Musical Daydreams (Johanna)

I feel like I need a lifetime away from university right now ..

On Monday afternoon, I was in my bedroom packing things, and I accidentally stepped backwards onto a tube of moisturiser that had fallen onto the floor. It sort of ‘squooshed’ beneath my foot; when I turned around, a jet of moisturiser had been shot onto a pile of clean, folded washing. Words do not describe how I felt, but I’ll try! I threw my hands up in the air and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry – it was so bizarre, but it meant I’d have to do my washing all over again. Mmmm.

I miss music. Going home for Monday night and Anzac Day, I remembered and really appreciated how musical my house is. I brought my violin back with me to play, and Caitlin (my sister) was trying to play it all day, while I was trying to play her cello. It was so interesting; we managed a “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” duet sort of thing after swapping instruments. I felt like I could be so much rougher with the cello – you really had to work to press the strings down, and you really had to push the bow into the strings to get rich sound. Apart from that, I spent many hours at the piano just bashing out my loudest and grandest songs, and even just playing chords – anything loud! The feeling of creating music, making it fly from your fingertips, is something I always took for granted.. and to have it back, even just for a little while, was pure heaven. I also spent some time on my piano-accordian (which I am determined to learn how to play properly) and of course, I had to try out the new guitar.

It is strange; I have a music room in my house. Most people have sitting rooms, or rumpus rooms,… I have a music room. Let’s see – we have an upright piano, two cellos, two violins, two guitars, bongos, piano accordian, pan flutes, and the computer with keyboard and recording set-up. I think we need to get some brass instruments, and maybe woodwind. I’ve always wanted to play the oboe, simply so I could play the theme of the Black Swan from Tchaikovski’s Swan Lake. There is a small problem with our music room – it’s only one room. If you have three or more people trying to play opposing instruments at the same time, not to mention cds blaring, it’s a cacophony. I am amazed that the neighbours haven’t complained in all the time we’ve lived next door.

Enough about that, I’m just making myself sad. I have to get a guitar – I only have a violin when I’m down here in Brunswick. A guitar would make it more bearable, although it would be brilliant to get a piano here.

Anyway, must go home and cook dinner.

And do washing… grrrrrrrrrrrr!