I think I'm on the 7 year Ira Glass plan as far as writing music is concerned.

Got a lot done on Siciliano.  Dewy Owens really knows how to arrange for harp.

Need to strengthen rt thumb for Tambourin trills (and Arabesque 2 still).

Got 1st page Siciliano done.

Took a fantastically long time tracking down a menu in FL Studio and didn't really get any song-making done.

Remarked more fingerings in Tambourin.  I've pretty much changed every single trill in it now.

Worked on one problem spot in LGR.

One of the things I like about learning a piece at speed is that I can figure out appropriate finger markings right away - fingerings for playing something slowly doesn't always translate into ease in playing faster.

Exercises, sort of.

Plotted out plan for JS Bach's Siciliano and JP Rameau's Tambourin.  Trill will START on the beat.

trill exercises and LGR.

Got Arvo Pärt's Fur Alina from library. Unfortunately, my harp doesn't have the necessary bottom string. But the upper notes are still beautiful.

St. Vincent : Digital Witness - I still have varied responses to her work, but I really like this one.



Holly Herndon : Chorus - She somehow tracks her youtube/websurfing and combines it into song form. Wow.

 

John Lurie Orchestra : Men with Sticks (Album : The Invention of Animals) - He got Lyme disease and had to stop playing the sax? Ulp. This is early, pre-Lounge Lizards stuff. From what I've heard, I love it just as much as anything he's ever done.  Unfortunately, the title track, which clocks in at 17:40, is only available on vinyl.  Yet another reason to take apart and clean the potentiometers on my record player.

Recording today.  Still don't know yet if noise is still an issue, but much more confident today.

Chaconne took six takes, and I'm moderately sure I got a good one.  Zarabanda only took two takes and I KNOW I got a good take.  It was a great feeling.  Recording is much easier when you can play flawlessly.

I'm also figuring out how to relax while playing while recording. It's a matter of awareness and forcefulness.

Day off for blister repair worked.

Detail work on Chaconne in prep for recording tomorrow, I hope.

Tried to work more on trills in Arabesque 2. Elbow hurting.

Blister better at beginning of practice, but then had to stop after 1.5 hours.

Worked on muscle strength for Chaconne and 2nd Arabsque with both of those and (Flight) and (Inquietude).

Blister still kind of there.

Figured out another weirdly arranged note cluster in Arabesque 2 and got frustrated at having to retrain my muscles. But the new way makes a lot more sense.  I have a feeling this is not going to be done by the end of the month, but I'm ok with that.

Blister.

Switched to working on website.

2 hours on the dot. Muscle endurance seems to be key as opposed to learning the notes.

(Inquietude) for trills, then 2nd Arabesque. Crappy.

(Flight) for scales, then Chaconne.  I was able to play this surprisingly fast after warming up with conditioning exercises.

Zarabanda went well, too. Just need to pay attention to ... it... while I'm playing it.  Dynamics are probably as good as they are going to get.

Tired, but not as tired as yesterday.

Tried to do the Raymond Chandler way of practicing which is you don't hav to play, you just can't do anything else. It almost worked. I was completely beat just 10 minutes shy of the 2 hour mark, so I stopped. And of course, considered doing other harp-related things as fulfilling that goal anyway. But it's not.

I played a lot of different things, because of lack of concentration, however I feel I gained muscle.

And now, holy crap, must nap.

May have blisters, so only played an hour in order to save fingers for recording tomorrow. Hopefully I stopped in time.

Drilled Chaconne in prep for tomorrow.

Warmed up with (Inquietude).

Things that delayed my practice:
One light bulb in ceiling fixture burned out.  Got chair. Stood on chair to remove light covering. Went to wash dead bugs out of covering and get light bulb. Sighed at full sink of dishes. Did dishes before washing cover. Cover washed. Removed old light bulb, installed new light bulb.  Discarded empty light bulb packaging, put chair away.  Walked back into room, which was decidedly too bright.  Went and got chair, discarded packaging, and lesser wattage light bulb.  Removed cover, installed new bulb, replaced cover. Put away chair, discarded new packaging.  Walked back into room, other light bulb burned out.  Went and got chair and original bulb.  Removed light cover, removed old bulb, installed original higher wattage new bulb, replaced cover.  Put chair away and practiced in a too-bright room.  This is why I have trouble getting things done.

Warm up with (Inquietude).

Detail work on LGR.

Detail work on Arabesque 2.

Did Fraîcheur and details of (Inquietude) to warm up.

Worked more spots in Chaconne.

Arabesque 2 - working on chaining trills.

Played for 2 hours.

Practiced trouble spots on 1st two pages Chaconne. Need to do two more tomorrow.  Need to do at least 2 hours to reacquire endurance lost on vacation.

Went through Arabesque.

Third rt finger still hurts.

Figuring out sampling in audacity vs. fl studio.

Random pain in 3rd finger cut practice short.  Would like to list what I need to work on in detail.

I found the "new age" setting in audacity!

I didn't realize making new age music was so easy.

Let's see if blogger allows an embed:
It does! Sweet.  If not, here's the link: https://soundcloud.com/motorharp/this-will-cure-your-insomnia

It is very relaxing.  Some might say almost too relaxing.