Musings Week 8, Going off course

I can pull back, not point as high into the wind. I don’t have to compose a new tune every week after all. I can take this week and work on arranging An HYMM, or the Carolan Wannabe, or Carolan Carol. I can change the course I set in December. I was to compose one tune each week and blog about the experience. The month of January when I set out was overwhelming. Trying to learn how to blog; and use the website; how to compose and manage the interface with the MIDI keyboard, the Finale notation program, the harp and the piano; participating in the Deborah Henson Conant (DHC) Blues Webinar; writing about the experience.

My first week's homework for the DHC Blues Harpstyle Webinar. I 'm not sure about this route I am taking, and there is more rough sailing to come.

My initial idea of spending 11 minutes a day writing and 40 minutes a day composing were far off the mark, as my entire day was consumed. Deborah suggested that I could pull back from the 1 tune a week idea, but I wanted to grit my teeth and soldier on. The protestant work ethic in me, wanted to grimly stay on course, and not give way to prevailing winds. But when you keep sailing too high into the wind, you don't make much progress; you fall back and change your direction so that you can get some headway. I don’t want to go off the course of composing 1 tune a week, but I am charting a different route for now. I have 4 good tunes/efforts for the first month. I did not have time or ability to perfect and polish them. So I can work on variations for An HYMM this week, and recall that I have also been composing tunes for the DHC Blues Webinar, which counts a bit towards my tune a week commitment. Changing direction is difficult for me, as it suggests something less, not following through. As if the original plan and course must be strictly followed, unless there is some justifiable reason not to proceed ( like a death in the family, or running aground).

COMMENTS

Sherj

2/22/2016 08:19:33 pm

I miss a few days and come back to see that you have been working hard! I'm with you in that the Blues are not my favorite. I often find however, when I work on something, I gain an appreciation of it, and come to like pieces I had not cared for in the past. So it seems with you. And regardless of how I feel about a piece, I sometimes do them, so that I can learn from them. But you are in fact, smiling beautifully!

Alexandra You said it well.