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Meeting a Brummie bloke called Phil in Fairdeal Music who wants to learn the piano.

Has he got a piano? Is he going to have lessons?

Naturally, and I was able to give him a few positive pointers. He was around my age as well. Plus I got a 'well played' from the piano demonstrator/sales person in there, which produced a few mls. of dopamine!

You're back then Dave. i've not connected for a while, have you done any more exams lately? i can't be arsed reading millions of posts.

OneHandOnly wrote:You're back then Dave. i've not connected for a while, have you done any more exams lately? i can't be arsed reading millions of posts.

Hello OHO, how are you. Yes I'm back, recovering from a bad nervous breakdown now an amateur cognative behavioural therapy geek, reunited with my old piano teacher and just playing for fun and nothing else, no more exams. Last one was in June 2012, Grade 3, but it came at a price.

How about you?? Are you a B.Mus yet??

I'm good thanks. I've started preparing for grade 5, every exam i swear is the last( i can't play infront of anyone) but eventually i relent and do another. If i pass the next one, i'll treat myself to a grand piano
I'm glad you're on the mend, this piano lark is really testing my mental state, sooooo frustrating, luckily the piano is too heavy to be picked up and thrown through the window (unlike my TV when my team lost,but that's another story )

You should try filming yourself playing and putting it on Youtube. I do that now, ever since I started back with my old teacher last week. If you want to see me playing on YT, PM me and I'll send you a link. Plus I've put some footage of my teachers' other students from years age.

Wow, Grade 5!!! That's awesome. I'm really really pleased for you What were your marks for your first 4 grades, if you don't mind me asking??

I can honestly say I know what you mean about testing the mental state, but it's all about not letting anxious mind states win by setting yourself goals which you can reach within certain timescales. I can definitely tell you a few tales on that particular theme!!!!

All grades were between 110-120, they should be up about 130 but my nerves get too bad, my hands shake and i tighten up,lose all musicality and basically play like Love!!
There is one exam board where you can send in videos, showing everything in 1 take, i know i'd easily pass that but i like the ABRSM format so i'll persevere (a friend swears by beta blockers but i'm not convinced).

OneHandOnly wrote: and basically play like Love!!

The Arthur Lee band?? As long as your musicality isn't like The Prodigy.

I got 133/150, a Distinction just before my 40th birthday in 2009 but it tired me out physically and emotionally (I now know I went into it with completely the wrong attitude). Grade 3 was a Merit 120 something.

Sometimes you have to just get yourself into a 'zone' in which only you and your piano exists - and then play. Don't think you're out to IMPRESS anyone with your playing. And play slowly, much slower than you'd play on your own. That way, your anxiety will lessen and your nerves will have their first lesson in being fooled!

dave brum wrote:

OneHandOnly wrote: and basically play like Love!!

WTF!!! I most definitely didn't write that, is there some kind of filter here? i play like S H * T, the smelly stuff you spread on your garden.
I'll try your suggestions Dave, i get nervous playing infront of the dog lol.

OneHandOnly wrote:

dave brum wrote:

OneHandOnly wrote: and basically play like Love!!

WTF!!! I most definitely didn't write that, is there some kind of filter here? i play like S H * T, the smelly stuff you spread on your garden.
I'll try your suggestions Dave, i get nervous playing infront of the dog lol.

There is a filter on here, but usually the word that is used to obliterate the profanity is usually something like .oops. What you meant to say is that you play like Scheidt:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Scheidt

Though I'm sure you do not play like Scheidt if you do not put yourself under any undue pressure that might overstimulate your anxiety system. See some of my posts in the Positive thinking thread relating to how we respond to kindness, not just from others but from ourselves - and how kindness will lead to a straightening out of our irrational thought patterns that will lead us to turn one small manageable negative into eight hundred or so humungous ones.

Ok you played in front of an AB examiner, so you should be able to play something in front of the dog! Try this to get him/her whimpering:

http://www.pianofiles.co.uk/sheet-music ... sonata.pdf

Do you know anyone who you can do duets with??

That takes me back, cackling in the back row of Music A level whilst the teacher went on about the anthems of 'Shutz, Schein and Sheidt'. Made our whole day...what a sad little life!

Gill the Piano wrote:That takes me back, cackling in the back row of Music A level whilst the teacher went on about the anthems of 'Shutz, Schein and Sheidt'. Made our whole day...what a sad little life!

Only the British, eh!!!

Well, only the English speaking English schoolgirl hysterical with boredom and with a puerile sense of humour...

