When I moved into my flat a few months ago, I was told that I couldn't play the piano after 10pm, or before 8am.

A couple of weeks ago I discovered that the regulations for my building actually state that no sound should be made that can be heard outside your flat after 11pm, or before 7am - giving me an extra two hours of practice each day. I had been really frustrated by my progress recently, because I do my best practice between 10-11pm and 7-8am.

I had my first voice lesson in a couple of weeks today, and my teacher was obviously very pleased with the progress these extra two hours have enabled. So was I.

(Shh, don't tell Cyrilla, or she'll be expecting great things on Monday.)

Are you playing or justgoing to watch great music?

Albert Hall is great, I have played there before but were near the backish to accomodate a choir.

We were playing It was so cool. The sound was just immense!

A fully charged electric toothbrush...

Going to the gym for the first time in years with Barry. I rowed 2000 metres, cycled for 10 minutes and ran for 15, then I was kna*kered. So I went in the sauna to recover.

A really good piano duet lunchtime concert with Frank James & Vincent Billington. All Brahms, Faure, Warlock and Moskowski.

Wolf Blass wine for £3.99 in Morrisons!

I COMPLETELY agreeee about the sound!!!! (If it was the school proms...)

This is what has made me happy... yesterday. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!!! One of the best things ever! My friends and myself were standing in front of the big stage where the organ is, right at the front, and my gosh it was good! We were blown away by absolutely everything, it all just kept coming, each as good as the first, if not better, you could feel the music literally vibrating through your chest it was completely and utterly brilliant. And then at the end the balloons, and the fireworks, and the confetti. Wowza.

Errm, you might have seen us actually, we are a rather dweeby looking lot standing about in the corridor. My fellow flautist friend and I stood in awe and wonder while a whole hoard of flutes marched past (about 10 I think?) Aand, I heard that someone else on here was in the Hampshire massed choir or something? Yeah, we were the ones waving manically at the front to everyone, while the choir waved up to their families and ignored annoying little us.

But well done everyone who played! It blew us all away and we were left buzzing afterwards but completely zonked and tired, too much excitement

aaahh I agree so much with everything I was in the Hampshire orchestra... front desk of seconds, well... would have been if there were two violin parts But yeah, had SUCH an awesome time, and I think I may have seen you... did your group walk through the like arena foyer areas or whatever, where all our hampshire lot were? We were sitting in a corridor bit in our wonderful blue t shirts and I saw a school age type group go through... of course, may well not have been...
And I guess that's what's made me happy today Though I've been SO tired all day, yesterday was so worth it

Had a pizza... yes, my life is boring enough at the moment that that was the highlight of my day.

Yep, we walked through this path marked by masking tape, where there were lots of people in blue t-shirts with instruments on either side we were 13-17 year olds, probably 30 or 40 of us.

Blimey, it felt amazing being in the audience, so actually performing must have been mind bogglingly brilliant!

Darn it! I forgot to charge mine I guess I'll have to resort to using my regular toothbrush...

*expects great things on Monday*

I just have to survive today and then I have 2 weeks off... I'll mostly be doing huge amounts of practice to get myself ready for my exam on the 24th, and once that's out of the way, I'll hit the town, large style

Yesterday - seeing the absolutely brilliantly fabby Christmas cards that Bagpuss has made with her own fair hand!

Today - being in slightly less pain than yesterday..

Yesterday... My solo and concert went really, really well, yay!

And I guess I should be happy that this horrible, awful cold, blocked nose and sore throat, headache and all has come on so very suddenly, the day after, but I struggle to be happy about having a cold at all.

Well done!

I'm so pleased that your solo went well, Lucky! Hope the cold clears up soon.

Well done, Lucy - see you soon.


Today... Well, we had a nice last-minute venue, made a bit of money for a lovely charity, and everyone but me performed exceedingly well. Very proud of the 3 of you...

Pointy stick!!!

You performed exceedingly well too! Very proud of the 4 of you

Glad to hear your concert went well, Lucy


AS DID YOURS, CELESTE!!! It was lovely to hear your singing, and especially with Matthew accompanying you

(I haven't had chance to do anything with the photos yet but I'll email them across to you in the next day or two )

First the concert, and hearing all 4 performers. Then buying some bargain sheet music which I've been playing through this evening for sightreading practise.

An Indian takeaway meal, then a super singing session with our friends round the table!

It's Sunday, and it's sunny!

Treating myself (yet again) to some concert tickets

http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/the...rs/default.aspx

Geeky I know but it's awesome music I have so much to look forward to now!

Good for you, it looks great.

ET

Thanks everyone. Celeste, I'm sure you were a million times better than you think.

The fact that Muse have announced a concert in Manchester next September :w00t:

Also: DOCTOR WHO IS GOING TO BE ON TONIGHT! Apparently, the base on Mars in tonight's episode is called 'Bowie Base One'... geddit? 'Is there life on Mars...'

Well I thought it was funny

Happy and sad really. We cleared the attic and garage, and unwanted furniture that charity didn't want at my Mum's house. Had a skip and did the lot in 4 hours flat. There were 4 of us though. Three cheers for Uncle Ron who dealt with the spiders in the garage.
It was sad because I saw some stuff I hadn't seen for years and didn't know Mum had kept.
Happy because I found my treble recorder that I hadn't seen since I was 12 Happy because it's done.
Bev

Happy because I bought two dresses today for £19! Bargain...

Are you going to play it again Bev?

I'm going to the Christmas market today

Getting a semi-mysterioius brown enveloped handed over to me, which had a letter inside saying 'well done for working hard on project X, have a wodge of money'

Now I'm thinking about the little squeaker I was playing with at Greenwich and wondering why I have to wait until next year...

Maybe, but it smells musty. What do I do with it. Hang on, I'll go over to a woodwind thread.

A lovely Jazz Band rehearsal

Cooking a meal. Which had to be eaten very early as people have gone out again now, but they seemed to like it, well, all clean plates!



I must start cooking more, especially at a time when I can put on the radio, and listened to the choral evensong, whilst preparing it/sitting in the kitchen doing some planning as it cooked!

Had lunch with my best friend whom I don't see very much of in person these days (as she now lives quite far from London)

Being given a 'cello piece to look at, and being told it's grade 1 standard

Go, b-c!!

thanks!

Perhaps I'll be playing recognisable tunes sooner than I thought...

Seeing a large scale craft activity (a rather large Joseph and Multicoloured coat) that I led at the preschool church group come to fruition We have a great end product to display in church.

A new watch



.. and I seem to be taking over the whole Forums Cafe with my posts!!!

Been out tonight to a restaurant with some girlffriends, 2 of them had birthdays, one on 8th and one on 21st., We went to this lovely oriental restaurant.

After feeling so low the last couple of weeks, it made me feel happy.

ET

I finished my book!

Working on my essay. (That's also in the category of 'What's Made You Furious and Miserable Today') It's now more than halfway through, and it's not even due in until Monday!

Lost another pound That's 9lbs now.

Well done! I wish I could be doing as well as you!

I think that's all the appropriate smilies That's great

Reading it or writing it?