respectable, the important thing is that you enjoy your work and wherever you play, you will brighten lives, I have no doubt about that!
The Voyager and you are the best, and look, I am not studied in the subject, but I know of musical experiments with plants and trees and the vibrations of the music do them good, they react physiologically to it.
Based on what you say about music and noise I start from the principle of perception, it is basically like listening and hearing, one is conscious and focuses our senses on it to the fullest, the other does not have our attention but we know it is there, therefore music is something we enjoy to the fullest, noise too, but not having the same level of attention, are only sounds of the environment that let us know we are not alone ...
A big hug my dear mipiano, I loved your post, I was very happy to visit you and as always, enjoy your anecdotes in the music 🌹💖.... You Rockkk!!! 👍😉🔥🎹🎶❤️🌟🥂💥💫💯
Don Fer! 😎
Qué alegría leerte en este post, gracias por tu tiempo!
Miami Vice 😂
I just had that glimpse of the image from that series hahaha, it was so long time ago when it was popular 😂
I am jumping immediately to your last paragraph and the difference between music and noise. How well explained!!! I will call you every time to explain better everything I want to say :) you are a pro, my friend! Also, I am pleased you understand why I think that music is the protagonist and what matters and not the musician. I don't know, maybe applause should be forbidden 😁
Tenía un tiempo sin visitarte, debía hacerlo 🌹💖!!!
When I was a kid I used to watch Miami Vice (the original) with my dad and there was another series that he loved, which was not action but drama and I also watched it with him, it was called Falcon Crest!!!!
Count me in... that example of listening and hearing I always used to give as an example to my psychology students in college when I wanted them to understand the difference between words and their meaning when speaking, it was basically in a learning psychology class, so I liked to use it also in what you talked about in your writing!!!!
A huge hug for you, may your day culminate with success and blessings, my dear friend 🙏❤️..... You Rockkkkkk!!!! 🙌😀💛
Nada se debe Fer, yo sé que viene de aquí 💖 :))
How nice memories you have, even if you mention just watching a series with your dad, I imagine you being a kid, with your family... I try to imagine if my son will have a memory like that, as guess what, we don't watch tv at all. Ok, I know he will have different memories, we paid a lot of attention to him, played educative games, read books, and took him to so many places across Europe. Well, he will also remember our music practice sessions hahaha, it's not easy to have a teacher mom 😂😂 But he asks for my piano accompaniment now by himself 😇 things are changing, or maybe I lowered a bit the pressure and expectations.
Thanks for giving us always your psychological perspective, not coming just from a professional but also from the mouth of a friend!
And You Rock, I just Classck 😝 😂 (acabo de inventar esto, no me hagas caso hahahaha)
Well I understand what you are telling me about your son, don't let that distress you, obviously our times are different from the kids of today, they are very different dynamics but they are still great and believe me that what you do for him he will value a lot and more with music, the important thing is that you as a mom, beyond the teacher, know how to calibrate very well the duty and recreation time, doing that well your son will always treasure your teachings until the end of his days, do not doubt it 🙌😀💛!!!!
Hey you made me laugh with the last thing hahaha but I understood what you meant to do, a fusion of You Rock with You Classically Rock, it would be even funnier if it was You Crock hahahaha 😘💖!!!!
Hahaha, Crock 😂😂😂
It can have different meanings though 😂
It is like a pot or a jar, but what is funny, is that in slang it means a lie, nonsense 🤣🤣
Ok, I anyway like to talk nonsense sometimes, so it's perfect, all fine 😁
What a beautiful place and accompanied by the beats of the music on the piano played by you I think the oasis is small. I always say that music is medicine for the soul. Thank you for delighting us with these visuals that allow us in the distance to imagine the moment @mipiano 🎼
The place was amazing, from the street one would never imagine that this nice garden is hidden in this hotel. They certainly need more guests and more piano music by me hahaha
Thank you @janitzearratia 😇
Music makes us humble and clean of heart and the secret garden was the framework for everything to flow in that space where you played the piano...congratulations and thank you for sharing your feelings. 🎶🌺
The place looks like it is located in a magical place. It is pretty and with a beautiful melody coming from a piano, that is really perfect. You are being applauded coz for sure, every piece you played was full of emotions. 🥰❤️
As I said, an oasis. The city is full of skyscrapers, and you enter another world here. Music - I know, they loved it, but I felt a bit weird, like please don't clap after the next one, just let me play hahaha
Hahahaha, they just appreciate you 😆.
