Playing unaccompanied (solo) violin.

 That's my bag these days.

A bag.

I have a very large repertoire that I play with a backing track, and will use this on September 2nd., when I play at an art exhibition opening in Cuba Street. An unaccompanied repertoire requires more care to build up, because it is just you playing. You have to supply everything yourself - maybe some backing chords, maybe some arpeggios that work from the chord progression. I approach these pieces a bit like a solo jazz guitarist would.

I have six pieces that I try to practise every day - three originals and three others. This means that, if I get to play at an open mic night, I am prepared. One piece is a Bluegrass piece, one is a Bossa Nova tune and the other four fit into what you could call the jazz style. 

I see that my older brother is hosting an event, for the PBs, that he refers to as an open mic event. Presumably, we all get to play a couple of tunes. Maybe he's just joking, and it'll be more like a brotherly jam? Time will tell. In any case, my pieces will be ready. 

 That's it for today. 

Ciao.

Really no time to post today.

Though it's not really a problem around here. I mean, Robert's last post just ran out. Hey, good technique! I might try that here.

Picture needed.

Things you should know about helicopters.

• They have a big propeller thing on top.
• The body is made out of metal.
• There's a little propeller at the back.
• 
  

Some things never change.

 

Were you looking to read a new post? Well, don't waste your time going to The Cornmuncher Ink.

He evidently, as his name would imply, likes to munch on this stuff.

In fact, he's too busy munching corn to post.

SAD.

I mean, even Rob has done a post. He tells us that, once he gets his piano tuned, he'll be able to tune his cello and his violin. In Moera you're not allowed to download a tuning fork app onto your phone.

If Rob doesn't get his piano tuned, he may never be able to play the cello or the violin again!

Holy shit!

They serve the body and the blood of Jesus at mass, but I don't think they serve holy shit. 

Ah well, time for me to move on.

Chow mein.

Great to wake up to!

 YES!

Both the old boys (Peter & Rob) have written a post this morning!

AND they are both interesting posts!

Here's a couple of quotes to save you having to visit their blogs.

Peter tells us that yesterday he actually went hunting.

"Yesterday I did something that I've never seriously done before. I went Raccoon hunting! Yes, that's right. You see, I have this hat and I really think that I could sell hats like this when I return to Wellington. I mean, it is very warm and kind of cool. I don't have a gun, so I made a bow and arrows out of the wood from a Sycamore tree that we have on our Whangarei property. The wood is quite springy and made a very good bow. The arrows have worked out well too! I walked over all the hills behind our house but, unfortunately, I couldn't find any Raccoons. I might try again today."

Should I tell him that there are no Raccoons in this country? I'll post a comment on his post when I've finished this post.

Comment: Hey Peter, there are no Raccoons in Aotearoa.

* * *

Robert's post was a bit unusual, for him, too.

"Sunday and I'm on Church Shop duty. I thought I might take in some Rainbow flags to sell. The concept of the flags seems to fit in well with what I have been reading in the Bible. I suspect that Father Grapefruit really likes them. I saw a nun proudly carrying one the other day. Enjoy your Sunday but don't sin."

Well, there you have it. Good to see both boys posting.

Shower tutti.

 

The Assumption.

Assumption: Something that you accept as truth without question or proof.

Well, I needed something to start this post because I couldn't think of anything to write about this morning.

I need a picture to get this post going.

Okay, we're rolling along now.

It's Friday 15th. I had a very late night last night because I was helping out at a school concert. I assume that I'll get some violin practice done today. I've been a bit slack on my practice over the last couple of days. You'll probably assume that I have been rather busy. Today I assume that Robert is at work. I also assume that Peter is making sure that his house is very tidy. I hope I'm not making too many assumptions.

I'll take the dog for a walk shortly.

I call him Terry. There's no real reason for that name, it just seemed to fit. The weather is nice here, so we'll walk down to Richard Pro se Park.

That's a nice area for him to have a good run around. I'll throw a stick for him.

Hang on. Sorry, I was just assuming that I had a dog. 

I need a new subject. Let's think.

Rainbows are interesting. They contain lots of colours. They remind me of that lovely old song.

Somewhere over the rainbow,

Weigh a pie.

I wonder how much this pie weighs?

If I guessed its weight, that would be an assumption.

Damn! We're back on assumptions!

Maybe I should leave it there for today?

Have fun, but don't drop your phone in the bath.

A credit to old Island Bay is McNamara's band.

Oh, the drums go bang and the cymbals clang
And the horns they blaze away
McCarthy pumps the old bassoon
While I the pipes do play

And Henessee Tennessee tootles the flute
And the music is somethin' grand
A credit to old Island Bay
Is McNamara's Band.




