Monday, January 30, 2017
Monday's Muse
Begin ... to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished. ~ Marcus Aurelius
Monday, January 23, 2017
Monday's Muse
Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in while, or the light won't come in. ~ Alan Alda
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Trapezoids just want to have FUN!
Thank you, Marya, for a very pleasant day!
Monday, January 16, 2017
Monday's Muse
God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create - and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Friday, January 13, 2017
CTO ... Marya on Monday
Just a little reminder that Marya Katz is teaching an all-day workshop in Winston-Salem next week. It's her annual MLK Day gathering! Hope to see you there. Basic facts below. Check out the January 4 blogpost for more detailed information.
Hammered Dulcimer Workshop
with Marya Katz
Monday, January 16
9:00am - 3:30pm
College Park Baptist Church
1701 Polo Road
Winston Salem, NC
$65 includes lunch and all materials
Reservations recommended as space is limited.
Email Marya.
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Hammered Dulcimer Workshop
with Marya Katz
Monday, January 16
9:00am - 3:30pm
College Park Baptist Church
1701 Polo Road
Winston Salem, NC
$65 includes lunch and all materials
Reservations recommended as space is limited.
Email Marya.
-----------
Marya Katz
National Board Certified Teacher
(EM/C Music, 2002)
"Playful-Shops" Workshop Consultant
(Music Education/Integrated Curriculum Inservice Sessions)
website: http://www.maryakatz.com
Hammered Dulcimer Performance & Instruction
website: http://www.dulcimations.com
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
The F-word
I'm a little miffed that Mother Nature intervened to ruin our good plans for Sunday. It was such a disappointment to have to postpone the workshops and concert with Ken and Brad Kolodner. I realize we are in the middle of winter, but two inches of sleet, topped by an inch of snow and record setting low temps this past weekend?!? Here in central NC, there's nothing to do but wait for the mercury to rise and release us from our forced hibernation. Finally, four days later, we hit the mid-50's. That ought to do it!
Yes, before the winter storm of early 2017, Betsy and I were preparing to perform on a stage in front of an audience of 100+. Yikes! How does one do that? Well, it becomes pretty clear that FOCUS is everything. It's not a little thing. It is THE thing.
Don't get me wrong. It's not about perfection, although that would be nice. It's about being in the moment, aware and flexible enough to start at the beginning and to play to the end, no matter what happens!
I don't know about you, but MY mind is full of chatter ... to-do lists, anxieties, fears, judgments, what-if scenarios. It's difficult to turn off all that noise. It's true that I have experienced fleeting moments of pure bliss, playing music, in the flow ... until my mind notices. "Hey, wow, this is feeling great!" That's the kiss of death. As soon as the brain voices an opinion, it's all over.
One would think that playing music requires such attention that our brains would have no room to wander and get into trouble. Indeed, engaging one's mind is a strategy for silencing the chatter. The problem, intentionally or not, many of us rely too much on muscle memory and habit. We are good at rote memorization and repetition, but we don't really know what we're doing.
So, let's do engage our minds. Let's think about what we're doing. Focus on components of the tune, arrangement cues, technique, expression, balancing the sound with other ensemble members ... whatever is meaningful or helpful to you. For example, one of the best things I've ever done for my playing is to practice naming the chords in the chord progression. Mix in some description of what's happening in the tune or accompaniment, such as "circle around on D" "scale up to A" "octave E's" "grab Bb" "drop to the mark". These become landmarks.
I'm still a work in progress, but I know the goal. FOCUS. In so doing we expand awareness, improve mental agility, calm the chatter, and open up a world of creative possibilities!
Yes, before the winter storm of early 2017, Betsy and I were preparing to perform on a stage in front of an audience of 100+. Yikes! How does one do that? Well, it becomes pretty clear that FOCUS is everything. It's not a little thing. It is THE thing.
Don't get me wrong. It's not about perfection, although that would be nice. It's about being in the moment, aware and flexible enough to start at the beginning and to play to the end, no matter what happens!
I don't know about you, but MY mind is full of chatter ... to-do lists, anxieties, fears, judgments, what-if scenarios. It's difficult to turn off all that noise. It's true that I have experienced fleeting moments of pure bliss, playing music, in the flow ... until my mind notices. "Hey, wow, this is feeling great!" That's the kiss of death. As soon as the brain voices an opinion, it's all over.
One would think that playing music requires such attention that our brains would have no room to wander and get into trouble. Indeed, engaging one's mind is a strategy for silencing the chatter. The problem, intentionally or not, many of us rely too much on muscle memory and habit. We are good at rote memorization and repetition, but we don't really know what we're doing.
I'm still a work in progress, but I know the goal. FOCUS. In so doing we expand awareness, improve mental agility, calm the chatter, and open up a world of creative possibilities!
Monday, January 9, 2017
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Kolodner Event scheduled January 8, POSTPONED until later date
Winter has truly come to central NC…
… and we are truly disappointed to announce that the WORKSHOPS
and CONCERT scheduled for January 8 have been POSTPONED to a later date due to
conditions related to the winter storm.
Ticket prices will be refunded. Details about that will
be worked out and communicated in a separate email from Ken.
Ken & Brad and Sue & Betsy will be looking to
reschedule in the near future. We will be in touch with the specifics. We hope
to see all of you then!
If you have immediate questions or concerns, please
contact Sue at (919) 542-5854 or at sswilson123@gmail.com
as Ken will be on the road, traveling back to Baltimore, today.
Thank you for your interest in our music.
Stay safe and be warm. It’s a good day to play some
music! ~ Sue
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Marya Katz to offer Workshop in Winston-Salem on MLK Day
Learn a couple English dance tunes... a waltz in D-major and a reel in E-minor. Experiment with rhythm, melody, and harmony to create interesting sounds. Have fun playing and learning from a fantastic teacher and player. Marya will send participants the basic version of the music prior to the workshop. Just ask when you register!
Got the day free? Come play music with a bunch of trapezoids. What better way to spend a winter Monday?! Details below:
Hammered Dulcimer Workshop
with Marya Katz
Monday, January 16
9:00am - 3:30pm
- Doors open at 8:30 for registration / set-up
- Morning session: 9:15am - noon
- Lunch provided: noon - 1:00pm
- Afternoon session: 1:00 - 3:30pm
College Park Baptist Church
1701 Polo Road
Winston Salem, NC 27106
$65, includes lunch and all materials.
Other books and CDs will be sold separately.
No need to pay in advance, but reservations are recommended as spaces are limited.
Email Marya and Terry Lefler to reserve your spot. Terry will send information about lunch orders. Reserve your spot today to avoid disappointment!
-----------
Marya Katz
National Board Certified Teacher
(EM/C Music, 2002)
"Playful-Shops" Workshop Consultant
(Music Education/Integrated Curriculum Inservice Sessions)
website: http://www.maryakatz.com
Hammered Dulcimer Performance & Instruction
website: http://www.dulcimations.com
Monday, January 2, 2017
Monday's Muse
And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke