mendel

I took my rental cello back yesterday.

I'm a little disappointed that it didn't work out, but hey, it didn't. I enjoyed playing it but it was a time sponge -- I couldn't practice "enough" and while I was pleased with my progress I often found myself stressing out about upcoming lessons. I think there was a couple of things going on there: one, I was determined to become A Cellist, partly because I wanted to make up for not being A Bassist in university; and second, I let it become part of my identity right away, which didn't accomplish a whole lot. I should've said "I'm learning some cello" and not "I play the cello" all along.

In fact there was one conversation in the sheet music department of the Sound Post where the guy behind the counter recognized my name as a tinwhistle player thanks to the forums I used to maintain, and asked if I was still playing if he needed a tinwhistle player for a gig, and I said no, these days it was really just cello -- which was true, but augh, wrong answer.

I kind of felt bad about putting it down because I felt like I never finish anything: flying, playing bass, motorcycling... although really, all of those sort of consumed me and then didn't have staying power. Who knows if I'd have enjoyed them if I'd just taken smaller doses?

But to prove myself wrong, there are things that I've stuck with for a long time: Irish music, Buddhism, and system administration, to name a few. I'm looking forward to getting back into Irish music, and in fact I recorded myself playing and singing "Arthur McBride" in GarageBand. Here's the mp3.

I'm not thrilled with the singing or the mastering but I do like how the instrumental parts sound. It's all me, playing DADGAD rhythm guitar and flatpicking, two or three tracks of flute (on two flutes, my rosewood Sweetheart and polymer Dixon), three tracks of tinwhistle (on three whistles: a cheapy Clarke, an Overton given to me years ago by Colin Goldie, and a Howard low D), and singing poorly. It was a little out of my range, but unfortunately the whistles and flutes don't exactly transpose easily!

And for my own benefit and to power our household with the rolling of nyxie's eyes, a couple of lists:

Instruments I play and/or own:

• Double bass (play)
  
• Electric bass (play and own one, and nyxie has one too)
  
• Guitar (play and own)
  
• Irish flute (play and own two)
  
• Tinwhistle (play and own a dozen or so)
  
• Bodhran (play and own, although it needs reskinning or maybe replacing)
  
• Button accordion (own a toy one, can play a couple tunes)
  
• Harmonica (just own, can't do much with it)

Instruments I would like to try/buy:

• Banjo
  
• Mandolin
  
• Ukulele
  
• Viola da gamba
  
• Real button accordion
  
• USB keyboard for GarageBand
  
• A nice classic blackwood Irish flute
  
• Fretless electric bass, if I get playing electric bass seriously again

You know, it's funny that I get all hurr durr over the cello when I've got so many other fun instruments lying around. I haven't played more than a few notes on the flute since.. a long time, really. It shows a little here but like I've said before, my plan is to record early and record often!

This is a tune I picked up off of one of the first flute albums I owned, Matt Molloy's "Stony Steps".

A quick update on my previous post:

First, leolo raised a good point in the comments that since I'm renting I ought to take advantage of the ability to return it and then rent again later if necessary without there being any kind of finality to doing so.

And at dinner with nyxie the other night I had a couple of eerie moments of clarity:

The first is that I have about the same number of classical, jazz, and folk CDs (and equivalents), but that I hardly ever listen to jazz (no surprise, got a little burned out on jazz when I got burned out on bass), and I only occasionally listen to classical, but I listen to folk all the time -- and that while I've ripped every folk CD I have, I've barely started on the classical and jazz.

Hmm.

The second was a great little revelation: As a joke I said "I could play banjo instead!" and I realized, huh, I probably would enjoy owning a banjo more than owning a cello. Cello's been very rewarding but it's not exactly fun, I suppose.

So yeah, I think I'm going to wait another few weeks in case I change my mind, and then back goes the cello. (No, I'm not buying a banjo right away. But for perspective, the price of a decent cello could get me a banjo and a new flute and still have some left over. Hmm again!)

And just so this isn't all about me: Is it a grand gesture to anonymously give a woman I think is beautiful a banjo?

hay eyeteeth if you wanted to link to the "eerie moment of clarity" comic in the comments you'd make a happy mendel

I did another! I don't think I can keep up "daily" but I like the idea of recording myself often. This one's an Irish folk tune, "Kilkelly, Ireland", written by Peter Jones and made famous by the Clancy Brothers.