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This is from yesterday:
Exhausted. Today I am willing to admit I need almost as much sleep as the average human. Not concentrating well. Coincidentally, I am learning Billy Joel's "Lullabye." One of my favorite songs ever: I like the lyrics, and I'm a fan of the minor-iv chord in just about any context, and of the occasional change of mode (as in the instrumental interlude). I may geek out on this later, but right now I have just enough petrol left to write OR learn the song. So, goodnight, my angels.
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I did actually manage to go to bed at a reasonable hour, partly because (as I finally confirmed today) my modem has died, and for some reason none of my password-unprotected neighbors' wifi connections were available last night. Today, I started learning Billy Joel's "Vienna". The other day was "Summer, Highland Falls." Those songs are I guess not as well-known as, say, "Piano Man" or "New York State of Mind", but , according to interviews (thanks, as always, wiki and other online sources), are his two favorite songs.
Anyway, I spent 10 seconds at the piano at 8:55 this morning as I was running out the door figuring out the key and the first couple chords, and figured out most of the chord progression and the form on the walk to the train. Now it's time to sit down and do the rest. I have three hours before I am going out, and need to practice a little bit for a gig tomorrow, but if I manage my time well, I'll have time to finish learning "Vienna" and to review a song or two.
It feels pretty great to be rested. It's not often I admit that, and this rested feeling won't last long - the next 9 days are busy, and I'm not getting my bi-weekly self-mandated day off. But for today, I've kind of been taking "Vienna"'s lyrics personally - "slow down, you crazy child" - after I played auditions for a few hours, I deliberately wasted some time online (neighbor's wifi is back, RCN is coming to fix mine Tuesday), and took a little nap.
...Wow, I was just reading through the lyrics, trying to decide which ones to quote, and ... it could pretty much all apply to me. Except the Vienna part. I spent 18 hours there once. I took a walk and had a coffee and saw a concert at the cathedral, and was on my merry way to Budapest the next morning. I kind of regretted how little time I spent there, but I had read that it was kind of a stuffy town, so I gave it short shrift in favor of the other cities I visited. Heh. I didn't wait for Vienna. My loss. Well, if the song is right, it'll be there when I decide to go back.
Exhausted. Today I am willing to admit I need almost as much sleep as the average human. Not concentrating well. Coincidentally, I am learning Billy Joel's "Lullabye." One of my favorite songs ever: I like the lyrics, and I'm a fan of the minor-iv chord in just about any context, and of the occasional change of mode (as in the instrumental interlude). I may geek out on this later, but right now I have just enough petrol left to write OR learn the song. So, goodnight, my angels.
...
...
...
I did actually manage to go to bed at a reasonable hour, partly because (as I finally confirmed today) my modem has died, and for some reason none of my password-unprotected neighbors' wifi connections were available last night. Today, I started learning Billy Joel's "Vienna". The other day was "Summer, Highland Falls." Those songs are I guess not as well-known as, say, "Piano Man" or "New York State of Mind", but , according to interviews (thanks, as always, wiki and other online sources), are his two favorite songs.
Anyway, I spent 10 seconds at the piano at 8:55 this morning as I was running out the door figuring out the key and the first couple chords, and figured out most of the chord progression and the form on the walk to the train. Now it's time to sit down and do the rest. I have three hours before I am going out, and need to practice a little bit for a gig tomorrow, but if I manage my time well, I'll have time to finish learning "Vienna" and to review a song or two.
It feels pretty great to be rested. It's not often I admit that, and this rested feeling won't last long - the next 9 days are busy, and I'm not getting my bi-weekly self-mandated day off. But for today, I've kind of been taking "Vienna"'s lyrics personally - "slow down, you crazy child" - after I played auditions for a few hours, I deliberately wasted some time online (neighbor's wifi is back, RCN is coming to fix mine Tuesday), and took a little nap.
...Wow, I was just reading through the lyrics, trying to decide which ones to quote, and ... it could pretty much all apply to me. Except the Vienna part. I spent 18 hours there once. I took a walk and had a coffee and saw a concert at the cathedral, and was on my merry way to Budapest the next morning. I kind of regretted how little time I spent there, but I had read that it was kind of a stuffy town, so I gave it short shrift in favor of the other cities I visited. Heh. I didn't wait for Vienna. My loss. Well, if the song is right, it'll be there when I decide to go back.
I think I wrote this a couple of months ago when you started, but I very much recommend you listen to the story Billy Joel tells about this song (and he plays it) on the 4th disc of the Greatest Hits set. Very interesting and funny.
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