Practising musical instruments slowly is a tried-and-true method, especially popular in top music colleges in Russia. These institutions, known for their rigorous training programmes, swear by the “slow practice” approach to help musicians master their craft. Their philosophy is that if, when you’re playing a tune on your instrument, someone within earshot recognises what you’re […]
Purely as a novelty I invite you to listen to some of John Williams’ bassoon concerto The Five Sacred Trees as you read the article. It’s not a foot tapper but if you can just imagine yourself walking through woodland as the music opens….. 0:00 – 6:54 I. Eo Mugna (The Enduring Oak) 6:54 – […]
Finger exercises, often relegated to the dustbin of fitness fads, are the quiet heroes of our current age. Picture a symphony of nimble digits dancing across the keyboard, the subtle ballet of tendons, orchestrating a concerto of clicks and clacks. One might scoff at the notion, dismissing it as the domain of obsessive typists and […]
As I travelled around Asia I became more and more aware of the different fruits and vegetables on offer. Trying the delights of the tamarillo (it’s like a party in your mouth!) at a market in Bali, the stall owner explained to me why I should always eat the seeds of a fruit…..because they contain an enormous amount of life energy that becomes the plant.
