Monday's Muse

"Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing."
~ Barry Finlay Kilimanjaro and Beyond

CTO ... What I'm Doing on My Summer Vacation

What are your plans for summer vacation?

• A trip to the beach or the mountains?
• Exotic travel?
• A visit with extended family?
• A "stay-cation"?
• A dulcimer festival??

I'm taking the month of July off from teaching this summer. One reason for doing this is to make more time for the garden. I know this has nothing to do with playing the dulcimer, but maybe you'd like to see what else I do with my time!

Check This Out ... I keep my garden journal on-line in the form of a blog. It's a fun way to keep a record of garden happenings. A digital blog is easy to search, easy to document a topic with photos as well as words, and easy to share with family and friends. Produce and chickens ... it's all there. Check it out!

www.SueisintheGarden.blogspot.com

Reduce Amount of Stuff ~ Make Space ~ CREATE

Maybe some form of de-cluttering is on your summer to-do list. I'd like to clear my desk, purge my wardrobe, organize the basement, get a handle on that avalanche of paper music, sort this pile, dump that pile, etc, etc, etc. I've taken the month of July off from teaching, but I don't see all that happening!

Part of the problem is the pain involved in making decisions about "stuff"... especially when the decision must be get rid of it. I was interested to read that the pain is real. No wonder the mantra running through my head as I tackle de-cluttering chores is, "Be brave!"

In today's modern world we deal with more than the obvious physical clutter. We have all that digital clutter flashing and pinging, keeping us notified at all hours. Studies show that all this clutter competes for our attention and overloads the senses, resulting in decreased performance, increased stress, and impaired ability to think creatively.

I came across this article by Mikael Cho: How Clutter Affects Your Brain and what you can do about it. Maybe you'll find it helpful as you clear the space necessary to have a successful music practice.

If you need me, I'll be bravely cleaning off my desk and desktop!

Monday's Muse

“I've always thought people would find a lot more pleasure in their routines if they burst into song at significant moments.” ~ John Barrowman

CTO ... Ruth Smith Releases NEW Book

The moment we've been waiting for! Ruth Smith has completed her new book, "From Heart to Hands" - a collection of her hammered dulcimer arrangements. Available now for purchase online!

Check This Out ... "From Heart to Hands" includes 27 of Ruth's most requested arrangements for the hammered dulcimer (10 original tunes and 17 others) You'll also get instructional information on how to play with expression and dynamics. Plus, she's included a string chart with music notation beside each string. Order yours now at:  http://www.steveandruth.com/Heart%20to%20Hands.html 

A Plan for Your Summer Practice

It's been a crazy day! Today was my last day of teaching before taking a month off. I'm looking forward to gardening and "putting up" the garden, attending a family reunion, cleaning the house, tackling miscellaneous projects, preparing for the Ken Kolodner event planned for July 27 ...  etc, etc. Lessons were scheduled end-to-end, 9am - 6pm. We had another afternoon of thunder storms and heavy rains. Late in the day, one student called while en route to her lesson to say she had to stop and go back home because the roads were overwhelmed with water, creating a dangerous situation.

I'm glad to report, the weather has calmed. The waters are receding. Tomorrow is the 4th of July. We are well into summer, Folks! If you haven't set some summer music goals, now's the time. Here's a suggested plan for structuring your summer practice, adapted from ideas found at the Molto Music's website, a site dedicated to answering one question ... "What is the best way to learn a musical instrument." Remember, these are goals to be accomplished this summer, and should be achievable by Labor Day.

• Make two lists: 1) All the tunes you'd like to learn this summer, and 2) All the new techniques you'd like to master. Don't spend too much time on this. Brainstorm and write down your ideas quickly.
• From the first list, choose 3-5 tunes that stand out to you for any reason. 
• Pick one tune from this short list as your main objective for the summer.
• Select two additional goals from the technique list. These will be your secondary goals and should ideally be objectives that support the accomplishment of your main goal. For example, does your new tune require improved valley rolls? or bounced triplets? or 3-note rolled chords? Do you need to work on accuracy of scale runs? Do you want to focus on chords or rhythmic ideas in order to come up with a backup for your new tune? You get the idea.
• Write down your goals.
• Before each practice session, read your written goals and design your practice time around them.

Words of wisdom:  Summer is no time to get bogged down. In addition to these goals, don't forget to leave time to play the stuff that is just plain fun. If you feel like it, tell us your "main goal" tune in the comment section below. Maybe you'll inspire somebody!! Be safe, and keep practicing!

Monday's Muse

“Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.” ~ Sarah Dessen, Just Listen