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You are here: Home / Archives for music

Reading and Music

March 29, 2022 at 8:46 am by Claudia

Part of the daily view around here – either in the chair or on the piano bench or on the sofa.

I like it.

My sister sent me a huge box of my grandmother’s sheet music – a lot more than I expected! I haven’t opened it yet. I’m wondering where this was stored over the years. I don’t remember seeing it and I’m the one who took lessons and inherited her piano. Maybe it was in storage at her house? Anyway, this morning I’m going to open it and tomorrow I’ll share what I found with you.

Maybe it will inspire me to get the piano tuned. It needs it – I know that because I played a bit the other day and cringed at the sound.

It’s sunny today and really, really cold. I’m sorry, isn’t it almost April 1st? For the last couple of nights we haven’t heard the peepers. They don’t call out when it’s this cold. Though I did hear the bullfrog. Another cold night tonight and then it should gradually get warmer. Can we stay in spring now?

I started reading this beautiful novel yesterday. I purchased it on a visit to Books are Magic in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. It’s on the shorter side – 278 pages long – and I’m already entranced. As you know, I love Powers’ writing. He has the ability to talk very technically about the universe, or nature, or space, or mathematics and science, or music and make sense  of it – especially to this reader. He manages to do all of that and write a work of fiction with beautifully written characters and an engaging plot.

I find his mind utterly fascinating.

My back is getting better. It’s at its worst first thing in the morning but I am recovering from the initial pain much more quickly and the rest of the day I feel fine. I’m still careful, of course. For example, I want to start painting in oils again and the best place, really the only place, to do that is at the kitchen table. I want to bring my easel downstairs, along with all my supplies. But first, I have to add pillows to the chair so that I can use the easel without aggravating my back.

It’s cold today, too cold to work outside (which I probably wouldn’t do anyway) and, though I’m reading a lot these days, I need to do something else – like painting. Egg cup? If so, which one? I’m pondering.

I’ve closed comments  and deleted yesterday’s post. I got a comment from someone that’s never been here before accusing me of being racist, which couldn’t be further from the truth. If my husband, who is white, had done that, I would have said the same thing. If anyone of any ethnicity or race or color had done that, I would have said the same thing. I know and have witnessed that same kind of violence in white men and have spoken out about it on this blog. I have no patience for people who don’t know me, but have no problem attacking me based on my having an opinion that never once mentioned his color. It wasn’t about that. I don’t need trolls coming after me.

Anyway, we will now move on.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

Filed Under: books, Grandma, music 33 Comments

Smokin’ Fish Records

September 17, 2021 at 9:30 am by Claudia

A post today about my husband.

Though I didn’t know about it for a bit – he kept it secret until he was ready to reveal it to me – Don has been working hard on a new venture. He has started his own digital record label, which is called Smokin’ Fish Records. Some of you who follow him on Facebook or Instagram might already be aware of it.

His intention is to highlight talented singers/composers/musicians. Steve Jobs didn’t do musicians any favors when he started iTunes. Streaming music, while convenient, leaves the artists with very little money. The only way big artists can earn money nowadays is by touring. There’s very little money in streaming. That being said, we’ve also lost most of the radio stations that we all grew up with, the ones that played a variety of music, that welcomed an eclectic array of artists.

All of that makes it harder for an artist to get recognition, to get his/her music out there. And Don knows a lot of talented musicians. He’s also been scouting artists who are new to him. He’s doing all of this – and it’s been an enormous amount of work – in order to be of service. To help these artists get a wider audience.

Today marks a month since he started this venture. It’s the real deal; an LLC and everything.

This is Don’s post from today on Facebook:

 

He’d love it if you stopped by this weekend. Here is the link to follow (the one in Don’s post won’t work as it’s a screenshot.)

This guy even took his own music off the label as he doesn’t want this to be about him.

I admire him more than I can say. So stop by, if you have a moment, and listen to a few tracks. I know some of these artists personally. Others are new to me. They’re all enormously talented.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Don, music 22 Comments

Day Three Hundred Seventy-Eight

March 26, 2021 at 9:50 am by Claudia

As I was walking by Don’s studio, I couldn’t help noticing the aftermath of some sort of party.

Apparently, I wasn’t invited.

Hmmm.

I’m going to suggest to Don that some dusting and cleaning is in order, as well as the obvious rehanging of canvases.

Periodically, here in the den, I’ll hear the sound of something falling and after some investigation, I’ll see that something’s fallen off the wall in one of the two dollhouses that live here – sort of like “things that go bump in the night.”

We’re due for a little rain this morning and then the inevitable wind advisory from noon to midnight. I’ll try not to scream.

Don and Dan keep recording new songs and periodically, I point you in the direction of one that I think is especially lovely. This will be on their third album and it’s called Sunny Skies Over Dark Days, with Don singing and playing the guitar and Dan playing the mandolin. Don played it for me this morning and I just love it. It’s very sweet. Here’s the link.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: dollhouse, Don, miniatures, music 38 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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