This bust of Beethoven glowers from atop my husband’s piano. The mister is a seriously good pianist — used to make a living at it until he decided to get a day job because that’s more conducive to family life.
The current Ludwig is actually a replacement that I purchased after our then-toddler daughter busted the original bust, which the mister had been performing before since his child prodigy days. Bet y’all never guessed I am married to Schroeder from Peanuts!
It’s kind of a crappy day here — cloudy and drizzly, which I’m using as an excuse to delay walking my dogs. I don’t have any big plans aside from procrastinating over some much-needed housework and watching the Gators play this evening.
What are you up to today? Do you have any musical talent?
infinitefreetime
I own a ukulele. My wife once paid for me to take lessons as a birthday present. It spawned this: http://infinitefreetime.com/2013/08/01/in-which-i-am-a-bad-student-pt-1-of-2/
gogol's wife
Playing the piano keeps me sane. I love everything — classical, ragtime, songs from Shirley Temple movies. But Beethoven is my honey.
RoonieRoo
The husband, Grumpy Code Monkey, is a musician. He plays mostly bass or drums with his band and writes his own music. My only requirement in life is that he plays in a band or with some group of people because when he doesn’t have that going on, he’s impossible to live with.
Today is exciting because we have a landscaper coming out to talk about my ideas of what I want done to our backyard and a garden bed up front.
palindrome
I play the radio – I’m killer on it.
c u n d gulag
While I wasn’t a child prodigy, I was pretty damn good!
Back when I was 13, for the 2nd year in a row, I got the highest grades you can get, on one of the most difficult pieces you can try, for playing the piano, at the NY State Music Associations grading completion.
I played a piece by Grieg the 2nd time, Mozart, the first.
Then, a few years later, I dropped playing the piano, to play football and other sports, in HS.
When I was 16, after working a summer at the machine shop where my father was the Foreman, I bought a white electric guitar, a Telecaster knock-off, and an amp.
And even THAT, cost me most my summer’s wages!
I thought, with my musical abilities (my Mom sang solo classical concerts an Carnegie Hall – TWICE), I’d be the white, right-handed, Jimi Hendrix.
WRONG!
On the piano – a linear instrument – a chord is a chord!
I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that on a guitar, there are probably 50,000 ways to hit that same f*cking chord!
OY!
So, after a year of trying to learn guitar, I gave up, and took up acting.
No groupies – but a lot of attractive young women for a straight guy to perform with! :-)
Betty Cracker
@infinitefreetime: I play the uke too — badly, most of the time. I laughed and nodded sympathetically while reading your account of your lesson. The few times my hubby has tried to teach me anything about music, it didn’t go well. But it’s not him, it’s me; I also learn best figuring things out for myself. What I have managed to learn on the uke I picked up on YouTube or books.
big ole hound
No talent whatsoever except in my youth I would sing in the shower. Quite frankly I lost all interest in music in the 80s and turned off the radio. I have tunes from about 1970 and older but most since then sounds like henhouse racket to me. I realize how strange that must sound to those post WWII generations.
mai naem
Have zero musical talent and as far as singing, I think people would pay for me to shut up if I started singing.
Anyhoo, Elliot Spitzer’s girfriend is on Steve Kornacki’s show this AM. This is the woman who got canned by DeBlasio because she was dating Spitzer.
raven
Pit stop from the yard sale event, crappy day but folks are out and buying!
Regnad Kcin
gigging tonight.
life is good.
Betty Cracker
@c u n d gulag: Wow, definitely some musical talent in your family!
The mister played piano in several productions, and he admits that before we met, he enjoyed being one of the few straight dudes in the show.
the Conster
My sister’s piano teacher gave those busts out after each yearly recital – we had three of them, just can’t remember what the others were although I think one was Chopin.
Looks like the choice was Brahms, Liszt, Mendelsson or Bach. Still wasn’t motivation enough to practice enough for me. There isn’t a musical gene anywhere in our family, except my mother’s love for Broadway show tunes.
Karmus
I have very little talent, but I persist in trying to be a musician anyway.
I’m also rather unhandsome, and fatter than Al Gore, which matters for a performer. Oh, well.
