I'm hoping you'll help with the test driving!!

Of course

Thank you! We have two groups round here. I've been meaning to join for a while, since Sarah's taster day. Both groups meet in the evening which fits in nicely with my teaching schedule. Most of them are of retirement age.

They do make a lovely sound! I was thrown straight in at the deep end with the big bass bells! It was great fun. I'll look forward to going every week.

Barry....they are organising some public events for the summer season. I'll keep you posted.

Finally got to grips with eBay... and have won myself a viola!

any details?

looking forward to hearing how you get on with it katica

Aw! That's lovely!



Thanks DC

It's a Yita T19 15.5" "Maggini copy" model (so a bit up from the basic model which lottie sold to aesir22...). I got it at not much more than half normal cost via eBay auction - my very first purchase as I have managed studiously to avoid eBay up to now. Pics are on the photos-of-stringed-instruments thread. I thought the fancy decorative additions to the purfling were a bit naff but the original on which it was based must have had them and I suppose it makes the instrument a bit "different".

Too bad I don't have time and money for regular lessons... I hope I can secretly cadge the odd session from time to time maybe.

Just seen the photograph on the strings forum : looks very nice!

I bought my piccolo from Ebay. I wouldn't usually consider it but saw a Yamaha 32 piccolo which looked genuine from the pictures and the seller seemed to know what they were talking about. I got it for about ?150 and it is worth about ?460. It has worked fine so far!

Turning on radio 3 in the car today and NOT HEARING MOZART!.

I think they've cured me of Mozart for while.

Band practice tonight

seeing some little lambs on my driving day today (2 schools, a long way apart!)


and all my pupils in the prep school turned up without me having to search them out....
and some had practiced lots..... always makes the lessons go better....

Band was fab tonight So much for getting more time on first clari, my desk partner on second hasn't been for two weeks now so I've been playing 2nd on my own and have really, really enjoyed it.

They cured me of Tchaikovsky. One year before Christmas it was Tchaikovsky all the way for two weeks, and I have not listened to any Tchaikovsky since.

Chocolate has made me happy today. That's kind of sad in a way

Excellent! Go Louise!

A great practise with my sax playing friend. Lots of new stuff learnt (and wine drunk)

Thanks Barry







Thinking about clari practice tonight is making me happy and I have a couple of new reeds to try

Giving away our microwave!

My husband recently bought a new kettle, in bright red. Then he got a coffee grinder in bright red. Then utensil pots, and storage jars, and utensils, and everything he can possibly find that is red. Including a microwave.
Meaning that our perfectly functional silver microwave was surplus to requirements.

My mum came round and I asked her where to 'get rid of it' to (she volunteers in one of the local charity shops and can usually find a home for anything). She thought for a bit, and thought of one of her friends, who we know too. And he doesn't have a microwave, and is currently quite ill and stuck in the house, and physically tired a lot. So she phoned him, and he thought it was wonderful (e.g. so he can zap food in 3 minutes rather than have to stand to cook for however long).

So I've loaded it in to the boot of her car, for her to drop off when next she sees him. She said to me 'he asked what you want for it' and I replied 'all we want is the knowledge that it's going to a home where it will be appreciated'.

I'm happy because we now have a hallway back, and for being able to make someone else happy

And half an hour later...Woooohoooo!! I've now just discovered how to do 'voice memo' recording on my iPod nano (5th gen). While it is meant for voice recording, it is perfectly good at recording me playing the recorder, and I can then put it on the computer and listen to it. So I can record myself getting better (hopefully).

I can also hear what my teacher meant about my playing being a bit of a 'row of notes' at my lesson last night

Clari practice very very pleased with today's practice

Seeing Baz for a lesson and a gossip .

Having wonderful support from friends and family during a bit of a sticky patch.

Securing a weekend job for the next 12 weeks. At least I will have some money coming in while I am studying IT.

Aw I must admit I often forget about that as a source of happiness.

It's the weekend

Me too. I gave up listening and discovered a few other radio stations!

going out this evening to friend's house for dinner....
Child no 2 making lunch so child 3 can have a quick turn around and get out to gym....
Child no. 2 didn't moan at music club when I made him wait whilst I was chatting to people.... my girls would moan but son is soooo laid back!!!

Last night's: Speaking To Louise 1712 on the phone

Today's watching my son's teacher be pleased with him at his piano lesson.

Then ... Coming back home and helping daughter with clarinet practise...


AND .... working together on a piece - me accompanying her on piano

then realising that with a bit of practise the rest of the book isn't so far out of either of our reaches....

I could actually accompany her if she chooses to perform one of these pieces

Hearing from a very good friend who always makes me smile.

Aw thanks Dawn, it was lovely to talk to you too




that's great Dawn



Yesterday - making some plans for later in the year

Today - a good clari practice

It's wonderful to be able to accompany your children. I used to love doing it, though once they were past grade 5 I thought it only fair to employ a professional accompanist for exams or public concerts - still enjoyed playing with them at home though. Hope you have many happy years of playing together.

I always think it would be nice to have other instrumentalists in the family so you can play together. Unfortunately, just me in my household.

Aaaw thanks all for your comments.

I'm really not that good on piano so this was quite a surprise that I could do this.

It's only beginner's clari stuff though.

Not so sure I'll have many years of accompanying her as that'd mean a whole lot more piano practise and my clarinet is my focus right now.

Being a floboe.

Spot the difference.

- flute

- floboe

Going through a ruff patch just now and felt very wobbly while teaching today.

However, one thing made me laugh out loud - I do a singing game where consecutive children in the circle have to sing the name of a woman/her husband/where they come from/what is in their basket (all beginning with the same letter).

This child's idea of a place name beginning with 'H'?

Why - 'Hamsterdam', of course..!

... no doubt it's where hamsters come from.

Sorry you are feeling wobbly C - take care.

Fantastic new pupil.

Two thirds of my pupils have made significant efforts in the holidays, learnt new pieces, done their theory homework, kept their scales going etc. The other third have incurred the displeasure .

One of my little ones regularly asks me if I am going to send her to the "piano dungeon" when she gets something wrong or 'forgets' to practise - her own invention entirely, but I did show her the steps to my cellar last time she mentioned it

Just seen this See you on 30th, all being well

This ^^^ is what has made me happy today

My large pile of random bills, records, statements, etc is now nicely filed and I have submitted my tax return online.

Getting my phone back

But all my contacts have been wiped

oh dear it is worth backing up contacts regularly.

that reminds me... :does mine now:

I've heard you play the piano, Dawn, and you're doing yourself down. You play very sensitively and I think you would be an excellent accompanist.

*makes note*

You have said that before .... but I'm really not at all confident on piano and haven't played much lately. Thanks for the lovely comment though. Daughter and I will practise together and I've told her that if she performs somewhere if I can I'll back her (on these easy pieces at least) unless she has a better offer.

How do you do that?

It depends on your phone - on mine (a Nokia that is quite old and so not a smartphone), I can switch bluetooth on on the phone and the laptop, and save all the contacts onto a text file on the laptop. I believe that iphones and similar smart phones have much better ways of handling this.

...and I have a lot of numbers back, or I found them written down somewhere

do you want mine