(no subject)
Home alone. Jerub's in Melbourne.
I hate being alone at home. I really do. Hearing things, startling at noises I can't immediately identify, all that lovely sort of stuff.
It's been interesting having him gone. I'm not as sooky as I thought I would be, but I certainly feel rather lackluster. I spend much more of the day silent, too. I've been sleeping a lot, and my diet has been crap.
It certainly doesn't feel like Christmas.
...
On the other hand, I have seen quite a few cool people, and gotten some awesome toys. I'm the proud owner of a Yamaha YCL-250 Bflat Clarinet. I've wanted to learn to play the clarinet since I was about 8 or so. I am enjoying figuring out the instrument, although it's occasionally been a touch frustrating. I bought myself a book of boring exercises today, because I was getting rather tired of 'the saints go marching in' and 'mary had a little lamb'. The exercises may not be interesting in and of themselves, but there is at least quite a variety.
Another slightly frustrating thing is that as a new instrument, I do have to break it in a little - so only 20-30min a day for me for a couple weeks. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I'm pretty sure that I don't yet have some of the muscles required. That's alright; these things come in time. And I can practice fingering any time.
This is the first time I've learnt a new instrument since I was 4. It is a bit of an odd feeling, to say the least. I can already read music quite well, and on my first instrument (piano), the music I'm looking at is, to say the least, simplistic. I strongly suspect my previous training in moving my fingers independently and in sequential combinations is helping me with the new instrument. That, or clarinet is a really easy instrument to learn. I have so far managed to not make too much in the way of horrible noises. I managed to play a scale the other day. I'm hoping to start lessons in February, so I don't teach myself too many bad habits. I'm vaguely considering doing examinations - but I suppose that will have to wait until I know a little more about the instrument and the process.
Anyway, it's certainly been something to occupy at least a part of my day.
I hate being alone at home. I really do. Hearing things, startling at noises I can't immediately identify, all that lovely sort of stuff.
It's been interesting having him gone. I'm not as sooky as I thought I would be, but I certainly feel rather lackluster. I spend much more of the day silent, too. I've been sleeping a lot, and my diet has been crap.
It certainly doesn't feel like Christmas.
...
On the other hand, I have seen quite a few cool people, and gotten some awesome toys. I'm the proud owner of a Yamaha YCL-250 Bflat Clarinet. I've wanted to learn to play the clarinet since I was about 8 or so. I am enjoying figuring out the instrument, although it's occasionally been a touch frustrating. I bought myself a book of boring exercises today, because I was getting rather tired of 'the saints go marching in' and 'mary had a little lamb'. The exercises may not be interesting in and of themselves, but there is at least quite a variety.
Another slightly frustrating thing is that as a new instrument, I do have to break it in a little - so only 20-30min a day for me for a couple weeks. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I'm pretty sure that I don't yet have some of the muscles required. That's alright; these things come in time. And I can practice fingering any time.
This is the first time I've learnt a new instrument since I was 4. It is a bit of an odd feeling, to say the least. I can already read music quite well, and on my first instrument (piano), the music I'm looking at is, to say the least, simplistic. I strongly suspect my previous training in moving my fingers independently and in sequential combinations is helping me with the new instrument. That, or clarinet is a really easy instrument to learn. I have so far managed to not make too much in the way of horrible noises. I managed to play a scale the other day. I'm hoping to start lessons in February, so I don't teach myself too many bad habits. I'm vaguely considering doing examinations - but I suppose that will have to wait until I know a little more about the instrument and the process.
Anyway, it's certainly been something to occupy at least a part of my day.