The end of my sojourn in the country is coming to end. Let’s call it an Artist Residency & Recovery. After five weeks of fairly hectic travelling in France, Scotland and northern England, it was an unexpected joy to land in a little house near Auray for a couple of weeks of quiet rest and
The old songs very often had introductions that went by the wayside when jazz standards became de rigeur. It’s a shame because they give context and contrast to the song. Yesterday a friend sang me After You’ve Gone (written in 1918) with the preamble and it made me smile. It’s now on my
I really enjoy teaching my handful of students. They’re all dedicated and fun to work with and range in age from 16 to 89. The youngest of them gave a lovely card and Christmas present and I’m pretty chuffed to read her words of appreciation. It’s pretty special to be able to share
It’s not everyday your offspring end up in a mural. I walked down the laneway next to the art gallery to find her band being very cool on a big wall. She’s the little bass player on the right. If you’re into metal music you might like the band Otrera.
I partook in a crêpe-off on Tuesday with Rob, my bass player and fellow food lover. I made my French recipe, he made his Hungarian one and we taste tested with an array of toppings. They were both good. The French a little richer, the Hungarian lighter. Now I have two recipes to
Fun songs are like medicine – one dose and you’re feeling better. When Sesame Street does a cover of a fun song it’s magic medicine – you’re instantly cured of whatever ails you. Look up “If I Knew You Were Coming I’d’ve Baked a Cake”, sung by the Cookie Monster and played
I had a conversation today with a student and her mum about Mozart. I finished with an off-hand remark that it’s been a long time since I played Mozart and I might do that a little later. Mum replied that it’s a pretty special skill to have. It was a lovely reminder that
You can’t but love a 1950s record sleeve with bright colours and cartoon dancers. I don’t listen to it often, but I love it sitting there on the shelf promising waltzing good times.
I had my piano tuned today. It is an annual event ,yet every year I forget just how beautiful it is to have a piano that is perfectly in tune. Now my biggest challenge is to drag myself away from it.
It’s nice to hear piano. I forget how few piano players there are in the wild until I hear one and then it feels like a lovely surprise. It’s also nice to hear someone else playing your instrument. I lent my keyboard to Alan Reid, a wonderful Scottish musician, for a house concert