Gill the Piano wrote:Well, only the English speaking English schoolgirl hysterical with boredom and with a puerile sense of humour...

Yes indeed, like the hackneyed 'soggy bottom' thing. It's even ironically found its way onto the local church newsletter so I've been reading, in relation to an upcoming event:

CAKE SALE!
Mothering Sunday - 30 March
In the Church Hall after the 10am Service
“Buy Mum a Mothering Sunday Treat”
“No Soggy Bottoms” as Mary Berry would say!


Quintissentially puerile...but do we really expect it from a 'respectable' organisation such as the Church???

Yes we do, why not? Bit of fun...

I've just had to deal with a negative brain state brought upon by something I read earlier on. So my initial thought was to do some piano practice but that brought about a state of fooling around which I recorded two more uploads, which will be on my Youtube channel tomorrow morning. Plus I did a little more of my homework. I can now play four bars! Negativity dealt with.

Sometimes self-kindness comes in all manner of possibilities, but with me, it's usually musical.

Of all the people who cause us grief it's quite often the b*gger in the mirror who's worst!

I'm trying to upload one now but it always takes ages on this connection. Got another one ready to go - and I'm one bar away from completing my piano homework - which will also be recorded and posted.

Double chocolate hot cross buns.

The Automobile Association; God bless 'em!

Paying a lovely visit to the Kitchen Garden Cafe in King's Heath for lunch and finding out there's a pianner in there for anyone to play (no I didn't as a. I had no music with me and b. there was a group sat at the table right in front of it) and then picking up a secondhand keyboard for £19 from Cash Converters that sounds odd but perfect for doing scales and sight read exercises with the headphones on when I'm downstairs and my wife has the television on.

A flying visit from my brother and sister-in-law enroute from Banffshire to York for a holiday. They will be stopping off again on Friday

Being told by the sales assistant in Cranes Music in Worcester that 'I play very well' whilst I was trying out 2 of their acoustics. I think they deserve some free advertising after that!!

Had a fantastic day out in Manchester yesterday, despite getting stuck in bank holiday traffic on the M6 and not being able to get onto the M5 because the slip road was closed at Junction 8.

Opening the sleeping quarters of the rabbit hutch to find the rabbits have laid 4 eggs!

...and now 3 lines of Blaenwern, which is half the verse. Plus I've made a start on the German Dance on p13. Which would take my repertoire into double figures.

TOLD you you could do it!

Gill the Piano wrote:TOLD you you could do it!

I haven't 'done it' yet Gill. I've only taken another step in the direction of 'doing it'...

from modest patient little me

This is going to sound a bit crazy, but the funeral of a dear friend and colleague today, made me happy to have known him.

He was a larger than life character with a heart of gold. He could be rude, funny, belligerent, embarrassing, out spoken, caring and the best listener when he needed to be. No one else will ever start a phone call by asking to speak to 'the delectable Mrs Gilroy' I will not meet his like again in my life.

Feg wrote:... 'the delectable Mrs Gilroy'

The former barmaid at the 'Rovers Return' was never called that!

When I used to be a member of the Labour party, the lady who my leafletting and tellering outside of polling stations in 1997 helped get elected was called Linda Gilroy!

dave brum wrote: I've only taken another step in the direction of 'doing it'...

Which is a damn sight more than you thought you'd be able to do!

Feg wrote:This is going to sound a bit crazy, but the funeral of a dear friend and colleague today, made me happy to have known him.

I know exactly what you mean; a colleague died a year and a half ago and it was a fabulous, funny and affectionate funeral, best I've been to!

Reminds me of the funeral of Graham Chapman (from Monty Python) I am going to be the first person at a British funeral to say the word f***. And then during the rendition of 'Bright Side' at the end, someone screams out 'I'm going to be the second person at a British funeral service to say f***'. Not implying the funeral you went to today was anything like that, Fiona (Shona).

Gill the Piano wrote:

dave brum wrote: I've only taken another step in the direction of 'doing it'...

Which is a damn sight more than you thought you'd be able to do!

Doing it one step at a time is the secret. I've always expected too much of myself too soon and that has never been good. I ain't in some sort of race to learn the piano (like Sue Perkins or Diane Abbott) and play in a concert where the whole of England is watching. But I did notice yesterday as I moved on to the next stage of my homework that I am now playing all of the ABRSM Grade 1 scales confidently along with the arpeggios. I was never quite sure of it before when I did grades and I kidded myself that I was.

