7:20.
The alarm clock announced the time that I should wake up, as it does every Sunday around this time. It depends on my mood so somehow the alarm knows when it has to give me more minutes of sleep and when it needs to be strict and do its job without mercy - giving that annoying sound until I reach it with closed eyes and switch it off. I don't even know what satisfaction the alarm finds in waking up people...? Is it paid for doing it? I am leaving this question open, as I read in one thread that we don't always have to make conclusions. Back to the matter... A needed a few seconds of silence to realize where I am, who I am and why this annoying sound had to wake me up! (oh, in the end, I do have to give an answer to this question in this specific case - I have to go to work: my piano gig is on Sunday morning 🎶)
My husband also woke up, and the first thing he asked was about my headache... did I feel better?
No, not at all, I still felt the pain.
...
Miss Migraine was still around although I was trying to fight it back yesterday. But as a responsible person, who would not let down the agreed gig I woke up, made a coffee, took another painkiller and just waited at least half an hour to feel like a human being and dress up. My black under the eyes (as I call the baggy eyes) was pretty visible so I tried to make some magic. The problem is that I am not a magician in the makeup field, I almost never use it but in these situations, it is a must. I can't go there, to the hotel, play my piano and scare away people with my appearance. They would think I messed up the date and came to celebrate Halloween. Or that I escaped from a horror movie...
A used a tiny amount of concealer for baggy eyes, an equally small amount of mascara and put lip balm, an almost colourless one. As I said, I am not an expert in this field but I have read that when you use makeup you should not highlight the parts of your face that you don't like or are not perfect. The trick is to highlight just the parts that you like, as when you try to correct let's say your thin lips, they will be just highlighted in an awkward way and show even more the imperfections... so it's probably the main reason I don't use makeup at all.
I even dress just in black and very simple when I go to play there, trying to remain as much unseen as I can. Be the black part of the piano, though I move a bit while I play so people, in the end, notice my presence. It is how happened this morning that one woman approached me while I played Nuvole Bianche by Ludovico Einaudi and said to me that she had goosebumps. That she has a son who also plays it and it made her remember him. She came several times, to several compositions and took some videos, as every Sunday people do. I just accept that. Sometimes I look at them so they smile and ask for permission the next time. The next one who spotted the pianist was another woman, who has a daughter in Belgium, also playing the piano and a cousin who is a piano teacher. That they play also different kinds of music and that she could sing along with me... all this I learned from her while I was balancing between playing the right notes, looking at the scores and trying to respond and have a conversation with her. The older man who already met me last week came when I played La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf. He is from the USA (as he said to me last Sunday) and today he tried to find out where I come from... Moldavia? Argentina? 😂 I laughed so much, of course, I didn't stop playing but I was having fun at his attempts to find out my origins.
The last straw this morning was an older lady, a grandmother who finished her breakfast and was about to leave the breakfast hall. She came and thanked me for the music and added: My granddaughter also plays the piano and you played one piece she is practising.
To make a small resume: We have one son, one daughter, one cousin and one granddaughter - all have one thing in common! They all play the piano!!! Hmm... What did the Universe try to let me know this morning? Do you see?
Let me help you: There are too many pianists in this world! I should leave the piano, and find myself another instrument.
Definitely.
I did it once, I found the oboe, but that adventure didn't last for a long time. I had to give back that instrument but now I have a solution. I do have a few different musical instruments at my home... so why not try to play the violin for example?
Let's see first what we have here. A smaller musical instrument, compared to the piano. Its body is made of wood, and it has a bridge that supports the strings, just 4 of them. Also four pegs (for each string one), a neck, f-holes and little tuners. Probably more parts should be mentioned but I am just a beginner, in the moment I hold the violin in the photo above I have experience of several minutes of holding it in my hands. Not playing it though. I observe it, like someone who has no clue what to do with it.
Ok, I have a helper who says to me to put it on my left shoulder, place my chin on the chinrest, and place my fingers on the strings to hold the bow. No, not like that! (corrections came, so in the end I could hold the bow as I did in the photo).
You guess that not much violin music could come from me today. This instrument needs a lot of practising! To achieve a nice, clear sound you need to study how to get it on the open strings first. Just with the bow. Later you can add the left-hand technique. And you also should know that in the end, I will not leave my main instrument, the piano. 😇 This little fun came as we (the members of the violin-piano duet) needed some photos for an event and I took the opportunity to pretend that I am the violinist for the little challenge called:
It can't be true
With the purpose to bring more fun to our blockchain and this community, we invent initiatives and challenges from time to time. This one is an old one, but I thought that we should bring it up. If you would like to participate, here are some guidelines that I am bringing from the first post. Also, it is an open invitation, without a deadline!
-Take a photo with a musical instrument you DON'T play.
-Write an anecdote about how you managed to come to that instrument and/or why you have chosen that one. Remember, we like to see personal touch in the posts!
-Write some funny or interesting facts about that instrument, anything you think can make us understand better and learn in an interesting way about it. Or you can explain how the instrument works, how it gives the sound, and parts of it, it is up to you.
-You can also share some famous (or less famous) pieces composed for that instrument, or any music genre, or try to play that instrument and record a video of doing it. Fun is the key while you write your contribution!
Speaking about fun... I mixed so many pills these days that an idea came to mix up also at least two challenges in one post. 😁 So, what about spreading some vibes? Responding to the post of Edje, and the set he shared, DJ Maria in this post...
Although he said this set has a faster beat and in general is a bit harder, I listened to it through my headphones and it still sounded relatively chill to me. Of course, not as slow and relaxing as for example the composition Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 by Samuel Barber.
However, I will respond exactly with that piece, to spread some relaxing vibes today:
I am leaving out the invitation part of the official guidelines, not because I want to skip the rules, but because I will maybe spot some typos and edit the post 😂, so I don't want to bother people with mentions. Still, the invitation is open for everyone and any of these two initiatives! If you like to take part in the #ItCantBeTrue (#ctb) or #SpreadTheVibes (#stv) challenges, you are welcome to bring your response!
P.S. Thanks to @edje a suitable footer for this challenge came! ;)
