Just finished a fantastic time on the practice stool with the Prisloe.
Again.
(He)art at its best.
I’ve had a long string of days blissfully playing and practicing, composing and creating, with a focus on deep working through pieces yet to be recorded.
And all profoundly satisfying with more in store tomorrow and the next day and the next…
(He)art at its best.
Jude, their polydactyl cat
Mon Ami #? (family name handed down throughout the budgies)
Since settling in our daughter Michelle and son-in-law David’s home – house and pet sitting during their reunion vacation in Cote d’Ivoire* – my music has been asserting itself from deep within, taking center stage.
(He)art at its best.
Before leaving FloTown, I worked through fingerings, adding dynamics and interpretive notation to my scores for use in the Swimming with Swans Music Folio part of the total SwS project. I focused entirely on the task of getting those scores closer to publishing perfection. Often with the Prisloe in one hand and the other on the computer keyboard entering it all on the NOTION score program. Then taking that needed info and tweaking it on the page so it looks nice and uncluttered**.
This is the grunt work that occurs after the ‘fun’ part of creation. Kind of like the next-to-final, another next-to-final and yet another next-to-final edit before the truly-final edit of an author’s WIP***.
(He)art at its best.
I promised myself I’d get back into the delights of daily practice focusing on technique, exercises, etudes, sight reading, exploratory composition and learning new repertoire once we left FloTown and arrived at our destination.
I promised my music (and the Prisloe) this same reward for waiting patiently even though her cries for attention were persistent and enticing.
(He)art at its best.
And you know what? The music is rewarding me! Unleashing continuous waves of inspiration, direction and ‘living water****’ spilling forth from my (he)art through my fingers and into being.
Shelby their whippet-mutt, a WIP by Michelle
~~~~~
END NOTES:
* Michelle has been gathering her last batch of data/research for her PhD thesis these past months in Cote d’Ivoire and David is joining her for a final week vacation before their return to the States.
** click here for a great article on how much notation is enough notation, if you’re a composer/musician this will be interesting for sure.
*** click here for a similar process as applied towards visual artists
**** “(S)He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his/her innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38
Yes, He is my source…
I admire anyone who can compose music. I mean, playing music is cool, too– but writing it from scratch [so to speak] is amazing to me. I also like your sweet companions, inspiring you to create new things, I do believe.
Aww shucks…
Yep those critters were part of the whole creative vibe for sure.
Thanks for checking your spam file and unspamming me – hopefully that is the end of that (at least on your blog…)
Sounds engrossing and fulfilling
Yes, indeed, Mariss!
From the looks of your blog, you’re always in ‘the zone’
Yay!
Isn’t it wonderful when you have the time to just create, time to let the music/paint/words flow? Enjoy and treasure every moment of it! (Thanks for the link
Oh yeah…..
I’ve been finding, that there seems to be a time, when “something just rocks your boat” and you find your groove…
I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the last 5 years at art-school, part-time on distance delivery and whilst I was inside the system, I had to provide weekly worklog along with what I was doing in those hours, plus making lots of assessments and so forth. I finished Dec last year…
Then came a lot of other personal issues, particularly with my health which apparently was rapidly declining to point where I might not see the end of this year – until in mid February – the medical profession admitted “we made a huge mistake, sorry for the mess”
I went away for all of March, trying to re-access “ME” I kind of succeeded BUT when I came home, I had no idea how to go forward…
Roll onto late May AND suddenly it dawned on me…since then I’ve been making books, particularly pages and it’s been a blessing! Playing with techniques, I know through to ones that fall into “what if”
I’m impressed with your music prowess…thanks for sharing your gift with us…
Sounds like you were given a second chance and that you’re taking it full throttle all the way.
BTW: I like your books.
I am happy for you that you are in the zone again. I don’t know about you, but I think that these long days of sunshine and summer instil creativity. I like hearing about your process.
Agreed!
As someone who is completely musically-challenged, I’m in awe of those who are able to create beautiful sounds. Glad to hear that your process is working. Ear scratches to Jude, the polydactyl cat… love that picture.
Yeah, she gets her share of ear scratches that’s for sure – happy to add some more!
🙂
Good to hear that the inspiration is flowing.
And as for pet sitting, I shall send you some photographs soon
Can’t wait!
I’m glad to hear your music is going well
Hmmm, there are loads of quilters cookbooks, maybe I should think about a series of pieces for quilters to quilt by???Hmmm That’s a project for another day!HA!
Thanks, Mary.
I’m so happy to hear your music has taken center stage, Laura. Blissful days sound wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing your process with us. It’s nice to see the behind the scenes. Enjoy!
Thank you, Jill.
🙂
Love your refrain–(He)art at its best, Laura. Thank you for sharing your process. There is so much that goes into composing and readying your music for publication! Wow!! Are you making videos too of your process?
No to the vids, but might think along those lines in an effort to pull together a ‘wrap-up’ update of sorts…I have bit and pieces of vids, photos etc that might be added. Who knows right now. But thanks for bring this idea to my attention.
And you as an author understand the process edit-wise for sure!
😉