SEMO PIANIST HAS WINNING ATTITUDE

Diana Weaver began taking piano lessons at age 5 and a year later was performing at the mall in Sikeston. That precocious talent is still with her as her list of victories in music competitions attests.

The Southeast sophomore won first place in the statewide Missouri Music Teachers Association contest her senior year at Cape Central High School and her freshman and sophomore years at Southeast. She also has won the university's concerto competition the past two years.

Weaver, the daughter of June Weaver of Cape Girardeau, enjoys the competitions. "They're fun," she says. "You get to hear other people play. And it's motivation for me."

Recitals such as the one she will give Friday make her more nervous. "Everybody is focusing on just me," she says.

Weaver's recital will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Academic Auditorium. The program will include Bach's Prelude in E Flat Minor No. 8, Beethoven's Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Schumann's Fantasy Pieces Opus 12 and Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso.

The last is a virtuoso tour de force.

The ability known as perfect pitch is one of the early signs of musical ability, says Weaver's teacher, Dr. James Sifferman. To demonstrate, Sifferman asked Weaver to turn her back to the piano. He then struck a key. She turned around and immediately hit the same key.

Sifferman has the same ability. But ability and the determination to make the most of it are different, she acknowledges. Before starting college, Weaver practiced an hour a day if she practiced at all. Now she works at the piano two or three hours every day.

"I found I had to," she said. That was in part to keep up. "And when it becomes what you want to do and what you enjoy doing...," she said, letting the sentence finish itself.

Sifferman talks to her about the meaning of the music and has helped her enjoy playing more, she says. "Before I wasn't doing it for myself."

Weaver attended the Southeast Music Academy and now teaches there. Someday she hopes to perform with great symphonies and also to teach piano.

"I just want to play," she said.