Friday Update
Addendum: Someone asked me
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As, erm, one person has noticed, there's been no blogging for a couple of days. Not that nothing interesting's been going on, but y'know.
Over 13,000 people have signed the petition to save the Radio 4 theme. Including me. Come on, don't be left out! Or you can register your support for its removal, if you prefer. If you don't know what it sounds like - and I've only once been listening to Radio 4 at 5:30am myself, though I'd've thought the consulting types might be more experienced in that area - there's a link to the Real audio file here. Am I the only one to be rather scared by that photo of Mark Damazer? Since I'm in a campaigning mood I'd also like to suggest saving Churchill House, and that old tree in the town (no URL for that, I'm afraid).
Been playing some violin and reflecting that it's somewhat unfortunate that at present I feel more confident as a singer - with precisely no proper training - than as a violinist - twelve years or so of lessons. I also wondered if I'd've devoted less time to music if I'd realised how little it would mean to recruiters - the answer being no, I'd rather have spent more time on music and just find some different recruiters.
On the subject of career, I've decided I shouldn't have to make apologies for having a wide range of interests. I don't see why I shouldn't spend a couple of years trying out different things to see how they actually suit me. Only trouble with that is, especially being based where I am, it's quite hard to find the short-term, try-before-you-buy kind of opportunities - summer internships are almost always for penultimate-year undergrads, and I can't justify the expense of renting in London to do a sixth-month unpaid internship (I could commute but it would cost almost as much). But I'm not likely to be able or really willing to convince recruiters that I'm absolutely committed and suitable for a proper full-time permanent position either. Bit of a conundrum, but I think my efforts are starting to proceed reasonably well again after the Christmas lull.
That's about it.
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To expand upon the violin thing, a few thoughts come to mind (this is one of those occasional attempts to demonstrate that I really am as bad as I say, rather than as good as some people like charitably to recall):
1. Why would anyone willingly play something in E major? It's painful, all the stretching, you can't let your guard down for a moment... Having to push the first finger back for 'open strings', but not all of them mind, and stretch the third finger. What's that? Too fond of first position, you say?
2. Which brings me to my Achilles' Heels of violinisting - my right hand, and my left hand. No, really. My right because of my fundamentally wrong bow-hold. My left because my fingers are rarely where they should be, when they should be. Put them together for my particular bane, double-stopping. Now really, if I can't get my fingers in the right place on one string, how likely am I to manage it on two strings at once? And more than that, how exactly am I supposed to sustain a semibreve on one string whilst playing staccato crotchets on another? I daresay most of the ripostes to these questions would come into the 'an old dog can't teach himself new tricks' category.
3. I also tend to find that when I'm playing, I rarely concentrate. Instead my mind wanders, Sherlock-Holmes-like, often to unfortunate memories of previous violin-related experiences. This may be partly because a lot of the music I have, I've had for many years and thus there are lots of associations with earlier memories (mostly bad because most of my memories are). Partly because I don't need to concentrate because I'm not preparing for any performances. In contrast I believe I concentrate more when singing. Is it possible that it's got something to do with the fact that singing requires 'verbal' brain areas and string playing doesn't? Perhaps a particular issue for me since I get the feeling that I think more in words than in pictures. So the extended question is, how do wind instruments fit into this schema? Obviously one still doesn't use words when blowing a wind instrument, but one does use a lot of the machinery of speech, unlike when playing a string instrument. How's that for an interesting research proposal? (Answer: not great, but it makes a change to have thought of anything at all)
who want's a link to the realmedia file. No one who values the integreity of their computer.....To which I respond first, no-one who values the integrity of their computer would use Windows or IE either, but that doesn't stop a lot of them doing it. And second, and more sensibly, I wasn't aware of any security issues connected with downloading Real media from the BBC. Indeed I shall continue to do so. But if anyone's concerned, best google for answers before you go downloading anything.
---
As, erm, one person has noticed, there's been no blogging for a couple of days. Not that nothing interesting's been going on, but y'know.