This vibes which also take me in consideration, sometimes I just need the relaxing time without paying for anything, but how. The fact for me is that after I relaxed and back to realize how I spend while I am not free financial would be hard for me.
By your performance was well honor and that people were still enjoying your music even after you had finished playing. Imagine listen to your performance accidently in reality!
The interior exists with a clean environment, however it is like we have to pay expensive for that.
I know what you mean, until we have to work and earn through hard work it is difficult to allow ourselves just to relax and pay for it. But let me share with you a secret - sometimes the nicest things, including a relax time are free 😉 we don't necessarily have to pay for a hotel to feel some zen vibes 😇
Are we not supposed to clap? 😳
😂
Hahaha, well, imagine you are on a calm dinner with someone enjoying the moment... and then from another table someone claps to the pianist and spoils everything!!
💣
😂
I could always join and clap louder! 😂
(pinky fingers clap only) :p
😇
That place looks so amazing. Reminds me of season 2 of The White Lotus. Have you watched it? There is a piano player that works at a resort in it. It all takes place at a European resort.
No, I didn't watch it but watched now the trailer haha
Ow, it seems that the story is situated in Sicily, ok, not very far away from Spain :D
I saw a grand piano just for a second in that trailer, that would be so nice I would have such a piano in this hotel. Would be much much nicer. But I guess I am not in a movie... damn...
😂
They should have had you on the show 😜
Definitely 😆
The place looks amazing. Honestly, the life that you have now is impressive. You're just enjoying and having fun about everything. ☺️
Hahaha, well, I just try to enjoy all the things life gives us 😉
Sometimes I can and other times I can't! But this place was nice indeed, as a place to work.
Hotel, work that isn't work, Miami Vice (Benidorm Vice 😂)... I loved seeing you play there.
Then I saw you walking around breathing that oasis and although I wanted to ask you for your autograph, I kept quietly staring at my Bloody Mary that had almost died. I didn't want to mix drinks, though for a moment I thought maybe a shot of whiskey on the rock would do me good, however a Joaquin Sabina song that started to get louder in my head snapped me out of the fixed, triangulated idea of the pale girl and the drink.... I went to sleep between my pillows. Havana was far away and in a few hours I had to board the plane.
(Siempre disfrutando tus posts)
Benidorm Vice 😂😂😂
Work not work - I bet you have a similar experience with your one. Who would take a profile picture while at work? 😁
Thank you for coming to this place but de momento no doy con la canción de Joaquin Sabina, pero así aprendo repertorio de músicos que no conozco 😁 y no me lo digas jajaja.
(gracias 😇)
Ese post que me pides ¡va! For sure.
😇
Well, you can't tell me this is what I told so-and-so or so-and-so (hahaha) What is that? I didn't know that's how you say in English. En Español es Fulano o Mengano.
Si se dice así (so-and-so) ya estoy en inglés avanzado.
Todo es heavy, but also dorado y confuso.
I thought about a post, like describing how is one day at your work, like fotorreportera, cuando fuiste a este sitio al lado del mar. There is one community where this kind of post would be great . Worklife . I wanted to post this one there, but I missed to describe better what I actually work and showed more the venue, so decided for this corner. I mean, it's just an idea, a suggestion.
And for the garden - that of course has to come 🍀 in Hive Garden! But as well, just an idea, it's up to you ;)
Maybe we need an English-Spanish-Cuban dictionary 😂 btw, that was a cool post the other day. Quería decir que no doy con la canción - que estaba escuchado las canciones de ese cantante Joaquin y no sé cual iría en tu comentario, pero que no pasa nada porque así escucho canciones nuevas que no conozco. Y también lo que pasó que una alumna me pidió la canción, Golden Hour, justo que salió hace dos-tres días en spread the vibes de garorant.
Buenos días y que vaya todo bien en el trabajo 👋
Ah ya... Tremendo. Jaja... No te digo la canción entonces? 😂
Seems like a really nice place to me.
In any case, where you can make music is always a nice place in my opinion, and the audience here was also very kind and I think it's always a great satisfaction😉
Yes, a so nice place, I enjoyed playing there a few times :)
The kind of music I play for these occasions is gentle, even if the audience is not kind, they become it after listening to that music haha (just a joke 😅 )
Heh heh good music always makes people kinder, right?😉
Nice place to work 🙂
Isn't it?
