Me too!! Congratulations to all!!

For me it was getting a ride on a police high speed rib boat and then unexpectedly taking part in a dragon boat race this morning!! Got rather wet....but we came second to the local rowing team...not bad for a bunch of lawyers (I got asked because they were one short in their boat)

8 days ago pupil learns the ascending part of piano grade 1 broken chords RH only

Yesterday (I have been warned not to expect much practise because of SATs),
we start with broken chords and she says she can do the descending bit too - and she does with nice good tone, shape and fingering.
Great, let's have a look at the LH - I can do that too and she does.

I was blown away and am still on cloud 9 about it.
Out of 5 or 6 pupils she's the only one to have done anything like this.
So often I persistently get ceg,egb,gbd or they try the same fingering for each group.

An entertaining OU tutorial where I attempted to play a viola for the 1st time ever (could easily fall in love but my hands are too small - no one start talking about smaller viola sizes I don't have the time or money!) followed by a blues improvisation session on keyboard. Not overly relevant to the course but fun.

EEEEP!!!!

Just remembered the last time when I had three forum observers - I had trained the sprogs to say, 'Hello, DaisyChain, hello noodle, hello barry-clari'...

The shoes I've been eyeing all winter finally came down in price, and they even still had my size. I've been wearing them around the house all evening. They fit very nicely and the heels are the perfect height and shape. I now have black shoes again (which is good because it had started getting too hot for boots).

I can make a fist.


Does that mean my injured finger is now well enough to try playing again?






(pleaseeeeeeee )

One GCSE exam down, 15 to go... but Maths and German (and Music?) should be doddle so can I say it's only 10 to go?!

Yesterday winning our local pub quiz!

Today - playing through my grade 7 pieces for the first time since last year and being pleasantly surprised that my playing has noticeably improved in the last 6 months.

It's always good to be on the far side of an exam! Was that English? I'm doing some invigilating at the school where I used to work, and was invigilating GCSE English this morning.

Doddle or not, I think the exams still have to count, so it's definitely 15 to go I'm afraid!

Being given a glass of champagne at the start of my viola lesson - it did wonders for my playing!

When my internet decides to go at a speed faster than a sleepy snail, I'll email you some potential Guildhall visiting days...

Actually it was yesterday:
My daughters took part in the London Moon Walk - 15000 women (and some men) 26 miles walking overnight wearing a bra, for breast cancer charities. I saw them off, went back to the elder one's flat - that was an achievement in itself, I don't know London buses, and they took me back there when I first arrived, saying "now pay attention so you know where to go", and back in for the start of the walk, and then I caught the bus back and found that one didn't have any signs or announcements on it, and I still managed to get back to the flat - in the dark, that's a big deal for me - and back in to Hyde Park the next morning to see them arrive .

Took them to Wetherspoon's for breakfast afterwards, and then back to the flat where they slept it off and woke about 5pm and we ordered a huge amount of pizza to be delivered, which I also paid for. I just sat in the same room reading and watching the telly (quietly), but what touched me most was that they were so appreciative that I'd stayed there with them while they slept, when I could have gone back into town and then back to Cambridge.

Amnazing feeling to be told that your very presence means a lot to someone.

Band practice last night I'm really really enjoying the challenge and am able to play more and more of the pieces now

Getting new digital piano delivered this afternoon - be a wonderful improvement on the keyboard I've been using.

Whooppee ... Can't wait

yes, English Language paper 1. Paper 2 tomorrow - I should really get off the forums and re-read my notes! but on the bright side, Music is done so 14 to go now

Done with exams! And my whole first year at university! I can't quite believe it...

My new (digital) piano arrived this afternoon, was set up quickly, and it's soooo wonderful

Fingers are sore (weighted keys!!!)

I remember when mine arrived!!! Enjoy....


I got a new flute to play on from band - it's only a student (Jupiter) one for now, there will be a better one in the future - but it works!! I can play the bottom C - a huge improvement on my leaky one!!

I just heard the postie open the door and put some parcels in the hall

Well, I know there's at least one parcel because if there were only letters he'd put them in the box. And I do suspect it's for me.

Isn't it delicious knowing something lovely is sitting in the next room and I just have to go and get it and open it right up. If there are two parcels the other one is a DVD that hubby ordered for both of us to watch so that's rather exciting too.

My parcel will be paint I know that's hardly exciting given it's one of the tools of my trade ( I suppose it's like a plumber ordering sink plugs) but I love brand new tubes and the dinky little boxes they arrive in. Sometimes the supplier puts in a little loyalty treat like a coloured pencil or a little sketchbook but I don't think so this time.

Oh, oh, oh... and this month's 'Strad' magazine is a VIOLA special edition so it might be that I CAN'T WAIT to read that issue.

RIGHT....... off to have my fun before the suspense kills me!!!!!!!

Sooooooooo??!! The suspense is killing me now too!! What was it?!?! lol

I'm having a really good day at work it's nice to be appreciated still want to leave though

It was the STRAD viola issue!!! I'm saving it for later ... perhaps with a nice coffee or later still with a nice glass of wine

AND my paint... and two parcels for Other Half which may be books or DVDs I'm not sure. I'm just about to open the paint and add it to my supplies trolley.

