School Spirit

Down-Home Economics

The Changes of a Year

Currently Watching A Month by the Lake By Vanessa Redgrave, Edward Fox, Uma Thurman, Alida Valli, Carlo Cartier see related

The Good, the Gorgeous, the Funny

   One of my new little students (7 year old little boy) informed me yesterday that there is only one key on the piano that does not have a notch in it -- the top one-- ; all others have to have room to fit black keys in between them. Somehow I never noticed. . . ya learn something new every day!

     I ran across this oh-so-funny video of one of my favorite arias. . . but I think that perhaps you have to be a classical music geek to appreciate it fully. But we can go on a little Puccini trip across the internet to boost customer awareness. Wanna come?

 Here's a recording of the song in its orginal lushness; words below so you can appreciate the pathos (and the later comedy, but that would be telling, wouldn't it?).

O mio babbino caro	Oh my dear daddy
mi piace è bello, bello;	he is pleasing to me, and so handsome;
vo'andare in Porta Rossa	I want to go to Porta Rossa
a comperar l'anello!	to buy the ring!
Sì, sì, ci voglio andare!	Yes, yes, I want to go there!
e se l'amassi indarno,	And if my love were in vain,
andrei sul Ponte Vecchio,	I would go to the Ponte Vecchio,
ma per buttarmi in Arno!	and throw myself in the Arno!
Mi struggo e mi tormento!	I am aching, I am tortured!
O Dio, vorrei morir!	Oh God, I'd rather die!
Babbo, pietà, pietà!	Father, have pity, have pity!
Babbo, pietà, pietà!	Father, have pity, have pity!

And then here. . .well, you'll get the idea quickly enough. Enjoy.

Ain't Technology Sumpin'?

          There comes a time in every pianist's practicing when the need for outside listening becomes imperative. Those of us accustomed to teachers yearn to hear the words of those oracles again, then recall some words spoken to the effect of "you can't take lessons forever". Grow up. So the forlorn pianist turns to self-recording practice. Alas, the difficulties of getting a reasonably priced machine that gets a decently clean recording of what is fundamentally a percussive instrument, are, shall we say, great. (Note to pesky brothers: that is percussive,  not percussion. ) Audacity to the rescue. The free recording software Audacity, that is. I just discovered this great little gadgety software, tried it out, and am thrilled with the quality for the price (note: I am sure that is would sound even better on a computer that is not prehistoric). It records straight from the computer, and of course one can plug in a microphone for even better sound. We plan to use it to record sermons also. . . keep an eye on that church website.

  (Note to hard-studying brothers; what a great way to check foreign language pronunciation!)