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What Do You Do When You're Not Reading?
stormhawk wrote: "Except for piano I steered clear of the bass clef instruments ... I play or have played (enthusiastically, but not necessarily well):
Clarinet (regular and bass)
Piano
Organ
Guitar (Acoustic, Cl..."
Wow stormhawk I bow to your musical ability. Your almost a one woman orchestra.
I have tried the trombone before now - but whilst I can make a decent sound on it all those slide positions are a bit confusing.
I'm only teaching myself piano (I refuse to take lessons), and guitar; mostly to accompany myself when I sing, because my vocal chors are my only real instrument that sound at all good. x)How do you learn so many instruments?!
Thalia wrote: "How do you learn so many instruments?! "
It just kind of happened.
First, I'm from a musical family. My mother was a classically trained singer.
I grew up with a grand piano in the living room, therefore, piano lessons.
Parents divorced, mom moved to be near family, we had to leave the piano behind, but my mom eventually purchased a Wurlizter Organ, so i had lessons on that.
Then I learned clarinet in school, as did my sister.
The clarinet fingering is very similar to that of the bass clarinet and tenor sax. I learned sax because they don't let clarinets in jazz band.
Then in marching band, they get this marching xylophone ... and I was able to lift and carry it, so that's how I learned melodic percussion, which I also played in pit orchestra, and then vibraphone in jazz band.
reminds me ... I forgot one ... we didn't have a bass player one year, so I got to learn synthesizer.
anyway ... so I decided I just liked trumpet, and learned that, but I really didn't have the lip for it, and it was way too loud for my mom, even with a mute.
So then ... I went to college, and got involved with Musica Antiqua, that's the ancient music ensemble, and played mainly tenor recorder, but the soprano is pretty much the same only shorter, and I play that too.
Oh, yeah. Guitar. I decided when I was a kid that I wanted to learn guitar, so my mom "bought" me a classical with plaid stamps, and I eventually got a really nice folk guitar for christmas one year.
I pray from time to time with a Native American circle, so there's lots of drumming in that, and I have some very nice ones ... one of the apprentices was a flute player, and he gave me a lesson, "blow in this end, move your fingers up and down here."
and then about 10-12 years ago I got this bodhran at the renfaire for $20 and never learned how to play it and since I had time on my hands, I started messing with that.
Did I miss any?
Oh, yeah.
I sing, too.
Whaa! That's impressive!But aren't instruments expensive? All of that must have cost a ton of money!
I play the guitar too! I'm left-handed so I had it flipped... ala Paul McCartney lol.
Leslie wrote: "What is a bodhran?"A bodhran is an Irish frame drum. It's held tucked into the body with the left hand touching the back of the skin to modulate the tone and volume. It's played with a wooden "tipper" that you brush the skin with, rather than beating it.
Here's a solo by the teacher of the bodhran masterclass on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/BodhranMa...
Thalia wrote: "Whaa! That's impressive!
But aren't instruments expensive? All of that must have cost a ton of money!"
The grand piano came with my childhood home and, regretfully, we left it there, thinking that it wouldn't fit in the apartment we were moving to. Strangely, it would have, but not any of the later places we moved to. The organ was purchased by my mom who made a lot of installment payments. My clarinet was also bought on an installment plan over the course of a couple years ... back in the 70s. As I mentioned the first guitar was Plaid Stamps, and the second was under $300. A lot of the others were owned by the school, I'd stay after to practice, and I did an independent study in music that gave me a period a day just to muck around with them.
Recorders are fairly inexpensive, I think the tenor was around $40, and the soprano was a student model sold in the college bookstore for a buck.
The Native American flutes run anywhere from $20 to $300, depending on the size and maker. I didn't buy those all at once.
One of my frame drums is hand painted, that one was around $250, and I have a couple of All One Tribe drums that were $80 for the smaller one, and $150 for the larger. That company is out of business and I think they go for a lot more now. I also have some synthetic head drums (great for rainy days or high humidity since they don't ever change tone), which I got for around $50.
And the singing is free.
I think that about does it.
Internet addict, League of Legends, clean. (All this when Im not working)
That's fascinating, Stormhawk. You must have a real gift for music.
