What's on your mind now?

[Bob]

*wondering if they will be making "exotic hamburgers" in Ohio.*

[Bob]

Oh.  By the way... Today's the end of the world.  It got rescheduled from May 2011.

https://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2097462_2097456,00.html?xid=rss-specials

Sucks that it has to end right before the weekend.

Everyone make note.  *Bob marks it on his calendar.*

Carry on....

[littletune]

*wondering if they will be making "exotic hamburgers" in Ohio.*

Bob!    

Oh.  By the way... Today's the end of the world.  It got rescheduled from May 2011.

https://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2097462_2097456,00.html?xid=rss-specials

Sucks that it has to end right before the weekend.

Everyone make note.  *Bob marks it on his calendar.*

Carry on....

And I just wanted to say that I survived this week!  And I only have to survive next week and then holidaaaays! Well maybe it can get rescheduled one more time? 

[oxy60]

Oh well so now we really do have winter! Today it was snowing! There were these huge gigantic snowflakes falling  I don't think I ever saw snow in October in my life!! Last year I thought it started really early cause we had first snow in November!
So we had a really long summer then we had a little less than 2 weeks of autumn and now it's winter!!! Oh well I don't mind anymore I'm just worried about the animals because I'm not sure if they had time to prepare for winter  I hope they did!!

Over here we finally closed the last window in the house and I just put on a sweater. We've checked the heating and started the dehumidifier. You're right, it's too early for this. Yesterday, although we didn't didn't know it, we celebrated the last day on a terrace in the sun.

Maybe the animals know more than us. I've only seen flocks of birds flying South for the last two weeks...

[littletune]

You know that we have really a lot of birds now here too... since like the beginning of October! There are sooo many of them, we never saw so many birds before... and we don't know what kind of birds they are. I tried recording them yesterday... but I didn't put it on the computer yet so I don't know if I got them well. But they're really cool, i never saw sooo many birds flying around and sitting on trees!   

[Bob]

Bob!    

And I just wanted to say that I survived this week!  And I only have to survive next week and then holidaaaays! Well maybe it can get rescheduled one more time? 

They could do something with them.  There probably wasn't enough time -- I heard they wanted the animals under control before it got dark -- but I wonder why they didn't make it a free for all for zoos to come out and tranquilize the animals -- You sedate it, you keep it.  I know they tried tranquilizing one.

Maybe they could stuff them or something. 


Regarding the end of of the world... We run into the time zone problem again.  It's already tomorrow in some parts of the world.  Is the world going to still end today?  And today in my time zone?  It's really not quite fair it turns to tomorrow, I breathe a sigh of relief, and then an hour or so later along comes a comisc "Gotcha!" because the end of the world was actually based on a different time zone.   What if the end of the world is based on Honolulu/Anchorage/Vancouver time?  Some of the Pacific Islands are 24 hours ahead, a whole day.  If the end of the world happens at 11:59pm Honolulu time, if you round up, that's two days ahead over in the Chatham Islands and Kiritimati.  It's not fair to them to let them think they're already in the clear from the end of the world.  And it's not fair to rest of the world who didn't get that extra two days.  *Bob considers proposing an end of world scenario based on time zones so it's fair to everyone.*  Although fair or not, I don't think anyone would be complaining afterward.

[Bob]

Beware....

*Bob thinks that cow kind of sounds like James Earl Jones.*

[Bob]

I'm still here.

Eventually one of these end of the world people will be right. Then we'll all feel awkward for mocking them.

[m1469]

I'm still here.

Eventually one of these end of the world people will be right. Then we'll all feel awkward for mocking them.

Well, we very well may have transitioned without actually realizing it.  Perhaps progress in life is actually about working through what seem like mental mazes, and we don't get excused from anything at all just by entering a different dimension  .  Therefore, everything looks the same until we grow beyond it mentally .


On my mind today:  My duet partner for the Opera Scenes is gone, which means our duet is not scheduled today, which means I don't have a 4 hr. rehearsal today, which means that I am going to need to desperately remind myself to show up for the first part of the rehearsal as I was asked to still do, for "games" (meh) and THEN leave and return to my beloved piano  .  I'm scared I'll completely forget  .

