A good morning's rehearsal, duets and trios, with an oboeist and recorder player. Plus rehearsing some accompanying with a tenor. All went well, 4 weeks to the concert.

happy because of the entertainment proffered on here and personally... yes, it's been amusing

Blueberry scones.

Yes, okay they were from a packet but the kitchen still smelled lovely. I was having coffee with colleague this morning so we had the scones warm with butter and jam and that made me very happy

delicious .....

Being 17! And some really generous presents from lovely people

Seeing my little primary school pupils today!!!!! I said 'Did you have a good holiday? Did you go away ?' etc to all of them... and one little yr 4 said 'Yes thank you. did you? Did you go away?' I thought... 'How polite!!!!!'

Wednesday is a very heavy music day as schools here either have the whole day or a half day off so they pack in their other activities. I saw 10 of my pupils for the first time this term and every one was pleased to restart their music. It really was a great day. (Only hope it lasts!)

My clarinet teacher was really pleased with me, she said my sound was really good - she looked quite astonished

Happy Birthday It was my son's birthday too - 16. I think he had a really good day - seemed very happy

Joining a choir, going to the first rehearsal and being told by the sopranos either side of me that I'm a 'find'.

a good orchestral rehearsal

I'm starting to get to grips with one of the most wonderful violin pieces. My teacher played it to me at my first lesson two years ago and now I'm starting to play it myself (albeit a bit scratchy and slow )

Discovering a music practice room at school with acoustics that made my plastic recorder sound really nice, and actually managing to do a STEP maths question in less than an hour...there is hope for me yet!

Three good lessons
: )

Oh I just love Barn dances. I had one for my 50th birthday and had all my friends and their children. It was great because even the children joined in. That was over 3 years ago and my friends still talk about it and say it was one of the best nights out they had ever had. I am planning another one for my 60th!

ET

I saw my daughter today and we went shopping. It as our first girlie day today in over 6 weeks without the children.

ET

That sounds a really good idea! I might do the same - my 60th sounds a little nearer than yours!

Really happy today following my son's diploma result - a lovely consolation prize after his disappointment in not getting into Cambridge.

Congratulations to your son, BerkshireMum, and to you too. It must be great for him to have so much support.

Thank you, Miss Ross. I expect I am supportive because I would have loved to do what my son has done!

I don't think I have ever recovered from starting guitar in junior school. Because I had done that, I was not considered for an orchestral instrument at secondary school, and have often regretted it - it wasn't as if I even liked playing the guitar! I would have loved to play in an orchestra, so when my son showed so much interest in the clarinet, I was happy to support.

I hope I would have been as happy to support him whatever he'd chosen to do, but I must admit that it's an incentive when your children are interested in things you yourself enjoy. I'm not sure his teacher thinks it is such a good thing for me to be involved - she thinks he gets too much support!

What a wonderful achievement, you must be very proud, many congratulations

Congratulations are in order for the diploma!

Thanks, skylark and Barry. He never dreamed he would get distinction. I think we were lucky to get the result today, as no-one else has posted. I seem to remember last summer there were several days between the first and last of the results.

Yes, I am proud of him. He has worked very hard for this over many years - all that getting up at 6.30am before the rest of us were up, so that he could practise. I've really missed waking up to the sound of the clarinet or piano since he left school! He's been lucky to have a great teacher, though; it makes such a difference.

I wish I had a family like yours!! Every time I've tried getting up early to practice, I've been shouted at never to do it again.

Some brilliant music on the new Queen and Paul Rodgers album. I haven't been as moved emotionally by a piece like this for a long long time. I may write a review and post it soon

I loved it.

Poor Sarah! We enjoy classical music, so son's playing was just a nicer alternative to the clock radio! He never played before we needed to be awake, and was around grade 5 standard before he started very early practices on going to secondary school, so we've always encouraged him. To be honest, it was less disruptive in the mornings than if he practised in the evening when we might want to use the lounge. His bedroom is minute, so he can't play in there.

I must admit, his sister can't stand the clarinet, but as she went on a gap year when he was 12 and has hardly been back home since, it hasn't been much of a problem.

My family doesn't get up till absolutely the last minute, so playing early could wake them up, but its not exactly my fault if they don't get up till less than half an hour before my brother has to leave for school. The odd thing is that they don't seem to notice me playing the recorder after everyone else has gone to bed

Perhaps that's quite useful! We don't like BerkshireSon to play after we're in bed, but we don't retire until about midnight, and he doesn't seem to mind stopping then. Actually, he rarely plays clarinet after 9pm; piano is the favourite later on - I think he finds it more relaxing than clarinet. He always says playing clari is quite strenuous and wakes him up.

There's no point in me trying to get the piano after about 8, as someone will always be watching TV, so I've taken to playing the piano until I get chucked out, then switching to recorder until I get tired. Its a stupid system though, because to get enough practice in the run up to grade 8, i'd get home, practice the piano, then recorder, then end up doing homework really late at night, because if i did it when I got in, I wouldn't have enough time for piano

I thought I'd accidentally badly offended someone I was debating with (a friend), but it turned out that the phone had been cut off, and they rang me back to say they weren't upset.

a discussion, so I am quite hopeful of selling something important.
Should make a big difference to Life ...

I transposed some music to Bb for a P.E teacher in school who plays trumpet yesterday and this morning she left me a box of maltesers and a card saying thanks in the 6th form common room It made me so happy as strange as it is

the weather, the peace...
the feeling that things are better than they have been for a couple of years or so....

good news

A complete stranger becoming an acquaintance.

My new clarinet teacher told me about a music group that meets once a month and they take turns playing to each other. She suggested that I go along, and also that we play some duets.






I'm really spoilt with both my clarinet and my piano teacher






But at least I appreciate it

I have had just that happen this morning - nice to sit outdoors and talk on the phone to 'meet' a new person
someone who has similar interests, music and arts..

There was a brown HMRC envelope in the post this morning, which turned out to be a cheque for £77 tax refund!

(Off to spend the windfall...)

a serviced and cleaned flute..

The chocolate machine gave me 2 Double Deckers when I'd only paid for 1......no I'm not giving it back as last week it swallowed my money and never gave me my Twix.

seems to come out fair in the end then

A really inspiring linguistics professor.

that's good.


I had a linguistics prof. who spent his vacation times in the Library and other learned places and never seemed to take time off... fanatical!

One of the teachers at my children's junior school always seemed to be there - I don't think he went home until the caretaker chucked him out! I never went into school after hours without seeing him. I expect he just preferred to work in school rather than taking stuff home, but the kids used to joke that he slept there too! He was certainly a very dedicated teacher and did a lot for the kids out of school hours.

Vivaldi

telephone

1. It's finally Friday

2. Harp lesson this morning and teacher said "I'm impressed!"

I'm happy today because I had such a wonderful day yesterday that I woke up still happy today and I still have that warm and fuzzy feeling

mucking about and being silly on the forums
(I do have a real life too - will be doing some of that later )

Finally getting the correct music stand delivered at the fourth attempt! And I've now got an extra one free because the previous retailer said it wasn't worth the cost of them collecting the wrong one

Having a good time nattering and laughing with barry-clari this afternoon (oh, and we DID get some work done too !).

indeed