Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Rostoskys serious thread. (by request)

You must personally know this guy- how the HECK would you have found this YOu Tube video?

searched "buns" ????? Hmmmmmm

Well I have some questions for you too shaz, as it happens and here they are.

(a.) What does "occasional furniture" do the rest of the time?
(b.) what does cheese say when it is being photographed?
(c.) If jesus was a jew, why does he have a Spanish name?
(d.) Why is there only one "monopolies commision" in the UK?

These are the things I ponder.

OH, please! Everyone knows the answer to (b).

" humans ! "

I just chopped this out of jeeves and wooster episode..

you may insert it in any thread you sense a bunfight may be about to happen!!!

I love that so much. have you found your camera yet!!! (curiosity)

Camera found, picture taken, uploaded, just about to link...

Martyn Ware on BBC Radio 4 this morning, re-telling the Human League v Heaven 17 (Sheffield) story. Oh how I loved that first Heaven 17 album when I was young. Here's a later piece from them, Temptation:




Sheffield was truly a powerhouse of early electronic music.

ANNOUNCEMENT: as well as the DID of Piano joy, this Sunday.

RST will be posting something very special that is not on youtube. Something very very special indeed.
Something I hunted and tracked down and paid for with real Rossy wallet opening ( no euros)

and something you will have a chance to hear before anyone on PC will.

17.4C outside now and still going up.

I just nipped down the road to get some provisions and visit the library... and now wished I hadn't. Angry people. Why is it that some people (just a few) carry around so much anger with themselves, all the time? I think I'd be willing to pay for them to go visit a shrink, just to get rid of all that anger. It's not healthy.

M83 and Air/Virgin Suicides on the DIY turntable today - just goes to show that French pop could come up with a lot more than bleedin' Johnny Hallyday!





Long live the cheese-eating surrender monkeys!

Rossy, nice to hear of Piano-joy's, um, 'joy' tomorrow.
I'm expecting great things. Our two outings so far have been really great, and all involved have done a fabulous job. Long may it continue!

Ah, cheese-eating surrender monkeys intel...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese-eating_surrender_monkeys

It apparently came from The Simpsons... but was popularised by certain media figures. (I neither watched The Simpsons nor visited the websites in question... yet I know it well.)

And there was me thinking it came from the mouth of some Bush aide

Funny how - now - it's seen as a global descriptor of US view of France. The way of the world.

Eglantine,
angry people? at the library! what's there to be angry about at the library?
" hey, no fair, I wanted to check out that book! "

Piano joy, not at the library, but on the way back from.

You stand, hemmed in by wall and hedge on your left, standing stock still with all your heavy bags, and the angry family is immediately ahead of you and to the right side of you, 'familia numerosa' as they say in Spain, and all the two adults (female) do is shout at you, louder, as all their numerous shouty children collide with you repeatedly... And there's nothing much you can do, adults shout louder and louder, like they own the world and all that is in it, and you are in their way, and their screaming children all have a volume of about 150dB and are all equipped with large plastic toys that they circle wildly at you as they all scream louder and louder and bash you... And the adults are both shouting at *you* to get out of their damned way.

Standing stock still with your bags - to avoid all the screaming sprogs - as this whole she-bang sets off seems to be seen as a 'bad thing'. What they really want you to do is vaporise. Pronto.

There's a certain kind of family that does this stuff. I can normally spot them a mile off - adults who want to 'let off stuff' often accompanied by children they don't care about much but use as an excuse - but this lot waylaid me around that wall and hedge. South-east London is a bit like that. And it could be worse: when the men-folk get involved, it tends to be with guns around here.

love the end of the world Eglantine..
The way to avoid familys like that on the street is to make them avoid you...
Stare at a fixed spot that is past them, or beyond them, and growl, walk with intent, never avert your gaze from the spot that is past them, they are going to move out of your way or you will walk straight through them, is what you must think in your mind.
This is exactly the way to deal with a dangerous dog, never let your mind slip.
When faced with a potential dangerous dog, concentrate on the thought "dont even think about it or i will break your legs apart" Just like dogs, these familys smell fear, and respond to the lack of it.

reclaim your streets!!!

EXCELLENT PPP!!! but dont go posting it on PC, they will find "grammatical fault" probably.
Or claim it was written by the Earl of Oxford, citing Hollywood as the "source"

ANYWAYS!!!!! Today is Pianojoys DID , so I will be posting it up at the usual time of 5pm London time.