*puts a sticky note on piano*

[littletune]

That cow is so cute! 

[m1469]

Wow, well, I've been settling in to being the age bracket I'm in, thinking I'm a true Mama age and not the kid age anymore, but I've recently found out that somebody I went to highschool with, somebody in my graduating class, just became a grandma.  *looks around nervously*  So, apparently I've pretty much skipped right through the Mama age (without kids) and am now practically a grandma.  That was quick.

[Bob]

I'm thinking how much more pop music has a sharp edge on where notes can be placed on the beat.

I can't stand listening to this.  Feel like being strangled.

I see some people "cheating" by making it legato which softens the messed up beat/subdivision, but it's still there.  Ouch.  

Which made me wonder how much that's going on with other styles, like classical, that aren't emphasizing the beat so much.

Here's the original.  *Bob's going high class tonight.*

You just can't head bounce to so many of the other performances on youtube, if one were to head bang to such music that is.  Quite.

[oxy60]

You know that we have really a lot of birds now here too... since like the beginning of October! There are sooo many of them, we never saw so many birds before... and we don't know what kind of birds they are. I tried recording them yesterday... but I didn't put it on the computer yet so I don't know if I got them well. But they're really cool, i never saw sooo many birds flying around and sitting on trees!   

Now that you mention it we're seeing a lot of birds also. We have new ones from Northern Europe that we have not seen before. Maybe they are here for the winter. If that is the case then the North is in for a rough cold winter.

[pianoplayjl]

my exams. they are on this week and next week.

[m1469]

OH.

[Bob]

Ohio?

Money's on my mind.  *Bob rolls the dice . . . i n  e x t r a d i n a r i l a r i l y  s  l  o  w  m  o  t  i  o  n  .  .  .  . *

It's going to be a looooong time before those come to rest.

[m1469]

Ohio?

Money's on my mind.  *Bob rolls the dice . . . i n  e x t r a d i n a r i l a r i l y  s  l  o  w  m  o  t  i  o  n  .  .  .  . *

It's going to be a looooong time before those come to rest.

Yatzee!

[mosis]

thanks Bob, now i have a new piece to add to my repertoire (i'm sure the audience will be surprised to hear Haddaway after a Scarlatti program hehe)

what is love? a lie 

[m1469]

Bach's mind is all "Hey man (it's a pretty high pitched voice for a guy, really), I'm a huge puzzle in here ... but I'm highly organized.  Say, find my edges"

and I'm all:  "Yikes!  But ... OK  "  *dumps the puzzle pieces out all over*  I haven't found the edges yet  :-

*puts things in likeness piles*

[Derek]

High pitched? His voice has been recorded didn't you know that? Mr. Bach comes to call 

[m1469]

High pitched? His voice has been recorded didn't you know that? Mr. Bach comes to call  

haha ... me love soooooo, sooooo, so much  .  Bach is my Daddy  .  He's nice. 

[Bob]

I found another piece of the puzzle....

I wrote down my practicing.  The overall amount of time I'm spending practicing is pathetic.

On the other hand, it is more concentrated practicing.  It's my routine.

A while ago I was thinking it was really on life support.  Barely the routine.  That was when I pared it back for time. 

And I forgot that it was 'on life support' for practicing and barely there.

I was wondering how I could push it though since the routine is already pushing things.  I'm exhausted sometimes after going through it.  But the point is to push things, so that makes some sense.

And then the rest of things in my life grew up around the routine.  So for now it doesn't appear that I could really grow it much, but I think I found a solution.  Grow it slowly and bump other things out. 

Bleh.  I can't think.

[littletune]

Well I think we have some people with special powers on Compound time!  Yes last week there were some who practiced for 900 minutes and more without stopping... but that's nothing compared to a guy who was able to practice for 180 minutes in only 1 minute !!! Isn't that incredible?? I think he's probably able to stop time or something!  Or maybe he can go to another universe (or dimension) where time goes faster than here... so it's like 180 minutes there but only 1 minute here!! Wow! Just WOW!!! Maybe he would want to tell me how he does that... cause that would be really cool! Yes... well too bad we can't all have these special powers!   

