FinishMySong Blog

I'm always amazed by how fast computer technology has advanced, even within my relatively short lifetime. Considering that just 20 years ago the most advanced computer we had in our household had a total memory capacity of 64Kb, it is awesome that just a couple of days ago I was chatting to my cousin live online across a physical distance of 12 hours flying time and through a multitude of extremely fast, efficient and supremely designed bits of kit. While he was sitting in Hong Kong airport waiting for a flight he effortlessly got out his laptop, linked up to the free wireless internet connection in the building and got chatting to me in real time while I sat at home at a different time of day. Mind boggling stuff and, despite the normality of modern life with thousands of these pieces of technological wizardry, I continue to find it difficult to get my head around.

And, yet, when it goes wrong it often really goes wrong! The slightest grain of sand that fell from the spanner that may have been sitting somewhere in the vicinity of the works is enough to bring all these amazing feats of technology to a total halt. Consider this: that when my cousin pressed the send button on his laptop he set off a huge chain of events that needed to go exactly as planned if, a couple of seconds later, the message was to appear on my screen here in Bradford. Firstly, of course, there's his laptop's function, including the network card, then the wi-fi kit in the airport, followed by a whole string of servers across the world each connected up with a multitude of simple wiring as well as via satellite links that would account for the majority of the message's journey to the UK, ending at my end with another whole load of gear from my email server, to my internet service provider to the wireless router and adaptors in my home. On loose wire anywhere in the middle and the whole system would be useless.

So, I come onto today's little quandary - I've been having difficulty printing from my laptop to the network printer I have in our study. I decided to check out some of the network settings to resolve this issue at about 3pm this afternoon. Just ten minutes ago I got the network up and running again and the internet back online!!! And this is a perfect demonstration case for what I was saying in the previous paragraph, albeit on a very small scale: for 7 hours I've struggled to get our computer system to do as I wish and, having trawled through multiple IT forums and having done many Google searches I finally realised that the one programme that is designed to protect my computer from malicious attack is also the bit of software that has caused all the problems: the firewall Zone Alarm! As soon as I shut that down and relied upon the Windows XP firewall instead all my network problems vanished. This was a hard pill to swallow after I'd spent hours pouring over options from upgrading my router firmware, to using system restore on my laptop, to totally reinstalling windows and starting again! Glad I didn't go for that option!!

I came across a great blog today: Bradford Muslim - Notes on Life in a Multicultural City. Flicking through the articles by the various contributors to this blog gives me a real sense of optimism about the direction that the internet is taking our society - one where there is a true level of openness and respect for all viewpoints. I found it interesting to read the opinions of representatives of a group that often gets very bad press in the mainstream media, and reassuring to see that the ideas presented there are balanced and considered.

This is not to say that I agree blindly with every word written: I think in a recent blog entitled A Little Mistake, the writer, Atif Imtiaz, is overly critical of the language used by Kirsty Wark in a Newsnight discussion with Tariq Ramadan and Ann Cryer. This is how he described the televised event:

The little mistake was Kirsty's reference to British society as a 'host society' while discussing people like me, second generation British Muslims... Her immediate response should have been an apology... This little mistake highlighted the problem is its prejudicial core.

There is some truth in the statement that subtle use of language can carry with it an array of implicit notions, some of which are geared toward prejudice. But, I think we also have to be careful about not getting too precious over the exact wording a person like Wark chooses to use when talking generally about British society - this is a liberal woman who I'm sure did not intend to imply that British born citizens of Muslim and/or Asian origin should consider themselves guests in their own country. Britain is a host society in as much as that we have an immigration policy that encourages those from other countries, societies and cultures to join us, initially as guests to our nation and then as fully active citizens of the UK. Demands for the likes of Wark to apologise for using such a phrase seems to me somewhat misguided - if you're going to accuse someone of racism then at least find decent grounds upon which to do so...

So, Atif, I'd suggest that if you want to target people who hold truly damaging and racist views then you'd be better off looking to the likes of the BNP than to the extremely intelligent, articulate and liberal contributors to productions by organisations such as the BBC and The Guardian newspaper. Chasing after the latter is not productive and does the anti-fascism movement no good whatsoever, especially in places like our hometown of Bradford. But, hey - I like the blog so keep up the good work! :)

Ok, I've finally gotten around to putting my Technics digital piano up for sale on Ebay. The starting price is £99.99 but there's a £300 reserve on it. Here's the description for anyone who's interested:

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Feel free to place a bid by visiting the Ebay auction or contacting me for any further information!

