Slogan: Living In The Present
Hye and Happy Season to All,
I am coming to the end of yet another course and have taken little time to be part of the living. My Present/Now is mostly studying the chapter I'm on for the next quiz. Its all coming to an end on Monday December 20th when I take the final exam and can resume regular life.
I am going over to a friend's for Christmas Day and have been asked to take my harp and play some carols. As I have agreed that I would do this, I have been practicing daily to make sure that all those little pieces that I love to hear on the harp are as polished as possible. I think I only have about a half dozen songs to offer, but I am doing the best that I can with each. Finding the fingering again is one really difficult thing to revisit. I am working hard at trying to memorize the pieces as I know that my music reading isn't very good at the best of times. For now I am spending a lot of time reading and finding my place on the page, the chording bits have lots of writing to indicate the notes I'm grabbing for . . . literally, as I get really confused when I glance up and try to think of more than one note at a time.
The one piece that I have been trying to perfect for about three years is Huron Carol and it seems like this year I have gone further than any other year, I have actually turned the page and and doing the middle chording that I was never able to get to before. Also, it tinkles way up in the high register, so I love it and will probly take a stab at it even if I don't do it well.
* Huron Carol
* Joy To The World
* Good King Wenceslaus
* Silent Night
Other possible options are:
* Ding Dong Merrily On High
* O Come, O Come Emmanuel
* All Thru The Night
But this year I am doing more than in past years and there is a desire to work for this little occasion. While I'm practicing I think about putting up my tree and some decorations out to make the season of Christmas and Advent with the Nativity scene. There is a different attitude going on within me that hasn't been there in many many years.
I have a short story that I want to put up here the next time I am here, for the Christmas time that is just a delight to read and share with children who come into your life this season.
Cheers, Meg
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Slogan: Living in the Present
Hye Friends,
Well, you will be surprised to hear from me. I am just dropping in quickly to say that I know, I know, I keep making promises and breaking them . . . to myself as much as anyone else here.
In short, I have been practicing in small increments, trying out some new pieces when Ifind them. Friends send them to me. But I don't seem to remember the part where I have to get on the computer and write about my experiences and updates. Its not intentional, I assure you, it is that as I come to the end of my time to sit and play that my mind suddenly spurts to the next thing I need to do, often its getting outside with Ch'ng and then I come back in and start cramming more information from the text that comes with my course into my head and forget that there is a task that I have not completed. I am sorry about this, I have not been as active on my other computer activies either and I miss all of it, but if I get a job and am able to have a life again I will be more relaxed and get into a new rhythm.
Please hang in with me and check in occasionally, I will try to remember to do this; maybe a little sticky to myself in an obvious place. No NO, this isn't a note, lol :)
Okay, that's me for now,
Cheers, Meg
Hye Friends,
Well, you will be surprised to hear from me. I am just dropping in quickly to say that I know, I know, I keep making promises and breaking them . . . to myself as much as anyone else here.
In short, I have been practicing in small increments, trying out some new pieces when Ifind them. Friends send them to me. But I don't seem to remember the part where I have to get on the computer and write about my experiences and updates. Its not intentional, I assure you, it is that as I come to the end of my time to sit and play that my mind suddenly spurts to the next thing I need to do, often its getting outside with Ch'ng and then I come back in and start cramming more information from the text that comes with my course into my head and forget that there is a task that I have not completed. I am sorry about this, I have not been as active on my other computer activies either and I miss all of it, but if I get a job and am able to have a life again I will be more relaxed and get into a new rhythm.
Please hang in with me and check in occasionally, I will try to remember to do this; maybe a little sticky to myself in an obvious place. No NO, this isn't a note, lol :)
Okay, that's me for now,
Cheers, Meg
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Slogan: Living in the Present
Today I wasn't in the best of moods. There was nothing I could do about it and that made things worse. So, I went and got my hair done, it really needed it and it feels much better. I came back and sat down with my harp to work on the piece using both hands. Its hard to do right now because Ch'ng is very clingy and would love to just hang out on my lap. She really seems to need to be near me lately. Luckily, I have an over-sized wingbacked chair that we both fit into comfortably while I play music. She really likes it if I play for a long long time and she just relaxes into it.
I enjoyed the experience of sitting down and working away on the music the way I like to, as much time as I wanted to and a piece that gives me a bit of a challenge without forcing myself into a really difficult place and then knocking me when I don't do well. Think I need to learn to be a good friend to me.
For today the slogan means that I am thinking of what I have to do this day and when I am doing something that I focus on it with no desire to try to multi-task. I'm sure it will be a good way to approach many things in life but for now, just being able to sit down with music and totally focus on it till I look up and realize that I am done, is the best I can hope for.
Cheers, Meg
Today I wasn't in the best of moods. There was nothing I could do about it and that made things worse. So, I went and got my hair done, it really needed it and it feels much better. I came back and sat down with my harp to work on the piece using both hands. Its hard to do right now because Ch'ng is very clingy and would love to just hang out on my lap. She really seems to need to be near me lately. Luckily, I have an over-sized wingbacked chair that we both fit into comfortably while I play music. She really likes it if I play for a long long time and she just relaxes into it.
I enjoyed the experience of sitting down and working away on the music the way I like to, as much time as I wanted to and a piece that gives me a bit of a challenge without forcing myself into a really difficult place and then knocking me when I don't do well. Think I need to learn to be a good friend to me.
For today the slogan means that I am thinking of what I have to do this day and when I am doing something that I focus on it with no desire to try to multi-task. I'm sure it will be a good way to approach many things in life but for now, just being able to sit down with music and totally focus on it till I look up and realize that I am done, is the best I can hope for.
Cheers, Meg
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Slogan: Living in the Present
So, I have gotten the beginnings of the work done; then, on Monday mornging, I started to work on 'Rickshaw Ride' right after coming back from walking Ch'ng and wouldn't you know it, there were guys on the roof next door starting to re-roof the building. I tried changing rooms and it didn't work. I knew at that point the day was not going to be very productive. Last evening I couldn't get into it, I had a class to get to and I was tired. I made an attempt this morning, but those guys came back. This atmosphere is not conducive ifor getting work done. Apparently, these guys don't care that they are bothering people, they like their work, lucky them :) The best part of having a dog is that she will have to walk again tomorrow and I'll get another opportunity to go for a walk and make another stab at my new routine. I'm going to do what everyone says and try ot mellow out and let things be what they are . . . . by end of day today, I was no longer able to be that easy-going, and I'm bored with not being able to do anything at all.
Okay, I'm getting pretty tired so I need to go use the puffers and then start getting ready to call it a day.
Meg:)
So, I have gotten the beginnings of the work done; then, on Monday mornging, I started to work on 'Rickshaw Ride' right after coming back from walking Ch'ng and wouldn't you know it, there were guys on the roof next door starting to re-roof the building. I tried changing rooms and it didn't work. I knew at that point the day was not going to be very productive. Last evening I couldn't get into it, I had a class to get to and I was tired. I made an attempt this morning, but those guys came back. This atmosphere is not conducive ifor getting work done. Apparently, these guys don't care that they are bothering people, they like their work, lucky them :) The best part of having a dog is that she will have to walk again tomorrow and I'll get another opportunity to go for a walk and make another stab at my new routine. I'm going to do what everyone says and try ot mellow out and let things be what they are . . . . by end of day today, I was no longer able to be that easy-going, and I'm bored with not being able to do anything at all.
Okay, I'm getting pretty tired so I need to go use the puffers and then start getting ready to call it a day.
Meg:)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Slogan: Living in the Present
Hye I'm back with the selection for the week. It is a piece that I found in a book for piano, which I was able to work into two hands on the harp. 'Rickshaw Ride' has that delightful little Oriental sound that I like, it gives me the sense of creating a much more difficult piece in a very short period of time. Plus, the bonus is that I will be able to play this one with both hands, immediately.
Okay, let's see how things go this week.
M :)
Hye I'm back with the selection for the week. It is a piece that I found in a book for piano, which I was able to work into two hands on the harp. 'Rickshaw Ride' has that delightful little Oriental sound that I like, it gives me the sense of creating a much more difficult piece in a very short period of time. Plus, the bonus is that I will be able to play this one with both hands, immediately.
Okay, let's see how things go this week.
M :)
Slogan: Living in the Present
Hye Jolks,
I know, it seems like I have already started a bad pattern, missing the second day of my new regime. I was not doing nothing, I was taking a look at all the music and what I want to start with, trying to find some new pieces that will give me the practice that I want each time I come to my beautiful Daria, and be ablt to say,"What a dream come true, to be able to play this lovely instrument everyday".
As you can see from my latest slogan, I am beginning to see how only being in the present an d work in the moment-to-moment attitude that doesn't look forward or back and let all the big, negative emotions come up and change my focus. Taking my focus off the music is the only thing that this exercise will accomplish. Worry over the future and regrets of the past use up all the energy that could be put to better use. This is the slogan that I am going to use regularly, at least for the present, lol.
Right now I have too many selections to say that I know what I am going to work on for the coming week, but I am sure that by the end of the day I will have chosen the one and will let you know, immediately.
Have a lovely Sunday,
Meg :)
Hye Jolks,
I know, it seems like I have already started a bad pattern, missing the second day of my new regime. I was not doing nothing, I was taking a look at all the music and what I want to start with, trying to find some new pieces that will give me the practice that I want each time I come to my beautiful Daria, and be ablt to say,"What a dream come true, to be able to play this lovely instrument everyday".
As you can see from my latest slogan, I am beginning to see how only being in the present an d work in the moment-to-moment attitude that doesn't look forward or back and let all the big, negative emotions come up and change my focus. Taking my focus off the music is the only thing that this exercise will accomplish. Worry over the future and regrets of the past use up all the energy that could be put to better use. This is the slogan that I am going to use regularly, at least for the present, lol.
