4am is the coldest part of the day.

 The sun has just started work but, like an early shift cleaner, is not yet up to full steam yet. 

This time of the year there are different light intensities between 4am, 5am and 6am. The number of clouds in the sky, or lack of them, is the best indicator of what sort of day you should expect.

Five days to go for 2022 and the sky is clear. Not a cloud in sight.

How has your practice gone this year? Have you counted the hours? Was it quality practice or were you just wiggling your fingers a lot of the time?

There are different thoughts about practice on a musical instrument.

Different ideas about what success is on a particular instrument.

Some musicians play by ear and some take nearly all their playing from the written compositions of others. You could probably say that there are two parts that influence what sort of musician you will become:

• Knowing and using technical stuff and
• Using your ears.

One thing is for sure - most non musician listeners will judge with their ears.

This makes sense because music, in the end, is all about sound.

Still, some styles of music demand a good level of technique.

Producing a good sound on the violin is dependent on quite a few techniques coming from both hands.

I think it's good to know how your instrument works and how to get the best out of it, but we must always be aware of the music we are producing - that sound has the ability to touch a lot of people.

Peter will be waking up soon.

This is the closest image I have
to how he looks in the sleeping position.

Violin fingerings will not be the first thing to enter his waking mind. Perhaps it will be a golf club or an idea for a blog post, though he will also have to think about which Curmudgeon will write it.

"I could write something to wind Robert up. Or maybe I'll take inspiration from one of Richard (of RBB)'s posts?"

Robert will have been up since about 4am, the coldest part of the day.

Oops, sorry, that's Father
Patrick. Let's try again.

 

"Good morning Father."

It's possible that the violin might be among Robert's first waking thoughts but most probably he is thinking about the most immediate tasks that lay ahead. Bathroom, breakfast, the day's plan - that sort of thing.

Five days to go for 2022.

Some people will stay up to see 2023 in.

Old guys like Peter and Robert will probably be asleep by 9pm, at the latest. Remember that, for old people, 9pm is the new midnight.

Will 2023 really bring significant change? I doubt it.

Will Peter and Robert have new year's resolutions? I doubt it.

New year's resolutions belong more with young people:

• I'll work for a promotion this year.
• I'll go to church every week.
• I'll get really fit and lose my belly.
• I'll get a fancy sports car.
• I'm going to make a lot of money.
• I'm going to make sure that I've always got a ready supply of Cleanskins.
• I'm going to be the best tennis player at our club.
• I will not fall down any banks while collecting golf balls.

Hang on, those last few sound a bit familiar. Maybe some old guys need new year's resolutions too?

Well, I'm going to leave you there for this morning. Leave a comment if you like. It's nice to get a lot of a few comments.

Ciao tutti.

"I like this post!"