Afternoon all,

Rossy and PPP, I fear PC is a lost cause re new music of any kind. JCC is totally lost on them! We used to put JCC on in the car on long journeys and see if we could recite all the lyrics. Also love Attila (the Stockbroker, of 'The Russians are running the DHSS' fame), who is still in fine form and living on some farm in Sussex. I saw both of them a couple of years back in Liverpool (yes, we drove to L'pool to see them!) and it was a great show.

Not content with having brought forth both Human League and Heaven 17 *at the same time*, Sheffield went on to produce techno outfit The Black Dog. Which I have a big soft spot for. Album after album of atmospheric music, and a cottage industry of producers, micro record labels...



(The subtitles are from the movie - this was the soundtrack.)



There are plenty of parallels between Detroit and Sheffield. There's even an EP out there somewhere called 'Detroit v Sheffield'...

Good morning everyone! I am looking forward to checking out those earlier postings. Right now, however, it's Classical Sunday time. My first selection is the "Flute Quartet in D Major K.V. 285" by W.A. Mozart. The musicians performing this three-part piece are Holly Cook ~ Flute, Harriet Murray ~ Violin, Kate Musker ~ Viola, and Alice Murray ~ Cello.

I. Allegro


II. Adagio


III. Rondo

Good afternoon dudes and Dudettes,
Welcome to RST's desert island, today our castaway is Pianojoy, who is our third castaway and hails from Florida.
Pianojoy is a part time hospital Pharmacist, wife and mother to her nine year old son.

RST: Hello and welcome PianoJoy!!!
PianoJoy: Good afternoon, Rossy!

RST: As is usual at this juncture, could you let the readers know a little about yourself, your formative years?

PianoJoy: I was born and grew up in Northern Ohio in a very traditional family and setting - dad, mom, sis (2 years younger), colonial 2-story house, nice neighborhood, no drug or alcohol problems, no abuse of any kind (excluding being made to attend yucky "Greek school" every saturday morning when NORMAL kids were sleeping in and watching cartoons) , church every Sunday . I'm not saying life was perfect, but there were no real huge problems- at least that I was aware of!
I attended the local public schools, walked to and fro and only got a car ride when it was below 20 degrees, ha! I had a small, but good group of friends and I have fond memories of playing lots of kickball outdoors with the kids in the neighborhood.
Sounds a bit boring in hindsight, but as an adult, I appreciate the non-drama and stability of it all !

RST: Did you enjoy school?

Pianojoy: I enjoyed school up until college, at which point, I nearly detested it. I am a Type A personality and I put enormous pressure on myself to get top grades. College was very, very difficult for me and if I could do it all over again, I would study LESS and party MORE. I recall being in the public library on a Friday night, studying! What an idiot!

RST: What was you best at in school?

PianoJOY: My best subjects were math and science.

RST: Was there anything you were particularly bad at in school, anything you hated?

PianoJoy :Unfortunately , I was not at all athletic and I did not like gym class! ha! I felt so uncoordinated and out of place in any sport we played. I like to think I've improved in that area, but, um, maybe it's all in my mind. That's OK, the benefit of growing up is you can (hopefully) feel comfortable even if you're not highly competent in that area.

RST: Would you you say you were a happy child?

PianoJoy: Yes, I think I was a happy child except on Saturday mornings.

RST: Could you tell us about your first choice of music, what does this piece mean to you?

PianoJoy: My first choice of music is rather ridiculous- just a good ole party song, if you will: Todd Rundgren's " Bang the drum all day" Why? Simply, it makes me FEEL GOOD. If I'm having a particularly stressful time at work and wishing I weren't there, I can think of this song, sing the tune in my head and voila! Instant endorphin release-- I'm happy! It makes me think of "banging" on the piano and takes me out of my immediate surroundings. Fun song, that's it.






RST: Where your parents at all musical?


PianoJoy: No, my parents were not and are not musical and neither is my sister. I recall my sister and I laughing so hard in church when my mom sang, that we would have to hunch forward in order for the pew not to shake!

RST: What is your first memory of hearing music?

PianoJoy: My first memory of music....um....did I mention I have a very poor memory? Really, I do! I will have to MAKE UP stories of my childhood for grandchildren some day (ps. my kid is only 9, I'm nowhere near that yet..) I guess it would be of choir class in elementary school; I know I loved it, but I sure don't recall any specifics!