For what it’s worth, this is me, “performing” (one track at a time) one of my own compositions. Sorry it’s so long. Some will like it, some won’t. It’s very 80s, I think, but that was when I wrote it, still so young and full of hope and such.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-LfJvsqwBc
Elmo
Lots of middling musical talent in the family, none of which made it to me. Brothers play guitar, drums, harmonica well enough to entertain friends and well-meaning strangers. Other talent too – one brother made a good living as a wedding DJ when that was a thing, he was booked solid for all weekend days a year in advance, and now his daughter is winning dance competitions.
Me? I went to law school.
Schlemizel
I played the saxophone in school. I love the sound & I enjoyed playing but I never got good enough to continue, it ended graduation night playing Pomp And Circumstance.
I,OTOH, had a major breakthrough a couple weeks ago. I noticed a marked improvement in my oral environment, to the point I was actually able to eat meat again. Its not perfect but 2 1/2 years after radiation I went out for barbecue last night & it was wonderful. Had a mix of pork & beef ribs (I prefer beef) & had a grand time.
We also went to “Grand Budapest”. Its quirky and strange but a good time. I won’t spoil it for you, most of the ending is pretty guessable, but its like the Grateful Dead said “What a long strange trip its been”.
WereBear
Mr WereBear composes music. He did this for a meditation video:
A Diamond Day: Adirondack Autumn
However, when it comes to dead composers, Beethoven is top of the list.
thruppence
I have no musical training, but I sing in our modest small town church choir where modest talents are welcome. Trying to improve, partly in defiance of my gradually increasing tinnitus. Perhaps I will actually be good by the time I can’t hear myself.
Joey Maloney
I can control the pitch of my hand-fart sounds well enough to produce a recognizable “My Country ‘Tis Of Thee”.
donnah
My youngest son, 21, is our musical genius. He started noodling around on our old piano at age three, he started serious lessons at age eight, and went on to a school of the arts where he studied classical piano. He now attends a local university and is studying to be a music teacher. He sight reads and plays by ear, and composes when he feels like it.
I may have posted about him before, but he’s basically made of music. Before college, he never sang a note, no whistling, no humming, nothing. But after being required to join the University Chorale as a freshman, he’s added the Men’s Chorale, another private chorale, auditioned and won a spot in a local a cappella group, and is currently singing in the university opera. He’s a bass with a deep register and everyone needs him!
So it’s pretty amazing to see this guy who used to fall asleep in my lap to the tune of “Sink to the Bottom with You” now being a musical magician.
WereBear
@thruppence: I’ve known people to get help with that by using herbs like gingko and gotu kola. One theorized cause of tinnitus is reduced circulation in the head.
Can’t hurt. Might help.
JPL
What an incredible about of talent on this site. I don’t even sing in the shower.
Schlemizel
My brother started playing an Indian ‘courting flute’ in retirement and has gotten pretty good at it. I built one from PVC pipe & noodle around a bit, it is fairly simple to make sound good. Probably something people could look into if they are interested in maximum enjoyment with minimal talent.
It did encourage me to pick up a bagpipe chanter, basically the flute part of a bagpipe. By itself it sounds vaguely middle eastern but is quiet enough you can practice without the neighbors calling the cops. The thing is devilishly tricky to play. In addition to some odd (for me) finger combinations the holes are relieved so you have to cover them squarely and solidly. I end up hitting a lot of clinkers because a tiny amount of air is using a finger hole I have not got 100% covered. It ends up sounding like a singer search for the right note while singing if you know what I mean.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
Bottleneck and slide guitar, on a National Style O and Gibson SG. Mostly acoustic these days, since there’s a good Open Mic venue locally.
Best news is that after 20 years of trying find someone to play with, I connected with an awesome singer and a guitar/piano player last year who have the same taste in music, interest in actually learning songs and rehearsing (instead of just jamming), and ambition to play out more.
So now I’m learning 2 or 3 new songs a month now, instead of 1 every three months.
Other than that, the main goal for the day is to put away the snow shovels!
NotMax
Dropped all musical instruments which I once played (and couldn’t wring out a tune on any of them today) around towards the latter part of high school.