Right now I have too many selections to say that I know what I am going to work on for the coming week, but I am sure that by the end of the day I will have chosen the one and will let you know, immediately.
Have a lovely Sunday,
Meg :)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Slogan: To Challenge Myself
Hello Friends,
Well, I have passed my anniversay date of Lavor Day to summarize the past year of blogs and I am not very impressed with my progress. First, I had very few entries for the entire year, nowhere near one for each day, or even 5 days per week. If that is what putting a chllaenge out there to myself is like then I'd better do something different. I did have a very lumpy time starting around the long weekend, ending up with me doing 2 days and nights in the E R due to this asthmas attack from hell. I didn't do very well for a couple of days, but I'm back home doing complete bed rest and lots of heavy meds to get things going again; four days later I'm starting to feel like its making a difference in my condition. Well, that's all fine, but where is the dedication and determination it takes to keep going when things aren't going smoothly, life has lumps, you have to keep going, you have to work away at things. What happens if you decide that taking the dog for walks is too trouble and treat it like a stuffed animal? Oh, you know what happens, you have to replace your carpets and probly lots of things that have been chewed and destroyed as they are telling you how angry they are. so, why then do you take on an instrument that calls out to be loved and cared for as your dog does and yet it sits in the corner pleading for attention?
I haven't actually looked at the posts I entered, it seems like it was such a tiny amount and didn't really represent any ups & downs, highs & lows, working thru hardships, or reaching the achievements, no anguish or celebrating. It was really just an exercise in futility, nothing anyone would care to read and feel confident that they would get another installment, just leave the reader hanging isn't going to be good enough if you want to actually have a following. Why did you decide to take this activity on? Because I thot it would be a very good way to write article-style entries and discover how to write work that I might one day have a real audience. So, what happened? Well, it seems that I allow a lot of emotional issues to get in the way and I quit when I can't continue in the same mindset. I have this idea that I have to write in the voice of a novelist creaating fictional work, or worse, like technical papers.
That just isn't what these blogs are about; they are giving you the opportunity to write your own version of what you are doing, how you are going about it, and all the ups & downs that it has taken to get you to the point of final achievement. This is the story of your journey that it takes to get you learning how to be the best harpist that you possibly can be, the emotions it takes to get you to the level of excellence that you apire to; stop writing fiction and start digging deep and tell the truth.
Okay, guess I've been told. I will return tomorrow with the first installment of the new year, having the details of what I am working on at present. Maybe this will be a good exercise in which I can learn to "Be In The Present" I can see using that as my singular slogan for the year, not changing them each month. Stop worrying about asthetics and get the work done. Or next year, it will be 'get at it fool'. ha ha ha lol.
Well, this has certainly been fun,
Meg
Hello Friends,
Well, I have passed my anniversay date of Lavor Day to summarize the past year of blogs and I am not very impressed with my progress. First, I had very few entries for the entire year, nowhere near one for each day, or even 5 days per week. If that is what putting a chllaenge out there to myself is like then I'd better do something different. I did have a very lumpy time starting around the long weekend, ending up with me doing 2 days and nights in the E R due to this asthmas attack from hell. I didn't do very well for a couple of days, but I'm back home doing complete bed rest and lots of heavy meds to get things going again; four days later I'm starting to feel like its making a difference in my condition. Well, that's all fine, but where is the dedication and determination it takes to keep going when things aren't going smoothly, life has lumps, you have to keep going, you have to work away at things. What happens if you decide that taking the dog for walks is too trouble and treat it like a stuffed animal? Oh, you know what happens, you have to replace your carpets and probly lots of things that have been chewed and destroyed as they are telling you how angry they are. so, why then do you take on an instrument that calls out to be loved and cared for as your dog does and yet it sits in the corner pleading for attention?
I haven't actually looked at the posts I entered, it seems like it was such a tiny amount and didn't really represent any ups & downs, highs & lows, working thru hardships, or reaching the achievements, no anguish or celebrating. It was really just an exercise in futility, nothing anyone would care to read and feel confident that they would get another installment, just leave the reader hanging isn't going to be good enough if you want to actually have a following. Why did you decide to take this activity on? Because I thot it would be a very good way to write article-style entries and discover how to write work that I might one day have a real audience. So, what happened? Well, it seems that I allow a lot of emotional issues to get in the way and I quit when I can't continue in the same mindset. I have this idea that I have to write in the voice of a novelist creaating fictional work, or worse, like technical papers.
That just isn't what these blogs are about; they are giving you the opportunity to write your own version of what you are doing, how you are going about it, and all the ups & downs that it has taken to get you to the point of final achievement. This is the story of your journey that it takes to get you learning how to be the best harpist that you possibly can be, the emotions it takes to get you to the level of excellence that you apire to; stop writing fiction and start digging deep and tell the truth.
Okay, guess I've been told. I will return tomorrow with the first installment of the new year, having the details of what I am working on at present. Maybe this will be a good exercise in which I can learn to "Be In The Present" I can see using that as my singular slogan for the year, not changing them each month. Stop worrying about asthetics and get the work done. Or next year, it will be 'get at it fool'. ha ha ha lol.
Well, this has certainly been fun,
Meg
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Slogan: Challenge Myself, Enjoy the Moment
Hye Friends,
I was doing pretty well with my daily practice, now that I am doing more things and have to schedule time spent in a couple of areas for other people, I am trying to figure out which is the best time of day for me to do the sorts of things I work at and when I have the best energy for an activity.
I started practicing all the pieces for the month, the best time was during the early afternoon. Then I went to a friend's and she had said to bring the music I am working on, so ~ yup, you guessed it, left the book there, sigh. So now I practice the first few bars of what I have memorized till I go back over next week for another session and try to remember to bring it back with me. The thing about having a schedule is that I don't really have time to get off it and improvise. I need it easy, available and ready to go.
Do I sound whiney? I'm tired and it feels like I deserve better. O Poor Me!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Meg
Hye Friends,
I was doing pretty well with my daily practice, now that I am doing more things and have to schedule time spent in a couple of areas for other people, I am trying to figure out which is the best time of day for me to do the sorts of things I work at and when I have the best energy for an activity.
I started practicing all the pieces for the month, the best time was during the early afternoon. Then I went to a friend's and she had said to bring the music I am working on, so ~ yup, you guessed it, left the book there, sigh. So now I practice the first few bars of what I have memorized till I go back over next week for another session and try to remember to bring it back with me. The thing about having a schedule is that I don't really have time to get off it and improvise. I need it easy, available and ready to go.
Do I sound whiney? I'm tired and it feels like I deserve better. O Poor Me!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Meg
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Slogan: Challenge Myself, Enjoy the Moment
Hye folks,
I have been working on things and not getting back to the blog for any uupdates. Part of the problem is that I am trying to stay away from being online so much. I see it as an addiction that distracts me from doing any actual work. It also seems that when I don't have the TV on in the morning, I am not as inclined to be around the computer either.
Anyway, this is supposed to be about the harp not other parts of my life.
I went thru the monthly lists of music I've created for the blog and come up with 18 individual pieces, not including Christmas, that I have chosen over the year and few of them are at the point of being as good as I would like them. Could I sit down and play each evenly, play the music not the notes? NO. Could I play all without music? NO. Do I have two handed playing under control? NO. Those are pretty big questions that I don't believe I have a good handle on. So, this month I want to try going thru the songs at least once to see how accomplished I am in each. If I have some that I feel confident in and don't need to continue working every day then I'll put them aside and practice the ones that need more work.
Doing scales for a warm-up is a good workout. That would give me a place to sart, working in glissandos, triads, cross-overs, etc. Next, do each piece in easy/hard combinations once thru to check on my skill in them. I'll have to work in this manner for a day or two and try to discover what needs the most work on to improve so that I have a good selection that I can play at the same skill level.
Gotta go now and find all the music I need for the month in progress.
Cheers, Meg
Hye folks,
I have been working on things and not getting back to the blog for any uupdates. Part of the problem is that I am trying to stay away from being online so much. I see it as an addiction that distracts me from doing any actual work. It also seems that when I don't have the TV on in the morning, I am not as inclined to be around the computer either.
Anyway, this is supposed to be about the harp not other parts of my life.
I went thru the monthly lists of music I've created for the blog and come up with 18 individual pieces, not including Christmas, that I have chosen over the year and few of them are at the point of being as good as I would like them. Could I sit down and play each evenly, play the music not the notes? NO. Could I play all without music? NO. Do I have two handed playing under control? NO. Those are pretty big questions that I don't believe I have a good handle on. So, this month I want to try going thru the songs at least once to see how accomplished I am in each. If I have some that I feel confident in and don't need to continue working every day then I'll put them aside and practice the ones that need more work.
Doing scales for a warm-up is a good workout. That would give me a place to sart, working in glissandos, triads, cross-overs, etc. Next, do each piece in easy/hard combinations once thru to check on my skill in them. I'll have to work in this manner for a day or two and try to discover what needs the most work on to improve so that I have a good selection that I can play at the same skill level.
Gotta go now and find all the music I need for the month in progress.
Cheers, Meg
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Slogan: Challenge Myself, Enjoy the Moment
Hye folks,
Well, again I have not done a summary for the end of the month. This one sort of snuck up on me and I only realized it this morning when they were talking about it being July 1st, a holiday here in Canada. They used to call it Dominion Day, but there have been changes and I don't know what it is right now . . . sigh.
