"The World is But a Stage"

The Sound of Silence

2008-03-15T08:52:30Z

I found this practice piece from my written formulation course whilst going through my stuff and thought I could chuck it up here. It was basically one of the exercises we did learning how to use metaphors and similar in writing, but to any of you who couldn't follow when I embarked on one of those nerd talks about using silence in music you might be able to trace my thoughts more easily.

***

My fingers didn't move although I had already stopped feeding the last note echoing away into the distant corners of the hall. I could hear the last chord hovering in mid-air and yet, all was silent. One could have heard a pin drop despite the silent chord still sounding in our ears. I wondered how long I could hold this mute note which was gradually releasing the tension this last piece had evoked.

Somehow this silence was as natural to the music as those empty pages one often finds enclosing a printed book balancing out a bundle of sheets to either side which only are partially use. Likewise a tune is born from and dies into silence, thus closing an ever ongoing cycle. But instead of observing only silence you are repeating some musical strain – yet, all is silent.

I don't know how long I had held this silence – or had time stopped? – but by now I was gradually growing aware of the mute walls holding this infinite music. My lips released the eternal note; my fingers let the keys resume a sleeping position awaiting their next sound; my eyes opened to a sea of immobile heads not daring to cause a ripple on the quiet surface. The silence guided me further into reality and released the instrument form its former position. I must have shifted my weight, for a creak of the stage boards welcomed in the tide of applause drowning the peaceful silence with its waves.

No news eh?

2008-01-26T11:23:33Z

I've been told again and again. Well, this test is the latest proof I guess, I'm a dumbledore …

Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Albus Dumbledore

You are Albus Dumbledore. Calm, perceptive, forgiving, and wise beyond your years.

Albus Dumbledore

91%

Luna Lovegood

78%

Harry Potter

75%

Hermione Granger

72%

Remus Lupin

63%

Sirius Black

59%

Oliver Wood

56%

Neville Longbottom

56%

Bellatrix Lestrange

50%

Lord Voldemort

50%

Severus Snape

47%

Draco Malfoy

44%

Percy Weasley

38%

Ron Weasley

34%

And the Musical Heavens greet another Maestro

2007-09-06T20:27:16Z

Being woken up by the news first thing this morning was a jolt strong enough to wake me up. Pavarotti has left the the boards of this world to join the musicians on the heavenly stage. A brilliant talent and a wonderful musician, now released form earthy pains he will be able to sing again.

I doubt I need to give a run down of this Maestro's work and achievements. A biography is not my place to write and anyhow I rather remember the immortal art the man left behind …

In my own musical and spiritual way of thinking I wish him happiness in his new level of being. I thank him for what he left behind and taught those willing to listen to his work.

An overdue post about what I'm doing in those long silences …

2007-08-30T11:49:34Z

Many bump into me on skype nowadays only to find me saying "can't stick around long, I'm editing". What on earth is that girl up to eh? Time to confess I think …

Teehee … no worries no illegal activities involved – at least I hope not :p. Nop, when I've got my headphones snapped over my ears and playing deaf to the fun and interesting conversations I just stumbled in on in one or the other skypechat, I'm going about my editing-elf chores for gallerycast. We've just released our seventh episode (jeez where did the time go we were just doing this for fun in the backroom of Leaky's Gallery Commonroom for fun?). Can I say I#m mighty proud of our little project with out sounding like my head just inflated and I'll take of any moment? Ok … just did that – so mmmm; I guess I'll just have to hope I keep my feet on the ground.

I'd like to take this opportunity to give a loud cheer and a big hug to my fellow Goddesses of the gallerycast Cast: Our brilliant producers and first set of twins libbysmomm9969 (also known as your favourite Hit Witch and my dear Mistress when in Elfing mode) and ginnyismyhero (what a filk writer!); the second set of twins and GuruChat brains hagiographer13 and birthday_twins and my fellow editing elf theyellowpepper (pssst she doesn't know of our elf-status yet, so don't tell her!). I have a lot to thank you ladies! Not only the fun and friendship we share, but giving me the opportunity to refining my editing skills; even having the faith in me to let me play around with your voices (they put up with me nudging them into place, bossing them around how to deliver and what not).

Btw … this episode features a little something we are mighty proud of. I'll say this: the cast can not only discuss, bring up brilliant ideas (I'm still gob smacked at this weeks GuruChat on the Death Eaters!) and be funny, but they can sing and be murderess ;). Guess you'll have to listen to know what I'm on about :p …

Back to some craftwork

2007-08-23T15:12:59Z

It's been a long while that I've been fiddling around making things. But Tuesday found me at the ironing board making wax-pictures. Something I haven't done in a long while.

I won't comment them but let you lose yourself in them at will :)

But I can't resist adding one here …

Three is charm no? Another meme – and I'm only getting to know this new person

2007-08-14T17:08:10Z

First Impressions are everything. How do people perceive you?

When you walk into the room all eyes are on you! Your defiantly leave a standing impression and you leave them wanting more. Your not scared to get acquainted with others and you all for meeting new people. Don't lose that quality, sooner or later it will come in handy for your benefit!
Take this quiz!

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Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

I never would have believed this …

2007-08-14T16:10:50Z

Well, seeing it's meme time: here's another one …

Which HP Kid Are You?

Normally, tests tell me I'm someone else. Who is my polyjuiced double?

Satan talked me into this …

2007-08-14T12:30:18Z

Are we all uptodate with the world … or just nuts?

2007-06-07T09:37:11Z

I received this in Dutch and just couldn't resist translating and popping it in here.

Have fun!

You know you are living in 2007 … when

1. You enter your pin number when trying to start your microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 12 phonenumbers for a family of 3.

4. You write emails to the person working in the office next to you.

5. The reason for having lost contact to people is because they don't have an email adresse.

6. You drive up your driveway and take your mobile to phone and see if someone is home to help you with your shopping.

7. Each tv-ad has a webaddress at the bottom.

8. Leaving home without your mobile (something you didn't have for 20, 30 or even 40 years of your life) is reason enough to run back panicing to get the wretched thing

10. After gettting up you first go online before getting your coffee.

11. You tilt your head sideways when you smile … :)

12. You read all this nodding and smiling

13. Even worse – you know exactly whom you'll be showing this list

14. You haven't even noticed there was no No.9 on this list

15. You even scrolled back to check that No.9 isn't on the list

16. You are now laughing at your self!

Go on then, show the list to your friends – I know you want to!

Update on the music front

2007-04-08T22:18:06Z

Woohooo! It's confirmed! I'm having my interpretation/musciality lesson next Sunday.

*Dances around*

Hem … Well, as from now, if you see me hanging around doing nothing, feel free to give me a hearty kick and tell me to go practice!

Happy Birthday!

2007-04-06T08:36:33Z

Happy Birthday thessalymarley!

Enjoy your day! Know what – make it a marvelous weekend!

And life keeps chasing me

2007-04-03T18:43:32Z

Yep, I know it has been a long time. Sometimes I heard a mention from afar that LJ still exists, but I just didn't get round to coming over here – let alone posting.

Ahh well, that happens when life chases you through the days. Rehearsals, assignments, forum work, offical papers … you name it.

But now I can share some news I'm truly excited about:

I'm going to have an interpretation/musicality lesson with a brilliant pianist – like a masterclass really. I know he is a very tough teacher but hearing what he tickles out of his student, it will be worth it.

Why would I, a flautist, go to a pianist you may ask. Well, if I go to a flautist, it will usually turn out in a lesson on how to best technically do passsages which are daunting and similar things next to interpretation. Evenmore, with well known pieces a "correct" interpretation tends to be handed down from flautist to flautist. Here there won't be any technic trick class or the interpretation package being handed over. Instead, full concentration will be given to interpretation without the thought of "but that isn't possible on the flute". For me music takes the foreground directing what needs to be done, not the other way around.

k … I'll stop being all nerd or you'll fall asleep.

Back amongst the living

2006-12-03T10:16:08Z

No I haven't been ill or anything, but the last few days I've first been writign like made and then in seventh heaven …

Yes, I've finished NaNoWriMo and won! 50k words!

Sorry, for not posting earlier, but they just don't have a computer up there in sventh heaven …

A big Well done! To thessalymarley and witherwings and all the others out there who did it!
And a thank you to jasondedrick for being an awesome cheerleader and also a Go! Go! Go! to you to carry on!

Last but not least a thank you to all the leaky staff who put up with our nano-maniacism!

And now I'd better go off and catch up on all my leaky duties …

Update on NaNoWriMo

2006-11-21T18:17:03Z

Sorry, I haven't been around. But I#ve been much to busy writing.

As you asked to stay informed: I'm just over the 21k mark.

Still a long way to go if I want to hit the 50k at the end of the month to "win", but no matter how it tunrs out I can be proud of myself seeing what I have written.

Yes, I'm late I know … but still

2006-11-11T19:26:24Z

If it hadn't been for thessalymarley I wouldn't have signed up at all. Yes, I'm participating in the NaNoWriMo!

Well, I'd better get cracking and make up for lost time …

My Essay is posted!

2006-11-03T23:08:46Z

Yippie – I still can't believe it!

They really posted my essay on music in Harry Potter in this month's Scribbulus issue. I thought I would believe it when I saw it, but …

And now I'm not plugging it
…

really

…

honest

…

OK perhaps a bit :p

Here's a link for those interested.

Stuck at home again

2006-10-13T11:20:24Z

Grrrr … these soloist-stars can really hault an entire industry!

First off I'd better explain what my job – music copying is. First off all as the jobtitle predicts we copy music (using a computer program), but the largest part of the work is editing and layouting all the dots and lines for greatest reading comfort. Furthermore, depending on the instrument further things are added such as fingerings or symbols indicating mutes or similar.

Work has run out at the office because the editing company is still waiting to receive the fingerings for two piano works due for the exhibition next year. I fully understand that the soloists in question first and foremost are musicians and the latter buyer of the music scores should feel honoured to receive their tips on how to play it – but with waiting for those darn numbers the whole industry is just sitting there waiting – In one case the score is actually finished and could go to the press.

On the other hand you have the specialists pouring over manuscripts carefully examining every smudge before finally coming up with a revised edition with 5 alteration after 50 years of work. I mean attention to detail is part of the business, but all this waiting around for such things?

Well, end of the stroy is I'm sitting here on my backside waiting for a phone call from my boss saying that there work to do as I've just finished my last assignment yesterday and nothing new has come in for two months – except promises that yes a Debussy, a Ravel and a Beethoven are on their way … I wonder if someone is trying to take dictation at their graves …

Update on concert as promised

2006-10-08T09:03:38Z

Well, I survived or I wouldn't be sat here writign this.

But seriously, it went rather well – if you don't think of those times I was trying to hit the gong yet just had air or got muddled up with the gongs and the kempli (latter is an instrument which give the beat like a metronom) as I was playing both instruments throughout most of the concert due to lack of musicians. Oh, yes and if looks could kill …

But most important thing for a musician – the food was delicious. We played twice as good after the interval just having our stomachs filled with delicious things …

Le petit bonhomme en mousse

2006-10-07T12:16:25Z



"Le petit bonhomme en mousse" on Google Video
Take a bit of mousse, some sticks and you have a little acrobat. Now grab a guitar and a kazoo and you can start bringing the little fellow to life! This is both art and comedy. Chapeau to the creators!

Of to another concert

2006-10-07T11:49:13Z

Well, it's preparing time again. This evening we're playing another concert and ghee there is still alot to be done. We're playing at a Balinesian meet up (Gamelan) yet we're a few players short so it's multi tasking as usual.

We' still aren't fully sure what we're playing (as usual) and I've still got to come up with a way to play both instruments I'm supposed to play most sufficiently. It'll be a laugh trust me …

I'll let you know how it went.

treated my computer to its long deserved upgrade!

2006-09-19T16:29:44Z

My computer has been whining and begging to finally get its upgrade.

"All the others already have a tiger as play mate and I still have the old panther. Please, pretty please".

Well, having a job and feeling up to a change myself I finally gave in.

Well, little computer dear have fun with your little tiger!

Tell me why I don't like Mondays

2006-09-18T14:31:18Z

The worst thing on our way to work:

Your boss phones asking whether you might make it a bit earlier, as his son has his first day of school. 'Sure' you say, but what have you let yourself into.

I looked up a bus/tram connection which should give me plenty of time to get to work. Arriving with the bus I would stil have over half an hour to get from there by tram (which should take 15min) to my destiny. Well, trouble already started with the bus. Over quarter of an hour too late and we're stadning there in the pouring rain – even an umbrella or a mac can't keep you dry! And then you try to get on the bus quickly, but no! The kid before you needs a ticket, but the busdriver doesn't or doesn't want to understand what he needs. Finally on the bus your still waiting as several other children and youths needed tickets as school.

Finally! We're off, but the next stops aren't much better. It's a miracle really that the bus was only 15 min behind schedule when it arrived at my stop.

Getting off the bus I see the tram ready to go at its stop so you think 'run for it' – which you do. However, puffing you climb in to find that the conductor thinks it necessary to wait for another bus which is late … OK I understand those people have a right to get their connectiosn too. BUt hey, these trams go every 6 minutes.

Getting off at second to next stop I should have a direct stepover to another tram; wrong again. They are working on the tracks which has slowed the whole system.

By now I'm drenched by the rain and should be at the office within five minutes. I was so thankful I had thought to put the office number in my new mobile so I at least could warn him … answering machine. Oh, well nothing for it but tell him I'll be there ten minutes later than planned.

And you know what puffing and looking as if I just swam to work I actually made it in time to see him off!

I must say I'm gald that school only restarts once a year!

Right brained … yet left handed … hmmmmm

2006-09-05T14:07:17Z

You Are 35% Left Brained, 65% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

And another sleepless … errrrrrr … creative night.

2006-09-05T13:50:34Z

Oh, those sleepless nights. How I hate it lying awake hour after hour getting more and more angry with myself that I just can't get to sleep. And of course the more angry you get the less chance you have of finally gaining that peaceful sleep.

There I was a gain lying restlessly in my bed. Knowing I had to get up early in the morning I was keeping track of the hours of relaxation I was losing. You know how it is one thought chases another and in between you make angry jabs at yourself:

" Come on! You should find some sleep. Think about it in the morning! Just turn over and relax your mind …"

But you might as well being teaching yourself to stop breathing. It just won't work if those thoughts won't come to a rest.

Luckily one thought I had nearly forgotten resided in my brain made it's way up to the surface and resisted to budge.

"Get away, I'm trying to sleep here! Can't you hear? … Oh, alright I'll listen, if you let me sleep after that."

What a bargain; I had no idea what I let myself in for. Soon I found myself back amongst the dusty shelves of essay ideas. You know, about those little things you say

"Oh, that's interesting. I should work that out some time …"

Does 'some time' per definition mean at one o'clock at night ??? At any rate I stumbled on the 'notes' on music in the Harry Potter series. Not much there … but wait a minute my brains – which should actually be shutting down to sleep – sets back into motion and before I know it the dust is off the notes and I've already made an entire outline based on different occurences in the books.

"Oh, alright. I'll get up and write them down!"

Get up and write it down just the notes? Think again. By the time my brains were finished with me I had not only put down the outline and examples but had already written three pages.

"Am I now allowed to go to bed and sleep?"

I didn't wait for an answer but slumped into bed and … yes! Blissful sleep.

Now, that it's morning and I have dared to look through the night's work I must confess it was worth it. How-e-ver, brian. I have a bone to pick with you for choosing night time for these creative streeks!

A wedding at Lake Lucerne

2006-06-27T18:38:28Z

Well, not my wedding. But what an event …

It was a Balinesian wedding and being a member of the Gamelan ensemble I was fortunate enough to participate …

PAK – DUD
The opening signal given by the drums to the opening piece of nearly each of our concerts – all but this one.

We (that is to say the girls) waddled into the banquet room, as our costume only permits small steps; the men could walk freely, though in this case the have to wear more than we do *sigh* what you don't do for the right look. Due to the tight sarong (~skirt) you can't even sit crosslegged *hmmpf*!

We were told to start playing once the door to the banquet hall opens and to keep playing until everyone is seated. Well, knowing that can take some time (and it sure did) we chose a piece with repeatative sections so we could influence its length. You sure get board playing the same thing over and over again – board but your hands grow tired too.

Quick info: A gamelan ensemble consists mainly of metallophons played with a hammer in one hand whilst the other mutes preceding tones – I'm usually found at one of these instruments. Next to these you have drums, gongs and tuned pots (for wnat of better decription: each one resembles a small gong and is hit on its knob). Sadl,y enough I couldn't take photos as we weren't allowed, but here are a few links so your can get a picture of what I'm talking about:

http://www.hamburg-magazin.de/images/ku_mus_harrys.jpg
http://www.yakee.de/reiseberichte/Bali1990_Roser.php3 -scroll to about the middle of the page for shots (just ignore all the German …).

After a short speech we at last heard the allsaying pak-dud and we were off. Then a dance and we could leave for the first interval whilst the guests started to eat (and we as well though we were in the cafetaria).

I don't want to bore you with each individual piece we played, let it be said we did both concert pieces, mask- and court-dances.

With the court-dance (depicitng a princess) we got in a huge muddle with half us a proceding to the bridge while the other half did a repeat. I still can't say who was right in the end as the piece is still very new to me. Yet we managed to find our self in the end and the dancer only had to struggle briefly.

It was sweltering hot where we had to play, I was thankful that we didn't have to play much each time and could nip out each time to cool down a bit.

The place (near Lucerne) was beautiful though. It's like in my dreams: you wake up turn to the right and you have a magnificant view out of your window onto the "Vierwaldstaettersee" (Lake Lucerne). I wish we could have stayed longer to appreciate the surroundings, go for a swim in the lake, go on a hike in the mountains etc. Alas, it was arrival – rehearsal – a stormy evening and night – wedding and of home again *sigh*.

Going to Hell in a LiveJournal Handbasket by ihavebadideas
Username
Favorite letter
Day you get sucked down to Hell:	February 10, 2047
Gets sucked with you:	moriah17
Is your ferryman across the river Styx:	laurie_j
Guides you through the place:	pleshette
Turns down the heat for you:	thessalymarley
Argues your case for reinstatement to life:	libbysmom9969
Is the guardian of your own, private Hell:	addreamy
Turns out to be Satan:	theyellowpepper
Turns out to be Satan's bitch:	supahdupahblue
Performs the ritual to bring you back:	cloudpic