Donna Taggart - Jealous Of The Angels

I didn't know about Donna Taggart  until I have listened to the song  called Jealous of the Angels on youtube.  This song really make me miss my father who passed away  13 years ago.  I never got to say goodbye to him as he passed so suddenly.  O love  this song and her voice is so angelic that it really touches my emotions.  It would be nice to learn how to play this in an instrument and have  fabfilter do it's magic to have it sound so perfectly.  I have seen some  artists did a version of this song too but I though Donna Taggart did  a  great job, her voice is so honest and sincere.  

Our Music Corner

 We put our  traditional piano at the corner of our living room.  It was sitting there very plain against the white wall so I thought of  decorating around it a little bit.  We had old records that we will never get to play since we don't have a machine so I thought it would be  awesome to use it.

I bought the iron music notes hanging on the left side at Hobby Lobby prior to us moving so I can use it to decorate the music room.  The butterfly wall decal  with notes  is from an auction site I belong to, I got it by  bidding on an auction there then I paid shipping.  

 This lamp used to be at my husband's study desk but we  are using it now on top of the piano.  I also incorporated the small  decal in there  to match the one on the wall.

 I have these  empty candle jars and thought  I can use it to make something for the music corner.  I  filled it up with marbles and  put my children's recital photos in it.

 The music teacher at my children's school  gave this music box to my daughter when she had her recital at Duquesne University.  It has been sitting in the storage ever since but I thought of incorporating it in the music room so I put it on top of the piano.

 I found some really cool quotes online and printed them and then   put them on the records.

 The  pop of black against the white wall  gave this corner  a little contrast.

This would be a wishful thinking but if I have one of those Ibanez dino cazares signature  electric guitar, I would definitely incorporate it there to complete the look.  

We have another big music instrument but it is  in our master bedroom.  Our daughter plays for us once in a while before bedtime.

Music Theory for Beginners

Like most people in our society, you've witnessed beautiful performances and have daydreamed of making such lovely sounds yourself. Whether you'd like the attention and accolades that come with playing in public or you simply want to play an instrument in the comfort of your home for your own pleasure, getting started is the hardest part. Follow these simple steps, and you'll be well on your way to becoming the songbird you've always aspired to be.

1. Decide on an instrument

It's easy to imagine that you'll want to play every instrument under the sun. If you have the funds, you may be tempted to go out and buy a ukulele, a drum kit, a guitar, and a keyboard, promising yourself you'll become proficient with each one in due time. You'll be more satisfied with your efforts, however, if you take things one step at a time and stick to a single instrument until you're genuinely comfortable adding another one to your repertoire. The keyboard and guitar are popular choices for beginners, but if you're more interested in rhythm than melody, drums may be a better option. If you'd prefer not to buy an expensive piece of equipment, your voice is an instrument, too!

2. Make a plan for how you will learn

If you can afford it and have the time, private lessons are a great option. If you're like most busy adults, you may find it more convenient to learn at your own pace using materials you can access whenever you have a spare moment. There are so many learning materials out there, it can be difficult to choose the right ones for you. C.R. Carole has a number of workbooks available, teaching music theory for beginners. Once you've figured out how you'll learn the basics, it's time to come up with a practice plan. Pencil practice time into your schedule, blocking out at least 30 minutes a week if you want to make decent progress.

Learning to play an instrument may seem like a daunting process, but if you stick with it, you'll end up with a lifelong hobby that can get you through difficult times and bring joy to the people around you. I wish you the best of luck on your musical journey. 

Jack in a Juke Box and Happy Song

Yesterday, May 22nd was this year's Torrence Music Recital. Our son was a bit nervous, he kept saying that he might mess up. He kind of wish he practiced more lol.  They have a rehearsal on Saturday morning and they both messed up some so their teacher talked to them and told them to just relax and enjoy the music and not to worry about it. 