Last month I practiced the work that Alyson had given us at the May lesson. Then I lost track of time and ended up not going. I was getting the two hands fairly well - for me that is. I was still practicing the Christ Child's Lullabye for the two hand experience. Worked on most of the small pieces and pulled out Greensleeves, that I used to play so lovely. At the moment it feels like I have too much music going on and I'm trying to go in too many directions. In some way I don't even know what that means; its all the small pieces that I have been working on, no different styles, maybe I just don't have a good way to practice them. One I work on daily and too much, another I keep putting off till I plan to sit down and have lots of time, others I run thru a few times checking on the fingering, but not really giving it the time and attention it needs. Seems like sloppy work.
I won't make a list of music today, I am going to go sit with the music books and look over the lists I've made over the past year, check also on the goal that I set and where I am with it. We're getting close to the end of the year and I don't want to forget that I had a goal in mind originally. I'm hoping that I am accomplishing something, but with no regular check going on its hard to tell what I am doing. If I choose to continue with it for another year, I am going to have to change a few things, one of them being to check the beginning, the previous month, keep a better set of small goals that will create a completed project. Maybe I'll have to set a special thing in place, like a recital for Noreen or someone like that.
One thing I want to do is get a friend who plays also, to show me how I can get more out of the levers I have. Not knowing that much about the theory of music, I don't have a handle on that part of things.
Okay, I'll be back later or tomorrow with the new list of music for the month and any info I discover in my travels thru the previous months.
Cheers, Meg
Hye folks,
Well, again I have not done a summary for the end of the month. This one sort of snuck up on me and I only realized it this morning when they were talking about it being July 1st, a holiday here in Canada. They used to call it Dominion Day, but there have been changes and I don't know what it is right now . . . sigh.
Last month I practiced the work that Alyson had given us at the May lesson. Then I lost track of time and ended up not going. I was getting the two hands fairly well - for me that is. I was still practicing the Christ Child's Lullabye for the two hand experience. Worked on most of the small pieces and pulled out Greensleeves, that I used to play so lovely. At the moment it feels like I have too much music going on and I'm trying to go in too many directions. In some way I don't even know what that means; its all the small pieces that I have been working on, no different styles, maybe I just don't have a good way to practice them. One I work on daily and too much, another I keep putting off till I plan to sit down and have lots of time, others I run thru a few times checking on the fingering, but not really giving it the time and attention it needs. Seems like sloppy work.
I won't make a list of music today, I am going to go sit with the music books and look over the lists I've made over the past year, check also on the goal that I set and where I am with it. We're getting close to the end of the year and I don't want to forget that I had a goal in mind originally. I'm hoping that I am accomplishing something, but with no regular check going on its hard to tell what I am doing. If I choose to continue with it for another year, I am going to have to change a few things, one of them being to check the beginning, the previous month, keep a better set of small goals that will create a completed project. Maybe I'll have to set a special thing in place, like a recital for Noreen or someone like that.
One thing I want to do is get a friend who plays also, to show me how I can get more out of the levers I have. Not knowing that much about the theory of music, I don't have a handle on that part of things.
Okay, I'll be back later or tomorrow with the new list of music for the month and any info I discover in my travels thru the previous months.
Cheers, Meg
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Slogan: Trust That The Truth Will Reveal Itself
Hye Folks,
The latest slogan may seem out of place to you, but for me it says that maybe the short ones I work with to give myself a message of get to work, well it could be more that I need to sit back and let things come to me a little more. Forcing and pushing doesn't seem to be effective in most cases.
What does this have to do with music? you might well ask. My answer is that it has as much to do with music as with anything else in my life. Will this change my life in any way? Make me calmer? gentle? more ssensitive? How about more in tune with myself, my inner child who needs to be cared for and listened to. When she wants to play - play, when she wants to do work - work, when she wants to sleep - sleep.
Having said that, there are times when what one person sees as work another sees as play and can just keep doing it all day long. To find out what those things are and in which ways. If this works then there will be less feeling overwhelmed and more able to function in more areas of life better.
What does all this have to do with this blog about music and progressing thru the little pieces that I am spending time on? Its about changing my attitude and letting music come to me in a way that will allow it to live on the strings and not be bruised or injured in the process. I made the list on Monday so I wouldn't have to do anything on Tuesday, in case there wasn't time. I'm happy to report that The Christ Child's Lullabye that I play in two hands is coming along and feels very comfortable. I have a new piece that has a bit of left hand chording and I think that I'm catching on with that one fairly quickly also. I have to have it practiced for the lesson on June 15th.
From the looks of this writing, I am turning a corner and going in a different direction with how I approach the projects in my life. I'm sort of surprised at it, myself, as I had thot that what I was doing, in the ways I was doing them was already, if not 'the best' it was comfortable and effective for my needs.
Take care, Meg
Hye Folks,
The latest slogan may seem out of place to you, but for me it says that maybe the short ones I work with to give myself a message of get to work, well it could be more that I need to sit back and let things come to me a little more. Forcing and pushing doesn't seem to be effective in most cases.
What does this have to do with music? you might well ask. My answer is that it has as much to do with music as with anything else in my life. Will this change my life in any way? Make me calmer? gentle? more ssensitive? How about more in tune with myself, my inner child who needs to be cared for and listened to. When she wants to play - play, when she wants to do work - work, when she wants to sleep - sleep.
Having said that, there are times when what one person sees as work another sees as play and can just keep doing it all day long. To find out what those things are and in which ways. If this works then there will be less feeling overwhelmed and more able to function in more areas of life better.
What does all this have to do with this blog about music and progressing thru the little pieces that I am spending time on? Its about changing my attitude and letting music come to me in a way that will allow it to live on the strings and not be bruised or injured in the process. I made the list on Monday so I wouldn't have to do anything on Tuesday, in case there wasn't time. I'm happy to report that The Christ Child's Lullabye that I play in two hands is coming along and feels very comfortable. I have a new piece that has a bit of left hand chording and I think that I'm catching on with that one fairly quickly also. I have to have it practiced for the lesson on June 15th.
From the looks of this writing, I am turning a corner and going in a different direction with how I approach the projects in my life. I'm sort of surprised at it, myself, as I had thot that what I was doing, in the ways I was doing them was already, if not 'the best' it was comfortable and effective for my needs.
Take care, Meg
Monday, May 31, 2010
Slogan: Doing the Work Reaps Rewards
Hye,
This is the last day of the month so I need to do a summary of the work that I have been trying to accomplish. The music that I listed was one of the best for me this time. I practiced all of it more often during this month than usual. Christ Child's Lullabye is my favorite at the moment, I must admit, I was able to pick up the two hands action easily and it keeps getting better and better every time I play it. My hope is that I am going to get the connection and start finding two hands just an added feature to any piece that I want to try it in.
We had a music lesson at Christine's with Alyson, she showed us new simple pieces to work on for next month's lesson; I need to sit down and work on them regularly. We had some lunch and a couple of laffs and I got lots of Happy Birthdays for my b'day which happens to be tomorrow.
I have gotten the music all put into a single binder so they aren't all in 4 or 5 different binders, folders, or envelopes. I still have to go thru and do tables of contents for the sections, make section covers, and remove any duplicates to store somewhere else. I certainly do seem to accumulate a lot of copies of the same thing.
I have to come up with a new slogan for my birthday month, hmmmmm, I'm tryna hum a few bars to see what comes of it, lol lol lol.
My list of music for practice this month is:
* Wisteria ~ for warm up, always good exercise
* Rickshaw Ride ~ pentatonic (love that sound)
* Christ Child's Lullabye
* Alyson's Exercise ~ for next month
* Mull of Kyntire ~ for next month
* Amazing Grace ~ just for a change :)
BTW: If I am going to be the only one to serenade me with Happy Birthday tomorrow, then I'm going to play it all month also. I'm in sort of a bad mood about being alone on an important day for me. Isn't there anyone in the whole world who cares??????????
chow fer now,
Meg
Hye,
This is the last day of the month so I need to do a summary of the work that I have been trying to accomplish. The music that I listed was one of the best for me this time. I practiced all of it more often during this month than usual. Christ Child's Lullabye is my favorite at the moment, I must admit, I was able to pick up the two hands action easily and it keeps getting better and better every time I play it. My hope is that I am going to get the connection and start finding two hands just an added feature to any piece that I want to try it in.
We had a music lesson at Christine's with Alyson, she showed us new simple pieces to work on for next month's lesson; I need to sit down and work on them regularly. We had some lunch and a couple of laffs and I got lots of Happy Birthdays for my b'day which happens to be tomorrow.
I have gotten the music all put into a single binder so they aren't all in 4 or 5 different binders, folders, or envelopes. I still have to go thru and do tables of contents for the sections, make section covers, and remove any duplicates to store somewhere else. I certainly do seem to accumulate a lot of copies of the same thing.
I have to come up with a new slogan for my birthday month, hmmmmm, I'm tryna hum a few bars to see what comes of it, lol lol lol.
My list of music for practice this month is:
* Wisteria ~ for warm up, always good exercise
* Rickshaw Ride ~ pentatonic (love that sound)
* Christ Child's Lullabye
* Alyson's Exercise ~ for next month
* Mull of Kyntire ~ for next month
* Amazing Grace ~ just for a change :)
BTW: If I am going to be the only one to serenade me with Happy Birthday tomorrow, then I'm going to play it all month also. I'm in sort of a bad mood about being alone on an important day for me. Isn't there anyone in the whole world who cares??????????
chow fer now,
Meg
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Slogan: Doing The Work Reaps Rewards
Hye folks,
My, what a busy week. I have been really good and doing my practices everyday. Sometimes I've had to keep it right to the amount of time I had allotted for that day, my mind is tumbling in all sorts of directions. But, it seems to help get my head back on track and think more logically about what I have to do and keep going till I get more done than I probly would have. This is something that has been noticeable for quite a while now.