Being pestered to play at parties and such cuts way too much into serious drinking time.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
ETA
@Karmus:
This.
patrick II
How modern prodigies do it: get a recording device, create multiple layers of a song by imitating various instruments or background singers, loop them to create the background music, different versions for the verse, bridge and chorus, and sing the song all the while sitting in bed with two sleeping dogs. Sorry about the ad, but you can skip it in a few seconds.
MomSense
I keep threatening that if I come home to a sink full of dirty dishes one more time I’ll run off and be a back up singer for a rock n roll band! Actually our house is always full of music and we do like to sing together. It’s kind of like the Partridge Family minus the matching outfits and the cool bus.
MattF
Worth noting that the ‘Obama vs. Putin’ meme has descended to the point where Newsmax is quoting Krauthammer as an expert. The next step, when Obama and Putin reach some sort of agreement, is when the meme disappears entirely and all the wingers deny they ever said anything about it. Whatev.
Josie
Growing up, I played piano, violin and sang, so naturally I was attracted to and married a man who played guitar and sang. All three boys are musical, but the youngest is actually pursuing music as a profession. He plays guitar, writes and produces R&B, pop and progressive rock. Here is his you tube channel with some quick covers of guitar solos.
https://www.youtube.com/user/TreyJonesMusic/videos?view=0
RoonieRoo
@patrick II: That was a great video. Loved the two passed out dogs.
p.a.
No musical talent whatsoever. I did inherit a Gretsch banjo uke from the 40’s or 50’s. Gave it to a musician friend (acoustic bass player). His violinist wife has never forgiven me.
Today’s schedule: laundry, Princeton v Brown lacrosse, St.John’s v PC lacrosse if I’m not too waterlogged to go.
K488
Choral singing – lots of choral singing! I’m (to borrow a phrase from Peter Schickele) an under-the-counter tenor, but I can read and hold pitch and blend in, so no-one needs to hear me per se. My spouse (K467) also does this, so it’s a family thing. And as you can probably gather, we like Mozart…
Kirbster
My living room is dominated by a 1960 Hammond organ that my dad used to play. I turn it on and warm it up (all electronic tubes, y’know) a couple times a year to see if it still works by picking out part of a musical piece I learned for a fifth-grade piano recital. Sometimes I feel bad that I just don’t love it as much as he did.
c u n d gulag
@Betty Cracker:
Betty,
Back in the 90’s, I was an Adjunct Professor in the English/Theatre department of a private college.
One of my acting students, a young lady, was also on the school newspaper, and she wanted to do a piece for it, profiling me.
In the interview, we talked about history, theatre, etc.
Then, she asked me, “Tell us, why did you get into acting?”
I looked at her and said, “Do you want me to bullshit you, or tell you truth. The bullshit’s prettier.”
“No, ” she said, “Tell me the truth.”
“Well,” I said, “The truth is that in HS, I was a jock, but I broke my shoulder in wrestling, and messed up my knees and ankles playing football and baseball, so I couldn’t play sports in college. So, no more cheerleaders, for me!
So, I looked around at the other college activities, and saw that the prettiest young women were in theatre, and most of the guys were gay, so, the choice was pretty easy.
That I happened to be very good at acting, was more of an accident, than a plan.
I’d have been happy just building the sets.”
She sat there, and just stared at me for a few seconds.
And then, she started to laugh.
“So, you’d rather have been playing sports, than theatre.”
“Off the record – yup. But I couldn’t, anymore.”
She wrote-up a nice piece about me, anyway! :-)
Josie
@c u n d gulag: My middle son gave up football to do ballet as well as musical theatre and, as you can imagine, took quite a bit of ribbing for it. He always said that the guys were really missing a bet, because he loved being the only straight guy in a room full of beautiful women all the time.
Gindy51
I played several instruments as a kid and even kept up one or two into adulthood. I got a severe concussion in the late 80’s and cannot handle any music now. Sad, but sometimes your brain gets fried when you get a knock on the noggin. Strangely bird song does not bother me at all, in fact it is the only music I can listen to without wanting to scream my lungs out.
RSA
Now I’m imagining Mr. Cracker sitting on the floor, hunched over the piano, and you stretched out with your head propped up on it. (Isn’t that uncomfortable?)