... only joking: our political system isn't that democratic!

Seriously, though, I wonder what all the fuss is about the alleged racist taunting of Shilpa Shetty in Channel 4 TV's 'Celebrity' Big Brother House. After all, this is supposed to be 'reality' television and if ignorance and bigotry aren't a reality in 21st Century British culture then I don't know what is.

I'd suggest that the kindest thing we, the public, could do to help Shilpa out of the xenophobic, racist environment she's found herself in is this: simply switch off your television, or else at least turn over to a channel that doesn't broadcast mindless tripe 24 hours a day - C4 would soon get the message and pull the show, liberating Shilpa from having to make small talk with morons like Jade Goody.

I mean, seriously: why would anyone sit up through the night to watch other people sleeping, anyway?! If I want to see reality I can look around the house and watch my cats sleeping. The whole thing almost inspires me to setup a webcam and introduce Feline Big Brother to the world. As we speak there are two very drowsy cats curled up by the radiator in my bathroom. To up the ratings I could casually whisper to Ebony that Tigger has a hairy face. Truly thrilling and inspiring stuff!

However, you can't altogether blame Jade, Jo and co (ooh, that has a good ring to it) for the demonstrations currently taking place in India over the mistreatment of Shilpa. I think the media machine that is our gutter press can be held responsible for that - once again, they're taking what is in one sense an utterly trivial matter of someone being bullied because of their race (trivial in as much as that it is not exactly breaking news - this kind of thing happens in places of work and education all over Britain every single day) and running with it because it seems to have attracted the public's attention, and therefore sells more papers. It doesn't help that our political leaders feel it necessary to submit comments about it... I can't help feeling that they've got their own agenda in mind when coming out to remark on such widely discussed matters.

So, for those of you who have no interest in BB (congrats on that point alone) and wouldn't be caught dead watching a minute of it, here's a brief synopsis of the issues for you, thus allowing you to go on with your life without bothering to read anything about it either: being nasty to people because of their race isn't nice. Some people's ignorance leads them to behave in this way. It happened on telly, perpetrated by some nobody's who our media machine seem to want us to look up to. And that's it. Go have a cup of tea and forget about it. :)

I won't accept being accused of bigotry - in my work and in my leisure-time, I read and digest the opinions of all kinds of nutters! ;)

Most recently, I read an article written by an elusive blogger only known as "Last Row". Having gone through his/her thoughts about the state of the American Idol television programme (the U.S. version of Pop Idol.. another show in the X-Factor format) and how (s)he extends his/her argument about the arrogance and incompetence of many of the hopeful singers on there, I was intrigued to find out more about the writer. Unfortunately, this is the sum total of his/her profile:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

"Ah, that explains a few things", I thought. This person's point in the blog, you see, is that to be a successful musician one is required to adhere to certain fixed rules of the game and that, by extension, the same applies to life. That it is not good enough to say that this or that "works for me" - it is either right or wrong, and that's all there is to it. Personally, I beg to differ: the trouble is, you see, that the conventions in life, as in music, are not only constructed by man but also changed by man at his whim. To be precise, various ruling classes are always responsible for these conventions and the direction that they take. As individuals we can choose to accept or reject these conventions.

So, getting back to the singing contest, when a hopeful appears before the judges and is dismissed by them for failing to sing correctly, what they must understand is that the situation in which they knowingly placed themselves does work in its own way based on a set of assumed rights and wrongs - the judges know what they're looking for and will brutally criticise anything that does not fit that bill. But the criteria they are working with is self-imposed and when one enters that arena one also imposes that criteria upon oneself. Relativism is all very well: art is my art and music is my music, but what a judge or examiner hopes for is to see you abide by his conditions. Scream through a straw whilst garrotting yourself if you like - I won't say it's not singing or that it's not a perfectly legitimate art-form (hey, it might one day find its way onto primetime telly) - but don't expect me to tell you that it's a good Mariah Carey cover.

