Dark outside and it will remain so for another hour. Low temperatures were forecast last night so will there be ice outside? I'm due a singing lesson, the first in almost three weeks, and the roads to V's house are precipitate. On top of that I'm still wheezing from the cough. Will I even get through the warm-up?
Change and decay in all around I see.
Oh art which changeth not,
Abide with me.
But what's this? An email from brother Sir Hugh, off to his bed where he doesn't expect to sleep. Like me he recently had surgery, though more major than mine. Just a line to say he's bought and read Opening Bars. And reviewed it in Amazon!
Straight off in the review he admits to being my brother. Which seems to validate that which follows. I couldn't ask for better. I guess I'll get through the warm-up, perhaps even try the Purcell.
Thanks bro.
Amongst my comments in the review I suggested that Opening Bars could have a secondary purpose as a guide to any readers embarking on lessons in other subjects, especially considering the complexities of teacher pupil relationship. It reminds me of the film Conspiracy where Kenneth Branagh portrays Reinhard Heydrich chairing the meeting to put in motion The Final Solution, a worthy instruction film for all aspirant chairmen/women.
ReplyDeleteSir Hugh: I suppose most people opt to learn singing (more likely, refine their existing abilities) in a choir, the advantages being that it costs nothing and the risk of humiliation is reduced. I started off learning French in a group of my professional peers all working for the same employer. It was wildly competitive (because of the nature of the teacher) and I enjoyed myself. However once the bug had bitten I preferred face-to-face tuition. Here in Hereford I did sign up for a group course called Advanced French but the skill levels differed widely and inevitably the teacher had to cater mainly for the lowest levels. Progress, if any, was slow and the teacher had to turn a blind eye to incompetence.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I didn't realise it when I started singing choirs aren't ideal. The assumption is that most members can already sing and, in any case, the amount of individual tuition is limited. Also the material sung is less interesting than solo work which can be tailored to individual needs and tastes. Finally I needed tuition that proceeded as quickly as I could possibly handle, given my age. As it happened I was very, very lucky in my quite random choice of teacher and since I can afford her fees, I feel that my progress more or less matches my abilities.
He did well! Amazon doesn't know your latest book, instead offers me this:
ReplyDeleteWe found 0 results for "opening bras by r. robinson"
Fed: Did you click on the front cover of Opening Bars on the r/h side of Tone Deaf's home page as instructed? That takes you straight there. Sir Hugh bought the book by doing just that.
ReplyDeleteIf you must go via Amazon, at least write my name out in full. Robinson's rather a common surname; my first name pins it down somewhat. Go to Amazon, then Books. This will take you to my blog where the book is publicised
Fedorovna - you say you put in "bras" instead of "bars" - not surprised no result. I know if you put "Opening Bars Roderick Robinson" into Amazon search you will go straight there.
ReplyDeleteJust thought it was mildly amusing that Amazon repeatedly changed bars to bras, though, Sir H, I did enter it correctly. But heigh ho.
ReplyDelete