Zarabanda: Analyzed it. As best I could anyway. Probably not going to help me memorize it since I was unable to identify many of the chords. Em11 or Em + D? Are there Maj, Min, Dim, and Aug 9ths? Urgh.

The discussion/article by Phillip Magnuson may be helpful.

Or not. Also got a hold of an actual person when calling for recording spaces. No luck, though.

Zarabanda: memorizing.

Was going to do critical listening of Insónia, but ran out of memory RIGHT BEFORE I started playing. Got all of me talking, though. Not really useful.

Zarabanda - played around with which chords in which hands and memorizing is a lot easier when the hands make sense.

But I do have some sort of cold, so that may not be accurate.

Harmonic Resonance

My grandmother's brass roses I have in an old raspberry soda bottle from Russia have a resonant frequency of about 65Hz. In case you were curious.

Fighting off a cold and feeling under the weather. The weather seems to be under the weather today, too. So I exercised for a little while focusing on relaxing.

No motivation to play. I think it's because I'm itching to record and tired of playing the same things over and over.

Played some things to keep my fingers limber.

Just warm up. Zarabanda extra notes are to give the impression of a sustained note, but I'm not sure if it works. Record with and without.

Prelude 3: got 2 measures further, almost.

Insónia: played with dynamics and "swing". Proper slow fast is more difficult to achieve, but more necessary?

Too hot to play and too fatigued.

ETA: I ended up practicing Prelude 3 anyway.

On being creative

This.

Crocheting is not a less fatiguing substitute for knitting. Shaky, shaky hands.

Exercised.

Listened to Insónia and put in dynamic markings. We'll see if they help.

Going to compare Zarabanda versions later on this evening. Or I guess I should say "night".

List of Recording Locations

Studio recording final today. Completely dozy today and having a hard time getting going.

List of cathedral-y/historic churches (can I make a custom map?):
✓ Westminster Presbyterian NE 16th & Hancock, variable times, chimes at noon and 5pm, daycare/preschool in mornings and afternoons, $50/hr, Rose City Park United Methodist 503.281.1229
First Unitarian Church SW 12th & Salmon
✓ Brook Hill Historic Church 11539 NW Skyline Boulevard 503.629.9700, very busy street (!), evenings are better, call for times and pricing when I know how much time I need.
First United Methodist Church SW 18th & Jefferson - Mookie contacting? but on bus and max route
First Congregational Church SW Park & Madison
Central Lutheran Church NE 21st & Hancock
Oaks Pioneer Church SE 13th & Tacoma
St. James Lutheran Church SW Park & Jefferson
✓ The Old Church SW 11th & Clay - Can't hear myself on stage, on bus and max route, $35/hr to record
Ascension Episcopal Parish SW Vista & Spring (SW of downtown)
First Baptist Church SW 12th & Taylor (streetcar)
Zion Lutheran Church SW 18th & Salmon (Max)
Mizpah Presbyterian Church SE 24th & Tamarack Ladd's Addition private residence?
✓ St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church NW 19th & Savier Left message 8/25 Could be a possibility - highway 30 right next to it so need to go check it out. Available during the week or Sun afternoon or evening. No A/C.
✓ First Presbyterian Church SW 12th & Alder (bus routes) Left message 8/25  Not great acoustics, recommended Trinity Episcopal Cathedral NW 19th & Davis, St. Mary's Cathedral NW 17th & Davis
✓ Old Scotch Church Off 26 past Rockcreek Hillsboro Office hours: 9-1 T-F Very helpful person answered the phone - they don't usually allow recording because of the work involved, ie staff extra hours. Not something I would have thought of. Gave me a recommendation for St. Matthew Catholic Church. Thank you!
Saint Sharbel Church Ladd's Addition emailed 8/25
St Philip Neri Catholic Church Ladd's Addition
St. Stephen's Catholic Church SE 41st & Taylor
Holy Trinity Cathedral Ne 31st & Glisan

View Recording Locations in a larger map

Exercises.

Zarabanda: Trying to re-memorize. It's ok if it's slow going!

Prelude 1: Pushed up to 152 again, then back down to 120 and it was a little easier. But still need to work on loud arpeggios. I can play them quietly, but then I don't get the intense sound that section seems to call for.

Prelude 2: Played with and without metronome. Just needs polishing and paying attention while playing.

Prelude 3: Need to keep up what I've worked on.

Insónia: Ran through, need to put explicit dynamic markings in after listening to recordings.

Too hot to record today - the fan would have drown everything out.

Busy day - CSTS!

Exercises.

Recorded Insónia. Need critical listening to add in dynamics.

Prelude 1: Working on speed and relaxing. ETA: Sort of kind of played it at 152, which is the outside range, and my wrist hurts. What would it take to relax at that speed?

Harp Recording Locations

I'm delving into the recording details of one of my favorite harp recordings: The Genius of Salzedo by Judy Loman.

It turns out it was recorded at Grace Church-On-The-Hill. No wonder it sounds amazing.

Dear readers, do any of you know of any place like this (old stone cathedral-type church (not like the Old Church downtown)) close to Portland, OR that's super cheap?

Blogger is annoying

I'm trying posting music here again. I recorded dragging cassette tape tied around bass wires through my fingers.

ETA: Nope. It is nowhere to be found. I followed the directions! You can find it here: http://www.motorharp.com/sounds/cassette-tape-harp-bass-strings.mp3

Tried the cassette tape thingy. It is interesting, but for any constant drone purposes would probably need to be recorded and looped.

Listened to more versions of Peter Gabriel for friend. Waiting to find out what next direction is.

Exercised.

Practiced Insónia. Not sure if I like it when I play it. And I need to focus on playing hands together. In unison!

Memorizing - or re-memorizing - Zarabanda just using my brain. It's a difficult piece.

I got a couple volumes of piano music by Turina and I LOVE his stuff. Volume 1 has Partita in C in it, which contains Zarabanda. I think I may want to transcribe more of his music.

Exercises and played.

Cape Breton Duo

There are really good quality videos for one of my favorite performances of the 2011 World Harp Congress, Cape Breton Duo. Yay!

I got a tetanus shot today and my arm is completely useless.

Correction, it's quite useful as a noise-maker - every time I move it, you can hear a little squeak of pain.

I was told that moving it would help it hurt less. This is not true. In fact, the opposite is true, complete with nausea. I think the "shotter" managed to hit a nerve, THE nerve that goes from my neck, around my funny bone, and into my pinky.

I did, however, remember this little factoid: "Mental practice - If you are injured, play hard two hours a day WITHOUT TOUCHING THE HARP. Apparently, you can learn up to 90% of your music this way! I must try this." Did I do this? Not today. But I would like to remember it's an option in the future.