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Mouse’s Cubby Hole
Mouse's meanderings about learning, playing, etc.
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (91 votes) 
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JohnG
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February 25, 2022 - 9:02 pm
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@Mouse - He got it January 29th. He and Emily have been comparing notes in his thread New Viola Day.

The old curmudgeon!

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Mouse
February 25, 2022 - 9:08 pm
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Ah Thanks

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Mouse
February 25, 2022 - 9:09 pm
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@JohnG you started page 9 of my blog. Sorry, no prize for starting a new page, 😂😂😂

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JohnG
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February 25, 2022 - 9:35 pm
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@Mouse - Yes there was a prize, I got a reaction from you! lol

The old curmudgeon!

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Mouse
February 26, 2022 - 12:41 pm
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@JohnG 

😂😂😂

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Mouse
March 22, 2022 - 10:20 am
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I am back. I was able to do a little on my cello the other day. I did go backwards too much. I also tuned all my instruments. I am still not going to be able to get back on schedule, but will be doing it s much as I possibly can.

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The Bumblebee Flies!

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JohnG
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March 22, 2022 - 1:26 pm
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Glad you're back and I'm sure you will catch up soon!

The old curmudgeon!

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March 22, 2022 - 3:39 pm
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Hi,

At last a few minutes spare so I've been having a quick browse; I like the idea of your cranberry muffins @Mouse and I agree some days are better than others; I'm still very much a novice but I notice some days bring a smile to my face making it a pleasure to pick my violin up but it depends on what pressure I find myself under or jobs which need doing; possibly you'll feel the same.

Rebel MOUSE; excellent; go for it and enjoy yourself; why bother with a schedule because they seldom work out and put you under stress with time pressure; chill out as the youngsters say. Good luck with playing "What a wonderful world" post #156 lovely tune and as the title says make it a wonderful world; enjoy playing whenever you can but also enjoy your other hobbies like card making; card making is Bron's favourite hobby and she's good at making them but now suffers arm pain which I think is repetitive strain from using her crimping type scissors so much over many years.

I was concerned because I started off pretty well practicing with my violins but now the better weather is here at last violin playing has dropped down the list but isn't being ignored; I've done so much heavy work over the last few weeks my arms have been too tired to pick a violin up but in spite of this I've managed a few short sessions even if they were poor; at least the interest remains and now the heavy work is out of the way perhaps I can practice more in future; at first it bothered me if I didn't practice for half an hour each day but worrying about not practicing made it more of a chore so now I just practice when I feel like it and am much happier; I'm only an hobby violin player after all.

Now your instruments are mostly stringed and tuned all you need is time to enjoy them; good luck; you're light years ahead of me. thumbs-up

Time now for me to chill out with Bron and find a decent YouTube feel good movie before it's bedtime and another day slips by.

Kind regards, Colin.

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Mouse
April 11, 2022 - 4:05 pm
Member Since: December 26, 2018
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I was able to get some cello time this morning. It felt good. May not have sounded good, but it felt good, 😂😂😂😂. Yesterday, I tuned all my instruments.

I hope I can get some regular time in now. It took me a while to figure out where I left off. I just kind of winged it and started fresh with what I think I was doing.

🐭

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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ABitRusty
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April 11, 2022 - 6:35 pm
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ahhh...be careful with that wingin' it @mouse !  you may find you end up enjoying yourself! 😉😁  cant think of a better way to pass some time!

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Mouse
April 11, 2022 - 6:44 pm
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@ABitRusty, I have to bring Ol’ Michael G in for a checkup when I get around to it. It has been a couple years since I got him. I love this cello, so I want to make sure it stays fit. I might change out its wolf tone eliminator to a magnetic one. Not fond of the one on the string. Too hard to adjust and it has to be removed with every string change. 

I guess I should give it a work out while I wait to be able to bring him in. But, I would like to do a little viola tomorrow. Ah, I will do one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

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The Bumblebee Flies!

