Helen

Roy, It's terrific. And such fun sharing your excitement. Samantha, Wow. You are quite dextrous. Helen

David, I love it. I am memorizing this quote. Perhaps a motto. Logo. Leggo. Okay, I'll stop. Helen

Way to go, Al. Wow, a launch party. Wish I was closer. I'll cheer from here. Hm, a little poem. Helen

Dan, Thanks for all of your hard work. And the encouragement. I love New Orleans, especially the music. And Allison, I too, hope that some good will come of this. Stephen, I hope your friends are safe.

Al, Thank you for this thread to keep us informed. My prayers are with everyone struck in any way by this storm. Helen

OH Al, I will always talk to you. I was home sick (I originally typed hope sick, hm) for two days and really missed the kids. Back today, actually came back too soon. Got a little dizzy and had to go back to my OTHER job. Told the music teacher that the music class is my favorite. She was overwhelmed. Funny how a kind word can come at just the right time. She thought I would think the class was chaotic. Little did she know, I LIVE for chaos. Everyone is right. The more I do this, the better I feel about it. I see in the community arts bulletin that they are having a class for adults with special needs for music and for arts. I am going to ask if they would like a volunteer helper in the music one. I am really getting into this. I love it. I don't know about the a cappella singing. Can't I hide behind some instruments? Oh Allison, if only I was closer to you. What fun we would have. Thanks all for the cheery advice. And I will check out that website when I am feeling a teeny bit better. Helen

Well, I inadvertently pushed the button in on my Stagi and whilst fixing it, so to speak, it disappeared completely. yes, I know, I can get a screwdrive and fix it. But better yet, I brought the Edgley upstairs and now have it by my bed. So I am playing it all the time instead of keeping it for *good*. Good grief, it sounds so much better than the Stagi. Hm, the singing though. Back in music class today with the kids and yes yes yes, I sang. The teacher did ask if I was coming back. Oh well. You guys have created a monster. Helen

Aren't you guys encouraging! I should have done this stuff a long time ago. (Had I but known!) How funny, Stuart. I just posted how liberating this was in the other thread and then read your post. C'mon Al, I see your fine hand in this. I will, of course, let Rhomylly get away with this. I let her get away with everything, she's my bud. Yeah yeah Greg. Stuart, I have a Stagi 40 button by my bed and pick it up and play a lot now. I hadn't thought about singing with it. Well of course I hadn't thought about singing! I NEVER think about singing. But good thought. maybe now I will. hey, Mark, I like being an angel. And the kids. I love them. I just love kids. You probably don't know, well I guess most everyone doesn't know what my regular job is. I am a family therapist and clinical supervisor working with emotionally disturbed kids and their families - in their homes - working so the kids don't have to be removed. Can be quite chaotic and at times unsafe. I just adore this work. I get to use my humor and I am so far out in left field that all the families figure they are just about normal. These autistic kids are great. Everyone thinks that I am nuts. But I like it a lot. I am actually over there longer than I agreed to be. And then go back to my regular job. Music is such a help for all of us. No surprise that it is great for kids. Gosh, Henk, I am not sure what is next. Maybe I'll see what else you guys rag me about. Or maybe not. Sorry, Jim, I already started on the banjo. Well just barely, so I guess maybe you are right. Allison, you have the tough job, working with your son everyday. Hope things are going well with him. maybe you can give me some pointers. Well, everyone, I feel like I am growing by leaps and bounds. It is wonderful.

Yes, this is so much fun. Someone told me that you have to start with an instrument playing by ear. nah. I am not going to take up a new instrument to do this and still play the other ones with dots. I'll still use music for some stuff, although off hand I can't think what. But this playing by ear is so liberating.

Well I am traumatized. At work they begged me to help out in the School for Autistic kids. Of course I said yes. I agree to almost anything. What fun I am having. But oh horrors, the first day, in music class - the teacher said I and the other adult had to sing or the kids wouldn't. I couldn't believe it. I thought you guys had all gotten together and put her up to this. I was gonna just let the other adult sing. She had a mouth. But I bit the bullet, yes I know, hard to sing while biting the bullet. And sang. Yep, me. The kids were okay with it. The teacher probably was sorry she asked. But I sang the next day too. (Only have music two days a week. Sad, I know.) Aren't you guys proud of me. Learning by ear and singing too. All in the same time period.

Cockles and Mussels.

