Watching Rupert Murdoch squirm in front of that Parliamentary Committee...

Oh yes. Now the Murdoch ship is taking on water it is every man for himself, and I suspect there will be a lot more rats trying to swim to safety before this story goes away.

I liked the report earlier this week that Rebekah Brooks turned down the story about MP's expenses 'because there wasn't enough s.e.x in it'. I think that says it all really.

SB

B&B landlady going out again and bedroom neighbour - by coincidence my temporary neighbour at work too - is also an adult learner (guitar) so can do some guilt-free oboe practice again.

Except that neighbour has just got out his guitar for his own practice and it's sounding lovely.

Finished my first assignment for my new course, it will be in the post first thing tomorrow

and after yesterday's migraine, the headache bit has finally gone

Glad you're feeling better Louise, hope the new course is going well and you are enjoying it!!

But of course

Making plans to go away for a few days and catching up with some good friends I haven't seen for quite a while

Done my grade 6 clarinet

After 2 days of stupid hours at work, got home at a decent time and don't have to work tonight.

Got another pupil starting in September

From the smiley, it seems you feel it went well. Hope you get the result you want!

I have been invited for a 2nd interview for a 1st line IT Support job which is paying quite a bit more than similar jobs in central London.

Good luck!

The interview will be on Monday, just waiting for a time to be confirmed.

Excellent ! all fingers crossed for you.

A couple of friendly PMs...

All the best!

I'm happy because it is Friday of the week that would never end. Funny, I think I said the same thing last Friday.

Best of luck for Monday.....

Getting theory results online today - WOULD make me very happy !

Getting practical results would (probably!!) cheer me too.

(ed) cheered. : )

KP's double century

Got a job for while I'm at uni next year!! Nae bad!

and I've passed my first assignment

About time that he hit a big total, he has been out cheaply a lot recently.

Managing to do a Locrian mode dictation today !

Well done! Are you waiting for any theory results?
Congrats!
Great news. What are you studying?
Am mightily impressed!

Thank you! no theory: just one practical and one prac mus.

That's your torture over for this term then.

Listening to Mrs Stetenorve singing Voi Che Sapete at church tonight.

that the street market down the road from work always has an excellent selection of very ripe fruit sold very cheap which makes brilliant fruit salad

Planning two new Kodaly courses that will hopefully take place next year - one for pianists and one for choral conductors and singers - WOOO!!!

They're still both in the germination stage but I'm getting really excited about planning them already...

I just managed to play Bflat (the one on the top of the bass clef on the upper ledger lines)for the first time. It's not guaranteed to speak, but it's taken me a week to get a sound at all, so I'm very pleased with myself

It's official - I hand my notice into work next week and start teaching properly and my new violin lessons 1st Sept.

Wonderful! --- so unlike the rest of us, you must hope the summer flies by!

My 'happy' (yesterday in fact) was getting a surprise present from a pupil who was off on holiday till September. Totally unnecessary - but very touching.

LOL yes, although I have a weeks holiday next week so that is great timing..

Aww bless to your pupil. A lovely thought

Thats fantastic news, Dawn Sooooo pleased for you!

My only happy at the moment is my piano is improving, I so want to get good at it and will hopefully this time. My hands seem to become more "together" each time I play it.

Top B flat on bassoon? I remember first playing that, and being thrilled that I could play the same note in 4 different octaves!

My trial mini group for theory seems to be settling down - the two students started a week apart and I was worried that they weren’t going to gel, but all going well now . So different teaching two people rather than an individual and I’m having to completely rethink everything!

May sound redicoulus, but I received a facebook notification from one extremly talented young woman, who joined the same masterclass than I did. She told me that soon she will be able to buy her own flute (she didn't have one until now, what is realy a shame). I was happy as it would have been myself getting a new flute.

I turned out to *not* have lost the bag with my swimsuit in it that I thought I'd lost - it was, of all places, on the kitchen floor under the dishwasher door that was open.

I'm so pleased that your OH has agreed to this, Dawn. It's lovely to be able to take opportunities when they arise, and it's great he has turned out to be more supportive than you feared.

Thanks!! My happy for yesterday was going to pick some items up from someone on freecycle, turns out it's a musical family who knows my friend from band. Whats even better is I may now have my first new violin student for September!! 1 down and counting

Great!!!! Things start to go together I think!

Getting the feedback from my first assignment back

Playing my clari for the first time since Saturday!

Driving home I had a Thought, with a capital T. It suddenly occurred to me that it is 8 weeks since I handed in my final OU assignment (well, not final-final, as it turns out). Anyway, here I am wondering why I've been having a bit of a time with my head recently, and I've even in that time explained to people why I OU, but it's like I completely wasn't connecting it. So yes, now I know why I'm waking up at godawful o'clock and thinking, thinking, thinking - it's because I'm not keeping my brain worn out with Doing Stuff.
Fortunately, my pre-work package for the next course has arrive So I shall get stuck in to the mysteries of mathematics forthwith.

Also today, a rather lovely facsimile edition of Schickhardt's "Alphabet de la musique" - 24 sonatas, one in each key - has turned up for me today. It was ?33 for this edition, as compared to ?100 or ?150 for buying the modern editions (in six or four volumes, respectively ) Anyway, it is lovely, albeit in French violin clef so will take some thinking about (especially the ones with, e.g. seven sharps )
Highly amused by the introduction - it says that while clearly this was written as teaching-type material (rather than out-and-out performance stuff), "it does not however provide that ease and simplicity generally associated with works written for beginners and amateurs; indeed it seems to be based on solid theoretical foundtions more suited to academic tates or to connaisseurs". So there! Anyone who asks today will be told I am a connaisseur with academic tastes

Playing my violin, without having to go over exam stuff, in the knowledge that I passed the beastly exam and everything's ok. Really the most fun I've had with it for a few weeks now!

Did lots of technique work on piano, it is going to improve more than ever if I carry on like this

Thinking back to a long chat with Carin yesterday. We also talked about scales. She mentioned "There is no f sharp major scale! It's g flat!" This continues to make me giggle.

Coffee with lemon and poppy-seed cake.

This is good because I'm also doing my receipts/books at the same time (yawn).

I did a double-take there for a minute - read it as 'coffee with lemon'. Thought - that's a new one on me!'.