I did something with music sheets that I can't talk about here, if anyone finds out it could be hurtful. But I need to say that it tooks me two days and I completed the exercise.
On May 25th there was a group lesson at Christine's place. We learned new exercie pieces and wrote out our own on sheet music. It was a hard and (for me) sloppy exercise. Then we had a chance to learn Mull o Kintyre by Paul McCartney and it sounds lovely on the harp, even in learning- and- practicing- with- lots- of-mistakes progress. It was a really enjoyable time and we brought bagged lunches that we sat round the table and ate later; there was good chatting, good laffing, too. The drive was good and the weather was comfortable to drive in also. I am glad that I have been doing some daily practice so that I could sit down and be part of things as smoothl as it gets for me.
I really want to get better at the music for next month. We are supposed to bring it back and work on it some more, this is great, its like a structured session with expectations of getting better on what we've learned instead of just going onto new music like the old is part of the past and has no importance.
I have to go think about doing something less fun, so I'm out of here for now.
Cheers, Meg :)
Hye folks,
My, what a busy week. I have been really good and doing my practices everyday. Sometimes I've had to keep it right to the amount of time I had allotted for that day, my mind is tumbling in all sorts of directions. But, it seems to help get my head back on track and think more logically about what I have to do and keep going till I get more done than I probly would have. This is something that has been noticeable for quite a while now.
I did something with music sheets that I can't talk about here, if anyone finds out it could be hurtful. But I need to say that it tooks me two days and I completed the exercise.
On May 25th there was a group lesson at Christine's place. We learned new exercie pieces and wrote out our own on sheet music. It was a hard and (for me) sloppy exercise. Then we had a chance to learn Mull o Kintyre by Paul McCartney and it sounds lovely on the harp, even in learning- and- practicing- with- lots- of-mistakes progress. It was a really enjoyable time and we brought bagged lunches that we sat round the table and ate later; there was good chatting, good laffing, too. The drive was good and the weather was comfortable to drive in also. I am glad that I have been doing some daily practice so that I could sit down and be part of things as smoothl as it gets for me.
I really want to get better at the music for next month. We are supposed to bring it back and work on it some more, this is great, its like a structured session with expectations of getting better on what we've learned instead of just going onto new music like the old is part of the past and has no importance.
I have to go think about doing something less fun, so I'm out of here for now.
Cheers, Meg :)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Slogan: Doing The Work Reaps Rewards
Hye Folks,
I know, silence again and it seems like I am disappearing again. No, it seems that I have gotten busier and the evenings, when I usually do my entry here, I am not able to think properly.
I can tell you that I have been doing my practicing, I am completely enamoured with the little piece that lets me work in both hands together, The Christ Child's Lullabye, I still have to run thru it a couple of times to get a rhythm, but then I get it and just don't want to quit. But, as with all good things, it comes to and end and I do a little Westminster Bells and I'm out.
I have gotten all the music into a single large binder with dividers for each group of music. It's in plastic protector sheets, and there is a heavy protector sheet for making a pretty cover sheet for the sections.
I need to end this now, so hopefully I have shown some dediation to my music.
Thanks for dropping in,
Meg :)
Hye Folks,
I know, silence again and it seems like I am disappearing again. No, it seems that I have gotten busier and the evenings, when I usually do my entry here, I am not able to think properly.
I can tell you that I have been doing my practicing, I am completely enamoured with the little piece that lets me work in both hands together, The Christ Child's Lullabye, I still have to run thru it a couple of times to get a rhythm, but then I get it and just don't want to quit. But, as with all good things, it comes to and end and I do a little Westminster Bells and I'm out.
I have gotten all the music into a single large binder with dividers for each group of music. It's in plastic protector sheets, and there is a heavy protector sheet for making a pretty cover sheet for the sections.
I need to end this now, so hopefully I have shown some dediation to my music.
Thanks for dropping in,
Meg :)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Slogan: Doing the Work Reaps Rewards
Hye again,
I have been out gardening and digging out the dandelions each day. One daay my arms ached so much that I couldn't lift them into harp position. Now, this may sound like a cop-out to you, as it would have not so long ago to me, but having experienced it I am willing to acept the truth of overdoing things and having to recover.
I am trying to work on getting music sheets organized into a single large binder with divided sections. Hopefully, this will make it easier to pull out the music I want for the month and keep better track of what I have used, am using and still have never used. I need a page of contents. This isn't a day in which I will be doing either activity as I seem to be going thru a slump and concentration turns to confusion and tears very quickly. I need to say that so that I can track any difference in progress that may occur. Is it the same as when I just stop for a short time? What does it feel like trying to get back into it?
I will continue to check in regularly, I want to account for my activity or lack of it.
Cheers, Meg
Hye again,
I have been out gardening and digging out the dandelions each day. One daay my arms ached so much that I couldn't lift them into harp position. Now, this may sound like a cop-out to you, as it would have not so long ago to me, but having experienced it I am willing to acept the truth of overdoing things and having to recover.
I am trying to work on getting music sheets organized into a single large binder with divided sections. Hopefully, this will make it easier to pull out the music I want for the month and keep better track of what I have used, am using and still have never used. I need a page of contents. This isn't a day in which I will be doing either activity as I seem to be going thru a slump and concentration turns to confusion and tears very quickly. I need to say that so that I can track any difference in progress that may occur. Is it the same as when I just stop for a short time? What does it feel like trying to get back into it?
I will continue to check in regularly, I want to account for my activity or lack of it.
Cheers, Meg
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Slogan: Doing The Work Reaps Rewards
Today I am not in a mood to be doing anything. I have no energy and less ambition, but for some reason I was able to go to the music and work away at it for about an hour nearly. I could tell that my thinking was not strong for being terribly productive, but still if I was there and wanted to do any work at all, lets go for it.
I began with Wisteria and Westminster Bells, both a couple of times thru for a short warm up. Then I started working on something that was just sitting on the music stand, with my mind on a different piece, that was interesting to discover that it didn't sound like anything and in the wrong tempo. What a hoot. Finally, I pulled out the Christ Child's Lullabye and went to work on it over and over and over. Searching For Lambs got a workout afterwards and that was all I did really, just those two pieces for the rest of the hour and the two hand thing is coming more easily, still don't have a good replacement for the chord in the music that my harp doesn't have, but I'm still working on that, too.
At 7 PM when I was ready to quit I had done about an hour practice and it felt good, but still have to realize that I can't work too hard at night or I get overtired and can't sleep properly.
Cheers, Meg
Today I am not in a mood to be doing anything. I have no energy and less ambition, but for some reason I was able to go to the music and work away at it for about an hour nearly. I could tell that my thinking was not strong for being terribly productive, but still if I was there and wanted to do any work at all, lets go for it.
I began with Wisteria and Westminster Bells, both a couple of times thru for a short warm up. Then I started working on something that was just sitting on the music stand, with my mind on a different piece, that was interesting to discover that it didn't sound like anything and in the wrong tempo. What a hoot. Finally, I pulled out the Christ Child's Lullabye and went to work on it over and over and over. Searching For Lambs got a workout afterwards and that was all I did really, just those two pieces for the rest of the hour and the two hand thing is coming more easily, still don't have a good replacement for the chord in the music that my harp doesn't have, but I'm still working on that, too.
At 7 PM when I was ready to quit I had done about an hour practice and it felt good, but still have to realize that I can't work too hard at night or I get overtired and can't sleep properly.
Cheers, Meg
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Slogan: Doing the Work Reaps Rewards
Hye folks,
It has been a little stressful around here recently, not a lot going on, but it is all quite intense. Unfortunately, I have not been able to keep up with the writing part of the blog work, darn ~ I really thot that doing enough work to write about would be the problem.
All week I have been hanging out at the harp, little Daria is very patient and very accommodating when I eventually get around to showing up. I keep going back to Christ Child's Lullabye as it is such a great two hand piece that makes me feel so good about wanting to continue to improve. Last evening I did that one and am almost able to do it right thru without going to the music sheet. Rickshaw Ride is coming along better, Sukura, Searching for Lambs is hard but its partly that I don't have a string below bottom C and there is one place that it calls for me to go down to an A below low C. So I am trying to imporvise, keeping in mind that I am also going down lower with my right hand and that compromises all the strings I have, I'm trying to use the A just above C if I can remember.
Wisteria comes at the end or Westminster Bells to get my head back in balance. I'm going to have to study my music to find something new to go onto next month, this is getting comfortable.
So long for now,
Meg :)
Hye folks,
It has been a little stressful around here recently, not a lot going on, but it is all quite intense. Unfortunately, I have not been able to keep up with the writing part of the blog work, darn ~ I really thot that doing enough work to write about would be the problem.
All week I have been hanging out at the harp, little Daria is very patient and very accommodating when I eventually get around to showing up. I keep going back to Christ Child's Lullabye as it is such a great two hand piece that makes me feel so good about wanting to continue to improve. Last evening I did that one and am almost able to do it right thru without going to the music sheet. Rickshaw Ride is coming along better, Sukura, Searching for Lambs is hard but its partly that I don't have a string below bottom C and there is one place that it calls for me to go down to an A below low C. So I am trying to imporvise, keeping in mind that I am also going down lower with my right hand and that compromises all the strings I have, I'm trying to use the A just above C if I can remember.
Wisteria comes at the end or Westminster Bells to get my head back in balance. I'm going to have to study my music to find something new to go onto next month, this is getting comfortable.
So long for now,
Meg :)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Slogan: Doing The Work Reaps Rewards
Hye Folks,
Boy, that list sure looks long for some reason. Maybe its because I really want to get some work done and get back to where I was a couple of years ago. I know that I can do better than what I have been doing so far. Its been great getting back to looking at my beautiful harp and having the energy and ambition to sit down and spend some time with it. There still is no regular daily schedule to do it.