Southern Beale
The battle for the soul of America is being played out in … wait for it … car commercials. I have to think the hippies are gonna win this one. Again.
MomSense
@Josie:
I taught a lot of guys dance over the years! They would get teased until they were seen walking down the street or school hallway surrounded by beautiful girls–and then the other guys would realize that they had it all wrong.
Your son is great!
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
@MomSense: Check out the movie “20 Feet From Stardom” for a history of backup singers, especially Darlene Love who got screwed over by Phil Spector but restarted her career years later.
MomSense
@Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:
That movie is at the top of my movie list.
Betty Cracker
Speaking of music and kids these days, my teen is a big fan of Florence and the Machine. Wonderful band, in my opinion. Florence’s voice reminds me of Grace Slick’s.
WaterGirl
@Schlemizel: Still so happy for you!
It ripped my heart out to see my mom like that, so I imagine it is a huge relief for your family, too. Did you ever think you might come out on the other side?
Nicole
I spent most of my youth believing I had no musical ability because my fourth grade music teacher called me out in front of the entire class for being such a bad singer. It was really humiliating; I’ve never forgotten it. In college, I took Music Performance as a challenge to myself and was blessed with a teacher who was of the opinion that anyone could sing. You might not be a Broadway singer but you could learn to carry a tune. That class went a long way towards healing my old wound.
My husband has a great ear for music and my son, at 3, is showing some musical skill- we heard him singing along with a pre-recorded ABC song, a perfect third above the melody. But he seems to particularly like percussion, so I fear we may have a lot of loud in our future.
Poopyman
@c u n d gulag: @Josie: I recall an interview with Robert Mitchum where he said pretty much the same thing, but in high school and minus the injuries.
I played trumpet for 8 years through HS with a solid lock on absolute last chair. Then in college when everyone around me was playing guitar I picked up bass. Then I got interested in bluegrass and picked up the banjo, but that didn’t go over so well in a dorm. Out in the real world I fell in with some folks doing colonial/Federal-era music and actually got paid to sing and play guitar. And hammered dulcimer. And concertina. I pick up an instrument and get somewhat proficient with it, then get bored and drop it, although in honesty there have been only a handful of times in the last 20 years that I’ve even held an instrument.
I can’t really say I’ve got any talent, since the only instrument I spent serious time with is one I truly sucked at.
Grumpy Code Monkey
@patrick II:
Beats hell out of bouncing tracks between two stereo tape decks running at slightly different speeds, which is how we did it back in high school. Getting a six-track tape deck made things a lot easier. Wish I could find all my old mix-downs; recently re-discovered some old tracks that I’ve finally been able to put words to.
danielx
Played piano at the behest of my mom for six years, or roughly until the time when a) i was starting to become minimally competent at it and B) was old enough to tell mom ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’ and make it stick. Now I occasionally play blues harp, but I’m never going to put Magic Dick out of work. However, music remains a must-have, and on that score I am going to see St. Paul and the Broken Bones at Radio Radio on Wednesday night.
In other news, Chris Christie political ally David Samson resigned his position as chairman of the NY/NJ Port Authority yesterday. This transpired after Christie’s release of the report wherein he investigated himself and found that in the matter of the GW Bridge lane closing fiasco he was not only guiltless, yea, but pure as the driven (if slightly radioactive) snow coming down outside at the moment. (Again? Fuck!)
Coincidence? I think not…
Edit: also played jr high trombone until putting my arm through a plate glass door window while chasing a girl at some church gathering, thereby putting my brass band career to a screeching halt. Only good thing to come out of it was ruining the rev’s black leather office chair bleeding on it – never liked the sonofabitch anyway.
Dr. Dave
I grew up in a musical household: Dad was a middle school choir and music teacher and Mom played cello in the civic orchestra and in a string quartet with her friends. I both sang and played clarinet up through HS, kept up the clarinet all through college (where I was good enough to hang with the music majors), then dropped everything for most of grad school.
