laramie

After running madly around doing errands Thursday evening I was finally able to relax for a couple hours singing and playing at the Third Thursday Rise Up Singing circle. This time Hans was there with another mandolin, so there were three instruments at the outset.

I spoke to Mark and Hans while we were the only ones present, to address an issue which had me reluctant to go back to the circle after my last experience there. At that time Mark was the only other instrumentalist present; he plays guitar and leads well, but on the couple occasions when I tried to lead on mandolin he played so strongly and loudly over my lighter instrument – at a slightly different pace – that it really messed me up. I told them that I know I haven't mastered leading songs, but I'm trying to learn, and when I do venture to lead on a number I asked that other players not try to 'correct' me by playing over me, but just try to follow while I did my best. Both guys were agreeable about this, and Mark was sorry about having done otherwise in the past – apparently I'm not the only one who's had a problem with his taking over that way.
I noted that music is a learning process: I'm better than I once was and worse than I can grow to be.

After that the music went well – we got off on the wrong key once, but figured out what had happened, and got some nice harmonies going at times. More people joined in before long, including a woman on guitar. I had to leave before it ended at ten, so I could get home and get enough sleep before my early morning start.

When I got home I found that the wind had blown the bathroom door shut, so that Tigger couldn't get past it and downstairs to his food. He had disappeared from his usual post on the upper porch, and I had a few anxious minutes of calling for him before he answered out of the night, and came running back to the house.