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Mouse
April 12, 2022 - 2:39 pm
Member Since: December 26, 2018
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I was able to play my cello this morning. I am trying to figure out what fingering to use for the Berceuse by Schubert. My 4th finger is extremely weak and I do not think it will get any stronger. When I try to exercise or use it to get it stronger, all I achieve is joint soreness. I think arthritis is invading. I was able to replace a knee that, among other issues, had really bad arthritis, but I can't do that with this finger. 

I am trying to figure out if maybe I should adapt my fingering to what my hands will allow me to do. I do not want to create injury due to overusing, or force using my 4th finger. I am not going to play with anyone, and even if I did, if they require me to injure myself just to use my 4th finger, it would not be worth playing with them. As stated in post #168 above, I am becoming a Rebel Mouse. A Mouse with a cause! 

I think, that in the end, I need to play my instruments the way my body will allow me to do it. I noticed the pain in that 4th finger lessened, and its flexibility, improved over the short period I was not playing. 

What to do, what to do.

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The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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Mouse
April 13, 2022 - 9:52 am
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I did my cello this morning. I am hoping to do either violin or viola later. I spent the time on Berceuse by Schubert. I was working on my fingering and the softness and loudness. It went quite well.

I do find the 4th finger is an issue and it is not like an issue as when I began playing and had to get used to using it. I was able to use it before. It is just now thatnit is acting up and feels more like it just needs to be not used. So, I will most likely just work around it. One does what one must do.

I also used my Fiddlershop Carbon Fiber Weave bow. I really like this bow. I have two others that I like but this is kind of a mix between the two, so I will use this one and then practice playing this song with my other two bows after I smooth it out. Each bow gives a different sound. Because of that, each bow requires different pressure techniques to get the desired sound, so, good practice. I suspect that for a more experienced cellist, the different bows don't require so much change in playing/using.

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The Bumblebee Flies!

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Mouse
April 14, 2022 - 5:00 pm
Member Since: December 26, 2018
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Had a pretty good day. I played my violin and viola. I also played my cello. My cello playing was more “lesson” structured. I was just playing songs I have memorized on the violin and viola. 

It was quite fun playing them today. Along with the Berceuse, I was working on “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on my cello. Special meaning and I really want to get it right. I also played “What a Wonderful World”. I wish I could get, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” up to where “What a Wonderful World” is. I have trouble with smooth bowing on, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, for some reason. 

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The Bumblebee Flies!

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Mouse
April 16, 2022 - 10:18 am
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I have been thinking about music, crafts, other forms of art. I have noticed that, of the people I know who are "into" any of the above, they are interested in more than one form. Now, keep in mind, I know very few who fit this category, so this may not be the majority of people overall. Some were able to make up their minds and select one or two to hone in on. Others, like me, just have a general interest and are more into learning to find out about many of them, do as good as possible without those interests taking up the entire day, and for pure self-enjoyment, ie not playing for audiences, showing art in a museum or craft show, etc. 

Some have hands on instruction available, some have groups that get together, some have close (distance wise) friends who share that interest and they get together, some are more or less alone in their endeavor and figure it out in their own - or with Google's help 😁. Some have distant friends who share the interest and use email, etc to share their enjoyed art or craft. With me, my closest card making friends are not very nearby and we email. With my machine knitting, I know of nobody around here who does this and I belong to a usergroup and a paid machine knitting site (my best source for help and info). For my instruments, I am going solo, now, and use this forum.

I am one who has multiple interests. I always have, but growing up, I had nobody to help encourage those interests, and no resources to give them a try. Now, in my later years, I am able to pursue them on my own. Have I selected one and tried to gain expertise and have forgotten the other interests? No. I couldn't. I like variety. I like being able to select what of my interests that I want to work on, or play around with for the day. I know I will never achieve the quality or expertise I would have achieved had I started out in my younger years.

Does that matter to me? Nah. My interests are for my enjoyment. The road I am on with each of my interests is just as important as the interest. I enjoy trying to figure out new techniques for card making, how to use my knitting machine, how to play my violin, viola and cello. I have let a couple interests slide - oil/acrylic painting and watercolor. I still have an interest, but other things have been problematic with those. How to dispose of the toxic oils, etc. I decided it was not fun dealing with those.

There are days when I just want to have some time to do them all, which is impossible, and that creates a conundrum. Which ones will I work on? That is a nice conundrum to have. Which interest(s) to pursue for the day. 

