Thanks

Cheryl, I missed August 25th - 30th for any piano practice due to a trip to visit family, and do more heavy duty mother-in-law help. Thanks if I can be excused for those days.

I think I need to sign up to this one. I want to nail the routine.

Cheryl, I'm writing this from Phoenix airport. I'm on my way to Lake Tahoe with my out door loving but not music loving husband. I cannot practice until I come back on 9/9.

CMohr, family visits and helping out --- some of life's priorities indeed.

AlsoTom --- Welcome!

FarmGirl - safe travels and enjoy your lake time with your hubby!

It wasn't intended to be a break but the weekend schedule just didn't allow me to drag my keyboard out in the RV and get in a few minutes of piano time. We were at a dog show and our breed (GSD) was 8 AM which means 6 AM for bathing and grooming. Our girl won her first points on Saturday and we enjoyed the moment and then stayed to watch groups which takes up all afternoon (I'd never done that marathon before). Exhausting but the win was nice.

ANYway we were out of town for two days Sep 1-2 and I'm BACK on my piano routine. Missed my piano for sure. I think a little Mozart sounds good this morning.

Cas, can I please be excused for yesterday? I found out my step-father died, a huge family fight has started and I spent the rest of the day throwing up. I was just too sick to get anywhere near the keys. I'm better today so I will practice what I can.

Thanks, Becca

BeccaBb, So sorry to hear of your loss and for the family dysfunction and hope that piano takes you to a better space

Yay:) I'm glad I'm in. I do need to be on the "excused" list for yesterday. I was incredibly sick. Haven't been that sick in a long time. Having a light breakfast and hoping for a better day - including some piano

Wisebuff - sounds like a good weekend, congrats on your girl's showing!

Becca...my condolences on your loss, I'm sorry that your family is reacting in this way and hope that things improve very very soon.

Amanda, hope you are feeling better.

I went on the excused list from August 17th till today (Sept 3rd). It felt good to have my practice today - memory is definitely the issue, some of the pieces have slipped quite badly but are coming back quickly.

Welcome back Andy! Have fun getting those pieces back under control!

Asking to go on excused list for next couple of days... Going straight from work to past-midnight rehearsals in operetta pit orchestra. Expect to be back practicing not later than Saturday.

Ok!
I'm curious, what insturment are you playing in the orchestra?

I play the double bass, which I've played since the late '60s. At points in my life I've played at a fairly high level, though now I just play in the pit for light opera productions to keep my hand in.

By contrast, since starting piano late last year -- and though by anyone's standards, I am a rank beginner -- I've become a total piano fanatic and now consider it my first instrument. First in terms of commitment, though not nearly so in skill.

Ooooh, double bass...Rich sounds!!!
I've played bass clarinet and guitar, but nothing has every grabbed me the way piano has either.

You say operetta.... are we talking Gilbert and Sullivan by any chance?

I need to be "back on the wagon" as of today. I've had about a week or 2 stretch of spotty piano work and a couple days in a row when I never even touched it. I need to get back in the groove.

Thanks Cas and WiseBuff. I'm thankfully to far away to be in direct line of fire. Been keeping up with practice. Doing what I can. Will be glad when this week is over!

LBE, up on the wagon with you!

Becca.... glad you are out of the danger zone!

The opera group for which I play specializes in light opera of the late Victorian period, so over time we cover the entire Gilbert & Sullivan canon. We just did a double bill of "Trial by Jury" and "The Sorcerer" in June and will play Iolanthe next March.

But we also play many other European and American operas (all in English with projected supertitles). This week we're doing John Philip Sousa's last operetta, "The Glassblowers (or The American Maid)." We've also done Donizetti's "Elixir," Offenbach's "La Belle Helene" (which I completely loved), Strauss II, Lehar, Victor Herbert, and others.

It's funny that when I was a *serious* orchestral musician I couldn't stand light opera, Strauss waltzes, Tchaikovsky, and other music I considered "non-serious." Now there's nothing I'd rather be playing.

Gilbert and Sullivan is one of the things I miss about not living in Canada. My hometown has a theatre troupe that specializes in G&S, and I would go every year.

I envy you the fun you are having bringing these (and other great works) to life!

"Bringing them (back) to life" is almost literally true in a few cases. The current show, Sousa's "The Glassblowers," had been lost for almost a century and was only quite recently re-discovered. Musically, it's not in the same class as Sullivan or Offenbach or even Lehar, but it's still a cute and sweet show with some very nice songs. Our company has been getting some fantastically gifted singer/actors in the past couple of years, and it's really exciting to accompany them in presenting this seldom-heard music.

Judging by the response of our opening house last night, the audience enjoys it too.

I'm finally on my way back to Phoenix Az. Home again! Say hi to my doggars and piano. Lake Tahoe and its surrounding area is beautiful but nothin' like home. I really hope that it will be a safe flight. Thanks

Welcome back! I do indeed wish you a safe, uneventful trip!

I missed on Friday due to a party/BBQ that happened right after work. I would have felt much better on Saturday if I had left the party early to practice piano!

Maybe only FarmGirl will appreciate this: I was enjoying grilled sanma at the BBQ, so almost worth missing piano for :-)

I had to google sanma....that could be pretty tasty

it's very tasty. In Japan, it's served with shredded daikon (the giant white Japanese radish), soy sauce, and yuzu (though in Okinawa we used shikwasa, a lime-like citrus fruit).

Sorry for the OT post. I am back on track with practice, though because of left wrist pain, I'm going to have to switch to right hand only practice. :-(

MaryAnn, I miss grilled samma. I can get the fish here but won't cook it at home. American home is not made for the smokey fish cooking. I love yuzu too. In short, I haven't had it for a long time. I am getting green with envy now. It must be nice to be close to the beach too.

My only consolation is that I may be able to have some good Japanese food in Hawaii in November - my youngest brother is getting married there.

I don't think a few OT posts do any damage.... it is all about building up a rapport so that we can cheer each other on, isn't it? I don't think we need to restrict that to days sitting at the piano

We don't get much in the way of smoked foods here either, or BBQ, which I love. It can be weird not living in your own country...no matter how long you are away there are some things you just don't stop missing.

Good morning all
I missed a day of playing this weekend (Sep 8)when we were in the mountains camping (well...in our RV). Instead of refreshed on return, I've been sluggish on my energy for playing since I've been back(might be class prep that is overwhelming). Hope to find the groove again since I want to have my Mozart piece ready for fall piano recital with my teacher's adult group and the Denver PW group.