Though I have another work too - teaching.
So, today a student of mine showed me a song that she would like to learn. Do you know which one? The one you shared the other day in your Spread the vibes post. This one:
The strange this is that I have never listened to it until your post and today she asks for this song hahaha. Seems that the vibes were spread more than just on hive 😅
😍😍😍😍
OMG this vibes are pretty magic. I have had a week full of misteries on Hive, a pleasent and lovely misteries. Thanks the universe for this happy coincidences. 🙌
Also, I would like to see a post of you playing that song if it is fine to you or talking about the experience of teaching your student. Abrazo from Cuba!
Hive is a mysterious place, seems :D
It's not impossible that the song will come played by me. But don't take this as a promise. You will know if I make a response to your post :D
😍
This is truly the place I dream of but it is difficult in reality to be really lucky to enjoy this beauty, hoping to always be given an opportunity like this
🍀
It is a nice one, I hope you will have the opportunity to enjoy a place like this, or better.
Yes, my mother hoped that way
We'll be staying in a hotel this May, not far away, not Benidorm, thank god, yes, yes it is mayhem there. I went with my parents in the 70's when it was just a fishing village. We'll be flying out to Madeira and they have musicians in the hotel there, who were really good last time. We might even go to a Fado bar to experience the melalcholic music that they sing.
Sounds like a very nice job you have there!
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Yeah, so you know about Benidorm. Was there again last night, not this hotel but just drove by it giving a lift to a singer fiend with whom we had a rehearsal.
Enjoy Madeira and the musicians there 😎 and Fado, with cod fish and vinho verde 🎶
We shall definitely look out for that and I do like a Vinho Verde!
Es maravilloso ver disfrutar la música y además tu amor al piano hace sonreír disfrutar y hasta querer estar ahí.
Pues, a hacer las maletas y a venir :)))
jejeje
gracias @yanerkidiaz por pasar :)
Ojalá sería una bendición relajarse el espíritu. Pero las maletas tendrán que esperar hay que escribir miles de Post jjjjjj
Ojalá sería una bendición relajarse el espíritu. Pero las maletas tendrán que esperar hay que escribir miles de Post jjjjjj
A beautiful place to play the piano, worthy to admire and explore, I always wanted to learn to play this instrument, how it feels? it must be magical, I congratulate you, and spectacular photos, greetings.
How it feels? That is difficult to answer... but, for example when I learn a new composition, it is like getting to know a person, slowly. The composer, the story behind the piece, but through the sound that the instrument is giving. Though it needs many years of studying. Every instrument is nice to play, it just happened that the piano is my one :)
It would be incredible to be one of those audiences listening to your music. They are lucky to have you, @mipiano. The place looked beautiful btw. Cheers!
Hey, @chichi18, I am more than sure that the audience there would love to listen to you too 🎶
Greetings and have a great weekend!😇
I remember being there a year ago for a business meeting.
For organizational reasons I slept in Valencia instead of Benidorm.
You are right that it is an Oaisis in the middle of bustling Benidorm.
I would also sleep in Valencia instead of Benidorm :)
Love the ambiance😍such a great place.
Yep, a nice place indeed. I hope there will be again opportunities to go back for some events 🎶
Benidorm is not all bad, except for the tourists, the skyscrapers and that it´s not Andalusia. But I wouldn´t have mind being there that night, looks quite good to be honest but it probably even sounded better
It would count as a part of the 48-hour music event on the island or not? :D haha
When I was going there (for a few weeks on Saturdays) a DJ girl was going on Fridays. You could be my colleague as well there ;)
It´s been---uhhh 6 years ago that I last did a DJ gig, damn time flies. I think I could still do a nice 80/90s party or a wedding party but if it comes to modern stuff I am so out of touch😂
But I hope one day to be able to do something again with my rusty skills.
But you have the Midnight Gems where you don't let yourself get out of practice ;)
Well it allows me to keep a feel, but it does not compare to throwing a real fiesta. But I do love doing those Gem packed sets
I know, it is not the same... but still, it is kind of a musical workout haha :))
Tu comunidad (Valencia), en tu país, (España), sencillamente debería considerarse la definición de tesoro. Tiene lugares sacados de la más salvaje imaginación de alguien que haya estudiado turismo, jaja. Benidorm y más allá, según lo que veo en tus fotografías parece idílico, precioso y sobre todo reconfortante.