Day 51 - Half term Friday

Another day at home, this time with a visit from Derek, sponsor of Day 46's practise and member of Palace Band. We worked through a piece that we are hoping to have performed by Palace Band either later this year or at some point next year. It is a jazz-inspired piece in four short movements. The two aims today were to start arranging the lines for the layout of the band, and to learn a little more about how to use the music notation software we both have. I regularly use it for my own arrangements and lesson work but it has taken some years to understand how it all works and where the short cuts are. I have even had to read the manual at times to find out how to add a certain figure to my music! It is a fabulous programme though and can save time in so many ways. With the introduction of 'Lite' versions alongside the 'Pro' versions it also means that it becomes accessible for student and amateur musicians to use.

I left my practise to the evening today and this session was dedicated to George who has already managed to get several mentions in the last few days! After a little warm up and a few exercises I decided to play through everything that I am currently working on, to consolidate it all, see where I was at and use that info to help decide what to concentrate on next. I currently have four exam pieces (Scarlatti, Manha de Carnaval, Cross Currents and Haiku, a fairly easy but detailed piece in the Lever Harp World book), three studies (Showing Off, A Firm Fist and another shorter one, again not too tricky). I have the two pieces for Sunday's performance, Pat's two exam accompaniments that can be managed on the harp (Handel Fireworks Minuet and The Sandman) and I am still working on Bach's C major Prelude as I might play that at my cousin's wedding in August. I regularly tell my pupils that playing through is not practise but at the end of a week where I have done some decent work and made little steps of progress it felt like a good time to relax and just play. I am still listening to waht I am doing but not critically judging, just being aware of what's what.