My new friend Jennifer keeps insisting I need to write a blog about my strange portfolio life – so here I go with the first one!!! Baby steps, so be gentle with me!!
Here I am sitting in my study surrounded by instruments and screwed up paper full of discarded ideas – looks chaotic – and it is! I’m frantically wracking my addled post xmas brains for music ideas that could gain me respect on a training day which is fast approaching – it’s a new job and I’m keen to contribute something exciting to the proceedings. Thinking that I need to stop veering off in to other projects and subjects at the same time, but then I pointed out to myself that I’m “storming” (pushing against the boundaries) and it’s all normal and healthyl! One side of my brain is sceptical. Anyway – the other side allows me to carry on in my seemingly time consuming fashion……
Scattered on the floor is a mouth organ, a recorder, a clarinet, a tambourine and some gaffer tape. I’m working on the art of playing more than one instrument at a time to make me sound like at least 2 musicians – a sort of one-woman band. The gaffering of the sustain pedal for my keyboard is an idea that shows some promise (to hold a long note drone which leaves my hands free to do something else creatively interesting)…….but my new purchase of a tambourine to strap to my foot is a sure winner! I’ve been researching Mexican music and the life of the amazing artist Frida Kahlo – and have somehow been diverted to a beautiful Klezma melody on clarinet, which has a sort of mariachi feel now. All very colourful though, which I’m sure Frida would approve of!
So – what else have I been up to today…..
Went to a blissful yoga class (failed with my new year resolution to be on time already!) and then felt chilled enough to tackle some essential admin….got started on the publicity for a relaxing “sound spa” event for next month (live music meditation session with the other “her” of “www.herandher.co.uk” – would love to see you there!) – struggling with facebook and eventbrite entries but thankfully being gently guided by our very adept assistant……she’s just bounced over a video of Dave the cat’s journey to recording her purr for a new “her&her” track (album coming on very well. – more on that next time!). There’s a marketing strategy that needs to be put in place now. Oh god I’m getting overwhelmed…..and I haven’t even started on my self assessment tax deadline yet!!
Just remembered – my fab 82 year old mum is cooking me supper tonight, and my lazy, fat ginger cat is looking at me adoringly – and I’ve been concentrating on saying something nice to everyone I’ve seen today (another new year resolution!) – so all is well with “twelfth night 2019”!