Author: artsyhonker

Yesterday I played the Dukas Villanelle in horn class, on a piston horn in F. It was... interesting. The Besson piston horn that the College has for student use has a fairly large wrap and very awkward placement of the pistons themselves, so I'm glad I didn't play most sections more than once, because even what I did was making my left arm hurt. On the bright side, the horn itself is so much...

Nothing new here, really, but it struck me again this morning as I was practising just how important it is to always listen, always make the best sound I possibly can when practising. It doesn't matter whether I'm playing scales or Bach, trying to make a lip trill work or doing range-stretching exercises, the most important thing is to use a good sound.Now, that doesn't always mean the tone...

Yesterday was a day of many errands; I feel like I didn't get a lot done, but really it's just that the things I did get done were mostly not music-related so much as life-maintenance related. If there is anything that could convince me to try to earn more money than I need to survive, it's the prospect of being able to afford a personal assistant, even part-time. Today I'm a little sleepy, but...

We decided at Friday's rehearsal of the Brahms not to compete in the Cavatina Chamber Music Competition at Trinity. There were lots of reasons, but mostly it's just that we haven't quite got the final movement of the trio learned well enough to be able to play it confidently and convincingly. We'd rather take the time now to learn it properly, and perform better at a later date, than skim it now,...

This morning saw me trudging up the hill to Blackheath to rehearse Schubert's 5th Symphony.One thing I dislike about Blackheath Halls is that the place tends, like all big old draughty buildings, to be freezing inside. Today was no exception, and though it is spring and Not That Cold out, I made sure to dress warmly in velvet and cashmere. Keeping my body a comfortable temperature is not as...

Yesterday morning I was just feeling too sluggish to get going. I told myself I'd go in late, and then that turned into not-at-all. Oops. I've had a pretty restful morning, though, and I feel a lot better. I'm not feeling too guilty about it as yesterday and today are my last two weekdays before going back to classes and rehearsals and all the hectic scheduling that goes with them. I was planning...

Well, I found somewhere to live, and have spent the past few days mostly panicking and trying to move.It's gone far more smoothly than previous moves, although I'm not finished yet.For perspective, in eight years in London I have lived in seven different dwellings, in four different boroughs. I probably do know people who have moved more than this, but I think most people I know have moved...

I finally have a phone again, my own one, not a borrowed pay as you go one. It is purple and shiny and this makes me inordinately happy.I haven't found somewhere to live yet. It would be easier if I were less picky about location, but for paperwork reasons I want to stay in Tower Hamlets, and for commute convenience reasons I want to stay near the Central Line, and this pretty solidly limits me...