[pianowolfi]

Well I think we have some people with special powers on Compound time!  Yes last week there were some who practiced for 900 minutes and more without stopping... but that's nothing compared to a guy who was able to practice for 180 minutes in only 1 minute !!! Isn't that incredible?? I think he's probably able to stop time or something!  Or maybe he can go to another universe (or dimension) where time goes faster than here... so it's like 180 minutes there but only 1 minute here!! Wow! Just WOW!!! Maybe he would want to tell me how he does that... cause that would be really cool! Yes... well too bad we can't all have these special powers!   

I didn't notice that  I am too busy with teaching, and I even practice a bit more than I post on compound time, because it takes a lot of time to always change the pieces according to the practice session, and search them in the repertoire list and so on, it takes something off the practice time...

[pianowolfi]

haha ... me love soooooo, sooooo, so much  .  Bach is my Daddy  .  He's nice. 

Yeah he's a really nice daddy!

[Bob]

*Bob whistles and prepares Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters, attaching disclaimers, "This piece of candy is perfect safe to eat.  It is not poisoned nor does it contain pins or razor blades." Bob also prepares 3-page form for trick-or-treaters to sign, "Bob is not responsible for any eating disorders and/or obesity resulting from the eating of this candy....  ...This candy is guaranteed to be eaten within 48 hours since it was paid for and this candy also will not be horded away for months and months until next Christmas...."  along with signatures and ID verification to ensure trick-or-treaters only show up once and only once.

Yes, that was a joke.  *Bob bought candy but has no plans on handing it out.* 

[Bob]

Still thinking on my practice routine.  I was thinking it was pathetic for putting time in, and it is a lot less than I thought or what I'd like, but it's also a kind of concentrated practicing.  Denser. 

I could still put in more time though too.  Although more denser practicing time can hurt.

[m1469]

*Bob whistles and prepares Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters, attaching disclaimers, "This piece of candy is perfect safe to eat.  It is not poisoned nor does it contain pins or razor blades." Bob also prepares 3-page form for trick-or-treaters to sign, "Bob is not responsible for any eating disorders and/or obesity resulting from the eating of this candy....  ...This candy is guaranteed to be eaten within 48 hours since it was paid for and this candy also will not be horded away for months and months until next Christmas...."  along with signatures and ID verification to ensure trick-or-treaters only show up once and only once.

Yes, that was a joke.  *Bob bought candy but has no plans on handing it out.*  

 

Two sets of my students have told me how they run their Trick or Treat Candy situation.  In each case, the kids in that family go trick or treating, get a load of candy, munch from it all year long, and by the time next Halloween comes around, the parents pass out the leftover candy from the year before to the neighborhood trick or treaters ... haha ... in just my one studio, that's two families (that I know of) who do that.  Imagine how many families there are in the US who do that ... haha ... I think I'm developing a new theory that there is only one stash of candy in existence getting passed around each neighborhood, or maybe the entire world!    It keeps getting recycled and it's got to be really old by now (since the families who do that to other trick or treaters probably get that done to their own kids by others (whose kids got last years candy from them  )).

mmmmmm ... ultra old and passed around candy ...

[Bob]

*Bob did consider handing out five year old candy.*  I found some the other day.  Still good apparently which doesn't make it sound any better.

[Bob]

Interesting....

I have a cold.  But that not that bad.  Long enough I was getting sick of it, so I took some Sudafed I had left over.  Except it wasn't Sudafed.  It's Guaifenesin which to me does the same thing.  And this stuff actually works, unlike the 'new' Sudafed they sell now that's not really Sudafed.  (People made meth out of the real Sudafed so they took that ingredient out.) 

This is the third day I've taken Guaifenesin.  The strangest part is in the evening I'm not hungry.  The first day I didn't feel hungry and didn't feel like bothering with food so I skipped supper.  Same thing yesterday and today.  I felt dizzy the first day later at night but that was it. 

I looked up the side effects of Guaifenesin and loss of appetite is one.  It's very odd to not feel hungry.  But it's also less work to not have to eat supper.  I eat breakfast and lunch and that's apparently enough.  Less work not to eat.  Saves money.  Saves that cow up there.

I was tired the past couple days, but I'm always tired.  Practicing dipped though, but it was already doing that.  Yesterday and today I noticed my body has toughened up a bit. 

