Both, actually? I do prefer playing by notes for basically most pieces (I'm a classical musician firm in his roots) and just play classical, I don't really like any other genre except klezmer, but even that I haven't listened to much. However, I often play by ear when improvising on the blessings for Shabbat (I now play along with them at home) and I like to play music from movies. Like yesterday I figured out how to play Steal the Show which was written for the movie Elemental. Also, I know some of the soundtrack from My neighbor totoro, ponyo, and the wind rises.

One of my favorite pieces to play is Für Elise by Beethoven (the origional thing). Also, did you know that I am technically a "student descendent" of Haydn, Beethoven, Czerny, and Liszt? Haydn taught beethoven who taught czerny who taught liszt who taught somebody who taught somebody who taught somebody who taught my piano teacher who taught me! For this reason, I am also interested in Liszt, his pieces are really hard but so far I can play ONE PIECE which I performed for a house concert recently. I also like Chopin's Mazurka No. 9 in C major, Op. 7, No. 5 as well as his Prelude in E minor, Op. 24 No. 4. The former is a really lively, dancing piece while the latter is more soulful. However, I don't play it too often because unfortunately my mum likes to pretend to cry like over the top, but pretending a "I'm hurt" cry as opposed to a "this is a beautiful piece" cry, when I play the piece. And yes, I can tell she is pretending. Chopin is also basically my number one favorite composer. I also like to play Mozart's Sonata No. 16 KV545, Mvt. 1. And depending on whether or not Beethoven recieved lessons from Mozart (there have been differing opinions) I might also be a student descendent of Mozart! Did you know that Chopin's students didn't really become famous because they were mostly ladies and at the time ladies couldn't really travel, no matter how talented they were. Also I suspect for this reason Chopin may not have too many student descendants as said ladies probably weren't allowed to teach as well. I also know one Debussy piece by heart and one Kabalevsky piece by heart, and both Fur Elise and Sonata KV545 are memorized as well, not to mention Mazurka in C major. Wow, I've memorized pieces from a variety of composers: Debussy, Kabalevsky, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin! 

Do you like classical music? If so, what are your favorite pieces to play? Sorry I just went on a super big rant about classical music. My mum often points out, when I'm talking about something like classical music, that I'm talking like mark rober. I happen to talk like Mark Rober about things I'm passionate about. Also, I finally watched Revengineers! Did you? What was your favorite episode?

Northampton, massachusetts (got lots of bug bites that never healed until after we left), lenox, massachussets (we saw a performance at Tanglewood by the boston symphony), and west hartford, connecticut (met one of my mum's writer friends), and don't forget Sequoia national parks (WE SAW GENERAL SHERMAN!)

You?