Over 13,000 people have signed the petition to save the Radio 4 theme. Including me. Come on, don't be left out! Or you can register your support for its removal, if you prefer. If you don't know what it sounds like - and I've only once been listening to Radio 4 at 5:30am myself, though I'd've thought the consulting types might be more experienced in that area - there's a link to the Real audio file here. Am I the only one to be rather scared by that photo of Mark Damazer? Since I'm in a campaigning mood I'd also like to suggest saving Churchill House, and that old tree in the town (no URL for that, I'm afraid).
Been playing some violin and reflecting that it's somewhat unfortunate that at present I feel more confident as a singer - with precisely no proper training - than as a violinist - twelve years or so of lessons. I also wondered if I'd've devoted less time to music if I'd realised how little it would mean to recruiters - the answer being no, I'd rather have spent more time on music and just find some different recruiters.
On the subject of career, I've decided I shouldn't have to make apologies for having a wide range of interests. I don't see why I shouldn't spend a couple of years trying out different things to see how they actually suit me. Only trouble with that is, especially being based where I am, it's quite hard to find the short-term, try-before-you-buy kind of opportunities - summer internships are almost always for penultimate-year undergrads, and I can't justify the expense of renting in London to do a sixth-month unpaid internship (I could commute but it would cost almost as much). But I'm not likely to be able or really willing to convince recruiters that I'm absolutely committed and suitable for a proper full-time permanent position either. Bit of a conundrum, but I think my efforts are starting to proceed reasonably well again after the Christmas lull.
That's about it.
---
To expand upon the violin thing, a few thoughts come to mind (this is one of those occasional attempts to demonstrate that I really am as bad as I say, rather than as good as some people like charitably to recall):
1. Why would anyone willingly play something in E major? It's painful, all the stretching, you can't let your guard down for a moment... Having to push the first finger back for 'open strings', but not all of them mind, and stretch the third finger. What's that? Too fond of first position, you say?
2. Which brings me to my Achilles' Heels of violinisting - my right hand, and my left hand. No, really. My right because of my fundamentally wrong bow-hold. My left because my fingers are rarely where they should be, when they should be. Put them together for my particular bane, double-stopping. Now really, if I can't get my fingers in the right place on one string, how likely am I to manage it on two strings at once? And more than that, how exactly am I supposed to sustain a semibreve on one string whilst playing staccato crotchets on another? I daresay most of the ripostes to these questions would come into the 'an old dog can't teach himself new tricks' category.
3. I also tend to find that when I'm playing, I rarely concentrate. Instead my mind wanders, Sherlock-Holmes-like, often to unfortunate memories of previous violin-related experiences. This may be partly because a lot of the music I have, I've had for many years and thus there are lots of associations with earlier memories (mostly bad because most of my memories are). Partly because I don't need to concentrate because I'm not preparing for any performances. In contrast I believe I concentrate more when singing. Is it possible that it's got something to do with the fact that singing requires 'verbal' brain areas and string playing doesn't? Perhaps a particular issue for me since I get the feeling that I think more in words than in pictures. So the extended question is, how do wind instruments fit into this schema? Obviously one still doesn't use words when blowing a wind instrument, but one does use a lot of the machinery of speech, unlike when playing a string instrument. How's that for an interesting research proposal? (Answer: not great, but it makes a change to have thought of anything at all)
posted by Z31 at 4:14 pm
3 Comments:
Maybe you could try singing the lines with the violin as you play them? (suitably re-octaved, if necesary) Helps with the attention, good way to think about phrasing, probably helps with intonation and all that. Who knows, why not try playing and singing both parts of a duet? Just a thought.
Did you listen to the debate on Any Answers yesterday? I thought it was quite hilarious that people were getting so worked up - I probably land up listening to the medley every morning (Dan keeps R4 on all night) but I'm never really conscious so I don't really care either way!
Missed that; perhaps I should Listen Again (using Real Player...). People can overdo the whole 'getting worked up' thing, but sometimes it is nice to make a fuss rather than just sit back and accept things! Interestingly, several people have mentioned having the radio on all night; never really considered doing such a thing. I wonder if any world news makes its way into your memory as you sleep...
(I've only heard it once, last month, and didn't even know it existed until then. But it made me feel better about having to be up at such an hour to go to some scary thing in scary London!)
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