Musing on music

So on Tuesday at my piano lesson doing a bit of voice work my range developed from only being one octave to adding on 3 extra notes taking me just about to Middle C which according to Rebbecca my music teacher was good for a Bass. That aside I was also hitting the notes more clearly. Rebbecca plays a note on the piano and then I copy it. It was that bit easier to go down the scale than usual and I was able to move between singing two notes that were 2 noted apart up and then down. To those who understand this stuff it is no big deal. To me at 59 years old never being able to do this stuff and never even having any encouragement or support this is a minor miracle. What if, as a child someone had sat me down with a piano or thrust a wind instrument into my arms and said 'Try this?'

Anyway I am being shown how amazing learning is at any age. I thought I was too old that this stuff was like a lot of language stuff and had to be learnt young. Rebbecca says no and its true. I feel sorry for her some times stuck with such a basic learner as me and I am not as fast or as promising as some of the younger ones BUT I don't lack motivation or lack enjoyment in what I can do. My maternal grandmother used to say 'Count your blessings' I am with regard to music.

One of my dreams is to be able to play the piano and sing my old time favourite Pets song 'Red Letter Day'. This is going to take some time. Firstly because the musical score is actually quite complex for me. Secondly singing and playing at the same time is beyond me at present. Getting my two hands to work together well enough is still challenging let alone singing as well. Thirdly Red Letter Day is pitched at the start 2 octaves above my range. When I shared this with Grace she transposed it down 2 octaves. Fine at the start by then Neil suddenly drops two octaves and that was too low for me. So if I am ever going to sing Red Letter Day I need to extend my range by at least an octave! Well 2 or 3 notes last Tuesday was a start.

Watch this space and who knows I'll Youtube myself someday. I am on Youtube somewhere talking about Friends but that's another story and I've lost the link!

Best to all,

Bill-on-bike