Next project

The critical listening project has not been going well. That is to say, it hasn't been going at all. I've been forced to reconsider how to approach listening to my collection of music, a problem compounded by the fact that it is constantly growing, and will continue to grow over the holiday period, since I will have more time to listen to music. So, I've decided to abandon the CLP. My new project, which will get me to sit at the piano longer, is considerably less time intensive (I think), and far more practical and achievable.

I'm going to start transcribing songs from recordings.

This is something I know I'm not very good at, having never been able to do it back when I was in rock bands in my teens and twenties. With jazz, I haven't actually attempted transcribing yet, despite reading in multiple places that this is a great way to learn jazz, improve hearing ability, improve compositional ability, improve understanding of chords and voicings, in short, improve everything and anything having to do with jazz music. The main reason I'm going to attempt this is that there are several songs I want to be able to play but I can't find the sheet music for. (At least, it's not in any of my three real books.) I doubt I will be able to reconstruct the chords and voicings just by listening to the recordings, but I did get some hints from my jazz theory class, so I might be able to come up with some. I think by putting forth some effort, I ought to be able to come up with something. Hopefully.

Anyway, that is my next project, which I will begin to tackle, probably starting this weekend but definitely in earnest over the holidays. I'll let you know how it works out for me.

Critical listening project update

Well, in the face of a two week furlough from my regular job, things are looking up for my various jazz related projects, in more ways than one.

Regular readers of this blog will recall my critical listening project. Knowing that I am going to be off for two weeks, I've spent the better part of the last three weeks acquiring some new recordings, so I was only a little surprised when I revisited my CLP notebook and found I hadn't listened critically to a recording in over two weeks. I was happy that I chose to revisit the CLP with The Amazing Bud Powell Volume Two. It's a wonderful record that suffers a little from technological limitations, but not as many as Volume One, and not enough to detract from the enjoyment of the music. I also think the song selection is better on this recording. Bud seems to have more fun with the songs. Anyway, this was a good one to kick start the project again.

It will be important that I fire on all cylinders in the project during the first week of the furlough, because the second week of the furlough I'm going to be in New Orleans with Mrs. S., soaking up the live jazz scene. I might even do some remote blogging and if I win enough money at the poker tables when I'm not in the jazz clubs or out picking up some fresh gris-gris at the voodoo shop, I might stay even longer. Hell, my company doesn't care if I take time off (saves them money), so maybe I just need to oblige.

Folks, jazz is where it's at, and I'm there!

Long, quiet weekend

It is hard to get back in the swing of things, practicing, slogging through Hanon, trying to master a stride exercise or two, learning new tunes. It's Memorial Day weekend, a month removed from completion of school, two weeks removed from my vacation to Canada, and completely unmotivated to play the piano. I've been combating the lethargy with listening exercise on my critical listening project, and writing reviews on Amazon.com of some works that I've owned for a while but not reviewed. I'm trying to keep active, since I can only get myself to sit down and play for about an hour a day, but not practice or learn anything new. It's a poor substitute, poorer even than writing about it in my blog. (!)

If you go on Amazon and look at my reviews, PLEASE click on a "yes" or two for whatever you happen to read and enjoy. I would really appreciate the support as it improves my reviewer ranking when you do that. Thanks, readers.