Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes - When Improvising
April 30, 2007
Mistake #1 - Thinking about what you’re going to play
A lot of students think there should be some kind of preparation before improvising on the piano. They are right! There should be some thought as to the sound, tonality, key - but once these choices are made the thinking should stop and the playing should begin.
Mistake #2 - Worrying about whether it’s good or not
Are you concerned with how your music sounds? Many students are. This mistake is prevalent among newbies at improvisation. They play a key or two and then think it stinks. Nothing will stop the creative flow more than thinking that what’s coming out of you is not good enough! Good is in the ear of the beholder. That beholder is you so stop judging the product and focus on enjoying the process of being in the moment. This is why people learn to improvise in the first place. Let go and let the music tell you where it wants to go!
Mistake #3 - Thinking that you don’t know enough to improvise
On Writing and Poetry: Harry Calhoun in Conversation
April 30, 2007
"This is just brilliant. The whole interview is incredible? I’m? REALLY appreciative of some seriously good advice from a fellow writer." Mark Howell, Senior Writer, Solares Hill
Harry Calhoun’s picture could appear beside the dictionary definition for "journeyman." Living proof that not all writers have to be famous or stick to one type of writing to be successful, Calhoun has found frequent editorial favor as a poet since 1980 and was a widely published freelance article and literary essay writer in the 80s and 90s. In addition, he has edited a poetry magazine and a trade magazine for the housing industry and placed poetry and fiction pieces in magazines such as Thunder Sandwich and The Islander. He has been an award-winning marketing writer for multinational companies such as GE and IBM for the past twenty years.
Trina Allen is a freelance writer and editor who has read and enjoyed much of Calhoun’s work.
Trina Allen: Your poetry has gotten you the most recognition in publications. To what do you attribute your success?
A Horse Training Secret From The 1800s To Teach A Horse To Drive Without Lines!
April 30, 2007
Horse owners who are history buffs may recognize the name Jesse Beery. Beery was an enormously famous horse trainer from the 1800’s and early 1900’s.
He learned to train horses at a very young age. It was clear he had a gift for horse training and made it his life’s work.
Among the almost countless things Beery could do with a horse, he taught them tricks. One of the most amazing tricks he taught was teaching a horse to drive without lines. (In layman’s terms, you have no long reins (known as lines) connected to the horse. The only connection to the horse is the buggy hitched to the horse) This trick almost defies belief!
Beery said this about driving a horse without lines: “While I do not advocate it as being a universally practical way of driving a horse, yet it is possible to so thoroughly train the horse to certain signals that he can be controlled more reliably under excitement and in case of danger than it would be possible to manage him with bridle and lines.”
Beery says there are a number of ways to teach this to a horse but suggests his method as the most reliable.
Understanding The First Rule Of Writing ? Before You Start The Great American Book
April 30, 2007
Chaos and confusion come when established rules and procedures are not followed. Even mixing and matching systems to favor one’s own position can cause a great deal of consternation. In writing a book, the first rule is to know and understand why you want to write in the first place.
In other words, you need to develop a theme that will answer the question of why you want to write. I usually get a blank stare when I ask a budding author, "What is your book’s theme?" Eventually the answer I get may be the title of a manuscript.
When I explain that a title isn’t a theme, I then may hear, "It’s the story of my life." That is unquestionably the number-one answer I get. There is a big difference between the title of your book and your theme.
While your title may be the sizzle, the theme is the flavor and is formally defined as a "recurring, unifying subject or idea." This is the aim or the main message of your book. Generally speaking, in writing there are two themes: the author’s theme and the book’s theme.
Woodworking Beginners: Secret Tips To Start Right
April 29, 2007
Woodworking: Where To Start - Tips From Experienced Woodworkers
Woodworking encompasses a broad area of skills, specialties, and applications. Some beginners take on too much too soon or blow their savings on expensive woodworking tools and machines that they don’t know how to use and might not ever need. And even some basic techniques can be confusing or easy to do incorrectly. Experienced woodworkers have some simple, but insightful tips to help you get off to a good start.
Do Your Research
Initiative, courage, a sense of adventure, these are all good things, and many fine woodworkers learned their skills by just jumping in and trying to build something. Chances are whatever they chose for their first project, it came out better than they thought, but not really nice enough to use or display. Even those brave souls that start from scratch with no preparation often end up seeking out some books, magazines, or experienced woodworkers to figure out how to do it right.
How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse
April 29, 2007
Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people who have not studied it. Even more mysterious is a behavioral problem a horse has that causes his owner stress and frustration.
What many horse owners don’t understand is often the handler, not the horse, is causing the problem.
That being said, that is the first consideration in unscrambling the horse’s ill behavior.