Toward the end of grad school, new spouse (who I met in college marching band) and I became involved in the church music program (first handbells and then the choir), and since then we have always been members of at least one singing group. Choir and musical theater helped keep us sane when we were unsuccessfully trying to fit in at the small college in Virginia where we got our first teaching jobs. When we moved to our current home we joined a top-notch church choir (they just tossed off a couple of movements of the Brahms Requiem during the first rehearsal we attended) and twenty years later those people are still among our best friends. During that time, we have also been members of three other singing groups that I would characterize as semi-professional (or at least very serious amateurs)–it helps that spouse and I can both read music and can cover the tricky inner parts (alto and tenor).
We have encouraged both our boys to stay involved in some kind of music, on the theory that if you can sing or play an instrument you can find friends almost anywhere you go–at least that has worked for us.
danielx
@Kirbster:
Now if you just had a Leslie speaker to go with it, you’d be golden.
tybee
@Regnad Kcin:
frogs or flounder? ;)
Cervantes
@Karmus:
Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed listening.
Schlemizel
@WaterGirl: I don’t expect it to ever be ‘right’ but better is good. The ENT told me I’d never get better (he was a gem of a human).
Steeplejack
For my someday-maybe file, can one of you pianists recommend an inexpensive electronic piano/keyboard with a somewhat realistic/weighted feel to the keys?
Regnad Kcin
@tybee: normally, i’d say calamari, but tonight it’s bass guitar
NotMax
@Grumpy Code Monkey
Yeah, but gotta admit the hours and hours of recording, overdubbing, double tracking and track mixing were a heap of nerdish enjoyment (flange is fun).
Astonishing how good a product could be produced using essentially the same methodology, but before tape reels. Sidney Bechet, from 1941 – everything you hear on the recording is him.
PurpleGirl
No real musical talent but I like music. I tried learning guitar in high school; didn’t work out. In Junior High I sand in Chorus as an alto. I’m really a soprano but can’t hit notes on my own. For a few years I sang in the church choir — sitting next to a true alto I can copy what I’m hearing. The choir director told me he could use me to undergird the alto, whose voice was getting thin and losing power. It was nice to be able to sing in choir.
Josie
@Grumpy Code Monkey: @NotMax:
What fascinates me is that, with the advent of the internet, tracks can be created and sent to the producer from various contributors so that they don’t have to be in the studio to create a recording. We are in Texas and my son works with people in L.A., Miami, Atlanta, etc. and they send stuff back and forth all the time. The internet has, on one hand, made the music business less of a money maker but, on the other hand, expanded the creative possibilities.
Steeplejack
@Southern Beale:
A good piece. I love that Ford ad. I haven’t actually seen it on TV yet, though. Hmm, maybe I’m watching too many “asshole” programs.
Cervantes
@Schlemizel:
Very glad to hear you’re feeling better and able to enjoy yourself more!
Cervantes
@Joey Maloney: Talent will out!
schrodinger's cat
Caturday Kitteh has a musical
ruemara
I used to sing in chorus, church chorus, but I fear I had no real talent. It was hard for me, because I have a hard time raising my voice. I also used to play clarinet – first chair-, and piano. But I stopped after high school, because I didn’t own my own instruments. I did have plans to add bass guitar, but, again instruments. Now I’m tossing my chording books today.
The plan for the day? Finish the next few pages for my website, haul things to the trash but mostly, try to get out of this bed and have my morning walk.
Steeplejack
@Karmus:
Good on you for putting it all together. A worthy effort.
Steeplejack
@schrodinger’s cat:
Caterwauling.
Omnes Omnibus
Played violin and viola for a number of years. Was decent but not great. The (suggested by my conductor) move to viola was a tell. I was a fist chair viola and a mid-range first violin. The first violins get the fun stuff, but first chair is first chair. As I got older and busier, playing music was one of the things I dropped. I didn’t have the inner fire for playing that it takes to be great.
Yatsuno
@Nicole: I have a similar story. I played various instruments all through high school (I got better at some than others but I just explored as much as I could) but settled on oboe and tuba in college. But I had been told all my life by my older brother that I could not sing, so I never tried. Then one day in community college the choir director just offered me a chance to join up. Three months later I was singing classical Bernstein hitting notes even pro tenors have trouble with. It’s nice that I can just flex the vocal chords slightly & my voice bounces back. Ended up with a degree in music concentrating on voice & oboe. My heart is with the English horn though.