I am really enjoying my new piece, Christ Child's Lullabye, its very easy for me to just get into the rythm of usinng both hands so naturally. I must continue using it for practice, its such an easy step, feels great. I'm also doing The Artist Way again and I'm hoping that it will give me the incentive to get into a proper routine and things are all organized for musical interludes.
Ha ha ha, I found the music for Row Row Row Your Boat and find the fingering is just a little complicated to get my head . . . or fingers . . . around. There's not even a left hand and I'm having touble.
Cheers, Meg
Hye Folks,
Boy, that list sure looks long for some reason. Maybe its because I really want to get some work done and get back to where I was a couple of years ago. I know that I can do better than what I have been doing so far. Its been great getting back to looking at my beautiful harp and having the energy and ambition to sit down and spend some time with it. There still is no regular daily schedule to do it.
I am really enjoying my new piece, Christ Child's Lullabye, its very easy for me to just get into the rythm of usinng both hands so naturally. I must continue using it for practice, its such an easy step, feels great. I'm also doing The Artist Way again and I'm hoping that it will give me the incentive to get into a proper routine and things are all organized for musical interludes.
Ha ha ha, I found the music for Row Row Row Your Boat and find the fingering is just a little complicated to get my head . . . or fingers . . . around. There's not even a left hand and I'm having touble.
Cheers, Meg
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Slogan: Doing The Work Reaps Rewards
Hye folks,
Its a new month and a new message to keep me inspired. This one is important to me because I am working on creating a new attitude within me. My old understanding was that bad behavior was rewarded with attention; whether good or bad, it was all attention. Now, I want to relearn how to do things, do them as well as I know how, to the best of my ability and know that its good enough to reap the rewards.
Since I started this blog at the beginning of the school year, it feels like I am coming to the end of things, but that isn't true, there is no end when working on a project of the heart. But I am going to think of a way to reward myself for progressing with my work. No no no , it won't be a daily trip to Dairy Queen, no sense doubling my weight just to keep me motivated, I'd have to get a small harp that I can walk around with so I can walk while I practice at that rate:)
I have made up a list of all the pieces I have used as part of my monthly lists all year and have come up with a set of pieces that will give me a good practice session even if I only do each thru once or twice daily.
Music To - Do List For May
* Wisteria
* Sakura
* Happy Birthday/Here Comes The Bride
* Sean Bui
* Star of County Down
* Swan Lake
* Rickshaw Ride
* Christ Child's Lullabye
* Searching For Lambs
Well, that is half the list for the year. There is also going to be a small group lesson with Alison this month so she'll have a new piece for us to practice. I am so happy that I am going to be able to join them, its been so long since I have been available during the daytime.
I also want to get the rest of the music sheets in plastic sleeves and gotten into binders for easier handling. That is going to be part of what I want to accomplish during this month, so be prepared for an update on my progress in this area also.
So, I think I've covered all the important areas for the moment.
Cheers, Meg
Hye folks,
Its a new month and a new message to keep me inspired. This one is important to me because I am working on creating a new attitude within me. My old understanding was that bad behavior was rewarded with attention; whether good or bad, it was all attention. Now, I want to relearn how to do things, do them as well as I know how, to the best of my ability and know that its good enough to reap the rewards.
Since I started this blog at the beginning of the school year, it feels like I am coming to the end of things, but that isn't true, there is no end when working on a project of the heart. But I am going to think of a way to reward myself for progressing with my work. No no no , it won't be a daily trip to Dairy Queen, no sense doubling my weight just to keep me motivated, I'd have to get a small harp that I can walk around with so I can walk while I practice at that rate:)
I have made up a list of all the pieces I have used as part of my monthly lists all year and have come up with a set of pieces that will give me a good practice session even if I only do each thru once or twice daily.
Music To - Do List For May
* Wisteria
* Sakura
* Happy Birthday/Here Comes The Bride
* Sean Bui
* Star of County Down
* Swan Lake
* Rickshaw Ride
* Christ Child's Lullabye
* Searching For Lambs
Well, that is half the list for the year. There is also going to be a small group lesson with Alison this month so she'll have a new piece for us to practice. I am so happy that I am going to be able to join them, its been so long since I have been available during the daytime.
I also want to get the rest of the music sheets in plastic sleeves and gotten into binders for easier handling. That is going to be part of what I want to accomplish during this month, so be prepared for an update on my progress in this area also.
So, I think I've covered all the important areas for the moment.
Cheers, Meg
Friday, April 30, 2010
Slogan: Unfinished Projects
I'm back, and not a moment too soon I think. I had a very long session this afternoon, an hour and I went over many of the old pieces from the monthly lists I've made up. Some of them I have a handle on and can sit down and play right thru, right handed, some I don't have as good a memory of and I work from the music sheet, often I get a good result, but needs practice. There are a few that really need work and the fingering is one thing that gives me the big problem.
I think if I want to play for longer than 15 - 20 minutes I will have to change to a more structured way of practicing. I can start with a few minutes of warm up music, move onto pieces that are the most difficult for me, and as I am beginning to get tired and make mistakes, finally I'll finish off with simpler music that i know well and can end on a high note.
Okay, its time to go and start the weekend, like I can really tell the difference.
Cheers, Meg
I'm back, and not a moment too soon I think. I had a very long session this afternoon, an hour and I went over many of the old pieces from the monthly lists I've made up. Some of them I have a handle on and can sit down and play right thru, right handed, some I don't have as good a memory of and I work from the music sheet, often I get a good result, but needs practice. There are a few that really need work and the fingering is one thing that gives me the big problem.
I think if I want to play for longer than 15 - 20 minutes I will have to change to a more structured way of practicing. I can start with a few minutes of warm up music, move onto pieces that are the most difficult for me, and as I am beginning to get tired and make mistakes, finally I'll finish off with simpler music that i know well and can end on a high note.
Okay, its time to go and start the weekend, like I can really tell the difference.
Cheers, Meg
Slogan: Unfinished Projects
Hye folks,
Here we are at the end of another month and for the first time I feel like I have actually accomplished something. Last evening as I was playing one of my new simple pieces, the ones I am using for two-hand practice, suddenly I realized that I had been keeping up on the left-hand side as well as getting the melody going with my right hand. I know it is just chording on the bass, but it still counts in my opinion.
I was so astonished that I actually had to stop and think about it for a minute and then it was nearly impossible to get back to that piece, The Christ Child's Lullabye, it says its played slowly and tenderly. So far I have mastered the S-S-L-O-W part, I'll get to the tenderly part later ~ I hope :)
This month I have played more regularly than in the past two years and it feels like its starting to come back. I called a friend last night who has a piece of music that I have lost and she said . . . well, she said that she has it, but since she's been away all winter, we had so much to talk about that I don't think we discussed me getting a copy.
But, she is back and we are going to try to get the group lesson going again. It'll be great to have someone to encourage each other with. My fingering feels pretty sticky in some of the crossover places, but they are the simple pieces and I am able to add them into practice also. Its really funny to think that Row Row Row Your Boat has complicated bits, it was the first piece I ever learned and I forgot that there's a couple of them. At the time I thot, 'O, this is so embarrassing, I'm playing nursery rhymes', but now I see that its more complicated than Twinkle Twinkle so it was a good one and I feel bad about not taking it seriously.
Isn't it strange that I behaved the same way, as an adult student, as I did as a child in school over things I didn't want to do. I loved my lessons but hated feeling like it was a put-down in any fashiion. Ooooooooooh, sensitive me, still taking it all personally !
My aim for today is to have a good practice session and then come back this evening and do a proper summary so I can start fresh with a good solid list of possibilities for the coming month of May.
Cheers, Meg
Hye folks,
Here we are at the end of another month and for the first time I feel like I have actually accomplished something. Last evening as I was playing one of my new simple pieces, the ones I am using for two-hand practice, suddenly I realized that I had been keeping up on the left-hand side as well as getting the melody going with my right hand. I know it is just chording on the bass, but it still counts in my opinion.
I was so astonished that I actually had to stop and think about it for a minute and then it was nearly impossible to get back to that piece, The Christ Child's Lullabye, it says its played slowly and tenderly. So far I have mastered the S-S-L-O-W part, I'll get to the tenderly part later ~ I hope :)
This month I have played more regularly than in the past two years and it feels like its starting to come back. I called a friend last night who has a piece of music that I have lost and she said . . . well, she said that she has it, but since she's been away all winter, we had so much to talk about that I don't think we discussed me getting a copy.
But, she is back and we are going to try to get the group lesson going again. It'll be great to have someone to encourage each other with. My fingering feels pretty sticky in some of the crossover places, but they are the simple pieces and I am able to add them into practice also. Its really funny to think that Row Row Row Your Boat has complicated bits, it was the first piece I ever learned and I forgot that there's a couple of them. At the time I thot, 'O, this is so embarrassing, I'm playing nursery rhymes', but now I see that its more complicated than Twinkle Twinkle so it was a good one and I feel bad about not taking it seriously.
Isn't it strange that I behaved the same way, as an adult student, as I did as a child in school over things I didn't want to do. I loved my lessons but hated feeling like it was a put-down in any fashiion. Ooooooooooh, sensitive me, still taking it all personally !
My aim for today is to have a good practice session and then come back this evening and do a proper summary so I can start fresh with a good solid list of possibilities for the coming month of May.
Cheers, Meg
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Slogan: Unfinished Projects
Hello again,
I haven't written for a few days now, but I am here to say that I have been doing some small, increments of work on the harp several times a day. I have improved by using those minutes to doodle instead of stare at the instrument and dream. I believe that dreaming is important also, if I don't have any of that going on when I look at it then maybe I'm not as interested as I'd like to think I am. Now, when I walk over to it and touch it I get an idea of what I want to try, I sit for 5-10 minutes and work with both hands in this one piece that has a great section that really lends itself to repeating.
