25. June 2011 · 3 comments · Categories: Ramble

Here … have a rose!

But really, this blog is awfully boring. Okay … maybe not entirely boring … but it really LOOKS boring.

I love “plain”. I love “simple”.

Gee, I wonder why? Maybe because I’m plain and simple, eh? Okay, okay, I’m joking! Those of you who say I’m too self-deprecating please know I’m just being my witty little self, okay?

But this blog looks very boring. I suppose I need to either jazz it up with a template that has some color, or I need to start being better about posting a photo or something when I put up entries. At least then you’d get some color without my having to redo everything. By the way, the blog also looks different — and even more boring! — on Safari than it does on both Chrome and Firefox. (I don’t know how it looks on IE since I can’t use that here.)

But does the rose photo help? Perhaps I’ll post a photo of something (maybe I’ll even be smart enough to post a photo of something that relates to whatever I’m writing about!) to add to the look. I was noticing that another blogger always puts up a photo with his entries. And he’s an award winning sort. So I’m going to follow his example.

Unless I go back to being lazy.

25. June 2011 · 4 comments · Categories: Photos

I’d put it here but that would be … well … stealing! So you have to click on this link to see it. Okay?

Here’s a teaser though:

Josephine Mpongo of the the Kimbanguiste Symphony Orchestra practises the cello in the group’s rehearsal space.

Yes. Musicians can practice in a variety of places.

25. June 2011 · Comments Off on International Tchaikovsky Competition · Categories: Read Online

Did you know you can watch and hear the International Tchaikovsky Competition live if you register? I didn’t … until now. Just go here. (Well, they say it’s live, but since every time I go back it’s the same thing, I guess it’s not live right now!)

I learned about all of this by reading this article which is about a Sonoma violinist who has made the finals.

25. June 2011 · Comments Off on Lotfi Mansouri · Categories: Opera

Lotfi Mansouri on Opera past, present and future from Stark Insider on Vimeo.

Another favorite quote (among many) is when Lofti likens opera to a “banquet.” He tells me, “Opera is for everyone… you want hamburgesrs? It’s there. You want caviar? It’s there. Anything you want in the opera repertoire.”

Of course, I don’t let him off the hook, and asked him to name his favorite opera. I don’t want to give everything away, so watch the video here as he struggles to pick his favorite child.

I found this here.

25. June 2011 · Comments Off on FBQD · Categories: FBQD

find out today if i get to play the oboe bassoon or trumpet 🙂

25. June 2011 · Comments Off on Saturday Morning Cartoon · Categories: Saturday Morning Cartoon

William Tell (1934) – Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

I do think you’ll recognize this music … but no, it’s not all Rossini.

25. June 2011 · Comments Off on TQOD · Categories: TQOD

Mmm time to play my oboe sans lowest octave *curses cracks that can’t be fixed*