Aw, you guys are so sweet. Ironically, Mark, I have one of those little silver thingies to pop on the table and tape music. Guess who told me to get it? My pa teacher! My by the book, don't play by ear, pa teacher. Just what did he think I was gonna use it for?! I can't believe I was defending playing by ear to these pa students in Canada. Good grief, me! This one woman indignantly said that she wanted to have the tune after she left. I said I had learned three tunes in NY. She asked me how many I remembered. I told her all three, but I had forgotten the ones I had learned by notes in the concertina class! As to the singing, well that is a funny story that just happened yesterday ... Helen PS Thanks Al and Morgana and Greg and David and Mark and Stuart and Henk for the encouragement.

Well who knew that all it took to play by ear was a teacher more stubborn than yourself (and bigger!) I've always wanted to play be ear ---- sometime. Just not now. I truly believed that during a workshop was not the way to go - not enough time. Then I met up with an instructor who was bound and determined that I could do this. I can hardly believe it, but he was right. I would not call my fledgling efforts a "you can play by ear" now, but he does. And insists that it was great that I learned three complete tunes by ear in 5 hours. Well I am just thrilled that I could do it. And went back for more at another festival in a higher level workshop. This is so much fun. Now I can go to sessions and tape them and believe that I can figure out the notes. As incredible as it is, I was the one in the second workshop to stick with the playing by ear. Everyone else cheated and got the notes. I love it. Helen

Ah well, Al, You have successfully proven that it is good to have checkups. Helen

I seem to only take musical vacations. Workshops, festivals and such. So by definition, I take musical instruments. Going through customs at Canada was the only time that I thought I might have trouble, but all was well.

Oh well, now I am hungry. Hm, I could eat and listen to tunes. Oh yeah, and play some.

Bohola, Jimmy, feels you can pick it up by going to sessions and listening. And it's cheaper. I'm dithering. I practice more when I have a teacher. But he drives me nuts. And it would be cheaper not to go. But maybe I'll learn something that I won't learn if I stop. Aw heck.

Well, Al, Now that I am just beginning to play by ear, hooray, I hope that I am not going to lose my hearing and have to give it all up. Thanks for your lovely email. Helen

Great topic Alan. (Email me, I am finally back on line). Glad the healthy diet is working, Bruce. What are kbells? Helen

You know, Richard, Pittsburgh isn't all that far from Cleveland. Just how good are those pierogies? Alan, I love Egan's Polka. I just learned Britches Full of Stitches. A very fun piece. I think that it is a polka. Helen

Okay, Rhomylly, YOU can have an impromptu accordion recital. I think my acc teacher dropped me. I had to miss several lessons because I was out of town. And then our audit at work went an extra week. Scarey, but we did great on the audit. Anyway, Jimmy Keane of bohola says not to have a teacher. Just go to sessions and listen. And by George, he did teach me to play by ear. Shh don't tell anyone. Helen

Oh super.

This was a very fun musical experience. I got a chance to meet Frank Edgley. Scrutinized by the Canadian Customs guy (very cute so it was okay). He asked who I knew in Canada and I said Frank Edgley. Then I said well I didn't really know him, he made my concertina. Then I said I didn't know him at all. I was terrified that he was going to make me play my concertina. But I was safe as I said that I also had a piano accordion and we know people don't voluntarily ask for recitals on the piano accordion. I took foot percussion (made more complicated because I was waiting for orthotics which hadn't been completely made yet, so I didn't use my left, dominant foot, at all). I also took ensemble with the bohola band, intending to just sit in but they recognized me and made me play. And two piano accordion classes. Tons and tons of different classes, all in the high school. So once you were there, you were set for the day. You could buy lunch right on the premises. Concerts at night. A very fun time. I'll go back. And maybe even take concertina!

Link works now. The concertina sounds great.

Richard, You can take one class in the morning and one in the afternoon. Some people take 2 classes, some take one, and some just go to all the sessions. You can take different instruments for the different classes. I took PA for the morning and concertina for the afternoon. Concertina was offered at all levels, I believe, both morning and afternoon. It was a lot of fun to put faces to some of the Cnet members and to hear *live* the artists that I only knew on CDs. There was something to do every hour of the day. Classes in the morning and afternoon. Sessions, lots and lots of different types of sessions. Listening Room = which was the teachers giving performances in a small venue. Concerts every night. More sessions. Helen