A Non-New-Year’s Resolution

Last September I decided I would spend a couple of minutes a day on two things: drawing and memorizing songs to play. The idea wasn’t to produce anything, it was to exercise different parts of my brain and to form habits that would give me activities that didn’t depend on the internet. It was an experiment to see what would happen. It paid off last month when we lost the internet for a whole day.

I had expected to do the music on my glockenspiel, but I’ve been mostly doing it using an iPad app because it’s so much easier to do for just a couple of minutes. So far I’ve memorized two little songs, An English Country Garden and Loch Lomand. I play them a couple of times each day, and it’s now time to add another one. So I went to SheetMusicDirect.com and bought the EZ Play version of Auld Lang Syne. Here are the first two lines:

I’m gradually memorizing this one too. How cool is that?

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18 Responses to A Non-New-Year’s Resolution

  1. this is Super Cool way to exercise those brain cells. great idea and fun. I need to find something that can be done with no power or internet. I am going to go to the library and check out their recycled books and buy a few to have in case of power failure.

  2. Ann Thompson says:

    Both excellent activities. I need to spend more time entertaining myself without the use of tv or computer. Maybe I can work on my list of possibilities.

  3. Hootin Anni says:

    That’s why I sketch!!!

  4. Linda Sand says:

    Hmmm. I looked at that music and my brain immediately started singing the notes instead of the words. It reminded me of learning to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on a xylophone; I sing that one by numbers. I may take this Auld Lang Syne notation to Dave’s piano keyboard and see what happens.

    ps. 1,1,5,5,6,6,5. 4,4,3,3,2,2,1. 4,4,5,5,6,6,5. 4,4,5,5,6,6,5. 1,1,5,5,6,6,5. 4,4,3,3,2,2,1.

  5. Ginny+Hartzler says:

    VERY cool! I had to google glockenspiel, I did not know what kind of instrument it is! Seems like a xylaphone, but made of steel. Did you take lessons?

    • Jean says:

      No. But I have simple music I can play on it. I did take piano lessons for a few years when Kaitlin was taking them. I had wanted to learn to play when I was a kid, but I didn’t have the chance.

  6. Very cool! SheetMusicDirect is a great resource.

  7. The OP Pack says:

    I got back to doing some jigsaw puzzles that the kids gave me for Christmas. I really enjoy doing them, but my neck gets sore bending over the board:). I would love to get motivated enough to get back to playing the piano. One of these days . . .

  8. I like messing with my art materials – even when things go wrong…

  9. Linda Sand says:

    There is no wrong. There are only things learned.

    • Jean says:

      I believe in playing, experimenting, seeing what happens. If It turns out to be something I like, more the better. 🙂

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