In 1969 Peter went out with the lady who ran this band. [See comments on my last post.]
As a youngster Peter had many one, possibly two, girlfriends for very brief periods. I actually had none, but I did admire many from afar. Hey, I was too busy for a girlfriend. I had homework that I sometimes did, a paper run for a while and lots of other things, like not doing my violin practice and getting into trouble. AND I was in those very prestigious 'G' classes at St. Pat's College. The teachers were so proud of me that they asked me to do UE (University Entrance) for two years, instead of one, just so that they could have me around!

Things are different now. Just recently I was interviewed by 'Love Wainuiomata' for my services to ANZAC Day, over many years, and my well known association with a local park.

Oops, sorry, they never got back and the interview was never used. I guess that anybody can play the Last Post at ANZAC Day. Hey, in the Nui, people are lining up for a turn!

NOT.

Actually, without somebody playing the Last Post, an ANZAC ceremony would sound a bit empty. I play it twice a year and, each time, spend a month getting my chops up. 'Chops' are what many brass players refer to as their lips and other facial parts that have to be fit to play the trumpet. 

Ah well, I have a girlfriend now. We've only been married for 41 years, so I'm still waiting to see if it is going to work out. [I used one of my grandad's old jokes there.]

I've also made friends with two young chaps named Harrison and Henry. Henry doesn't speak to me (it's an age thing) but Harrison calls me andad and my girlfriend andma. Harrison and I play in a band called Handandad. He sings and strums my guitar and I place the chords on the guitar. His singing is great, but his strumming still needs a bit of work.

Well, I'd better leave it there. I have to play at a school concert this evening and have to write out a bass part for one of the tunes that they've asked me to play double bass on. The string orchestra that I formed is playing too. I play second violin in that. I heard one of the first violinist calling me 'second' the other day. [A joke for Rob.]

Shower tutti [I spelt that wrong so that Rob would feel at home here.]

Not much happening around the blogs.

 So, I thought I'd better write something.

SOMETHING.

I know the boys will enjoy that joke!

Boy 1

Boy 2

Here's a picture of me playing at Sunday evening's jam.

Shelley and I went by Uber, and maybe I had a few too many wines, so I didn't really play my best but I was okay. I just got to play two tunes (as is the custom at jams) but it was nice to catch up with a few people. It'd be good to go back sometime. 

Robert will might be writing another post soon, as might Peter. Both boys are put off a bit by proofreading. Hey, it's not hard - you just read what you've written a couple of times before you post it.

No big deal.

This is a big deal!

Well, I'm off to get ready for school.

Ciao tutti.

In San Nitty.

 Sorry about the title to this post. I think I might have spent too long proofreading Robert's new post. Though it is great to see him back. Can you work out what I meant to write? It's supposed to be about cycle lanes taking over certain suburbs in Wellington.

I've just reread the comment, on my last post, where Peter told us about his $150 fine for driving in a bus lane. Newtown is full of cycle lanes and bus lanes. I made the same mistake as Peter, one time, when I was looking for the entrance to a motel on Adelaide Road. Fortunately, I got away scott-free. Later, that same day, I saw a couple of people in uniform out with a camera. You don't see a lot of cyclists using the cycle lane, but all the car parks on both sides of Adelaide Road have been lost. Why can't they just confine part of the footpath for cyclists? They do that on the Wainuiomata hill footpath. Though, one thing I have noticed is that cyclists have little regard for the safety of pedestrians on the hill. Many roads in the more southern suburbs of Wellington are now quite narrow. 

These things are a bloody nuisance!

That Wellington jam is on this evening. Fortunately, it is nowhere near Newtown. If the plan goes ahead, we'll travel by Uber. I'm not quite sure what to expect, but it should be interesting AND it is always good to 'have a blow', as we say in Jazz. My warmup today will include playing in all 12 major and minor keys. 

Well, that's it for this morning.

Ciao tutti.

I'm writing this post to myself.

 I only know of two people who have read this blog regularly.

1. Peter, the only reader left, is busy driving from Taupo to Whangarei. That's about a five hour drive. Peter has a good excuse for not reading this post.
2. Robert comes and goes, like his posts. On several occasions he has told both Peter and I that he loves us. He doesn't really act like he does. We haven't seen him for a while now.

Well, that being the case, I'm writing this post for me. Wow, it has been a wet night and a wet day. Yes, I know that. As you remember, Richard, you had to go to the supermarket a little while ago. That experience made you decide to stay home for the rest of the day. Well, I guess it gives me time to write this post.