Rylie played  Jack in the Juke Box, it  was one of the songs that she played during her audition at  West Liberty University which she was rated Superior.  EJ played the  Happy Song and despite his  fear, he played perfectly.  They both did so well and  not mess up one bit.  We know that they can do it, they are pressure players.  

 
Torrance Music has now guitar lessons so we might enrol EJ to that since he is interested in learning how to play a guitar.  We will see.

Those Bullies Butter Stop

When our daughter submitted her entry to the Ant-Bullying poster contest, she didn't think she would win because she said that all her classmates have really good ideas.  So she  was  pleasantly surprised that she won.  

 There were  other four entries from her class that were chosen as runners up.   Their entries were below:

 For her entry, she  combined her passion for arts and baking into  one idea and it turned out well.  I told her that maybe, some of the judges have sweet tooth  so they chose your entry lol.

She's very happy she won as she get  the $100 price.  She has been saving her money because she wants to decorate her own room and she said that she will buy  the things that she need with her own money.  

Saxophone

Whenever we watch a parade, I am always fascinated with the  people who  play the music  instrument that  is seldom played in a regular setting.  I remember last year, one of the  young adult who was playing in the band is disabled but he was playing a saxophone which is very impressive.  Looking at the wwbw.com bassoon reminds me of that scenario.  Not many musician  choose to play instuments like that.  

Young Musicians Auditions at West Liberty UNiversity

Our daughter tried the Young Musicians  Auditions in West Liberty University. this year.  It was  held last April 8th.  It is an annual  audition conducted by WLU  to test  young musicians of their  piano playing ability.  This was our daughter's first time so she was  a bit a nervous.  Luckily, her friend  was there  so she  calmed her nerves  down.  Her friend  have done this in the past so   she gave her some pointers.  

We have never been to West Liberty University so we did not have an idea  where it's at lol.  We punched the address to the GPS but for some odd reason,  there was a street that  the GPS wanted us to turn but it wasn't there so we had to turn around and find our way.  Talking  about our  poor navigation skills lol.  Gladly, we left earlier because we always anticipate for stuff like this to happen. 

We were very surprised where the school is located.  It is in the middle of nowhere!  It was way in the sticks, lol.

The university was big and we couldn't believe that it was located far  from the city.  I think if you would have to commute going to this school, it would be hard  especially during the winter.  I got dizzy  because of the turns and narrow roads.  

Anyway, after we registered, there were rooms for practicing so Rylie and her friends practice while waiting for their numbers to be called.  The ratings to be given includes (Superior, Excellent, and Very Good).  We were making jokes about it because our daughter was saying "I hope I don't do very good as it is the lowest score you can get" .  In my opinion, I think they should change the  ratings because no mater what you do, even you messed up  so bad, you still get a very good rating .

The rating is to be based on actual performance and the quality thereof.  The entire composition  is to be performed  from memory.   The points of judgment for  piano solos are tone, rhythm, technique, phrasing, attack and release, interpretation, memorization, stage presence and pedaling.  

For the required composition, she played the Bach: Prelude in C Minor BWV 999.  The comment made by the judge was "Good job!  All the right notes, rests, dynamics, and at a nice quick pace!"  For the choice composition, she played the Summer's Nocturne by Rollin.  The judge's commented "Real promising pianist!" and he took note of the repeat that she made.  She had to start  over when she missed one key.  

Anyhow, her friend got an Excellent rating and I feel bad because she cried.  She played before Rylie so that made  our daughter really nervous.  She had to repeat a line because he missed one key so we were so surprised that she still got s Superior rating after the evaluation.  

Since, she got the top rating, she was invited to a recital next month.  Below is the video of her songs.

She  wants to  try it again next year.  Her goal is to be able to  control her nerves and not to crack to the pressure.  In a way, this is a great learning experience for her to be able to conquer  stage fright.  She is a brave little girl.  I don't have the courage to  do what she does lol.  So great job Ryestein!