Ruckus
Mom made me at least try to be musical, had to try to play the trumpet. When that was a complete failure, she switched me to the accordion. That didn’t make things any better. In fact I could actually make some notes on the trumpet. Not even close to a complete, recognizable song but still, notes. After the accordion attempts I was relieved of any more musical disasters. But then I had to take ballroom dancing. I did learn not to step on feet and move around the room without falling down so I must have developed some sort of rhythm.
My one musical talent is appreciating people who have some.
Cervantes
@MomSense:
Imagining (as I am) that you’re as good as Marcy Levy was on Clapton’s “Promises,” I might just come by and fill your sink with dirty dishes.
(Why that song? No fancy reason. I just happen to love the work she did on it.)
Cervantes
@Gindy51: Sorry to hear that you have to avoid music. That sounds terrible. Maybe the adverse reaction will fade?
Meanwhile, on the plus side, as you say, we still have songbirds!
Steeplejack
@Yatsuno:
Daughter of a friend plays French horn in a wind quintet. I think they occasionally throw an English horn into the mix. Couldn’t find a clip, but I did find this perky take on Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”
ellie
I can play piano and the bass but I am not any good.
schrodinger's cat
@Steeplejack: Actually my boss kitteh sings for his food, especially stuff like fresh fish, its a dainty and a musical meow.
Amir Khalid
I’ve been told I have a good singing voice. I’m not a bad mimic — I can manage a decent James Taylor or Neil Young, and I can manage some of Art Garfunkel’s high notes. But I’ve never had any musical training, or sung outside a bathroom.
Cervantes
@Ruckus:
They also serve who only watch the band, elate.
Cervantes
@Amir Khalid: “Bright Eyes” on YouTube or it didn’t happen.
Jacks mom
The mister played piano in several productions,
Emma
In a family where both sides have uber-talented singers, I have a terrible voice. I can play basic piano and read music but for decades was only an appreciative listener. As I get older I’m becoming fascinated by music again, especially solo piano. Currently I’m taking a course in coursera.org on Beethoven’s piano sonatas. It’s fascinating to listen to a REAL pianist (Jonathan Biss) speak about tackling some of the world’s most difficult music and compare it with other master classes (Barenboim on YouTube and Schiff on the Wigmore Hall site) on the same topic. In fact one of the fun things about the Barenboim master class is to watch Biss being taught.
Emma
@Amir Khalid: Fire and Rain, please.
Omnes Omnibus
Oh yeah, singing. I was in a boys’ choir for a while. As it turns out, I was a rather musical youth.
MomSense
@Amir Khalid:
Was the person who told you that you have a nice singing voice inside the bathroom with you? Seems like you are leaving out the best bits of this story.
So today so far is house chores dance party and the realization that every child must learn for themselves that if a toy gets stuck on the roof and you throw more toys at stuck toy on the roof–the outcome is always lots of toys stuck on the roof!
shelly
Just got done listening to ‘Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”. One of the questions asked was ‘How does this school teacher keep his students in line?’
Answer: He threatens them with Game Of Thrones spoilers. He’s read all the books and “Don’t shape up and pay attention, I’ll tell you who dies next and how.”
Denali
No musical talent but love it anyway and try the piano and enjoy the dumbed down scores of my favorite pieces of music.
Randy P
Lots of amateur classical musicians in our family tree on both my parents sides, surprisingly few professionals. I’ve done the occasional paid gig (i.e background music or wedding) and occasional concert in a friendly venue as a way of keeping my chops up. But my day job has always been in science and engineering
I find myself lately wanting to do more with the music. I think I’m laying the groundwork for a retirement career, or at least hobby. I’m giving a couple of performances in the next couple of months, one of which may get taped and featured on a local performing arts website.
Viperbuck
Mom and Dad were both keyboard players. They also bonded over their mutual love of flower gardening.
Every morning he would put roses on her piano and every evening she would put tulips on his organ.
Badda boom badda bing!!