I've got a feeling that the band at tomorrow's jam might be a Dixieland band. I know I don't have to tell me how I came to that conclusion because obviously I was there. It is possible that, a little while after Peter gets home, he might settle down with a Cleanskin fancy wine and checks out the state of the blogs. Well, I saw that at one of their other jams they had a Dixieland band made up of young cats. I should explain - sometimes jazz musicians are called cats. If that is true, they probably won't be playing Bebop tunes or Bossa Nova tunes. You'd expect to hear things like Mack the Knife or St. Louis Blues. I guess time will tell. As I know, I've been working on playing like a singer for a while, so this could be a good test for me - playing tunes that I haven't practised. Time will tell. 

Should I pretend that I'm not talking to me? I guess that, if I just wrote in the normal way, no one would notice. Hang on, no one is reading this post. Just me, and maybe Peter at some later date. I can do whatever I like.

1957

Oooopz LOLolo dis iz kwite a real axing way 2 rite!

See you this afternoon, Rich.

Have I got exciting news for you?

 No.

• Peter is actually driving home from Taupo today and not yesterday, as I said in my last post. He drove through very bad weather yesterday to get to Taupo. Poor old bugger, that's no fun.
• There is nothing on Robert's blog again and his posts on Facebook have gone. I guess that's the way it is always going to be. 
• My fame on the 'Love Wainuiomata' Facebook site has come to nothing. Not that I give a shit. Maybe I won't turn up for ANZAC Day? Hey, I wouldn't do that. Maybe I should officially resign from the job?

We've had very, very heavy rain that started yesterday afternoon. It is still happening as I write. 

I'm planning to go to a jam session in Wellington tomorrow evening. I don't know anything about who is playing but it'll probably be the same people who do most of the jazz gigs around town. Time will tell. Obviously, I'll be taking my violin. It should be interesting.

Sorry, I've only put one tiny picture on this post. I'll see what I can find.

Me at a jam in 2021.

Angry Jesus.

The Holy Spirit.

My car.

Beautiful Jesus.

My rubber hammer.

I hope those pictures keep my reader happy.

Here's the picture that they should have used on the 'Love Wainuiomata' site.

That would add a bit of mystery to their boring site. "Are these two men related or not?"

Well, they have spelt my name incorrectly in Wainuiomata for 21 years! Both at the high school and in the ANZAC Day programme. Hey, they only added my name to that programme two or three years ago. I've been playing for them (twice a year) for about 11 or 12 years! Do they really give a fuck whether or not they have a bugler on ANZAC Day?

Hey, I'm getting bitter. Ah well.

What? You want some more pictures?

Well, okay.

Where I'm going to stand to play the Last Post from next year.
I hope they can hear me.

Akish says, "Hi."

An idiot.

New Plymouth 2018.

Do you remember Baxter?

Well, that'll have to do you for today.

Addio, una persona.

No one is probably going to read this but...

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our oldest blogger!

PETER aka The Curmudgeon.

I think that Peter may be waking up in Taupo this morning. Have a great day and I hope you get to do something special.

Wassup?

 Robert's blog has no posts again. He's over posting religious stuff of Facebook.

I'm not sure how this picture fits in, or who it is supposed to attract to his biblical messages.

A bit scary.

In another post I noticed this. "God storms out in a rage and next thing Aaron's woman is a leper!"

I would have thought that God was above that sort of behaviour. Sounds like what old Don would do.

Meanwhile it seems that Peter might be interested in a gang house townhouse in Moera. I think he's heading back up north today. He did a tour of Miramar yesterday, by bus. Richard's BB Tours does a Miramar tour AND he could have used his Gold Card to get aboard free. Never mind.

I only practised for 15 minutes yesterday, though I did teach violin for a good part of the day. Then I got a last minute call to babysit. H number 1 was in good spirits. I played on the floor with him, then I'd climb up, then down again. That was a workout, but well worth it to spend time with my best friend. H number 2 wanted to stay with dad and cried on the two occasions I tried to hold him. Mum is a bit unwell, so poor old dad is coping with two little ones. I'll tell you now, it's more tiring than teaching teenagers!

I practised for 1 1/2 hours on Wednesday. I'll try to make up time today. Ah, it's nice to have a few days off from work. Robert put up a video of himself playing a little violin tune on Facebook. I liked his tone, so I gave him a 'like'.

You might wonder why the American flag is in the background. It might be because, in orchestras, the first string a violinist tunes is the A string - an A is played by the oboe. I'm pretty sure that not every violinist would tune this way. Maybe Robert wants to 'Make A Great Again'?

Well, that's it for today.

Ciao tutti.