Ah, interesting.  I see dizziness is a side effect too.  I thought it was from not eating.

I almost feel better but this can't last.

[oxy60]

Just out of curiosity, Bob, have you had your flu shot yet? And what about your pneumonia shot? I've heard that this will be a rough year, especially for teachers. Here in California they've really clamped down: no shots = no school!

Now m1469, does your state have such a requirement and does it apply to home schooled students? 

[m1469]

Now m1469, does your state have such a requirement and does it apply to home schooled students? 

Not sure! 

[littletune]

I didn't notice that  I am too busy with teaching, and I even practice a bit more than I post on compound time, because it takes a lot of time to always change the pieces according to the practice session, and search them in the repertoire list and so on, it takes something off the practice time...

Well I don't know... maybe he was practicing when he was away from the internet and then later changed the minutes to how long he was practicing before... but it just seemed a little desperate to me  like Oh I have to be on the weekly leaderboard!!! Like he just appeared the last day of the week and practiced two things for 0 minutes and then changed it into 90 minutes each. It was kinda funny!  (not that he's not doing that this week again just not all at once, so I guess he doesn't have internet all the time or something).

I was eating sooo much candy and chocolate yesterday and the day before!!!!!  But it wasn't old cause I didn't get it from other people, my mum bought it.  So my tummy wasn't feeling all that great!  Oh well

Oh I remembered a story about old candy!  once my friend was sleeping over and we woke up at like 4 am and we wanted to eat something and I decided to eat pancakes that were left over from dinner but she didn't want pancakes  she wanted candy... so I remembered that I had a lot of candies saved in a box... so I gave that to her... and then she starts eating and then she's trying to chew that candy and she's like: hmmm... how old is this candy?  and then I started thinking about it and I kinda figured out that it must be like a few years old probably  but it was just so funny! 

I didn't know you could get a pneumonia shot!

[Bob]

I'm getting a flu shot soon.  They take two weeks to take effect I've heard, so that will be done by Thanksgiving. 

I've heard flu shots wear off at around six months.  If you get them too early they wear off in the middle of flu season.

[oxy60]

Bob, be careful with old wive's tales. The shot may wear off but your immunity doesn't. That you have from previous years and your lifetime. Each year each shot adds to your repertoire of defenses. With today's mobility you can not guess where the next germ will come from. You need all the help you can get.

Littletune, yes in California you can. You just need to pay for it because most insurance doesn't cover it. In my little corner of Southwest California, it is recommended because of the diversity of the population. In addition to living an hour's drive from the Mexican border I also live around more than fifty different Indian tribes.

[m1469]

Well, I've been pondering Rebecca Black   - and discovered some more "thoughts" on all things  .  I realize after reading comments on YouTube that many people who listen to her music do not resonate with it, yet at the same time she is sponsored and seems to be gaining attention and seems to be building ... "something" ... at least in her own world.  OK.

All of that aside, I think that art and music - industry aside (and that's part of the problem) - is actually meant to reflect life's questions and answers.  And, I think part of what bothers me right now about people who might resonate with somebody like Rebecca Black, is wondering just what life-questions are people in the world asking themselves?  There are clearly HUGE gaps between life-circumstances for different people, and that's somehow part of what I clearly feel bothered by regarding it - but I won't even really go there.  

I feel frustrated that I can't stop thinking about something which I also feel stands for so many things that I don't myself wish to stand for!  Which seems to indicate that I myself am in some way "resonating" with this, and that bothers me tremendously!  Yet, it compels me to choke down some lessons and be more active in what I believe in.  grrrrr ... who/what gets credit for that?  Rebecca Black, for saying so seemingly ignorantly about how she knows what it's like to be bullied and the need stand up for what you believe in, no matter what (paraphrased)?  grrrr .... *chokes it down* *wants to throw up, but feels undeniably active, nonetheless* - No, credit is in our own lives to live our own choices.

grrrrr .... doesn't mean I like it   *grumbles and gags*

[Bob]

It's a manufactured product.  She'll continue with more of the same or fizzle out.  *Bob doesn't understand what the big deal is.*

She's got... six more days of the week she could go through, twelve months, the entire alphabet.... It might never end.

