Category: Practicing Music

What's up this week

1/24/2021

Working with this bad boy this week.

Teaching online. Business is booming. One new student this week. I'm very grateful.
Complete at least one more unit of the Royal Conservatory Online teaching certification.
Classical piano lesson on Tuesday. I beginning to see the results in my teaching.
Drum lesson Friday. I'm at the stage where I fight for every inch of progress. But, my confidence in creating a jazz solo has gone way up.
Piano/violin duets with my wife will be a high light this week.
Daily practice on 2 instruments.

Looks like the covid thing will keep us locked up until the weather improves and we can play safely outside. Indoor playing looks suspended until further notice. Damn.

David

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A New Year, Another Chance To Get It Right

1/1/2021

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I am a slow walker, but I never walk back. --Abraham Lincoln

Piano: practice my students' pieces to perfection. Jazz Trio with Rory and Tim.
Synthesizer: fun with my friends at Fade/Dissolve, Jacqueline Leung, Toronto Improvisors Orchestra, and the Array Crowd.
Drumming: Jazz Trio with Rory and Jim, Roland and Ed. Geez that's a lot of trios. Pursue a seat in a big band. Rock on with my mates in Burlington in our classic rock group, "The Vintage People". Plus jamming in the community as that opens up again.
Composing for the Jazz and Synthesizer bunch.

Those are all good reasons to practice, study, and dream.

David

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Practicing in anticipation of a post-pandemic world

12/6/2020

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Thirty minutes a day on piano scales, chords, and arpeggios.
My sad Bossa Nova foot patterns are moving into Samba territory.
Student repertoire is being practiced daily. Though with over 100 titles taught weekly, only selected titles are reviewed.
Work on updating my blogs is going full steam ahead.
I'm working on new repertoire in drumming: classic rock and 21st century funk!

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I want to change my time sense. I play on top of the beat. Drums and piano ride front and centre. I want to learn to control my placement, consciously and deliberately. At age 61, why not? If not now, when?

Metronome exercises

Drumming ideas from Lowell Whitty

On the beat
On beats 2 and 4
On beat 4, 2, or 3
One an “and” of any beat

Classical Piano From Jacqueline Ching-Ling Leung

One beat per measure in Chopin Mazurka in A minor
Then slightly ahead of beat one
Then slightly behind beat one
1. Each phrase may have a different approach. The metronome stays steady. The score gives clues which approach to take.

This should keep me busy.

David

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Playing Violin/Piano duets with my wife Heather: Screw Covid-19

11/11/2020

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Her retirement project? Violin. Started 2 years ago. Next month she plays her first violin exam. I will be accompanying. Our first world tour can't be far off now.

This being throw-back Wednesday we present from last year: Batman Boogie Woogie

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In the practice room October 2020

10/23/2020

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Piano:
1. Developing exercises both tactical and auditory for my jazz students
2. Music history group forming: level 9
3. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms this week
4. Lesson next week

Drums:
1. Paradiddle applications
2. Working on a more open and robust sound when playing in 2
3. Solid funk articulations in shuffle grooves
4. Composing a piano/snare drum duet of 16 measures for a student
5. Weekly lessons

Synthesizers:
1. Mixing for Fade/Dissolve cinematic noise trio
2. Some new patches for my Arturia Microfreak. Micro be damned, this things a monster

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Lock down part 2

10/10/2020

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What we knew was coming has arrived.

We knew the beast was coming, coming down the tracks
But still we hoped for better but now its' really back...

Sung to Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues.

Time for me to hunker down for the duration. Online music making only. Lots of practice, exercise, sleep, Netflix, and work. I'm grateful I've a loving wife, my health, a home, and a job I can do online.

What will I be practicing?

1. Classical piano, digging down with my piano coach on the pieces my students are preparing for exams. This extra time has delivered me an opportunity not to be missed.

2. Drum technique with my drum coach. Lowell has improved all aspects of my time and touch. With his guidance I will be ready to move up a notch or two when this pandemic is over.

3. Listening to new music in as many creative genres that I can.

4. Working with my students transcribing jazz classics.

With whom will I be playing music with?

1. My wife. She has her first violin exam in December. What fun.

2. Fade/Dissolve Cinematic Noise Trio. We are mixing tracks now.

3. Piano/Drum duo, more news on that upcoming.

Stay safe, follow health directions, see you on the other side.

David

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Music in the 5th Decade

What's up this week

A New Year, Another Chance To Get It Right

Practicing in anticipation of a post-pandemic world

Metronome workout

Playing Violin/Piano duets with my wife Heather: Screw Covid-19

In the practice room October 2020

Lock down part 2

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