RST: And your second choice of music?

PianoJoy: 2nd choice of music is by the Four Seasons, " December, 1963 (Oh, what a night)".
I'm not entirely sure why I like this song so much- some songs I keep going back to, year after year, and this is one of them. I like the melody, I like the group, I like their story.

PianoJoy: I wish I could say when I first heard these two selections and what I was doing at the time, but I can't remember. See ?

RST: Thats OK! ( we all go fuzzy with time!) Could you elaborate a little on "Greek school" I have to confess not knowing what that would entail?

PianoJoy: Greek school (snarl) is a regularly scheduled class, which Greek-Americans kids are often forced to take (at least, back in the day) by their well-intentioned parents, in order to learn how to read and write the Greek language. Some history of the country is also taught. Obviously, I do not have fond memories of it, even decades later- ha!
B-O-R-I-N-G ! Most kids don't care about any of that....and I forgot 99% of it. I am fluent in Greek because that's what was spoken at home and I love it because my sister and I can say things that no one else can understand in the family.....ha!

RST: Whom would you approach first as a child with any problems you may have had, your Mum or your Dad?

PianoJoy: Mom was mostly approachable, Dad not so much. Plus, in typical style back then, mom was home and Dad was either working at the office or working on the lawn.

RST: Did you have any childhood heroes?

PianoJoy: My grandmother was- and remains my hero. She passed away over 20 years ago and I am tearing up even as I think of her right now. She only got her high school diploma (heck, born in 1898!) but she was one of the wisest and most intelligent people I ever knew. Read voraciously. She survived WWII ,alone with 2 daughters, in Greece under the Italian occupation. Long story there, this is neither the time nor the place to go into it, but it's fascinating. I'll add that my mom tells stories of "yiayia" (Greek word for grandmother) needing multiple operations on her stomach after the war - vague reasons. In order not to worry anybody, she would tell the family that she was going to the next village to "visit relatives". She'd check herself into the hospital, undergo surgery and WALK back home days later and then announce what she'd done. Can you imagine? She had answers for most of life's problems and she was my real confidante. If I were half the person she was, I'd consider myself highly successful in life! Got to go grab a tissue now...

RST: I am sure your Gran would be proud of you. As a child , what did you want to be when you grew up?

PianoJoy: As a child, I don't recall wanting to be ANYTHING when I grew up. That's not my bad memory, that's just me not thinking of myself grown up. It somehow happened, anyways.

RST: Record number three?

PianoJoy: My 3rd selection is "I got a woman" by Ray Charles:
I think I first heard this as an adult. If I'm going to be on a deserted island, I need a variety of songs, different genres. Again, not sure what draws me to this, it's fast, it's fun, a bit old-timey. Hard not to admire a blind piano player - unique voice, to boot.



RST: Could you tell us a little about your first job?

PianoJoy: My first job was as a library assistant and here's how it happened:
mom : honey, you have 10 minutes to get ready, you start a new job today.
me: HUH? Job? what job? I never applied for a job!
mom: don't worry about it, I took care of it for you. 5 minutes now.
me: mooooooom! I can't have a job, I have school, I'm busy !
mom: 5 seconds. I'll wait for you in the car.

I didn't like it, but it sure taught me that money doesn't come easy and I was able to sneak in some reading on the job!
Since that day, I've always worked at some job or another, nothing too memorable, i.e. babysitting business, restaurant hostess, etc.
Of course, after college, I got a permanant job. I can't say it's my life's passion, but it pays well enough that I can work part-time and have more time to play piano!

RST: Did you get "pocket money" as a child and if so, were you expected to earn it?

PianoJoy: Pocket money? Absolutely not. They bought us what we needed and very little of what we wanted. I recall feeling very hesitant and nearly ashamed to ask for $1 to purchase a ball. How did they do that- BRILLIANT! Wish I could instill that in my son, but he sees me getting money out of a ATM machine just by inserting a piece of plastic.

RST: what would be your "Dream Job?"

PianoJoy:My dream job would be NO job. I've worked enough, I'm over it.

RST: Record number four?

PianoJoy: My 4th selection is Queen's "Killer Queen".
This takes me back to my teenage years, I was a big Queen fan- how did I not know that Freddy Mercury played piano? I like the beat and melody of this song, but mostly- check out the lyrics! WHO writes lyrics like that? What were they smoking?! But, I love it, heck, people don't even use some of those words in their vocabulary, let alone in a song.

