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Status Reports
Status: Music (2018 - September)
(Text as at 10/10/2018 16:43:41)
(For earlier versions of this Note, see the table at the end)
Rationale for this Project- Music is one of the few interests Julie and I have in common – so is worth cultivating on that account.
- I don’t consider myself to have any particular musical talent, but enjoy listening to music; and communal playing, provided it is with at least minimal competence, is pleasurable enough.
- I played the oboe for a couple of years at school, starting age 14, and while I got to Grade 5 within a year, I soon lost interest. I also scraped an ‘O’ Level in music.
- I started learning the piano in mid-2008, and until September 2010 I had a periodic combined oboe + piano lesson lasting an hour with my oboe-teacher in Westcliffe-on-Sea. Since then, this aspect of the project has been mostly in abeyance, though since July 2017 I’ve started to pick up occasional piano-playing again.
- Since moving to Billericay over 25 years ago, we occasionally played in a scratch quartet with a couple of friends (piano and recorder) with me on the oboe and Julie on the violin. These friends moved to Shropshire in February 2011, so this occasional pleasure has come to an end.
- However, Julie and I have, since March 2015, been members of a group calling itself The Enigma Ensemble. It is rather chatty and of a poor standard, but enjoyable enough and keeps me practising. I have set up its website: Enigma Ensemble.
- Julie is a member of the Billericay-based Choir For All Seasons. I did consider joining, but you can’t do everything1.
- As of September 2018 I’ve re-started oboe lessons with my former teacher. My intention is Trinity Grade VI and up, with the possibility of ABRSM Theory Grade V if I get to practical Grade VIII, as this would allow me to take the ABRSM version.
Summary of Progress during July - September 2018- I spent 60 hours in 3Q18 on this Project, or related work (278 hours YTD, where for "YTD" - Year to Date - I mean the (academic) year that commenced in October 2017). That's 154% of the planned effort (79% YTD). Overall, 10% of my Project effort in the Quarter was directed towards this project (making 11% YTD) - as against 8% planned (14% YTD).
- This project received over half as much again as planned effort-wise, and effort well-spent I might add!
- I’ve decided to learn to play the oboe properly, so have re-arranged – and re-commenced – weekly oboe lessons. Things seem to be going reasonably well.
- Further details follow:-
Music (Total Hours = 59.75)- Music - Administration (Total Hours = 14.75)
- Music - Aural (Total Hours = 5.5)
- Music - Oboe (Total Hours = 38.25)
- Music - Piano
- Music - Theory
Plans for the Near Future- To allow me time to practice properly between weekly oboe lessons, I’ve scheduled 8 hours a week on-going. This should be achievable as my stamina has much improved. Also, my oboe teacher has found me an excellent supplier of oboe reeds (Regency Reeds) which makes playing much less traumatic and exhausting.
- I doubt this will leave me much time for the piano, but I need to make time for a bit of theory.
- These are the items I intend to pursue:-
- Oboe:-
- Practice the oboe for two 30-minute sessions each and every day2 – focussing on the items below and …
- Occasionally combine into an hour-long session to build up stamina further.
- Attend the six sessions of The Enigma Ensemble.
- Run through the Enigma Ensemble portfolio, practicing the active pieces.
- Work through, and perfect, scales & arpeggios3 for Grades I-VI, using
→ "Trinity Guildhall - Trinity Guildhall Scales & Arpeggios for Oboe (Grades 1–8)", and
→ "ABRSM - Scales and Arpeggios for Oboe, Grades 1-8 (ABRSM Scales & Arpeggios)". - Prepare Grade VI pieces, in particular
→ "Boni (Giovanni) - Sonata in G" (Prelude only),
→ "Miller (Vojislav) & Liebermann (Winfried), Eds. - Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions (Orchester Probespiel) - Oboe",
→ "Morricone (Ennio) - Gabriel's Oboe (Piano Solo Or Oboe/Piano)",
→ "Davies (John) & Harris (Paul) - 80 Graded Studies for Oboe: Book 2" (Blatt - Study No. 52) - Read and apply oboe practice techniques recommended by Martin Schuring.
- Read "Caplan (Stephen) - Oboe: The Breathing Book".
- Piano: Try to develop some competence as an aid to theory, so:-
- Complete working through "Rhodes (James) - How to Play the Piano",
- Work through "ABRSM - Selected Piano Exam Pieces 2009-2010: Grade 1", and
- Try to play by ear, using for inspiration:-
→ "Cannel (Ward) & Marx (Fred) - How to Play the Piano Despite Years of Lessons: What Music Is and How to Make It at Home".
- Theory: Prepare for Grade 5 Theory, so:-
- Study
→ "Taylor (Eric) - The AB Guide to Music Theory - Part 1", and
→ "Taylor (Eric) - The AB Guide to Music Theory - Part 2", - Do the exercises in
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 1",
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 2",
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 3",
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 4", and
→ "Taylor (Eric) - Music Theory in Practice: Grade 5",
- Aural:
- Run through "ABRSM - Aural Training In Practice: Book 1 - Grades 1-3"
- Get a grip on the process of ear-training by reading "Deutsch (Diana) - Absolute Pitch", and related material4.
Progress to Date
The lists of items performed is cumulative, so I’ve hived off the history to a separate document5.
In-Page Footnotes:
Footnote 1: - In any case, it clashes with Chess!
Footnote 2: - Well, maybe with the occasional holiday, and excluding days on which I have a lesson or the Enigma Ensemble.
Footnote 3: - I don't intend to present these for the Trinity exams, as I can present Orchestral Audition pieces instead; but they are essential for technique.
Footnote 4: Ie. The following:-
Printable Version:
Table of the Previous 12 Versions of this Note: (of 54)
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Text Colour Conventions
- Black: Printable Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2018
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