The prolonged heat is taking a toll on my ability to practice, both mentally and physically.

Two versions of Italian Pavane

I may or may not be learning this.  However, it turns out it's perfect for if you've sprained your right ankle as most of the accidentals are B, C, and D.

Recorded four pieces today. The session was a little shaky. I learned recording four at one time is too exhausting. However, someday, if I can get to the point it only takes two takes, it might be feasible.

Need to buy another SD card.

I could use a couple more days work on everything, but heading into studio tomorrow anyway. 

Today I just need to mark First Arabesque with red pencil articulations.

Now I feel suddenly not ready to record. I still am having trouble with spots in all the pieces and I'm not sure on some what picture I'm trying to create.

The Folk Song is something that needs to be played regularly in order to remember it at all.

Everything else is very close to being recording ready.  Tambourin just needs practice variations recorded. But I do know faster is better.

Fingers sore from yesterday's trills. Plus arms tired from working out. Concentration nil. Will try again after lunch.

ETA: Nope.

Tambourin - trills need to be slower and less squeaky. And I need to figure out dynamics, wow.

Rigaudon - The dynamics I decided on I like and can be added to the actual music. 

1st Arabesque  - need to go through and mark mistakes and drill those.

Folk Song - ready? possibly?  need to mark dynamics, but they're already kind of ok?

Not recording this weekend, hopefully next.  Then I will have ONE piece left. I think I'm going to skip the Italian Pavane.  Then I can re-record whatever is necessary.

Record things Wed morning, then analyze. Repeat until the weekend.

I think Tambourin, Rigaudon, First Arabesque and Folk Song I might all be ready to record. Tambourin is probably as good as it's going to get.  Everything else just needs test recording work. And I do mean work, not just "whatever".

Detail work on Arabesque. Need to do 2nd and last page.

Rigaudon - worked first 2 sections slowly. last phrase of 2nd section still needs work.  Need to work slowly on last 2 sections. With dynamics. Need to listen to recording.

First Arabesque - I may have finally deprogrammed myself for the opening triplets. 2nd and last page still need deprogramming. Need to listen to recording.

Folk Song 1 - need to listen to recording. May just need work on one arpeggio.

Giga - ?? Not sure what to do with it. Maybe just keep working it slowly up to speed.

Re-mark Rigaudon and re-record. I liked the slow version. Take elements of slow version and make fast.

Not much difference in variations on Folk Song. Just need to record?

I also have Arabesque 1 almost completely memorized. I still have one page where I have it memorized wrong from my high school years, and need to un-cement it.  I've been close to successful with the other pages. The opening thirds finally work except for my right third finger occasionally.

Folk Song I, Tambourin, and Rigaudon are all ready to be recorded 5x.

Arabesque I needs more line by line work, then recording 5x. Also compare to piano rolls.

Notes from video

Reeeaally need to learn not to lick my lips, or press them together, or do that weird fake-smile thing.
My bangs are too thick.
Look at one thing, either the music or strings, constant head turns are distracting. Basically need to know my music better.
Need to match my facial expressions and hand gestures to the music.

Practice Performance Notes

This was such a good thing to do.  I got really nervous, and I had completely forgotten everything that goes along with that, like turning bright red and then getting even more nervous because of that. And being really tense and shaky.  Maybe nervousness is like pain - you forget how bad it is and get tricked into thinking "Hey, it's not so bad!"

Things to consider:
- tie down my hair so it doesn't get caught in the sharping discs and make a really distracting "plink!" noise EVERY TIME I change a pedal.
- wear lip balm/gloss/stick/ANYTHING so I don't like my lips while playing. Not attractive.

- Make a setlist and stick to it, even if it's just the order I have my music in on the stand, with sticky tabs.
- if playing on hardwood floors, make sure I have quiet shoes.
- when I make a mistake, don't laugh. Reeeally not professional.
- I need someplace to put my music after I'm done with it.

Things that went well:
- I managed to force myself to relax a few times when I noticed I was really tensing up. I managed to do that by both physically relaxing, and asking myself why I was getting so tense since I clearly knew the pieces. Even the pieces that I didn't know well went ok.
- I relaxed more when I chatted between some of the songs.

I'm scared to watch the video recording, though.

ETA: I also forgot about the post-performing post-nervousness blah feeling. Even my eyes hurt.
ETAA: I can play for about 45 minutes before I need a break.

Doing a practice practice session was moderately helpful. I know I'm not at all prepared musically for next week's practice performance. And my camera defaulted to 2:30 video, instead of 29:00, so I got nothing useful there, either.

Things to remember: hands ON lap, stand needs to be low enough to make eye contact with people, need harp dolly to move harp, need to arrange seating?, need to ask audience for feedback on how to place music stand and harp for best results, need to rearrange my set list.  Other things: maybe wear makeup and nicer clothes. Hair up or down is fine.

My harp sounds much nicer in my living room.

Need to listen to Pavane Fuga and Folk Song before doing any more work.

Edited more of Siciliano. Est. 2 more edits before ready for mastering.

Picking a repertoire is hard: I forgot all about the mechanics of page turns - what happens if the music falls off the stand, what to do in between songs so I'm not fumbling around for an uncomfortable amount of time.

I also found I get tired and start sighing, as well as decreased engagement with the music.

I need to record and listen to everything I will be playing. Everything.