A friend is laid up with an injury and I go over to help out every couple of days, she has a harp also and I play her the couple of small tunes that she really likes to hear me do. Its strange working on a different harp, its like nothing is in the same place, like borrowing a car. Hers has more strings, so when I try to go down to the bottom, where my C is, the extra strings throws me off for a second. This is good experience also.
I don't know if I have mentioned it but the piece that I use for two hand practice at the moment is Searching For Lambs, calls for left-hand chording and I am figuring out where to put my hands without the music, this is huge for me, easier to practice for a brief time. Its nearly the end of the month and this time I may have something to do a summary on.
Take care and keep on playing
Cheers, Meg
Hello again,
I haven't written for a few days now, but I am here to say that I have been doing some small, increments of work on the harp several times a day. I have improved by using those minutes to doodle instead of stare at the instrument and dream. I believe that dreaming is important also, if I don't have any of that going on when I look at it then maybe I'm not as interested as I'd like to think I am. Now, when I walk over to it and touch it I get an idea of what I want to try, I sit for 5-10 minutes and work with both hands in this one piece that has a great section that really lends itself to repeating.
A friend is laid up with an injury and I go over to help out every couple of days, she has a harp also and I play her the couple of small tunes that she really likes to hear me do. Its strange working on a different harp, its like nothing is in the same place, like borrowing a car. Hers has more strings, so when I try to go down to the bottom, where my C is, the extra strings throws me off for a second. This is good experience also.
I don't know if I have mentioned it but the piece that I use for two hand practice at the moment is Searching For Lambs, calls for left-hand chording and I am figuring out where to put my hands without the music, this is huge for me, easier to practice for a brief time. Its nearly the end of the month and this time I may have something to do a summary on.
Take care and keep on playing
Cheers, Meg
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Slogan: Unfinished Projects
Hye Folks,
I have been sort of dragging my heels on this site, I know. I have finally solved the problem; its taken a long time to work thru enough music to find a piece that has very basic left-hand work that you work at the same time as my right hand. This is exciting and really helps me to want to get onto my harp each day and do a real practice, not just the few minute basic one that I am obligated to do if I want to keep my fingers from forgetting their place.
Another thing I have to maintain is the amount of pressure I apply to the strings that gives me the sound I like to get from the music. I like it on the softer side, so it sounds more like the tinkling of bells rather than the strumming of a more guitar-like sound. Strangely enough, the comments I usually get are mixed. I'm told that its a beautiful sound, but I need to try to play more loudly. Amazingly, I would not get the same sound at all and I would not give myself the same relaxing tones.
My harp still has the partial levers of a student's instrument and it helps me to stick to the less complicated pieces. I have promised myself that once I get competent with both hands that I'll get more levers installed, or even get myself a larger fully levered harp . . . but that is down the road a ways at the point of becoming more involved with music at a higher level.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Hye Folks,
I have been sort of dragging my heels on this site, I know. I have finally solved the problem; its taken a long time to work thru enough music to find a piece that has very basic left-hand work that you work at the same time as my right hand. This is exciting and really helps me to want to get onto my harp each day and do a real practice, not just the few minute basic one that I am obligated to do if I want to keep my fingers from forgetting their place.
Another thing I have to maintain is the amount of pressure I apply to the strings that gives me the sound I like to get from the music. I like it on the softer side, so it sounds more like the tinkling of bells rather than the strumming of a more guitar-like sound. Strangely enough, the comments I usually get are mixed. I'm told that its a beautiful sound, but I need to try to play more loudly. Amazingly, I would not get the same sound at all and I would not give myself the same relaxing tones.
My harp still has the partial levers of a student's instrument and it helps me to stick to the less complicated pieces. I have promised myself that once I get competent with both hands that I'll get more levers installed, or even get myself a larger fully levered harp . . . but that is down the road a ways at the point of becoming more involved with music at a higher level.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Slogan: Unfinished Projects
Hye folks,
Seeing as I didn't exactly overuse the slogan for last month, I'm going to continue on for the few entries I make this month.
I am beginning to wonder if there is any such thing as finishing in the way I mean it to be. I think of something being completely finalized in some way. But, it could be that my thinking is incorrect, there is only completed to the limit of my expacetaions and abilities at the time. I have come to an appropriate place to stop and call it finished. It could be the perfectionist in me that is always looking for stretching myself beyond my abilities. When I make lists of music to practice, I always learn the right hand well and try to come in with my left, or I change the left hand to more simplistic chording for accompaniment. As there are few pieces that I can do according to the original music I seldom feel that I have accomplished my challenge.
The list of pieces that I am able to play completely thru with a small amount of left hand accompniment are as follows: Wisteria (original music), Happy Birthday, Star of County Down, Swan Lake exertp, Sakura, Here Comes the Bride, Saint Basal's Hymn. Its a good list, solid pieces to continue improving upon. I have received some new pieces of work from a friend and I'm thinking I'll begin putting them down on a list of never tried pieces to add onto my current music. Searching for Lambs, Flow Gently, Sweet Afton, Whispering Hope.
I think if I am able to maintain the new thinking and not revert back to the more negative thots that cause me to feel like I'll never get it right, I will make better progress.
That's all for now, I have to go make my list for tomorrow now.
Cheers, Meg
Hye folks,
Seeing as I didn't exactly overuse the slogan for last month, I'm going to continue on for the few entries I make this month.
I am beginning to wonder if there is any such thing as finishing in the way I mean it to be. I think of something being completely finalized in some way. But, it could be that my thinking is incorrect, there is only completed to the limit of my expacetaions and abilities at the time. I have come to an appropriate place to stop and call it finished. It could be the perfectionist in me that is always looking for stretching myself beyond my abilities. When I make lists of music to practice, I always learn the right hand well and try to come in with my left, or I change the left hand to more simplistic chording for accompaniment. As there are few pieces that I can do according to the original music I seldom feel that I have accomplished my challenge.
The list of pieces that I am able to play completely thru with a small amount of left hand accompniment are as follows: Wisteria (original music), Happy Birthday, Star of County Down, Swan Lake exertp, Sakura, Here Comes the Bride, Saint Basal's Hymn. Its a good list, solid pieces to continue improving upon. I have received some new pieces of work from a friend and I'm thinking I'll begin putting them down on a list of never tried pieces to add onto my current music. Searching for Lambs, Flow Gently, Sweet Afton, Whispering Hope.
I think if I am able to maintain the new thinking and not revert back to the more negative thots that cause me to feel like I'll never get it right, I will make better progress.
That's all for now, I have to go make my list for tomorrow now.
Cheers, Meg
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Slogan: Unfinished Projects
Hye Folks,
I know that I haven't been as faithful as I'd primised; there is no excuse, it seems like I have so much mail when I get on here lately that I don't have time to both blog and practice music.
I have been working on my usual pieces, Wisteria, Water's Wide, etc. Now I am going back into my older lapsed ones, Swan Lake ~ with both hands. That makes me happy. Its really one that I originally picked out to show Caroline and she put it in her music book and now I am the proud owner of a copy with my name in the 'version by 'title.
Sooo, Sun Mar 7th:
I didn't have good enough thinking to come back to this writing later last evening, so I finally just saved it and put it out of my mind till I could come back to it. I'm having a hard time getting started today, I know there are things to do, I have got a small list of errands to run this afternoon, but I'm stalling, dragging my feet and not interested in going out, I'd rather much rather stay in and do things that I can wear these really bad (read: ugly) clothes for. Guess that's how I know that I have to go and dress properly, go do something and come back to approach the harp in a better state after errands.
Catch ya later,
Meg
Hye Folks,
I know that I haven't been as faithful as I'd primised; there is no excuse, it seems like I have so much mail when I get on here lately that I don't have time to both blog and practice music.
I have been working on my usual pieces, Wisteria, Water's Wide, etc. Now I am going back into my older lapsed ones, Swan Lake ~ with both hands. That makes me happy. Its really one that I originally picked out to show Caroline and she put it in her music book and now I am the proud owner of a copy with my name in the 'version by 'title.
Sooo, Sun Mar 7th:
I didn't have good enough thinking to come back to this writing later last evening, so I finally just saved it and put it out of my mind till I could come back to it. I'm having a hard time getting started today, I know there are things to do, I have got a small list of errands to run this afternoon, but I'm stalling, dragging my feet and not interested in going out, I'd rather much rather stay in and do things that I can wear these really bad (read: ugly) clothes for. Guess that's how I know that I have to go and dress properly, go do something and come back to approach the harp in a better state after errands.
Catch ya later,
Meg
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Slogan: Unfinished Projects . . . .
Hye Friends,
So, here we are at the beginning of the month of March and I am not making any entries on my progress. It looks like I am not making any progress. Well, that's not entirely true. I am not able to get more than a few minutes into my playing time and then I get interrupted. I am beginning to realize that my new schedule of waiting till the afternoon to sit down with music is a bad time; seems like everyone else does the same thing.
My first instinct was to try to get into a routine, one that I held loosely and that I could add to, make changes to, remove things that are not working for me. Its sort of like math. That doesn't exactly speak to my heart, the place where all the creativity comes from. Its more like a math problem that needs solving, very undesirable way to do Right-Brain work.