StringOnAStick
I play mandolin and ukulele, the former for jazz and gypsy jazz music (barely, because the speeds are fast and the chords are weird), the latter for just how darned much fun it is and it is so much easier to add vocals with a uke. Ukes are hot around Denver, lots of uke groups to go play with each month. I started on cello as a kid and loved it, but orchestra got cut from the budget soon after I started getting good and playing 4 years above my grade level. My best talent is my voice, but you need to play in order to sing!
My hubby is a killer guitar player, currently taking a gypsy jazz combo class from the guitarist for Denver’s hottest local gypsy jazz band. He’s the ultimate guy in a pick-up jam session since he can noodle about the edges and ornament the standard farmer chord stuff quite nicely. All those years of jazz theory I guess.
Pogonip
@Joey Maloney: Now that’s impressive. I bet Beethoven couldn’t do that (although there is his famous “Sonata #12 for Armpit and Kazoo).
I can dance but can’t sing or play. I’d rather be able to sing or play because dancing gets harder as you get older. My aunt is a retired professional dancer. When she was 50ish she performed for a friend’s birthday. The next day she could barely creak up the stairs.
gogol's wife
@K488:
Great idea to use Köchel numbers as nyms!
c u n d gulag
@Josie:
That’s like when I took “Typing” class in HS.
The guys I knew laughed at me.
But I was the one who was really laughing.
Almost all of the cute cheerleaders were in the class – hey, it was the early-mid 70’s.
Not only was I in a room full of beautiful young ladies, but I was one of the fastest typists in the class – which stood me well in college, because I could party harder and longer than most people, and STILL get my papers in on time!!!
CDW
Currently living in a semi-arid climate and, having grown up in the south, miss the rain. Gray and rain sounds perfect to me.
Thursday
Alas, I am musically declined. Can’t dance, can’t keep time, had a musician friend try teaching me how to sing “Happy Birthday” and gave up after 15 minutes, and a ‘singing’ voice that frightens crows. Keep promising myself I’ll learn piano (love ragtime and barrelhouse), but with a 600 square foot house it’s a bit tricky!
Sticking to theatre (acting and writing) for now. Some day, some day…
Linkmeister
@c u n d gulag: Typing classes in high school led me to typing others’ papers in college, which kept me in beer money. It then led to a Navy occupation as a RadioTeletype op. I’ve always said the most practical thing I got from high school was that typing class with Miss Mokosh.
polyorchnid octopunch
I’m a guitarist; I play in bars in and around my town. I’ve got some stuff online.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL91B6456A2157557F is a playlist of five songs I played on and produced for another local musician named Roger Dorey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPKfwBzG43k is a song I wrote and recorded for a short film that was in the 48 Hour Film Project. I did the whole thing within the time frame of the project, which meant I had to do it between about 10 am Saturday and 11 am Sunday; writing, arranging, and recording. It was a long run, but I think it came out all right.
Ruckus
@c u n d gulag:
Back around 1980 a friend introduced me to his daughter who was just starting high school. And get your fucking minds out of the gutter, not that kind of introduction. She asked me what was the best thing to study. I said, well everything, but practically, typing was the best thing. Computers will be in every home and every business. She sort of looked at me like I was crazy but by then I had been using computers in business for 7 yrs. They weren’t going away.
I didn’t get the benefits that you seemed to have in HS typing but at least I learned to type. I’ve had journalist friends who type with two fingers. Maybe they needed to go that slow to allow their thoughts to keep up.
Tehanu
My dad was a music teacher and could play every instrument, but although I inherited some of his talent, I didn’t inherit his dedication. I played a little piano (still have one, too, although I haven’t touched it in years) and he made me take violin for a while, but I hated it so quit. I also played a little acoustic guitar, just well enough to strum accompaniment when I sang. I did sing in choir in high school and college and was good enough to be chosen for the UCLA A Cappella Choir’s one-month European tour, by Roger Wagner, no less — and I’ve always said what a great privilege it was to sing for Roger; probably the high point of my college career. Didn’t keep it up, although we had many musician friends in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I’ve been losing my hearing so I rarely listen to anything now except classical music (or Steely Dan or the Doors or X) in the car, where I can control the volume. I literally can’t hear most of today’s pop music as music; it’s just this vague noise. There probably are just as many talented musicians today as ever, but I’ve lost the ability to recognize them.