Bleh is for Bach and Blogging and Bringing my piano up to the mountains

Bleh. I need to blog. And the funny thing that I am noticing is that when I get lax on my blogging it is not because I am getting lax on my music. It is generally when I get so engrossed in my projects that even my lips fail to stay above water. 

I have such a craving for practicing right now that I actually schlepped my Yamaha Keyboard to a ski resort in Park City so I can practice in my motel room while I attend a week long forensics conference. The motel room is smaller than I anticipated, but I made room for the piano/organ. (I am determined to keep up with Joe and Cameron when they play their student recitals next month - at least I won't be holding them back.) And yes boys, if you are reading this, I totally got four hours of practice in today. An hour and a half on each of your pieces and an hour on my Bach organ stuff (minus the pedals) I haven't even touched the Christmas Jazz and Brubeck I brought up with me to learn.

Speaking of Christmas, I've been asked to get a jazz ensemble together for our Church Christmas Party. That is coming along nicely. (Think Vince Guaraldi) I am narrowing down the music. Watch for more posts on that. If anyone is interested -- I am still looking for a bass player and a drummer. Let me know if you know anyone in the greater STG area that is interested in playing in a Christmas Ensemble.

Speaking of Bach. The Bach festival is just around the corner (February). I have spent the last couple of weeks choosing songs for the organ and the Ukulele Orchestra. Oddly enough,one of the songs I picked I love so much it is stuck in my head day and night. I can't decide between playing it on the organ and playing with the ukulele orchestra so I am going to do both. I am posting all of the parts I have arranged so far. I would still like to add a glockenspiel part and a continuo basso or chord strum. Those of you insisting on playing on guitar, the notation is for you. Keep in mind that a baritone uke is a guitar minus the lower two strings.



All of you readers out there that want to join in the Southwest Phretted Philharmonic's triumphant return to the Bach Festival - Learn Your Parts. We could even revist the Bourree we did a couple of years ago and play that as well. I will post the parts for that on the Ukulele Page of this blog.

BMV 645 Ukulele

BMV 645 Ukulele 1 Notation

BMV 645 Ukulele 2

BMV 645 Ukulele 2 Notation

BMV 645 Baritone Ukulele

BMV 645 Baritone Ukulele

BMV 645 4-String Bass Guitar

Bonus Post

I sure am lucky the kids love their missing brother. That's the only way I get them to let me film them. (i.e. "Your Brother would love to see this.") So here ya' go brother, proof that the girls miss and support you.




PS we all <3 you online

Happy Birthday

The Princess Bride, have you seen it?
It’s possibly the best show on the planet

For 25 years you’ve been taking it for “granite”
Shakespeare’s rhyme scheme it

Doesn’t have, but it does have
Pirates and Princesses
Giants, Sicilians and ROUSes

And Fighting, Kissing, Reciting,
Magicking, Running and Deceiting
 Happy 25^th Birthday Buttercup

AND I MEAN IT

(anybody want a peanut?)

Maybe to celebrate I should learn this song :)

Stages of Performance Anxiety

Last week I wrote briefly on the stages children go through. This week I thought I would mention the steps I have noticed them take when preparing to perform.

Stage One: Pie in the Sky. During this stage, the opportunity is key. It is full of hope ambition and anticipation. (e.g. "We're singing solos in a couple of weeks in choir -- I get to sing!")

Stage Two: Brain Storming. This is a fun filled stage with ideas buzzing around like Mosquitos on a car. (e.g. "So many songs, so little time")

Stage Three: The decision is made. And it is the best, most fantastic decision ever! (e.g. "I will survive!")

Stage Four: Practice. Practice. Practice. (e.g. "It's ok, I still have lots of time.")

Stage Five: Practice, Practice. Practice (e.g. "This is getting worse, not better.")

Stage Six: Practice, Practice, Practice (e.g. "Why did I ever think I could do this.")

Stage Seven: I can't. I don't want to. I give up. (e.g. MELTDOWN)

Stage Eight: The Performance (e.g. "That wasn't so bad. Maybe I'll do this again some time.")

All I can say is it's a good thing my kids smile when they're nervous, and smile when they mess up, and smile when they grit they're teeth. Nobody would ever guess the tears that went into Bobo's Choir Solo. Love you Bobo.



