A flat major still

It's still all about the neighbors.  No cars in the driveway? MUST rush inside and play Chopin whether starving, tired, sweaty from gym or have other commitments, TIMING is everything!

Today I worked on fingering and a few measures at a time for memory.  Now I must figure out "memorization" dates, and oo, ee, ooo, ooh, uh,  COMMIT -- there, I said it - to performing at LEAST for the neighbors each W (that's short for Waltz, which is becoming such a looooong word) as it gets "memorized."  AGH!!

Must get video blog going - will make this be SO much better.

Charlie could film Lois at lessons,  although Tom would be a better cameraman and he IS so funny.

Let's just start this at Sept. 1, which isn't quite right so let's not. I'll go back and look now.
. . . okay started probably August 24.  365/14, since I know one already is 26.07 days each. Today is Sept. 23, meaning I have to memorize this one uh oh, already. This calls for another approach: what if I give myself 10 more days for this one, then #7 will be done in only 16 days. This is beginning to seem impossible, when at first I thought it too EASY.  Okay, I'm calm. I'm going to put them on a calendar, these memorization dates,  then we'll SEE what happens. Or rather HEAR.

Goodnight my back hurts from too much core strength exercise and now the strain of the dates and all.  ... I have to get this thing published so somebody can talk to me!

This is day what?

I do not know when I started this project. Must find out. At any rate, I must memorize more than one Waltz per month. Currently, I have one down, which was done before I started, frankly. Am working on 2 at a time mightily, and 4 at a time total because I would go out of my mind and so would the neighbors playing nothing but one Waltz for an entire month.

Plus, I think having one month to attack some poor Waltz I've not previously encountered, then actually make it into music, and also memorize it in oh say 25 days would be, for me, not possible.

Also, being totally focused on my music (NOT) I have started this very week 2 new classes: Beginning Drawing, which requires daily practice, and a Science of Mind class running 12 weeks which has daily "home study."  None of this will diminish my practice time, I am certain.  What should be my practice time? Clearly an hour is the minimum.  I can't even bring myself to write "2 hours" because then I'd have to do that. Which I would if my electric Yamaha hadn't just up and stopped being silent when the headphones are plugged in. Crap.  What would Chopin do? Can that be my new motto?

worked it tonight

but not long enuff. why do I spell like that?

I played a Nocturne tonight just to experience how RUSTY I've gotten with those. Meanwhile, I live and breathe Waltz in A flat major. Made myself work it - it being the part on the second page after which I no longer have it at all under my fingers. As usual, I fret over neighbors' boredom/irritation/possible hatred. Played anyhow -- I mean really, they were up there laughing and watching some movie, probably oblivious, which they definitely were the other night when the babysitter was there with the kids stomping on the floor and watching super loud T.V. until 12:20 a.m. at which time I called for the 3rd time sounding QUITE bitchy. This must earn me the right to Chopin On.

Must be better about blogging. Today is September 18 and high time to figure out by when this particular Waltz needs to be memorized! ??? shit. Still no purchase of video camera or attempt to learn the video blog thing. Other than my voice mail message to Tom Dambly.

September 14

LOOK at me GO! Blogging my head off!

This blog is long since I missed a week. . .

Yesterday I went over "trouble spots" about a zillion times and still don't have them. Then played Waltz 13, which is SO beautiful. Am in love with #s 8-13. Oh dear, now I can't remember what 10 is.

I then made a photocopy of #8 to take to Tom's in case I practice there but so far haven't gone to Tom's and the photocopy is rumpled up in the green beach tote. (It went to Point Reyes this weekend, just for fun.) Am planning big experiment: look at photocopy during the workday to see if that helps memorization as much as actually playing, as big brain experts claim.

Must practice most of the weekend starting Fri. because neighbors will be camping. And finally, I have called Tom Dambly to arrange help w/ getting the video part of this blog 2gether! HA, look how I used a 2. Am so brilliantly current.

September 7, Labor Day.

Working on #s 7 and 8. Must keep track of days here.

The neighbors are out now, so it's practice time. A flat major, Waltz #8. How does one name a Waltz? Some HAVE names. Like #2 "Valse brillante." I guess that was a particularly brilliant one. #1 was apparently even better, it's "Grande Valse brillante" which should be easy to memorize since I memorized it as a kid. OH! I could make a list - those I've played and memorized previously, or not. Lois likes the ones I've not played because I haven't destroyed them with bad habits yet.

Yesterday I went over and over and over and over - you get the idea - sections of pages 3 and 4 which aren't as fun to play as 1 and 2. Or 52 and 53, in my book. Page 53, the key change to uh, what has 4 sharps? That would be E major. I have to count on my fingers as if I were at the keyboard to figure that out, which will NEVER do. Lois would certainly throw her head into her hands over that one like she did a few lessons ago, after I played ONE note. And then she made a sound - sort of like, occhhhhh.

OK must get back to my plain old "Valse." OH! This will be important, Op. 64, No. 3. What is an opus anyhow? Will check on line music dictionary now.