Carroll wrote: "Work on my songs. Paint abstract oil paintings. Write books. Help little old ladies across the street. Mend broken hearts. LOL"Oh a really life superhero!! Do you have your own cape :) LOL
Lately I've been taking care of a friend who has a massive (and dangerous) wound infection. I finally browbeated her into not listening to the doctor who was treating her (and letting the infection rage out of control) and got her to a different wound care center where the doc looked at her for about five minutes and said, "I'm admitting you to the hospital." 45 minutes later, including the drive to the hospital campus, she was in a bed, and had surgery the next day.
stormhawk wrote: "Lately I've been taking care of a friend who has a massive (and dangerous) wound infection. I finally browbeated her into not listening to the doctor who was treating her (and letting the infection..."I hope your friend is OK.
stormhawk wrote: "Lately I've been taking care of a friend who has a massive (and dangerous) wound infection. I finally browbeated her into not listening to the doctor who was treating her (and letting the infection..."I had a problem with minor staph infections going haywire before they began treating my Lupus. I hope your friend gets better soon. And I'm glad you were willing to push her to realize her mistake. My husband and family had to drag me to the hospital once because my arm was so swollen. Unfortunately for me the hospital experience was not very welcoming. Glad to hear your friend had a better experience.
I sew & draw,although I can't say I have any talent at drawing. oh well, I enjoy it anyway. :)Lately I have also been fostering two itty bitty kitties, they lost their momma cat before their eyes were even open. It's been a wonderful experience.
stormhawk wrote: "Lately I've been taking care of a friend who has a massive (and dangerous) wound infection. I finally browbeated her into not listening to the doctor who was treating her (and letting the infection..."Holy buckets! I hope your friend recovers quickly now that real help has been found. Luckily she has you!
Has your friend improved? What a lovely friend you are, Stormhawk. Minda, sorry if I'm being nosy but what is Lupus?
Helen wrote: "Has your friend improved? What a lovely friend you are, Stormhawk. Minda, sorry if I'm being nosy but what is Lupus?"An autoimmune disease, basically my immune system is attacking my healthy tissues. Lupus
Minda, that's awful. I hope you don't suffer too much.
So far, my friend is holding her own and the doctors are very aggressively treating the infection and managing the healing process. They may move to discharge her to skilled nursing sometime next week. The current challenge is finding a skilled nursing facility (aka nursing home) that is not merely a warehouse for the dying and won't make her problems worse.I know every BAD nursing home in the county, as I did some work for Aging and Adult and took referrals from nursing homes.
I used to use this knowledge to encourage good behavior on the part of my elderly (and irascible) mother ... but I am now using my powers for the forces of good.
When I'm not reading, I'm writing or I'm out trying to find fossils...lol. I'm a geology nut...Mandi
Author of The Alias
www.mandituckerslack.com
Mod
Mandi
Author of The Alias
www.mandituckerslack.com"
Okay, now that's interesting! lol
Carroll wrote: "Work on my songs. Paint abstract oil paintings. Write books. Help little old ladies across the street. Mend broken hearts. LOL"Help little old ladies & mend broken hearts, eh? Impressive.
I didn't know you were over here too.
Right now, if I'm not reading... I'm probably rewatching Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. :)
Mod
Cate, may I just say that is an excellent use of spare time?Reading is what I do when I'm not cleaning, doing laundry, wrangling children, running errands, cooking, outlining, writing, editing, crocheting dolls for auction, and/or networking.
I like to stay busy..
When I'm not reading I'm working on my commerce degree, being a mom, studying nutrition, gardening, camping, hiking, swimming, yoga, working on the household chorse, and about 100 other things. lol
Well since it is summer vacation, I do lots of useless things. I play on the internet for hours and watch lots of tv. But I have been cooking more and more lately, so I guess the summer has done something right. But I'm totally ready for college to start up again.
Now, when I'm not reading, I'm cleaning my brother's old room out so I can make it a library.Do you know how much junk has built up in there?! It's crazy! Plus, the walls are all different colors. An orange one, a yellow one, a blue one, and a green one. Got a lot of work ahead of me, hahah.
When I'm not reading I am volunteering as a receptionist for two days a week, joting down ideas for stories, writing chapters, checking me smash words accoint, shopping for food,researching online, joining in forums, meeting friends and helping out. When I have time to myself I tend to listen to my music and write.
When I'm not reading I love gardening. I live in a small village in France and win an award every year for my 'quaint English garden' ;-)
Wow Mel, mine is dying from lack of water, I can't carry enough watering cans to satisfy it!
Helen, mine's in full bloom at the moment because we've had the worst July for a good few years. All the farmer's crops are doing exceptionally well this year. Hope you get some rain soon. ;-(
When I am not reading, I am working on geneaology :) I am also a volunteer for the US Cemetery Project, & am the county coordinator. I visit cemeteries in the county I live in, photograph them for documentation purposes, make notes etc, & document those old ones that are no longer in existence(at least can no longer be found, we'll put it that way), so they can be taken off the county's active cemetery list, but moved into the Lost Cemetery list. I was visiting cemeteries before this, just for myself, because they are peaceful, I love the art that can be found there, & the stories the stones tell.
