NEWS

July 2014 - Well Temperament Available

In addition to common equal temperament I ventured out and tried another quasi-equal temperament. The Thomas Young temperament can add more color to the different key signatures and it is easier to bring out a melody. Please ask at your next tuning if this kind of tuning would bring more excitement to your playing. It is especially thrilling to hear music of Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart in this temperament, but also jazz and romantic music benefits from going around the circle of fifths in a slightly unequal fashion!

September 2010 - Schedule online

I have decided to let you peek at my work calendar. It is supposed to make booking an appointment easier. The website feature is available 24-7. I get notified as soon as someone requests an appointment. Since this is a new feature please be patient as there may be hang-ups and things I have not thought off. Credits go to my husband Bill Pollock for implementing this feature using the Google App engine.

16 July 2005 - Growing Cell Phones

I took a trip a few weeks ago. I noticed how everybody was talking on their cell phones. Well, for a while those cell phones have been shrinking. Especially in Europe it was hip to have the smallest possible phone. But now I noticed that phones have been growing bigger again. You wonder why.

My own has grown too. I finally went out to get this Pocket PC and cell phone in one (Qtek 2020) I got mine on Ebay. Because I keep telling myself, once I own it one day any device is used. And I can spend the money I don't have left over on other things.

The Qtek is cute. But once I got it I instantaneously became infeted by the morish bug. I enjoy the Bluetooth (cordless) headset. I got a WiFi card so I can browse the internet at the Starbucks. I also invested in some software. As you know I am a Scrabble player. We will leave the word addiction out of here, because it is implied. I can practice my Japanese vocabulary and listen to - well any mp3 files I own.

I can run my favorite tuning software on it, have all my friends addresses in it and use it as your calendar. Camera can take pictures of pianos for sell, technical details to remember and my happy clients. Unfortunately it also has a ToDo list.

So I shrunk my camera, palm pilot, metronome, voice recorder and cell phone into a grown-up cell phone.

14 April 2005

Did you have any idea how many ways there are to screw a piano bench together? Well, there are two hinges, and two places to put them. But then there are two ways you can put each hinge on. So that already makes two plus two times two. And then there is the lid prop that holds that bench lid open or at least that is what it is supposed to do. It comes with two screws and a hinge that can point outwards or inwards which exactly doubles our possibilities of assembly. This time I took a picture so next time I can show you. Have you figured out how many ways there are to do it?

28 March 2005 - My Grandma's Easter Seed

My grandma was a very special lady. She would spend most holidays with our family. On Easter she would take me on a long walk through the country around our farm. Then she'd suddenly discover a chocolate egg in the grass. A little later she would point out a jelly-beans. And then she had me looking. It was all so wonderous and wonderful.

My grandma has passed away since. Last year we invited some friends over for an Easter brunch. Then we went to the park with the children. And they'd suddenly discover a chocolate egg in the grass, and then some jelly beans. And boy, were they looking.

This year we hadn't made any plans. But our friends invited us over for an Easter brunch. And we went to a park, and we'd suddenly find some chocolate eggs, and boy, were the kids looking.

26 March 2005

I must not forget to go to the piano concert at 3 pm with my mother in law. I love Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens. I recommend you go there sometime and check out some of the free concerts.

Last night I was looking at my Palm Pilot (yes - I know mine is a III xe and kind of ancient). Anyway, I was wondering how much smaller it could be made. I remember dreaming about a portable digital assistant with a built-in phone - about seven years ago. And now you can get the thing with even a camera built-in. I think they might get a littler flatter (I didn't say fatter) but not much smaller, since you need a certain size for the display. But the input method might some day be by spoken commands rather than writing, my husband Bill adds. I don't know if I'd like to talk to a gadget. Cell phones have already noise-poluted the train platforms, supermarkets and restaurants.On Japanese trains there is a special corner for making your calls so not to disturb other travelers. So I am really not sure if talking to your calendar "reschudule meeting with aunt Margie for Monday" is a good idea. I am itching to upgrade to one of those European tri-band phones. I like the concept of not having three things in my purse: camera, phone and calendar. That be cool. With a bluetooth headset you'd be even wireless and can take calls without even taking the thing out of your purse. Well, well. By now you know that I am a gadget freak - I'll admit it.

24 March 2005

I have always wonder who watches over our policemen that they keep the rules of the road. Who makes sure that the taxes are spent in the interest of the majority of people and not just in the interest of the influential. And who makes sure our president keeps the law?

22 March 2005

This website is finally online. Hurray. I had a really fun weekend. On Friday night Bill and I visited a jazz concert at Symphony Hall with Jason Moran. His first action before sitting down was taking of the key slip - that little long piece just in front and underneath the keys. I liked his piano bench: a black banquet hall chair with a back.

On Saturday night I have been hosting the second annual Piano Party at our house. For this event we invited all these sick people who are hopelessly addicted to piano technology and piano playing. And everybody gets to play at the same time.

Sunday evening we found ourselves back at Symphony Hall to hear Persian Music. Once you get used to the fact that the third is somewhere between minor and major the music doesn't sound out of tune anymore.

Yesterday I attended Virgil Smith's recital in Carol Stream. He played an all-Chopin program which was quite delightful. He matched the touch of his finger to the movement of the hammer. Thus the key never hits the bottom of the key bed while the finger is pushing down. I have to try that.

I have been wondering lately why most our music is in threes or fours? It would make more sense if it was metric - because we have 10 fingers. My brother Theo tells me that young children that are exposed to complex rhythms take those for granted and have no problems reproducing them later. Which makes me wonder about the rhythms in my childhood - milking cows - there you have four ... but let's not get into that.