[m1469]

It doesn't seem like a big deal if it doesn't stand out as one - and the fact that it doesn't stand out as one is actually one of my points as this being a "big deal."  If it's not a big deal that this could be considered as musicianship and even "great" musicianship by many youth in the world (and that there is an industry willing to promote it as such), then the world's got some big fat problems.  Of course, that's not news.  

I'm just feeling really grossed out by many things in the world right now, and I'm not excusing myself from this, either.
  

[m1469]

Now I feel philosophical about it.  There is of course something 'to' people being met where they are at and in a way which speaks to them ... but ...

[Bob]

Strange events today....

I took a nap.  Just for a bit.  Then someone pounded on the door a few times.  But I figured, screw them, I'm taking a nap.  I'm not getting up to answer the door.  And by the time I would get up and answer the door they would be gone.  That's happened before.  Most likely it would be people begging for money or political garbage.  Not worth it.

Then I realized it would take a lot of effort if I actually wanted to answer the door because my body was so difficult to move.  It was like I was glued down.  And it hit me -- I'm half asleep.  So I woke myself up.  I still felt sluggish so I purposely lifted both arms up over my head, thinking that would get the circulation going.  And then I was surprised -- I was moving my arms but I couldn't see them.  Very bizarre.  I kept moving them just for the amusement because having invisible arms doesn't happen everyday.  And then.. I actually woke up.  Except I wasn't so sure.  I felt pretty sluggish still.  That third time I was actually awake though.  I dragged myself up and reoriented to reality.

It was the Inception dream.  A dream within a dream within a dream.

I actually doubt anyone knocked on the door.  I've had several times were I doze off and think someone is knocking on the door, ringing the bell, or I hear footsteps approaching and someone talking.  

Someone mentioned this phenomena on here before.  A witch sitting on your chest.  That thing.  Very strange.  

[collectivecolors]

First earthquake a few minutes ago

[pianowolfi]

Now I feel philosophical about it.  There is of course something 'to' people being met where they are at and in a way which speaks to them ... but ...

I didn't intend to describe a method, let alone propagate it, with what I said. I am much more pragmatic. According to my many years of experience at teaching I am just a very very bad missionary. As soon as I suggest certain pieces or styles which seem important and culturally meaningful to me people would refuse and do the exact opposite.
But I have learned that as soon as somebody has developed a certain stage of technique they'd get easily bored with Gaga, Bieber, Hannah Montana and the like, and their interest would naturally turn towards "classical" pieces. So I think it's actually depending a lot on the technical and musical skills that somebody has at the instrument. I never had any student on the level of let's say Beethoven Bagatelles or easier Chopin Preludes and nocturnes who would stick to that stuff, or play it more than only occasionally.
And, if somebody wants to learn some of these pop songs I ask from them to play them strictly accurate, with the correct rhythm, reading the music, with the same precision as if they played a Beethoven Bagatelle. That will soon sort the sheep from the goats and show clearly who is seriously interested in music and who not.

[oxy60]

It doesn't seem like a big deal if it doesn't stand out as one - and the fact that it doesn't stand out as one is actually one of my points as this being a "big deal."  If it's not a big deal that this could be considered as musicianship and even "great" musicianship by many youth in the world (and that there is an industry willing to promote it as such), then the world's got some big fat problems.  Of course, that's not news. 

Even though I have been classically trained I am also in contact and play with some VERY amateur musicians in popular forms (blues, rock, heavy, etc.) Some of these people have unbelievable talent and absolutely no musical knowledge; not even the key or major from minor. In some cases you learn their original song from them by watching their hand position on the neck of their guitar.

What these people don't understand is that progress will be very slow. Everything is done by listening to recordings and trying to match what they hear.

It is up to us to show them a better way to achieve their goals not to convert them to classicists.

[m1469]

I didn't intend to describe a method, let alone propagate it, with what I said. I am much more pragmatic.

And I was not judging you, just to be clear.  I was a little tonuge in cheek in what I wrote and if anything I certainly can sympathize as a teacher with what you write.