Also, thanks to Bobo's brothers for helping out (Joe on Sax and Cameron on Trumpet). They did such a great job, as an encore they were asked to help the middle school jazz band at the St George Marathon. I wonder if the runners were going through the stages of performance anxiety during their 26.2 mile lap.

Top 7 Reasons I live with Kids

Kids go through stages. Much has been written of these stages. I've even studied many of these stages. From my personal experience, however, I've learned to readily recognize these two stages: Whiny Little Girl Syndrome, and Temporarily Cooperative. The "Temporarily Cooperative" Stage (my personal favorite) often comes as a surprise and sometimes makes up for the "Whiny Little Girl Syndrome." It is always good (read healthy) for me to make note of the times the kids have surprised me. So here are the top 7 reasons (this week) that I live with kids.

Reason No. 7 - We totally made a wetlands biome out of construction paper and clay.

Reason No. 6 - Sitting through early morning orchestra so we can race to early morning choir as soon as it is over. This way I can be a "soccer mom" and work full-time. It's like having your cake and eating it too.

Reason No. 5- Listening to Bobo belt out "I Will Survive" on ukulele and realizing it would sound better with a horn section. Not only do the boys agree, they grab a sax, a trumpet, and a trombone and back her up. (More on this next week)

Reason No. 4 - Coming home, after working late, to find the kids have a concert in 10 minutes. When I say, "Give me one reason that I should attend," they give me two words, "Herald Trumpets"



Reson No. 3 - Watching kids improve through perseverance and hardship. All throughout high school, Jojo never knew how many clarinets were in the orchestra because he, "never looked behind." This year, as a freshman in college, he knows (that's the percussion behind him).

Reason No. 2 - Kids make great friends. I go to concerts to support my kids, but the bonus is that I also get to see my kids' friends perform as well. The more people I know in the concert, the more I love every minute of it. (Go Jenna!)

And Finally,

Reason No. 1 - It gets me out of the house and encourages me to tackle the hassles that I would otherwise pass by. The Dixie State College orchestra performed at Pine Valley, over an hour away -- listening to Aaron Copeland in the wide open spaces of nature was beautiful. But the most touching song of the set had to be the 1812 Overature. I've heard this song performed on multiple occasions and I know it is supposed to have a canon. But to hear church bells peel as the symphonic orchestra plays brought tears to more eyes than just this writer's.



As a post script to all of this. I would just like to add that I love old people too. I can't help but notice that the audiences of all these concerts I attend is more often than not composed of seniors and above. This is a cross section of people who do not let the hassles of age and stiffness keep them in the house. And when the National Anthem was played in Pine Valley, the conductor announced, "Stand if you are able." The entire audience laughed. They were not going to let a little weakness of flesh keep them from respecting their country's anthem. They all stood and sang.

Der Taktstock

The DocUtah 2011 is in the can. For those of you not acquainted with DocUtah, it is an international documentary film festival in part hosted by Dixie State College of Utah.  Judea wrote and directed last year's commercial. This year she directed the sequel.


Last year Judea entered her film "Blackfire: A Modern Warcry" (congrats on the honorable mention, sis). Here is a clip from that film.



My favorite film from last year was a German film entitle "El Systema". It was a documentary on the afterschool orchestra program for students in Argentina. This year my favorite film was also a music oriented film from Germany. "Der Taktstock" was an audience favorite. Judea talked me into seeing it a second time. And she snuck off for a third viewing.

If you get a chance to watch or purchase this film, I'd highly recommend it. It reminds me of the joke "How many conductors does it take to change a lightbulb?" The answer is, "Nobody knows, cause nobody watches."



This movie is great for anyone who aspires to conduct, any musician who has ever been conducted, or anyone who has ever gone to an event that involved a conductor. (And everyone whose mother wouldn't let them touch her baton.)

This Week, Last Week's Photo's

Naji on Carousel

Naji at waterpark

Naji finally smiling

Bobo's new grey contacts

I knew even when I wrote last week's post that it needed photo's. But that is one of the write blockers -- waiting until all conditions are met before posting. So this week is going to be mostly pictures with no text and then hopefully by next week, my narration and visualization will be back in sync.
Last week I talked about practicing, but as you can see below -- it's not all practice. Notice, however, there isn't much difference between the practice faces and the fun faces.

Bobo on Carousel

Bobo With Cello

JoJo with Tenor Sax (notice it's much bigger than his beloved alto sax)

Naji with viola

Bobo finally smiling