And a bill

And some TESCO vouchers!!!! So a yummy treat hopefully at the end of the month!

All in all a successful postie visit

Am I allowed two things??

Firstly I've been made happy by finally getting my Roland SH-6 retro synthesister to talk to my PC sequencer by a variety of midi converter gizmos.

Secondly, I've just baked my first succesful loaf of bread! : http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/2901...tsCategory.html
So I now have the sweert sound of a retro synth sequencer phrsing fizzing out the speakers, while the smell of freshly baked bread permeates the flat. Oh Bliss! Lol!

Looking forward to my 2hr lesson tonight, I can be excited about it all day....

I am SOOO ANGRY!!!! I have been trying everything to get hold of the viola issue of the Strad magazine (May issue) and they GUARANTEED that they had posted it a few days ago.... and what turned up... the JUNE issue!! I hadn't opened the issue when I wrote the above comment.

So two ANGRY emails to them yesterday followed by an ANGRY phone call today.

I'm desperate to get hold of the May issue!!!! I wouldn't be so angry but they PROMISED they had sent it In fact they promised WEEKS ago that I would be sent it immediately.


What does it take for people to get things right these days... or am I just caught up in an epidemic of incompetence!!!

Attending my son's 'final concert' last night at RWCMD. It went really well.

Getting permission for my diploma next month to be taken in the gorgeous ballroom here. Wonderful acoustics for singers!
Couldn't be happier (or more relieved!) this afternoon. Now I just need to pass it....

You'll be fine!

Thanks Steve...... I wish I had your confidence!! Counting down to 17th June....

You're bound to enjoy the whole experience much more in such a great setting. I'm so pleased for you!

Good job, Dawnmc71!

I have just bought myself a MacBook Air.

Is this a totally idiotic thing to do when I might soon be out of a job?

Band practice was good yesterday we were rather short on numbers and clari's were one to a part but it was more sight reading and I really enjoyed it

I found a recipe for tonight's meal: Lemon and asparagus risotto! Here
And there's lots of other good stuff. Why would one need to ever buy a recipe book?

I brought my new car home!

Sitting in my garden with Alpha Male Jazz Cat just watching and listening to the bees in my foliage

Apparently they were buzzing in Eb.

Honey-Bag x

Tamsin - what car have you bought?

I feel happy today - business going really well

and thinking about buying a Series 1 XJ6, just makes me smile thinking about shopping for it. Hmmmm Jaguar

Just did the most fun concert ever!! Last night of the Proms, open air, with a great (full) audience - we had to find more chairs so we had 350 there - and all soloists were from the band and choir. I'm really buzzing (and I got flowers and wonderful comments too)

Now parade tomorrow and then next big concert tomorrow night... bring it on!!

Bet that was painful.

I have come to the end of a crazy but satisfying first year at university. I went through so much psychological (and correspondingly academic...) anguish this year, especially this semester... but I have improved so much and now I truly believe I have to drive to accomplish what I want to, rather than just getting rewarded for nothing as I have all my life. I don't think I've ever felt so proud as when my QM professor, upon reviewing my final grade, told me that he was "glad I had made the biggest leap" from the midterm and shook my hand

I hope nobody remembers my outbursts, but to anyone who offered advice and consolation when I let out my stress on this forum - a very late but heartfelt thank you

Wow! Well done. Sounds like a huge achievement. Enjoy the summer break now, eh???

The sun is shining and it's York playday in a few hours

Strawberries and porridge! I've had a fairly hard week so I've decided to look for joy in the small things....

.......and it's Dr Who tonight!

It was yesterday really but I was on the phone to someone discussing something important when I suddenly felt one of those 'outside yourself' moments and was looking at what I was doing.

It's a long story but that conversation on the phone is something I never thought I'd be capable of doing and certainly something I never thought would happen to the likes of little me.

When did I become the person I am now? I didn't notice it happening I think it's a good thing

the York playday, seeing lovely forumites again, and (I think) finally cracking part of a Mozart piece that has been driving me mad for three weeks now. So all in all, very

What a day! Great parade in which I managed to march in line and actually play more than I expected.... and then tonight managed Rule Britannia without messing up the words and the Pie Jesu was so good it made my teacher cry again...and then I got offered the cathedral for a FREE pre-exam recital with appreciative audience, subject to dates...
Not a bad day's work!!!

And for that, a kiss on both cheeks! Well done.

An email from my brother to say that he has just seen nine tiny bluetits emerge from the nesting box he put up and fly away to begin their new feathered lives!!!!

Listening to this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZlWpafoYQU Far better than our bassoon quartet's attempt yesterday, although our performance was my 'happy thought' for the day!

Awww bless! Thanks Steve - I also now have an accompanist - the one from the concert - we just have to discuss terms. He took the music away muttering (in Spanish - at least music is ia worldwide language) that it would take some practice as alot of it is pretty fiendish

An aurals lesson in which I didn't break down in tears.
And of course, the 2h15m English Literature exam is over - I never have to do an English exam ever again