Lisa, you are one of the few people I have heard describe cemeteries that way and I totally agree with you. I find they are historically and architecturally interesting places as well as very peaceful and quiet.When I have said in the past that I like visiting cemeteries when I'm traveling, some people don't understand why, so it was very refreshing to hear your input.
I live next to the huge cemetary in Manchester, it's supposed to be the biggest in Europe. The old original side is beautiful - full of trees and gorgeous old stones. The new side (divided by road) is not lovely!
I surf the net and watch youtube videos lolI also write and try to make AMVs when I have the time. Other times, I'm either hanging out with my friends or praising the Lord.
Mod
I think it's anime music videos or anime movie videos... My hubby is into Anime and he said he thinks it has something to do with that.
Leslie wrote: "What are AMVs?"Oh sorry!! lololol, yeah animated music videos,
I like to make different videos whether it's me video blogging about random things or taking clips from an anime and making them into a short movie.
Mandi wrote: "When I'm not reading, I'm writing or I'm out trying to find fossils...lol. I'm a geology nut...
Mandi
Author of The Alias
www.mandituckerslack.com"
That's very cool, Mandi! Where do you go find fossils? As in, out in the ground or in shops... I discovered recently that a bookstore in my city actually sells some fossils, shark/dinosaur teeth, stuff like that. I thought it was quite incredible!
Mandi
Author of The Alias
www.mandituckerslack.com"
That's very cool, Mandi! Where do you go find fossils? As in, out in the ground or in shops... I discovered recently that a bookstore in my city actually sells some fossils, shark/dinosaur teeth, stuff like that. I thought it was quite incredible!
Mel wrote: "When I'm not reading I love gardening. I live in a small village in France and win an award every year for my 'quaint English garden' ;-)"
I like the concept of gardening and keeping plants but don't have a green thumb at all, a cactus could die if I tried to keep one. Would be nice to see a photo of your garden, Mel! :)
I like the concept of gardening and keeping plants but don't have a green thumb at all, a cactus could die if I tried to keep one. Would be nice to see a photo of your garden, Mel! :)
Samantha wrote: "Lisa, you are one of the few people I have heard describe cemeteries that way and I totally agree with you. I find they are historically and architecturally interesting places as well as very peace..."
Lisa and Samantha, I love visiting cemeteries when I travel too! Especially the ones in Europe I find to be incredibly peaceful and tranquil places where people can sit on the grass or benches like parks. I remember visiting Hans Christian Andersen in Copenhagen which was very special to me as he was a favourite author during my childhood. Prague also had a very nice cemetery with some famous people, though I can't remember who now... and of course in Italy you can visit the great painters and composers. I love that.
I've never heard of documenting lost or active cemeteries but I think that's a great idea. We have some very beautiful and historical cemetery sites along the coastal areas and river fronts in Malaysia, but many don't know about it.
Lisa and Samantha, I love visiting cemeteries when I travel too! Especially the ones in Europe I find to be incredibly peaceful and tranquil places where people can sit on the grass or benches like parks. I remember visiting Hans Christian Andersen in Copenhagen which was very special to me as he was a favourite author during my childhood. Prague also had a very nice cemetery with some famous people, though I can't remember who now... and of course in Italy you can visit the great painters and composers. I love that.
I've never heard of documenting lost or active cemeteries but I think that's a great idea. We have some very beautiful and historical cemetery sites along the coastal areas and river fronts in Malaysia, but many don't know about it.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Self-Promotion for Authors (other topics)On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (other topics)
The Mermaid Shawl & Other Beauties: Shawls, Cocoons & Wraps (other topics)
I play or have played (enthusiastically, but not necessarily well):
Clarinet (regular and bass)
Piano
Organ
Guitar (Acoustic, Classical and Folk)
Melodic Percussion (Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone, Chimes, Glockenspiel)
Saxophone (Tenor)
Trumpet
Recorder (Soprano and Tenor)
Lately I've been focusing on what are usually referred to as "traditional" instruments ... frame drum, claves, rattles, etc. Then I got a wacky idea that I wanted to learn to play bodhran and have been messing about with that a bit, but realize I probably need a teacher beyond the very nice youtube videos I've been watching (bodhranmasterclass), and my current really, really favorite, Native American Flute.
Warning, Native American Flutes are like potato chips. You can't have just one.
I started with one, now have eight? They move around a lot and I lost count.
Most of my flutes are from High Spirits Flutes. I have a matched set in walnut in F#, G, and A, a birch high D, and I just got one of their "pocket flutes" in cedar tuned to high A. I also have two by native makers. Oh, I guess I only have seven. The eighth one is a Japanese meditation flute.