For instance, a common problem riders have is a horse being spooky. In layman’s terms, that means a horse is nervous and afraid something is going to “get him”. Thus, whenever the horse and owner go for a ride it’s not usually a relaxing moment.
As a matter of fact, both horse and rider are on edge.
So if we take the premise that the rider is causing the horse to spook, then we must ask, “How is the rider causing this.”
An uninformed rider may not be aware that perhaps he is sitting tensely in the saddle. Also, maybe he’s stiff as a board and has a white-knuckle hold on the reins.
Believe it or not, the horse can sense and feel this tense. When the horse is in the habit of feeling it then the horse’s spookiness is also the rider’s.
Flowers That Beautify Your Home and Garden
April 29, 2007
To help gardeners choose flowers, various systems for rating hardiness have been developed. A plant is considered hardy in a region if it can grow and thrive there without requiring special protective measures such as insulating with straw mulch.
Sun or Shade: After hardiness, sunlight is your most important consideration. Choose flowers that are adapted to the light levels in your garden. Don’t plant sun lovers under dense trees, and don’t plant shade lovers where they’ll be exposed to blazing mid-day sun. Plant descriptions give the light preferences for plants, so take these to heart. You may be able to grow a sun lover in partial shade, but you may get fewer flowers or weaker growth. Place it in a spot where it can really shine!
Each year literally hundreds of new annual flowers are presented to gardeners. Some are distinct improvements based on the region where the flower was cultivated and some are not.
Inside each cell in green plants are microscopic worlds that trap and convert some of the energy in light, mix it with water and carbon dioxide, and turn it into a simple sugar. It is this sugar that plants use to grow, flower, and set seed. The best light for plant growth is sunlight. But almost since the invention of electric lights, researchers and gardeners have tested various methods to study plants and grow them.
Five EASY Ways to Improve Your Business Writing
April 29, 2007
Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions writing books, and others (maybe you) can’t even complete a simple business letter worth reading? Sure, natural talent probably accounts for some of their writing success. But really the best-selling authors achieved that level of success by devoting serious time and effort to perfecting their craft. Plus, they love to write.
As a busy professional, you’re probably more interested in finishing that letter than reaching the best sellers list. And while your job likely requires some writing, such as proposals, brochure copy, or even correspondence, you probably don’t have time to practice and perfect your writing skills. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improve.
Whether you enjoy writing or not, you can make your writing more effective and better by using the following five easy methods:
1. Keep it Simple
To make your business proposals, sales letters, and promotional copy more reader-friendly, you must organize your ideas in a simple, logical format. While you don’t have to outline every point you want to make, you should spend a few minutes jotting down your ideas and planning the most effective order to present them. Some people like mind maps, and others prefer lists. Whatever format, or lack thereof, you choose for your pre-writing, make sure it is effective and easy to use.
Amazing Insights Of A Horse Training Expert From The Late 1800s!
April 28, 2007
Could a horse trainer, born about 154 years ago, teach us anything new today? Would the methods be old hat or would they be useful?
The answer is a resounding Yes!, they are enormously useful.
The horse training expert referred to is named Jesse Beery. Beery was a world famous horse trainer from the late 1800’s who possessed amazing ability with horses.
Fortunately, Beery’s secrets remain after all these years. His information can be found in his book he wrote in the late 1800’s. However, very few copies of his book exist. It is virtually impossible to find an original - much less one that is readable.
Here is a partial reading from the first chapter of Beery’s book:
Fear is the principal motive which causes the colt to resist training. It is natural for him to kick against an unknown object at his heels, to pull his head out of the halter as from a trap, and if of a bad disposition, to strike and bite if he does not thoroughly understand you.
Eight Poems
April 28, 2007
Out of the eight poems provided here [all previously unpublished], four are Poetic Prose, a few Visionary [what I call Vsionary anyhow], a few Free Verse, and a few with more form and structure, more closely to the Auden style of: stanza, metrical rhythm, and rhyme. In saying that, I do believe all the poems are conveying a rich network of meaning, some of them painfully close bond between pleasure and destruction. They should appeal to the senses and create images in our minds, for poetry is just that kind of language that most complexly and effectively qualifies.
Escape
Let me flee from
My vision, my world
My melancholia
My subjectivity;
My world which is
Now a prison-.
I shall change
My poetic harmony
From flesh to spirit
I shall be? a?
I shall be a poem
Yes, O yes a poem
?eternally!…
Moon-Path
As the fire goes out
And the moon comes in!
The flickering skies darken,
Makes a ghostly moon-path?
With the moon upon my face
A skull-like grin takes place
I choke the roaring dark,
To save the flickering moon-path.
Life on a Finger