As much as I love music, I have always loved listening to my 45's, 33 1/2's, and CD's (and still do), and now I love attempting to play my violin, viola and cello. But, I am a realistic. To have picked up a cello at the age I did, I had no expectation to play like someone who grew up playing a cello. The same for when I decided to try violin and viola. But, that does not bother me. I enjoy learning and playing them, and am pleased with what I have learned and been able to do so far.

My point? If you have an interest(s) in something(s), give it a try. Don't worry about what other people think. Do it for yourself. Do it for your enjoyment. If you have multiple interests, try those interests you are able to try. Having a variety of interests gives you change from day to day. If you get enjoyment from those arts, crafts, etc that you are doing, that is what is important.

Life is short, enjoy it as much as possible, search out your interests. Try what interests you. And, it does not matter what stage in your life you are at. 

🐭

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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ELCBK
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April 16, 2022 - 6:44 pm
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@Mouse - 

Mouse said:

My point? If you have an interest(s) in something(s), give it a try. Don't worry about what other people think. Do it for yourself. Do it for your enjoyment. If you have multiple interests, try those interests you are able to try. Having a variety of interests gives you change from day to day. If you get enjoyment from those arts, crafts, etc that you are doing, that is what is important.

Life is short, enjoy it as much as possible, search out your interests. Try what interests you. And, it does not matter what stage in your life you are at.

You make some GREAT points!  LOVE your attitude! 😊

You aren't alone!  I learned just about everything on my own, starting from books, and had friends with other varied interests, but with the internet - people don't have to learn on their own anymore. 

When I was a child, art lessons (even as school electives) were frowned upon as frivolous.  I started drawing/painting with the cheapest materials - crayons (loved melting them), sticks of charcoal & cheap watercolor.  My Mom had a book on knitting/crochet that had a few illustrations, some terribly slippery knitting needles and leftover yarn, for me to use - from when she had an unsuccessful go at it. 🤣 

So, some of these art/craft hobbies can cost next to nothing to enjoy or make use of things you use in everyday life (fabulous ways to fold paper or even napkins. knit/crochet with thread or wire, music from cooking utensils/pans, collage with dried flower/plant parts, whittle wood)!  Some can get pretty pricey with expensive equipment and supplies (like anything with glass, metal sculpture & fine metalwork), but sometimes you can rent (like violins), look for used or make your own equipment! 

Many Universities have open classes available - where you pay a fee for demonstrations, supplies and use their equipment.  Many Art studios give classes that do the same - so you can try new things without investing a lot of money.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f9/e8/a2/f9e8a274dc8658e2cd078ab4001a474e.png

 

Art/crafts can result in objects people just enjoy looking at for eons (painting, sculpture, mosaics, poetry, photography).  They can also be: utilitarian (architecture, book making/binding, jewelry, furniture, knives, clothing, basket weaving, knitting, pottery), temporarily watched or heard (fresh flower arranging, sand painting, chalk drawing, music, performance of any kind) or even consumable (cuisine, cake/cookie decorating, candy making, carved fruit/vegs).  

 

Sorry, got overly excited and this is your blog - you can delete this if you want. 

- Emily

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Mouse
April 16, 2022 - 11:13 pm
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Nah, not deleting it, @ELCBK. People can post on my blog.

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Mouse
April 16, 2022 - 11:15 pm
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Ms Blog

I received my Holstein Freedom chinrests for my violins today and have installed them all. Yep, I like these chinrests in my violins just as much as I do on my violas. These are keepers. 

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The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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JohnG
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April 16, 2022 - 11:21 pm
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@Mouse - I hear ya'! I have a lot of hobbies/interests from model railroading, to photography and photo editing, astronomy, Cricut paper and vinyl cutting, genealogy, painting, 3d printing, and of course, viola.

I will never be an expert at any of them, but I don't care as they are things I enjoy for me, not to please others.

The old curmudgeon!

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JohnG
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April 16, 2022 - 11:23 pm
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@Mouse - I love my Holstein Freedom chinrest as well. I could never control my viola with any of the others, but this just plain works!

The old curmudgeon!

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