So far I haven't stretched myself with the harp and ability to grow in this activity. I love my harp, little Daria, really I do, but it seems to be the easiest thing to let go of; all my life I have loved the sound, the way the harpist is while playing, the fact that there are no harsh tones (like heavy metal can do) and yet I push it away. Why? Guilt? Guilt over finally getting to own one after being told as a child - no you can't do that - so when there is any excuse to just push it away I do out of negative messages. Hence, unfinished projects, this gives me a new way to look at the fact that I am doing myself harm, even after all these years of being a grown person who has no one to answer to today. If I'm looking for permission, I'll wait a very long time, so I may as well decide that I have had a long life and done the best I could with it, and that it is good that I want to take on more activities that interest me. Essentially, God has given me this harp and the ability to play it, so who am I to tell God He is wrong?
To Do List of Music
* Wisteria
* Water's Wide (both hands)
* Greensleeves (right hand)
* Star of Countydown
* Happy Birthday
* Here Comes The Bride (just found it)
I know many of these sound like repeats, but have you actually read where I have even worked any of them? Have I recorded the results? No, so that means that I have not accomplished anything, and now is the time. Right now I have a theory that if I become more creative that I am going to be able to think about work in fresh ways. Hmm, I'll check back and let you know how it goes.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Hye Friends,
So, here we are at the beginning of the month of March and I am not making any entries on my progress. It looks like I am not making any progress. Well, that's not entirely true. I am not able to get more than a few minutes into my playing time and then I get interrupted. I am beginning to realize that my new schedule of waiting till the afternoon to sit down with music is a bad time; seems like everyone else does the same thing.
My first instinct was to try to get into a routine, one that I held loosely and that I could add to, make changes to, remove things that are not working for me. Its sort of like math. That doesn't exactly speak to my heart, the place where all the creativity comes from. Its more like a math problem that needs solving, very undesirable way to do Right-Brain work.
So far I haven't stretched myself with the harp and ability to grow in this activity. I love my harp, little Daria, really I do, but it seems to be the easiest thing to let go of; all my life I have loved the sound, the way the harpist is while playing, the fact that there are no harsh tones (like heavy metal can do) and yet I push it away. Why? Guilt? Guilt over finally getting to own one after being told as a child - no you can't do that - so when there is any excuse to just push it away I do out of negative messages. Hence, unfinished projects, this gives me a new way to look at the fact that I am doing myself harm, even after all these years of being a grown person who has no one to answer to today. If I'm looking for permission, I'll wait a very long time, so I may as well decide that I have had a long life and done the best I could with it, and that it is good that I want to take on more activities that interest me. Essentially, God has given me this harp and the ability to play it, so who am I to tell God He is wrong?
To Do List of Music
* Wisteria
* Water's Wide (both hands)
* Greensleeves (right hand)
* Star of Countydown
* Happy Birthday
* Here Comes The Bride (just found it)
I know many of these sound like repeats, but have you actually read where I have even worked any of them? Have I recorded the results? No, so that means that I have not accomplished anything, and now is the time. Right now I have a theory that if I become more creative that I am going to be able to think about work in fresh ways. Hmm, I'll check back and let you know how it goes.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Monday, February 22, 2010
Slogan: Sense of Self ~ Myself
Hye folks,
I'm not sure how well I'm doing with the list but I have it in my journal and keep referring to it, like its some sort of living thing. I have been trying to figure out some ideas to get me back in the groove. One that I came up with is to go back to my hypnosis to relax and visualize myself working with both hands on the harp properly. Sometimes its hard for me to get out of my work to get a job and make sure that I am doing all the right things about that and just look around to see what else there is to do, either for housework or leisure.
Today I got into one of the books Caroline sent me and I played a couple of things that I used to know and I am having to go back to them just like they are brand new. But, at least I've got em. I am taking myself right back to the beginning to start learning the very simple songs in two hands. This seems to be an issue that I keep coming back to so I might as well just go to work on and try to create some structure for this feature and focus on it with my hypnosis sessions. You are supposed to do them 5 times a day for a few minutes, but at the moment I am working on first thing in the morning, after lunch, at bedtime after I read. I have no idea how I used to do it 5X with kids and a job.
I started this writing too late and my mind is wandering, so it must be bedtime. I'm going to say good night for now.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Hye folks,
I'm not sure how well I'm doing with the list but I have it in my journal and keep referring to it, like its some sort of living thing. I have been trying to figure out some ideas to get me back in the groove. One that I came up with is to go back to my hypnosis to relax and visualize myself working with both hands on the harp properly. Sometimes its hard for me to get out of my work to get a job and make sure that I am doing all the right things about that and just look around to see what else there is to do, either for housework or leisure.
Today I got into one of the books Caroline sent me and I played a couple of things that I used to know and I am having to go back to them just like they are brand new. But, at least I've got em. I am taking myself right back to the beginning to start learning the very simple songs in two hands. This seems to be an issue that I keep coming back to so I might as well just go to work on and try to create some structure for this feature and focus on it with my hypnosis sessions. You are supposed to do them 5 times a day for a few minutes, but at the moment I am working on first thing in the morning, after lunch, at bedtime after I read. I have no idea how I used to do it 5X with kids and a job.
I started this writing too late and my mind is wandering, so it must be bedtime. I'm going to say good night for now.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Friday, February 19, 2010
Slogan: Sense of Self ~ Myself
Hye Folks,
Here I am back again, it is a couple of days later and I have not really followed my list very well. Its amazing how tired I am. I fall asleep so easily after waking up from a full night's sleep and being awake for a couple of hours - Bam! I'm dozing off again. Not much has changed, I still drink the same amount of coffee, eat the same sorts of foods, do my light type of activities. Going to work would mean I spent a lot of time on the computer during the day. I am not journaling or doing AMPages, nor am I responding to the TAW group.
There is no harp playing going on, I am getting some wierd new insights to think on and quote in my writing. I have wanted time like this to sit down and work on my interests with no big interuptions for a while now, and now that its here I'm not working on it and doing the little things that will make my life better, more comfortable. I seem to be watching lots of TV again so I need to have activities to do that will take up my time during the commercials. Find a show and watch it and during the ads work on harp playing, reading current book, journal on my day so far. I also have to get the list that I created in this week's blog entry. The inconvenience of being inconvenienced is a theme that runs thru my thoughts regularly at this time. I'm not going to give up on this or myself, rather I am going to give myself new ways to try creating a routine.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Hye Folks,
Here I am back again, it is a couple of days later and I have not really followed my list very well. Its amazing how tired I am. I fall asleep so easily after waking up from a full night's sleep and being awake for a couple of hours - Bam! I'm dozing off again. Not much has changed, I still drink the same amount of coffee, eat the same sorts of foods, do my light type of activities. Going to work would mean I spent a lot of time on the computer during the day. I am not journaling or doing AMPages, nor am I responding to the TAW group.
There is no harp playing going on, I am getting some wierd new insights to think on and quote in my writing. I have wanted time like this to sit down and work on my interests with no big interuptions for a while now, and now that its here I'm not working on it and doing the little things that will make my life better, more comfortable. I seem to be watching lots of TV again so I need to have activities to do that will take up my time during the commercials. Find a show and watch it and during the ads work on harp playing, reading current book, journal on my day so far. I also have to get the list that I created in this week's blog entry. The inconvenience of being inconvenienced is a theme that runs thru my thoughts regularly at this time. I'm not going to give up on this or myself, rather I am going to give myself new ways to try creating a routine.
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Slogan: Sense of Self ~ Myself
Hye Folks,
This has been another very long dry spell. It has been a very crazy busy time. After I got off that last message I received a phone message from my manager to say that I was to be laid off, it was a blow of sorts, but more importantly, it used up all my energy for all this time.
I have received the music books from my teacher in Kelowna and did start to work from them, but eventually I needed to curtail most activity in order to get my job wound up so the office could close for the move.
I have been in a negative mood since the last day, which was a good party, it told me that I was appreciated more than I had ever realized. I was completely unsure how I felt about what my life was going to be like. Then, I received a phone call.
A call from my sister, she has had problems in her life also, but the way she handled it ~ all the trouble ~ is so admirable. This person who I always saw a a fragile person has strength that I was never aware of was able to pull herself back from the depths of despair and go on for only herself. I listened to so many things she had to say about how she gets up every day and goes thru her days, and I heard it all. Now, I am trying to figure out how to live what she makes sound more attractive than my own flawed thinking.
I am very proud to call her my sister, I have always wanted to be like her, seen what she does as being important, worthwhile. I think I need to start doing more to give my own life as much meaning. This is the catalyst that will give meaning to my life. She doesn't wait for others to take care of her, she makes it happen. In some ways we have lived the same sort of lives, but she was able not to feel like the loser that I have always seen myself. These days her life is small, she has a job, she leads a quiet life with very little socializing, takes care of her granddaughter every other week, her daughter lives with her.
LIST OF CHANGES IN THINKING
~ Be true to myself
~ Be present
~ Create routines for myself
~ Create a level of comfort for myself
~ Don't live in fear
~ Do what it takes . . .
~ I'd rather do it myself
~ Self control and composure
I'm not saying that I'm going to accomplish all this overnight and become this new whole person tomorrow, but I am going to follow this list to discover what there is that I internalize and take on as new attitudes. My sister is able to reach my heart and spirit and make me want to change and live a more courageous life more than anyone else who thinks they know the answers. I don't know why, but I am just going to go with it.
Well, this has been a very long missive, so all I can say is . . .
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Hye Folks,
This has been another very long dry spell. It has been a very crazy busy time. After I got off that last message I received a phone message from my manager to say that I was to be laid off, it was a blow of sorts, but more importantly, it used up all my energy for all this time.
I have received the music books from my teacher in Kelowna and did start to work from them, but eventually I needed to curtail most activity in order to get my job wound up so the office could close for the move.
I have been in a negative mood since the last day, which was a good party, it told me that I was appreciated more than I had ever realized. I was completely unsure how I felt about what my life was going to be like. Then, I received a phone call.