RST: Just have to say at this point that I was lucky enough to see Queen in the very , very early days, when they were the support group for Mott The Hoople.

RST:Are you an "outside" person? or are you happier with slippers and a beverage next to the fire in your favourite chair?

Pianojoy:I am most definitely an "inside" person- but an active one, no slippers and lounging about for me! I'd be at the piano, or in the kitchen cooking, or doing something around the house (I've even taken apart a toilet, thank you very much).
However, if the weather is beautiful, I love being outdoors and taking a walk or watching a ballgame (baseball).

RST can attest to Pianojoys "toilet trauma" the "maintenance " of which spanned several hours, and concluded with the employment of a qualified plumber!

RST:Can you remember what first drew you towards the piano?

Pianojoy: As a kid, my parents "drew" me towards piano...as an adult, my kid dragged me into a local piano store one day and I had a EUREKA! moment. I don't know, something stirred deep inside me and I was mesmorized and immediately drawn to the instrument. Five days later, I announced to hubby " we HAVE to buy a piano and I need to start taking lessons again". It's beautiful, it's soothing, it's romantic, it's classy, it's fun, it's challenging, I could go on but there's no one here I need to convince. smile Within 2 months, we did purchase a new piano (K 3) and I love it.

RST:record number five?

Pianojoy:Record # 5 (or 4th from my most favorite) is Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Overture.
I'm sure I heard it first as a kid ,watching the ballet on TV (huge crush on Baryshnikov) and have since listened to the soundtrack a zillion times...it's enthralling and I'd need some classical music on that dang island.

RST: *Note* at this point it was realised that Pianojoy had been choosing her choices of music on the premise of "least loved or liked" out of the eight and counting down to her number one choice. This was a completely new thought to RST, and an unexpected developement.
As it doesn't actually alter anything, save to give additional info, it was allowed!!!





RST:Would you catergorise your self as an optimist or a pessimist?

Pianojoy: Rossy, I *want* to say I'm an optimist, but I fear I lean towards a pessimist.
You've heard the definition of a pessimist : an optimist with experience!
Well, at least I'm a happy pessimist!

RST:Do you have any regrets

Pianojoy: I really regret having pushed myself too hard during school, especially college. Those should have been the best days of my life and all I can remember is studying all the time! I wish I had eased up and enjoyed life more back then.

RST:If you could have been anything in life at the wave of a magic wand, would you have been anything else?

Pianojoy: (I sure have to think about what I would want to be if I could wave a magic wand...hmmm....let me get back to you on that)

RST: Pianojoy , If you knew in advance you were going to be stranded on a desert island and you had the opportunity to have a last meal in the outside world so to speak, what would that meal be?

Piano joy: My last meal before being stranded on the island? I would skip the "meal" part and go straight to, well, TWO desserts, heck, why not? A piece of oooey, gooey, homemade chocolate cake and a warm apple cobbler with ice cream melting on top. A margarita before the desserts and, of course, coffee afterwards- cream and sugar , please.

RST: Are you a "fussy eater?" are there things you just could not bring yourself to eat that may be found on the island?

Pianojoy: Although, I am not a fussy eater regarding normal "human" food, I must say...I cannot imagine eating any type of insect, worm, flying things, or anything that was still alive.

RST: Have you had, or do you still have any other Hobbies apart from the piano?

Pianojoy: Piano is my major hobby, occupying what little free time I have, but I also love to try out new recipes and do enjoy exercising- oh, and attending an occasional musical at the theatre.

RST:What would you consider to be the biggest mistake you have ever made in life ?

PianoJoy: Biggest, hugest, gargantuan mistake in life: not restarting piano after graduating from college. Heavy sigh. I wish I could tell that young girl back then to start up again right away- I would have had lots and lots of time to practice!

RST:record number six?

PianoJoy: Record # 6 (3 from the top, ha)-
"Over the Rainbow" from the Wizard of Oz. I know --corny, corny, CORNY!
Yup. Guilty as charged. Can't help it- I was most definitely a little tyke when I first saw this movie and who can forget this one? It's innocent, it's sweet and it's hopeful. I have a nice arrangement for this song on the piano and I think my family is really sick of hearing it- but, I'm not.

RST: *note" at this point PianoJoy did get a little anxious about being too "wordy" and had a small panic that folk would be bored, and asked for an edit on "possible boring stuff"
RST found no "boring stuff" and neither found a need to edit!!!