Also, I am not suggesting that there is only one kind of talent and expression of oneself and art, nor am I trying actually to convert anybody to anything in particular.  At the time, I am more a bit standing aghast at the need for more than one type of expression to be appreciated by the human race.  Oxy, did you listen to Rebecca Black?  I am unabashedly concerned about the significance of her popularity, and similar sorts of popular "icons," in the world.  I feel it does not reflect progress for our world just because we are technologically advanced enough to flood the world with our own images and "music," no matter who we are and what a person may actually have to share.  I have every right to feel and think that way, and to have a thoughtfulness about that and whatever my role may be, as anybody has to do and think what they do!  In that sense, this is part of what I am realizing; if these people can "put themselves out there" like this with seemingly nothing of real substance to say (yes, that is my opinion) then certainly I and others can take whatever risk it may seem to put what we feel is of value out into the world as well.  In fact, I am realizing, it is even more important than ever that we do.  

Since I'm writing from my phone from under the covers in the wee, sleepless hours of the morning, I won't even get into the "industry" side of it right now, other than to say that I feel something must be done.    

[Bob]

For teaching pop music, I've heard these ideas... (Maybe this should be its own thread?)

This is the only "dose" of other styles of music they'll get.  Most likely they're stop practicing, etc., after high school, if not earlier.  They will hear pop music a lot.  They need to be exposed to other styles of music during the limited time available.

Cover all styles, including pop.  (Although maybe not focus on it for the above reasons.)

(Or they might work on pop music on their own outside of music class, so don't focus on it.)

Cover pop music.  They're experiencing it in a different way than just listening to it on the radio (if anyone listens to the radio anymore) or from a student learning music by ear. (although the traditional lessons I've seen don't emphasize transcription a lot, a different skill)

[oxy60]

Thank you m1469 but all this could wait until morning and you really should get some sleep.

No I haven't listened to Rebecca Black, sorry. My musical world right now is filled with over 100 musicians who either play in bands or have their own. I am in live music clubs one or two nights a week doing live recordings of a family member. Once those are cleaned up and filed, I can't listen too much else. In addition we go and hear live big stars who are performing nearby once or twice a month. We rarely play music from other people at home. I will though, listen to her now but before I do I can guess it is some kind of "crossover" material and rather simple.

So, is that what the fuss is about? That machine she is using costs about $1000 in its basic version. I had a full length demo of it. We have similar capabilities on pedal boards for guitars. A sort of "one man band" approach with loops.

The real problem is that what she has done is not very good.

[m1469]

Thanks, yes, I know it could wait until morning, but I was awake, I looked at the forum, and I decided to respond since I also had an opinion right at that moment.

(*so sleepy*)

I have to say yet another thing about Rebecca Black - I think she truly is being herself, and there's something about that which shines through, and so I 'get' it if people can sense that (perhaps without even knowing it), and she is a pleasant enough individual (I think she has a good enough heart) at this point in her life, and I see how this would be compelling for some people.  

[Bob]

*Bob is laughing.*  Rebecca Black is manufactured, all fake, created to be whatever will make the most money.


I'm thinking it's abou 2.5 weeks until Thanksgiving, 6.5 until Christmas.  I think.  I hear it on commercials and heard xmas music in a store today.  Way too early for xmas.

Even the wildlife is dec'ing out...



It's the traditional Christmas Octopus?

[littletune]

Octopuses are one of my favourite animals! They are very smart you know? Is that octopus real? It's really beautiful!

I can't believe holidays are over already!!  And the next holidays are Christmas holidays which is I guess 6.5 weeks away! If Bob is right about that!  Oh soooo long!! that is a month and a half!! So that is actually one eighth of the year!!   
Well there are two reasons why I'm glad holidays are over... and that is 1. I missed my piano lessons!! (This year I have them twice a week and it was really weird not to have them at all for the whole week!) and 2. I miss the music school doggy soooooo much (I mean I guess now he's not music school doggy anymore cause we don't have music school there anymre but that's how I got to know him) and he is soooo cute and nice and I love him so much and I really missed seeing him this week and I'm always worried about him and I would just want to see him everyday!!

[m1469]

*Bob is laughing.*  Rebecca Black is manufactured, all fake, created to be whatever will make the most money.

If that were true, where in the WORLD did the music come from?