Realising during violin practice that I'm not death gripping the neck of my violin so badly anymore

I found out from my boss at my boring day job that they approved my request for reduced hours from now on which will let me concentrate more on my teaching music

Getting back my Physics coursework and being told it's 'working towards A/A*' - which I assume means a B. However if I make the suggested improvements it will apparently become an A, which is good

Played through my accompaniment for Stalybridge with a willing accomplice today - it went well

Seeing Anthony Gormley's sculpture as we approached the Flood Barrier on a boat trip along the Thames this afternoon.

Going to a concert in Newbury where the Chetham's Chamber Orchestra performed. They were amazing! It's wonderful to hear young people playing at such a high level.

Excellent sculpture it is too. I quite often run along the Thames Path in that sort of area

Brighter today in West Yorks, hazy though , some sun

Proper rain at last!

Ok I'll have to change today's plan (fair weather rambler only!) but I can see the garden getting greener and the dust levels are lower already.

Reading gedall40's signature

Grade 7 sax result....distinction!

Another good day on work experience with a local secondary school in modern languages :-)

Also, I leave on Sunday for 6 weeks work in the south of France to improve my French

many congratulations!

Thank you I'm so suprised: I had a whole thread going on earlier to moan about my lack of a teacher so I'm really pleased I got a good result. Hooray - onto grade 8 now

A fun swimming lesson - I scored about 4 goals in water polo

Again, at the Greenwich Royal Observatory today, I read that the pips for the time-signal were first broadcast in 1924. Prior to that, someone would stick their head out of the window in their studio at Savoy Hill, listening out for Big Ben! Then they would play the Westminster Chimes either on the piano(!) or on a set of tubular bells, broadcast over the airwaves!

I'd have had a job for life!

Passed my driving test today

Jolly well done.

Hope you have many years of enjoyable driving. Take care and remember you're still learning!

Well done!

I've completed my Physics coursework!

Having an amazing lesson with a different teacher to the usual.... I can't believe I've been getting away with so much bad stuff...

stuffing my face with nice Chinese food, as my diet has consisted of bananas, instant noodles, eggs and sweetcorn (not necessarily all in the same bowl) for the last three days.

Finding and beginning to learn Songbird by Fleetwood Mac sheet music very happy bunny indeed.

Glad you enjoyed the lesson despite this (or possibly because of this!) No point having a lesson if you're perfect

My lesson today also made me happy. An extra one before my exam Monday and all reasonably good

No, it's good, everything got pulled apart, he was extremely blunt, but civilised about it all I'm happy! Renewed enthusiasm and determination to be better is the result!

Apart from yet another enjoyable and constructive piano lesson, successfully negotiating an LRSM Quick Study (did my teacher deliberately set me a task above my station?).

Furthermore, the music books that one of our Drama teachers left for me - legacy of a book-seller known to her - included what looks to be no less than a complete collection of Schumann's piano works (Peters) , bound in three large volumes, although each readily sits on the piano without closing up (possibly bound by the book-seller himself).

I didn't realise it included everything until I had time to take a closer look after this morning's lesson.

I feel duty bound now to give some of his works serious consideration - so far I've just played the Arabesque, a couple of his Noveletten, the Fugen, Fughetten, a few from Kinderszenen and dabbled with parts of Carnaval, Kreisleriana and dipped into the concerto. We shall see ....

Having my computer fixed

As I cycled (one handed!) through the outskirts of Zeist, on my way to the Ziekenhuis (that is Dutch for hospital) there were hares running about in the fields, and beautiful baby deer with their mothers in the deer park.

Later, as I cycled (still one-handed) to De Meern to feed my manager's cat and water his plants (sadly NOT to play his piano) there were several species of goose in their dozens, plus coots and moorhens on the canal path, totally unfraid of the people, just wandering about enjoying the sunshine, and the water.

It's amazing how wonderful the simple things in life are when you actually take time to stop and look.

Feeling very relaxed after a week with no lessons, no forthcoming exams, and no practice ... however, I have missed it all. I'll start practising again tomorrow.

Seeing my son's first ever class assembly at school. aaaaw

Then being taken clothes shopping by my husband for a birthday present for Tuesday. :-)

My daughter sat at the piano, and said "I want to pay a fun piece!" I asked "What sort of piece is fun?" Daughter"Major, and lots of semiquavers, and allegro!" . I heard her flipping through my old piano book, and played, sight-reading. "That was fun!" said she. I was so happy to see her having a fun playing her own choice of music.

Sitting in our Library Concert Room while Eyran Katsenellenbogen practised on the Bechstein for a concert we are promoting on Tuesday lunchtime (12.30).

He is absolutely brilliant. I closed my eyes and thought I was listening to Oscar Peterson. And then he gave me a few hints and tips for one of my pieces.

See and hear him here; www.eyran.com

Goodness. Wasn't that somewhere-by-the-sea in a Max Bygraves song????

Playing for the very first time in an orchestra giving a real live concert to people who have paid to come and listen. The weeks of rehearsing since May 7 came to fruition tonight.

Wow what an experience - real adrenalin inducing from the moment I arrived and started taking my place in the orchestra. Bev asked me if I was excited - "I certainly am!" Then she asked if I was nervous - "Well, yes, I am a bit nervous." But her reply was "You will be fine" and so it was. We set off with the Overture to Marriage of Figaro, the woodwind got a special mention from our conductor in Wagner's Siegfried Idyll, and were only just a bit innovative in Mozart's Symphony 39 . There were some anxious exchanges of counting during our rests, but it was just a lovely evening, so here are some more smileys from me .

^^^ Congratulations!

My happy for the day: Having a working fridge.

Well done to you both, I'm glad it went so well

Skyers, Gerald was like a dog with 3 tails all wagging in unison.

The whole weekend

Sitting down to "play" (I use the term loosely!) the first few bars of Debussy Arabesque No.1 (which is still way beyond me!) and getting to the first section of triplets against semiquavers (which I generally simply CAN'T do!!) and my hands just doing it on auto-pilot!! I've only managed to do it once again since, but now I know I can physically play it, it was a great morale booster

Finding a new home for my digital piano I am delivering it tomorrow afternoon ready for receiving my acoustic on Thursday. Two whole days with no piano, how will I cope??

Well done, it is a lovely piece and I am sure you are going to enjoy learning it. I don't know if it is normal, but I will let you into a secret - I play triplets against semiquavers on auto-pilot too. If I think about it they go wrong

TRIPLETS??!! So that's where I've been going wrong!


No, actually I very much enjoy playing both Arabesques, although I haven't attempted to play them simultaneously.

I can do that now too! I used to have to think about it really hard, but now it just comes naturally.

Good news all round there, I feel

That is brilliant, hope that you enjoy your new piano.

Thanks

Can I confess something? The first time I ever looked at the Arabesque, about two years ago when it was even further off being within my capabilities, I actually thought it was two lines of semiquavers, then had a "Hang on...." moment! I still haven't managed to do it again since the morning, but the fact I must be physically capable of doing it is very encouraging-still a bit beyond me though, but no harm trying!