C, E-flat, and G go into a bar and the bartender says, "Sorry, but we don't serve minors." So E-flat leaves, and C and G have an open fifth between them.
After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished, and G is out flat. F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough. D comes in and heads for the bathroom, saying, "Excuse me; I'll just be a second."
Then A comes in, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor. Then the bartender notices B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and says, "Get out! You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight."
E-flat comes back the next night in a three piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender says, "You're looking sharp tonight. Come on in, this could be a major development." Sure enough, E-flat soon takes off his suit - and everything else - and is au natural.
Eventually, C sobers up and realizes in horror that he's under a rest. C is brought to trial, found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor and is sentenced to 10 years of D.S. without Coda at an upscale correction facility.
Another
£1000 from “Just In Time”
A second £1000 has been raised in memory of Mike Kirby who died in 2010,
of Myeloma, a bone cancer. A number of fund raising events over the past year
have made it possible to give another thousand pounds to Myeloma UK, the cancer
charity looking into this disease.
These events have involved Mike’s family and friends and the swing band
called Just In Time, which is one of
the bands from the Kaleidoscope Creative Arts Centre. The band have been
involved in a number of fund raising gigs and have also been selling copies of
their CD which was produced in memory of Mike who was their lead trumpeter.
This cheque will be presented to Mike’s wife Vicki and her daughter
during the KCAC summer concert on July 10th at Danecourt School, Hotel Road,
Gillingham, ME8 6AA. Admission is free and the Just In Time CD will be on sale, with all monies raised going to
Myeloma UK.
The first £1000 raised was reported in the Medway Messenger on 11th
April 2011. The Kaleidoscope Creative Arts Centre wants to encourage budding
musicians to join one of their many bands. Members range from 13 to over 70
years of age. They meet on Monday evenings at Rochester Grammar School and
Tuesday evenings at Danecourt School. For more information phone Pat Norton on
01795 522738.
If you have any thoughts of your own that you would like to share, please email them to Fred.
From Jeanne:
Life isn't what you make it, it's how you play it!
Enjoying music!
Music has no boundaries
There is nothing more satisfying than clearing your head …. ridding yourself of the everyday chaos of life! For me, the opportunity to listen or play music is a vital component of my existence. It's a time to recharge the batteries and at the same time 'power down' from the everyday rituals of life. It doesn't matter what you play, as music has no boundaries, as long as it makes you happy.........so go on and enjoy, and be yourself!
From Jacquie:
"I'm sitting in my junior school classroom and the teacher passes me a slim wooden instrument with several holes down the front. She tells the class it's called a recorder and from today we're going to learn how to play it. I loved it from the start and straightaway asked my Dad to buy me one so I could practise at home.Fast forward 50 years - I'm playing the recorder again, and still loving it, but now I'm lucky enough to be in an orchestra sitting alongside friendly musicians of all ages playing 'proper' instruments. (I'm just hoping they don't notice I'm an imposter and show me the door!)
The new term starts this week and I'm wondering what Julie, our inspiring and super-organised conductor, has chosen for us to work on for the end of term 'party'. I'm thinking of starting lessons to help with my breathing and phrasing, and most excitingly I'm going to treat myself to a big tenor recorder (same fingering happily). So lots of music and new experiences to look forward to in the new year . . ."
From Guy:
Playing in the orchestra is like participating in a team sport, except that all the sense of competition is turned into cooperation.
More from Jeanne:
I read a book recently which links music scientifically to both sides of the brain; actually playing music is similar to speech, and is initiated in the left side, whereas the emotional response to tunefulness and rhythm goes on in the right side. It has to be said that music is indeed a formulaic pattern, and that is precisely how we make sense of it. That’s scary!! What is the formula? How can I learn it? What if I don’t understand it?
I woke this morning thinking “I want to feel music” and this thought made me want to ‘capture the moment’ as my thoughts then took me to another place where I can immerse myself in music.
My previous blog referred to music having no boundaries. For me, the enjoyment of music represents a time when we can let our hair down and become lost in the creativity that sound allows us. I think back to composers such as Mozart and think “What was going on for him to come up with such music?” The natural response would be to say “Well, he was a genius.”, but the mind of a child doesn’t think “I’m a genius so I’m going to play music”. The child is naturally creative i.e. without boundaries, and is therefore able to go to that other place without constraints.
Back to the science of music. Some would, I guess, view music as akin to learning a new language in that written music appears as a series of dots and lines and somehow these form a shape or phrase that when played sounds musical and ….. that’s it, we have music! Now let’s take away those dots and lines, and even the paper it’s written on and all we’re left with is thought, feeling and the emotional creativity within one’s self.
I’m now back to where I started in that music is within us all ...... somewhere or other. How many times do we hum a tune, or listen to music and a memory comes bubbling to the surface, triggered by the music? Hands up the foot-tappers?
How often have we said “I’ve always wanted to play the ..........”? So what stops us? Maybe the answer lies somewhere between “I’ve never had the time”, and “I don’t think I could”.
As a person, I consider myself musical but not a musician; yes, I play instruments, and I enjoy the experience and atmosphere of listening to music and I will openly admit to allowing my brain to take charge of my body and throw me onto the dance room floor (hopefully not flat on my face), and then again …. I’m in another place. People generally smile when listening to upbeat music, or, at the very least, nod their heads.
I am musical because I think …. music; even language is musical if you listen to it.
So why am I writing this?
Because I want to share my thoughts in the hope that others may want to experience some more creativity within themselves, but don’t feel they can, for whatever reason.
Whether it be Mozart, the Beatles or the sound of a Corsican bull frog at night, sound is within us, it starts from the inside and somehow finds its way out.
Musically yours, wherever you are!