Patience and kindness with YOURSELF is the key. Slowly and gently does it!

Gill the Piano wrote:Patience and kindness with YOURSELF is the key. Slowly and gently does it!

I know I've said likewise before, haven't I?? But sometimes it feels like I'm just doing it on my own. My wife isn't in the slightest bit interested, she won't even listen to me play. She'd rather watch telly. So that gives me absolutely zero encouragement and will to want to carry on doing it. Its only me and my piano teacher and I won't be seeing her again until mid May.

Plus, I'm very much affected by the weather, if it's bright then I feel full of beans, but if it's dull cold and grey then I feel awful and defeated. And I thought SAD was purely seasonal...

dave brum wrote: But sometimes it feels like I'm just doing it on my own. My wife isn't in the slightest bit interested, she won't even listen to me play. She'd rather watch telly. So that gives me absolutely zero encouragement and will to want to carry on doing it.

Mid May isn't that long. And Eric has zippo interest in music as well, but I regard that as a positive, because I'm not worried about playing in front of him as I know I shan't get criticism or advice! Two musos in a relationship together can get a little...tense. I've seen it hundreds of times (and at least ten divorces).

Gill the Piano wrote:

dave brum wrote: But sometimes it feels like I'm just doing it on my own. My wife isn't in the slightest bit interested, she won't even listen to me play. She'd rather watch telly. So that gives me absolutely zero encouragement and will to want to carry on doing it.

Mid May isn't that long. And Eric has zippo interest in music as well, but I regard that as a positive, because I'm not worried about playing in front of him as I know I shan't get criticism or advice! Two musos in a relationship together can get a little...tense. I've seen it hundreds of times (and at least ten divorces).

When you're constantly chided for practicing too loud, too often, etc.etc. you use your headphones. Common sense really. Until you then get it for 'clicking on the keys'. So I play in the conservatory with both doors closed (not ideal) and then it's for either dreadful noises (which I agree with her on), disturbing the neighbours (they do not mind as I've asked both of them) or 'not spending any time with me' - which usually means sitting in front of a Japanese device with a forty inch screen that I just want to put my bloody foot through every time I see it and just fills my head with spoonfed trash(I actually did not own a television nor a car before I got married in 2005) in a room that smells of cat urine/faeces that makes me feel sick and my clothes smell.

An acoustic piano would fit neatly into the space occupied by Mr.Samsungs' work of black art. Now, it's made me happy to get all of that off my chest!

If i could uninvent one thing it'd be the telly (and consequently the internet)...

We defeated Napoleon and Hitler without television or the Internet, the Berlin Wall fell and apartheid was killed without the latter. If that isn't food for thought!

But now gadgets have made us lazy and stupid...if Napoleon turned up today we'd all be talking Frog by Monday (as long as Napoleon televised his arrival or stuck it on My Twitface).

Gill the Piano wrote:But now gadgets have made us lazy and stupid...

You're lame, got nothing to do
Some machine's doing that for you....

Denny Zager 'In the year 2525' We could start by recognising the social dangers of social networking, or even switching back to paper bills (paper can be recycled...)

Zager & Evans...I used to love that song when I were a nipper! That and The Legend Of Xanadu with the whip lash sounds...

I was eating my dinner as a young teenager and John Dunn played it on his Radio 2 show (the Z&A) and it instantly stuck in my mind. I had the Guinness Book of UK Hit Singles and I looked it up and it got to no1 in the year I was born, 1969. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown were good too, they've done other things too besides Fire. And such theatrical imagination combined with the odd flirtation with pyrotechnics but in 405 line monochrome!

Getting two more of my reviews published on Trip Advisor.

Son't they publish everything submitted then? I've never known how TA works.

You join TA and you can pretend you're writing a review of your local businesses for the Guardian!. I've submitted four reviews of a Caribbean restaurant in the city centre, my local balti house and two local cafes. I've had three published after passing moderation, still waiting on the fourth one. I already have my first Reviewer badge and am keenly looking at other places to review. They don't just do eateries though. It's quite fun.

I had to titter out loud today in the shop. A humourous literary portrait of Her Majesty Queen Margaret I of the Royal House of Grantham by John Wells came into the shop today. Which is not the jist of my tale but someone had written in the front cover 'Easter 1985 To Becky from Penis and Sue.'. Now, who would either have that nickname, or have the cheek to give someone such a nickname????

Wasn't Margaret Hilda's husband called Penis? Or was that a misprint?