Menopause Matters Forum

General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: dulciana on February 14, 2014, 05:47:33 PM

Title: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 14, 2014, 05:47:33 PM: Girls, girls.........I passed the final part of my organ exam (the bit I sat in early January)!!!!!!! This means I can now call myself a professional organist. At 54!! If anyone has a dream, please, please do follow it. It could change your life!!!!

:cancan:
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Dancinggirl on February 14, 2014, 06:12:44 PM: :ola: :foryou: DG x
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 14, 2014, 06:15:36 PM: :thankyou: :thankyou:, Dancinggirl!
D
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Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Limpy on February 14, 2014, 06:37:55 PM: Well Done Dulciana
I trust you will be celebrating tonight?

:congrats: :cancan: :cancan: :congrats:
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: ellie on February 14, 2014, 06:50:47 PM: Congratulations :foryou:
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: valiantkate on February 14, 2014, 06:53:13 PM: Fantastic, well done :parti: :jiggy: :spin:
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 14, 2014, 07:13:32 PM: Masses and masses of thanks, folks!! We're having a take-away-plus-alcohol at home, because all the restaurants are booked up for Valentine's Day. Doesn't matter - I'll just cuddle up to Hubby at home, instead!

I would really urge anyone who wants to have a go at something challenging, to do exactly that. Don't let the menopause put you off!! It is a mountain that can be conquered!

D.

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Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: CLKD on February 14, 2014, 07:42:42 PM: :bounce: :cake: :congrats:

You'll be able to play for our Choir now ;)
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: honeybun on February 14, 2014, 08:03:26 PM: :ola: :congrats: :congrats:

What great news.....Well done you.

Enjoy your evening in with hubby. He must be very proud of you.

Honeyb
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Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Joyce on February 14, 2014, 08:35:15 PM: :congrats: :ola: :ola: :congrats:
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 14, 2014, 08:46:45 PM: :thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou:

Dulciana

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Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Ju Ju on February 15, 2014, 12:07:51 PM: Just read yours news! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! ! :ola:

Maybe one day, when I have can sing to a similar standard to your organ playing, you can accompany me!

PS Went along to an African drumming class! I didn't know what I was doing. Got lost when each hand had to do a different rhythm. Can't multiply-task! But I'm going back as I can only get better.

You have to think about all your limbs doing different things! Well done ! :)
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: LilFeather on February 15, 2014, 01:15:56 PM: :congrats:

Very happy for you!
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Mrs January on February 15, 2014, 01:51:52 PM: Woopy dooooo

So chuffed for you lovely lady ...Welldone ............

Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 15, 2014, 03:21:44 PM: Thanks so much, Ju Ju, Lilfeather and Mrs. January!
:thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou:

Ju Ju - How are your singing studies going now? Have you started learning the Italian songs you'd mentioned? I think you're so lucky being able to sing. Have you always enjoyed it? My singing voice (if you can call it that!) could be quite comfortably fitted into a small matchbox! It must be really great to have a voice that you enjoy the sound of and want to share with others. Do keep me posted!
D.
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Dyan on February 15, 2014, 05:55:50 PM: :congrats: dulciana
Well done!!!
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 15, 2014, 06:05:59 PM: Thanks Dyan!
:thankyou:
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Ju Ju on February 16, 2014, 09:21:14 AM: I knew as a child I had a voice, but my parents couldn't afford lessons. I have needed lessons in order to learn how to breathe (!) and to produce volume. My friend decided to teach children singing and piano, when she retired from teaching. I persuaded her to teach me and now she has several adult pupils, who have followed in my wake. She is an excellent teacher, able to use language to paint a visual picture in your mind.

I've started on Grade 3. We would have skipped Grade 3, but I have no musical background and need to get a more solid background, eg sight reading. So we've going to take our time, plus my recent asthma problems do hamper singing. I struggle to to take in enough breath, but it is getting better week by week. No Italian songs in the list. I'm working on 'God be in my head'. Very simple on the face of it, in meaning and tune, yet not when you get into it.

Where can you play now you are professional? Do you play in concerts, churches, with choirs? Maybe you will have a chance to play around Britain, then we might get the chance to enjoy your music!
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: littleminnie on February 16, 2014, 01:32:10 PM: :ola:
We'll Done!!
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 16, 2014, 04:20:39 PM: Thanks Littleminnie.
:thankyou:

Ju Ju - your singing lessons and teacher sound fantastic - it sounds just like "right place, right time"! How interesting that other people have followed your lead, too.

I'm a great fan of visual pictures, for learning music. I use it with my own pupils a lot, like yesterday when I asked a little girl to think of kittens playing, to get the character of the piece she was doing! It worked and she understood what I meant straight away.

That's super that you're doing grade 3 now. And I'm so glad that it's helping your asthma, too - a real added bonus. Which "God Be In My Head" are you doing - the Walford Davies, or the John Rutter? Each of them is beautiful, I think.
Sight-reading seems to be an occupational hazard of all music exams! :sigh: Still, I try to make myself remember that somebody at some point was inspired to write this music!

I play regularly at a church in Edinburgh, which includes accompanying our choir every week and choosing something nice to play at the end of each service. I'm getting very excited just now because renovation work on our lovely organ is just about to be completed. As part of the celebrations, I'll be doing a recital in September, which I'm looking forward to with a mixture of anticipation and butterflies in my stomach! We're also doing a choir-and-organ concert in the autumn and we're having a visiting recitalist in the summer. Can't wait!

And I've heard that having the qualification I've just got will improve my chances of being able to play on other organs around the place. So I may be down in your neck of the woods at some time!

I do hope you go on enjoying your singing lessons and wish you all the best preparing for grade 3!

Dulciana
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Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Ju Ju on February 16, 2014, 05:12:34 PM: How exciting! Unfortunately, I live in the south of England, so it's unlikely whether I would be coming your way in September, but you never know! If you get the chance to play nearer let me know.

We've chosen the Walford Davies version of 'God be in my head'. It is one of the few hymns remembered from school that wasn't murdered in my memory. My voice isn't particularly loud at the moment, so putting light and shade into the performance is a challenge, but I'll get there. I'm also singing 'Early one morning' unaccompanied, and 'Wouldn't it be loverly' from My Fair Lady, both of which I already know well. We have yet to decide on the 4th song.
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 16, 2014, 06:43:34 PM: Lovely choices and lovely contrasts, Ju Ju! You must have a great range. Early One Morning unaccompanied - gosh, hats off to you! And I love "Wouldn't it be Loverly"!
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Greyhoundgal on February 17, 2014, 01:13:37 PM: :congrats:
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: Hurdity on February 17, 2014, 04:41:55 PM: Just caught up with this dulciana and many congrats from me too! :congrats:

Hurdity x
Title: Re: I passed!!
Post by: dulciana on February 17, 2014, 05:17:07 PM: Thanks Greyhoundgal and Hurdity!
:thankyou: :thankyou:

D.
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