And Now, A Post About the Violin

As some know, I have been studying the violin for three and a half years. I’m not sure I have made much progress. According to the rest of the Demonics, I’m not much better than I was way back when.
Mr. Demonic doesn’t want to play with me. He thinks I practice scales too much. He [...]

Dreaded Double Stops

My violin lesson was yesterday, and that particular lesson was another case of “two steps back.” I’m of the opinion that maybe if I skipped every other lesson, I would be congratulated and patted on the back always. Of course, I’m a glutton for punishment, so I go every week, and risk being dressed [...]

Where I Come From, Musically

Dr. Bibey came up with a post about where he comes from, and invited his readers to explain where they come from. I know from reading the good doctor’s posts that he’s somewhere in the southern US and plays bluegrass. His love of music and medicine coexist in a rather pleasant play one on the [...]

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Today, I’m going to write about my last violin lesson.
Perhaps I should preface this post with a little history. I’ve been taking lessons for a little over three years now, with a very nice woman who plays semi-professionally. Her husband is a retired concertmaster of the local symphony (a major name symphony), and even though [...]

General Silliness at the Conservatory

My son and his girlfriend decided to surprise me with their rendition of the theme song to the Greatest American Hero. (A largely forgettable TV show from the 80s.) For some reason, my husband told them I had a crush on the star. NOT! Gag me with a spoon, will ya?

Bounding Through the Snow and Yesterday’s Dinner

We were more or less snowbound, after having received about a foot of snow. “Snow-schmow” I said, and we dug ourselves out of the driveway to attend a Christmas recital that my daughter was performing in. She did not want to leave the house, having not awakened until past noon. My husband did not want [...]

Why I Don’t Bring My Violin To Work

I was asked by a co-worker today why I don’t bring my violin to work.
There are several good reasons. To begin with, it’s very cold outside, and my violin is a newer one. The slightest change in temperature causes the strings to go out of tune. This used to be a major problem, until I [...]

I Am Tone Deaf

Well, I’m not really tone deaf. But if you think for a moment I have perfect pitch, you’d be ever so wrong.
I think it’s amazing that most people can’t hear their own voice. I know what my voice sounds like, and it’s not pretty. I’m sure that if I were a little more nuts, I’d [...]

How the Student Symphony Reminds Me of Insects

My daughter is principal flutist in one of the county’s youth symphonies. Last Thursday was their first performance. There are other items I could write about regarding this performance, but some of those things are making me very angry, so I thought I would concentrate on something more positive.
I arrived at the hall slightly late, [...]

A Brand New Toy

Yesterday, while in a moment of mental clarity, I decided to purchase a video camera.
Now, I have a few video cameras. The first, a Sony, is broken. I should put that one on eBay. I’ve had enormously good luck selling broken electronics on eBay. There’s always some tinkerer who can use spare parts.
Actually, the Sony [...]