Music Camp, Concluded

Day 4:

Violin practice:  Check.

I started out with a session of the pieces I'll be working on for Tiny Deck Concerts.  I'm not lying about Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!!  That led me to one of the pop music covers I want to play, "Hallelujah".  I've already been working on this one, playing along with a YouTube violinist.  I have a version in a music book, but the key signature is different than the YouTube version.  Since I want to continue to play with the YouTube version, plus memorize it, I decided I wanted to transcribe the YouTube version to written music.  I can more-than-less do this if the piece is simple; it's very time consuming.  But I also find it a fun challenge. I was successful enough, too (there's a couple of rhythms that aren't written quite right).  Note no piano practice.  Yeah, it took THAT long! 

Kachina Village Hill Walk:  Check. 

Years ago when I was too injured to run but not too injured to walk, I measured a 3-mile course I could do here in Kachina Village.  The Village is very hilly, so I didn't have to search for hills, but I did deliberately choose a course with two short hills and two long hills.  Other than the one day of swimming, the dogs and I have been enjoying the hour it takes to do this walk.  The weather has been glorious, the sky blue, the sun shining.  

 Here's a look at the 4 hills:

Hill #1:  Short

Hill #2:  Long in two pictures.

 

Hill #3: Well okay, medium.

Hill #4:  So long it took four pictures!

Another Great Courses lesson:  Check.


Day 5, The Last Day:


Violin and piano practice:  Check.

After all the brain work of shopping, planning, wishful thinking, and transcribing, I wanted my last day to be filled with playing, and I did.  Lots.  

Finish Great Courses:  Check. 


Final Words:

I loved Music Camp!  It provided the break in routine I wanted.  It was permission to focus a lot on just one thing.  I was able to dig in to some things that had been on a list for a long time.  It gave me a chance to look at my music in the longer view and see where I want it to go and how to go about it.

I plan to make this an annual winter event.  I'll take the opportunity to take that longer view once a year.  And throughout the year I'll keep a list of things that spark my interest to explore during Camp.  You won't be surprised to know there are already two items on the list:  1) Another Great Courses already sitting on my shelf:  "How to Listen to and Understand Great Music", with Robert Greenberg;  2) Come up with a way to record piano accompaniment that has a reasonable sound quality and possibly a portable way to play it back (thinking of Tiny Deck Concerts).  Without costing a fortune.  I already have the piano accompaniment to lots of my violin music; I'd love to accompany myself!  And so,