The term “bespoke” is not widely known in the U.S. — in fact the first time I heard the word was last summer when I was with my friend, Joan Ishibashi, former Hawaii resident who now lives in London. This week I had to use the word “bespoke” in a Google search, as in “bespoke… Read More Bespoke
Yesterday I was sent a recording of a simple melody which was written by a former student who asked me to transcribe it. What is transcribing music? In music, transcription can mean notating a piece or a sound which was previously unnotated, as, for example, an improvised jazz solo. … Transcription may also mean rewriting a piece of music, either… Read More Transcribing music by ear
“The sackbuts are coming!” is a post I wrote back in 2015 and should tell you everything you need to know about the early trombone. That’s when I wrote: The sack . . . what? Is that kind of a joke? Can you imagine your kid coming home from school and saying, “Mom and dad,… Read More The sackbuts are coming … Round 3!
The term “Executive Time” has been in the news a lot lately, and I’m afraid I’ve been a victim of the retirement blues—with nothing to do! My “retirement” consisted of a daily 2 mile walk, doing crossword and sudoku puzzles, working on my Spanish, teaching organ lessons, but a lot of binge-watching television. I felt… Read More No more retirement blues!
Over the past six months or so, my sleeping-waking schedule has changed. I’ve found myself staying up late (11:30 pm or after) binge-watching my favorite TV shows on Acorn TV: Doc Martin, 800 Words, Foyle’s War, A Place to Call Home, Midsomer’s Murders and lately, Where the Heart is. Since I usually don’t have appointments… Read More Play something—quick!
Last spring, I discovered the television show, “Doc Martin,” and immediately got hooked on it. It used to be shown locally on public television, and then I found back episodes on Netflix, which now have been moved to Acorn TV. Anyway, it is a series about a brilliant but grumpy surgeon who develops a blood… Read More Voces8 — YES!!!
Today I was scheduled to play the Walker organ and conduct the choir at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Kailua, on the windward side of the island. My music bag was packed with my organ music and shoes and I put on a long-sleeved blouse, a full-length jacket and dress slacks. As I got dressed,… Read More Armed for battle
Tomorrow night’s Early Music Hawaii features music by Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), a musician whose chromatic style was not seen again until the 19th century — a musician ahead of his time. What he’s famous for, outside of the music, though, is the story about how he killed his wife and her lover — and got… Read More Scandalous murder
At 12:15 am this morning, I was at my computer typing, “How to get rid of a musical earworm,” and I found the following answers: 1. Chewing gum could be good way to get rid of earworms. 2. Engage with the song: Many people report that actually listening to the earworm song all the way… Read More Imaginary chewing gum
Would you pay $92 to see a movie? Probably not, except when the movie is Amadeus (1984) and the sound track is provided by the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and the Oahu Choral Society. https://youtu.be/OpUAUq_LQXQ It has been 35 years since I saw Milos Foreman’s “sumptuous” movie production, Amadeus, which won eight Academy Awards for Best… Read More Fun fiction