New Year's Eve

* Keeping up with healthy habits

* Practiced more Susman stuff / moving on in his "Oh Christmas Tree" lesson / sounds beautiful

* Started some drawing lessons from a book!

New Year's Eve's Eve

My wife got me a Fitbit2 for Christmas, and I've been putting it to good use. Trying yet again to practice good healthy habits.

I continue to work on the Susman material, too. 

Happy Almost 2017!

St. Patrick's Cathedral

A picture of the inside that was taken yesterday:

 

Piano

A great day at the piano. I think I may ready to move on to the next lesson. I make things complicated. Keeping music learning to what I really like (piano) and one method (Susman) is helpful. 

New York

Went on a day trip yesterday to Nrw York with my family.  Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas, 2016

A selfie taken while I was out to dinner with my dad on Christmas Eve:

 

Christmas Day, 2016

My oldest daughter (middle child):

 

Christmas Day, 2016

My Youngest Daughter:

 

Christmas Day, 2016

My mother and law and my wife:

 

Christmas, 2016

Christmas Day, Me and my son:

 

Christmas, 2016

Me and Dad, after I played with Church group for Christmas Eve Mass:

 

Christmas Morning (the "Before" picture):

 

Christmas Morning (the "During" picture):

 

Christmas Morning (the "After" picture):

Christmas Day: My dad and my father in law:

 

 

Addendum

Forgot to add that I also was the lead singer for "Blue Christmas" last night.

At the Mall on December 23, 2016

 

 

December 24, 2016

Relaxing at my dad's house at 12:42 AM.....

Played our last Christmas show of the season at our local mall, then travelled about 2 hours to my dad's. Eill travel back to home with my dad for him to celebrate Christmas with us.

Out last gig of the season went really well. We were sounding really good, and I got to sing lead vocal on  "Run Run Rudolph," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Springsteen style)," "Merry Christmas Baby (Springsteen style)," "Jingle Bell Rock," "Please Come Home for Christmas," "Happy Christmas (War is Over)," and "The Christmas Song."

Tomorrow we will wrap up the season by playing at Christmas Eve Mass.

Listening to some Stefan Grossman acoustic guitar stuff.

Piano Thursday

Successfully stopped myself from buying yet another guitar learning book!

Continue to work on "Oh Christmas Tree" on piano. Looking to maybe get into a fingerstyle guitar package that I've had for awhile.

Piano / Guitar

Need to keep working on "Oh Christmas Tree" until it's at a tempo that is even and satisfactory. Want to do that before moving on. That's ok. Progress with a musical instrument can be slow for me.

Tempted to get back into the guitar a bit. 

Practiced with the Church group tonight for Christmas Eve Mass.

Piano

After looking over some piano learning stuff on line, I came back to work on my piano challenge material. Glad I did. Working on "Oh Christmas Tree." Timing.

Back

Back to "Oh Christmas Tree." Sounding ok.

 

Day One

Day one of the Piano Challenge. Worked on "Oh Christmas Tree," its very nice. I like Susman's no nonsense approach. He's challenging, yet the material is do-able. Sounding good. It's taking a bit of getting used to with regards to playing the 6th in my left hand, as I'm used to playing either a 5th or b7 in my left hand. I'm liking this. 

Addendum

Addendum: Will try to NOT send samples of my piano playing until December 12, 2017.

PIANO CHALLENGE

Here's my newest challenge:

1) Use Bill Susman's piano learning material for a year. If by chance I run out of his song arrangements, use fakebooks or lead sheets.

2) Use his practice guidelines. Learn songs.

3) Turn off self-criticism and negative evaluations of my playing. Simply focus on DOING rather than thinking too much.

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Finished going through Susman's jazz chord guidelines material today.

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Gig

Really nice gig today for a children's charity. Helped a child hopefully get into music more by letting him play my guitar. 

 

Susman

Played a good Christmas  gig tonight with the band at a home for older folks. 

Ordered some Bill Susman material to help with piano learning.  From what I've learned, it won't help me unless I am patient and utilize perseverance. 

Bill Susman

Played a really nice Christmas show with the band tonight. More gigs coming up tomorrow and Sunday.

Really thinking of doing more with the Bill Susman piano learning material. 

Sudnow

Practiced some different ways of remembering some of the Silver material.

What do I want to accomplish musically?

1) The ability to play the melody and improvise over jazz standards. To do this, I think I have to continue in the music reading book. To better learn improvisation, I think my best bet will be to continue to utilize the Negri book and Silver book. I might be taking a free course in improvisation but my heart doesn't feel in it.

2) I keep going back to wanting to play the piano. The Sudnow way.

Church Christmas Gig

Church gig went well. Worked in the Negri book today.

Guitar

Played a charity gig with two other bandmates that went well. Got tempted again to get more into acoustic guitar stuff with a Martin guitar. (I do not have one).

My inability to take leads on simple Christmas songs is frustrating. Not giving up. Went through some material in the Negri book to help. Perhaps it would help to train my ear better with the "Improvising For Real" material?

Playing a benefit for a group in our Church tomorrow morning.

The First of December

Continuing the healthy habits including reading of a book on practicing Mindfulness.

Frustrated on piano. Listened to some James Hunter's ("Carina") and got into music again. Worked a little on the Swing Guitar book; time to move forward in it.

Put my toes in the water with regards to songwriting. 

Saturday me and a couple band-mates will be playing a Christmas show for a charity, and Sunday me and the band will be playing a Christmas show for a Church event.