A call from my sister, she has had problems in her life also, but the way she handled it ~ all the trouble ~ is so admirable. This person who I always saw a a fragile person has strength that I was never aware of was able to pull herself back from the depths of despair and go on for only herself. I listened to so many things she had to say about how she gets up every day and goes thru her days, and I heard it all. Now, I am trying to figure out how to live what she makes sound more attractive than my own flawed thinking.
I am very proud to call her my sister, I have always wanted to be like her, seen what she does as being important, worthwhile. I think I need to start doing more to give my own life as much meaning. This is the catalyst that will give meaning to my life. She doesn't wait for others to take care of her, she makes it happen. In some ways we have lived the same sort of lives, but she was able not to feel like the loser that I have always seen myself. These days her life is small, she has a job, she leads a quiet life with very little socializing, takes care of her granddaughter every other week, her daughter lives with her.
LIST OF CHANGES IN THINKING
~ Be true to myself
~ Be present
~ Create routines for myself
~ Create a level of comfort for myself
~ Don't live in fear
~ Do what it takes . . .
~ I'd rather do it myself
~ Self control and composure
I'm not saying that I'm going to accomplish all this overnight and become this new whole person tomorrow, but I am going to follow this list to discover what there is that I internalize and take on as new attitudes. My sister is able to reach my heart and spirit and make me want to change and live a more courageous life more than anyone else who thinks they know the answers. I don't know why, but I am just going to go with it.
Well, this has been a very long missive, so all I can say is . . .
Thanks for listening,
Meg
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Slogan: Plan To Play
Hye Friends,
Once again, it seems like I am having a hard time getting into the pracitce time. It's like now that Christmas is over I am having a terrible time trying to get back into routine of any sort. At the moment I am lurking around in places that I should already be working at on a daily basis, the harp being no exception. I have no excuses.
This morning I received an email from my music teacher, the one I had written in the autumn to see about buying music books that she uses in her classes. She says they are at the publishers nd ready for sale ~ YaY!! These books sound delightful and just what I need to get back in the saddle, musically.
Well, I have to get out of here, I am falling asleep at the keyboard. I will start to make a much bigger effort to start practicing daily agian, promise.
Cheers, thanks for dropping in,
Meg
Hye Friends,
Once again, it seems like I am having a hard time getting into the pracitce time. It's like now that Christmas is over I am having a terrible time trying to get back into routine of any sort. At the moment I am lurking around in places that I should already be working at on a daily basis, the harp being no exception. I have no excuses.
This morning I received an email from my music teacher, the one I had written in the autumn to see about buying music books that she uses in her classes. She says they are at the publishers nd ready for sale ~ YaY!! These books sound delightful and just what I need to get back in the saddle, musically.
Well, I have to get out of here, I am falling asleep at the keyboard. I will start to make a much bigger effort to start practicing daily agian, promise.
Cheers, thanks for dropping in,
Meg
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Slogan: Plan To Play
Hello Friends,
It has been another long drought here, with no playing or spending any time on my new month of new directions to myself. I have just now looked at the book and figured out what I am going to practice this session (getting sort of short to be a month, lol) and at first I chose 3 pieces that were all both hands together, well we all know that that won't work. I still need to have something to go to and know that if I can't play it right now, with a little practice I am going to just have it down and memorized.
The new slogan is part of a longer one: Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail. It is easily changed to whatever I need to make it work for; its like word art. It is all about not making plans and just going from one thing to the next . . . or not! and then wondering why when I had promised myself that I would play everyday for a year, why I hadn't accomplished this goal. Gee, got me, how could that be?????? Of course, I want to be able to look back over the year and say okay, I learned something from each month and am now adept at it. I have overcome some of my issues that I allowed to control me, and finally, I have accelerated to the next level of harping that I never thot I would accomplish. So far, not so great.
The pieces of music I have chosen for this month are a mix, as it shold be and not all those neat titles that are all too complicated with lots of two hands together all the way thru. I need respite, variety, a sense of accomplishment. So here is my new list:
* Wisteria
* Sean Bui
* Simple Gitfts
* Morning Has Broken
* Rickshaw Ride ~ this is pentatonic, love that sound
I am also going to add a new dimension into the work. I am going to start to do a practice session in the evening, at 6:20-ish, after I have come back from walking Ch'ng. A minimum of 15 minutes, but it can go longer if I want to; lets face it, these days between 6 - 8 PM there i absolutely NOTHING on to distract me so I might as well do the things that I like to . . . O Boy!! I'm Planning To Play, right here in front of everyone. Ha! all my imaginary friends, lol.
Thanks for dropping in,
Meg
Hello Friends,
It has been another long drought here, with no playing or spending any time on my new month of new directions to myself. I have just now looked at the book and figured out what I am going to practice this session (getting sort of short to be a month, lol) and at first I chose 3 pieces that were all both hands together, well we all know that that won't work. I still need to have something to go to and know that if I can't play it right now, with a little practice I am going to just have it down and memorized.
The new slogan is part of a longer one: Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail. It is easily changed to whatever I need to make it work for; its like word art. It is all about not making plans and just going from one thing to the next . . . or not! and then wondering why when I had promised myself that I would play everyday for a year, why I hadn't accomplished this goal. Gee, got me, how could that be?????? Of course, I want to be able to look back over the year and say okay, I learned something from each month and am now adept at it. I have overcome some of my issues that I allowed to control me, and finally, I have accelerated to the next level of harping that I never thot I would accomplish. So far, not so great.
The pieces of music I have chosen for this month are a mix, as it shold be and not all those neat titles that are all too complicated with lots of two hands together all the way thru. I need respite, variety, a sense of accomplishment. So here is my new list:
* Wisteria
* Sean Bui
* Simple Gitfts
* Morning Has Broken
* Rickshaw Ride ~ this is pentatonic, love that sound
I am also going to add a new dimension into the work. I am going to start to do a practice session in the evening, at 6:20-ish, after I have come back from walking Ch'ng. A minimum of 15 minutes, but it can go longer if I want to; lets face it, these days between 6 - 8 PM there i absolutely NOTHING on to distract me so I might as well do the things that I like to . . . O Boy!! I'm Planning To Play, right here in front of everyone. Ha! all my imaginary friends, lol.
Thanks for dropping in,
Meg
Friday, January 1, 2010
Slogan:
Hye Friends,
Did everyone have a great holiday season? Is anyone especially happy its over?? I am too, do you want to come over for left overs? I have a whole fridge full.
Happy New Year, Happy Twenty-Ten, Welcome to new beginnings. Whatever you prefer to think of this entity as, enjoy. I have not done any of the things I was going to with my music for Christmas time. I had company who was not very encouraging and I didn't even bother trying to do anything for them. It wasn't much fun, but much better than if I had played and been criticized or ignored.
Of course, I have made a resolution to pracitce more, try harder, work on advanced strategies. Yes well, we'll see. I am picking out new music to work on for the month of January. I have put away all the Christmas music and have spent most of my day going thru the sheets to figure out which ones I would like to start on next. I may not have the first batch perfectly, but I must put them away for a while and go with some others. I want to have 5 new pieces, 3 fairly simple that I have worked on before, with some easy left-hand chording, 1 that requires practicing both hands, and one that . . . well, one that I think I really just love to play. I will still use Wisteria as a warm up. I won't play Danny Boy for a while now, after having been criticized when I believed I was doing better, there is no way I can go anywhere near it at the moment and don't even like it at the moment.
To - Do List of Music:
* Wisteria for warm ups
* Simple Things
*
*
*
Hmmm, not a very convincing list. I'm going to have to work on it some more and get back to the blog with the rest of the list and possibly the new slogan. I have been putting my new journal for 2010 together most of the day also and am having a hard time keeping the info straight. Between the categories and labels for my new book and the new music with a slogan . . . . and I can't remember where I put what I wrote down. Oh sigh. I am working on a longer time to practice and do other things also. If I can keep going after work till 7 PM I could do more before I stop for the day.
Thanks for dropping in,
Meg
Hye Friends,
Did everyone have a great holiday season? Is anyone especially happy its over?? I am too, do you want to come over for left overs? I have a whole fridge full.
Happy New Year, Happy Twenty-Ten, Welcome to new beginnings. Whatever you prefer to think of this entity as, enjoy. I have not done any of the things I was going to with my music for Christmas time. I had company who was not very encouraging and I didn't even bother trying to do anything for them. It wasn't much fun, but much better than if I had played and been criticized or ignored.
Of course, I have made a resolution to pracitce more, try harder, work on advanced strategies. Yes well, we'll see. I am picking out new music to work on for the month of January. I have put away all the Christmas music and have spent most of my day going thru the sheets to figure out which ones I would like to start on next. I may not have the first batch perfectly, but I must put them away for a while and go with some others. I want to have 5 new pieces, 3 fairly simple that I have worked on before, with some easy left-hand chording, 1 that requires practicing both hands, and one that . . . well, one that I think I really just love to play. I will still use Wisteria as a warm up. I won't play Danny Boy for a while now, after having been criticized when I believed I was doing better, there is no way I can go anywhere near it at the moment and don't even like it at the moment.
To - Do List of Music:
* Wisteria for warm ups
* Simple Things
*
*
*
Hmmm, not a very convincing list. I'm going to have to work on it some more and get back to the blog with the rest of the list and possibly the new slogan. I have been putting my new journal for 2010 together most of the day also and am having a hard time keeping the info straight. Between the categories and labels for my new book and the new music with a slogan . . . . and I can't remember where I put what I wrote down. Oh sigh. I am working on a longer time to practice and do other things also. If I can keep going after work till 7 PM I could do more before I stop for the day.
Thanks for dropping in,
Meg
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