Life is like this too. Your church-going types will tell you what is right and what isn't. That's fine - they have their stage to play on but what they, the judges, must remember is that I also have mine and if I don't want to compete in this year's version of Christ Idol then I have every right not to bother. I'll play by my rules because my moral criteria is just as valid as theirs. The difference with this and the arts, though, is that we all ultimately have to work in the same theatre and so it makes sense to try to find a way to go ahead without treading on our peers' toes. Does this mean abandoning the relativistic approach to perception of right and wrong? Probably not; just finding a way to compromise whilst accepting that, as long as there are people, we will always live in a world of multiples.

According to the BBC News, schools in England are to see an increase in funding to the tune of 10 million pounds to boost singing and music education in primary schools. The report reads:

The extra cash will fund a national singing campaign in primary schools [and] will also allow choir schools to work closely with other local schools. A new songbook with a top 30 of songs for whole-class singing is to be compiled, with teachers and children nominating songs for inclusion.

With a drive towards including all children in mainstream education, I would welcome a strategy that puts music and the arts at the forefront of this battle. This latest campaign is being headed up by Howard Goodall, composer of choral music as well as of many theme tunes to television programmes such as Blackadder, Red Dwarf and Mr Bean, giving credibility to the project from the professional music sector as well as increasing the scope of publicity for it. This, in combination with the recent 'music lessons manifesto' designed to bring instrumental tuition to all children irrespective of background, seems like a really positive step toward recognising the important role music can play in and beyond school life. As Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, rightly stated last month:

Music enables self expression, protects against social alienation and encourages team working. As well as its therapeutic value, there is also increasing evidence that children who learn music perform better in exams, and find it easier to concentrate and memorise facts.

He went on to say in that interview that being involved in musical performance can help children in care and those with other emotional and behavioural difficulties to counter their sense of isolation. We know, of course, that music can do this and so much more for society at large so it would only seem sensible to encourage schools, teachers, children and parents to be as actively involved in these pursuits as possible.

It's that time of the month again for the Bradford Music Club meeting - I keep plugging this on the blog because a good friend of mine, Ann Perry, runs the club with a couple of other musicians and because it seems like the ideal setting for any aspiring music maker to take his / her first steps onto the stage. The atmosphere is always supportive and performers of any background are welcomed.

Their flyer gives further details of how Bradford Music Club works - if you live and work in Bradford or Leeds please print off a copy and display it on your notice board. If you want to see who is playing what at the club this Sunday then click here to download a programme.

New members of the club or more than welcome and will be encouraged to participate either as part of the audience or as performers, whether you're a soloist or come as part of a group. Noone is excluded!

Over the last week I've been working with some girls from NAPA who wanted to be able to confidently sing the Christmas number 1 of 2006, Leona Lewis' A Moment Like This. Naturally, I downloaded the score from one of the main UK based sheet music providers and set about looking at the vocal part. Very quickly it became obvious that I was going to run into difficulties for one main reason: the performance of this song that Leona is best known for is the one she did in the final episode of X-Factor (that she went on to win). But, the vocal on that version is entirely different to that on the single that was released the day after.

To see what I mean, compare these two videos, kindly (and probably illegally) posted by some YouTubers:

The CD Single Version-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUVY58ke5Y&mode=related&search=

The Live TV Version-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eIGQVNQHlk


Actually, the opening of the song with verse one and the chorus are fairly similar on each of these but once we get to verse two and the middle 8 we find that they're wildly different to the degree that it sounds to me like Leona simply made most of the end of the song up when it came to doing it on the show. Certainly, there is little similarity in melodic content from the beginning of verse two onwards, the live version being massively over-ornamented.

The general mood of both versions is the same and the climax points are intact, but the manner with which Leona switches between head and chest voices is more pronounced on the tv recording (she also sings quite sharp throughout the song and the timing is out on a number of critical entrances with the band, making Louis' comment that the performance was "world class" quite a dubious one!). Generally, I think, perhaps not surprisingly, that the studio recording is considerably better both with regard to vocal technique and overall balance, although because of the atmosphere on the final night of the X-Factor series (due in part to clever lighting and camera techniques) I think that performance comes across as more dramatic.

In any case, it is the studio recorded version that is outlined in the score that I downloaded so that's the one I'll be working to with the students from the Northern Academy of Performing Arts. It just makes my life that bit more difficult that they will probably know the live version better!

It might seem obvious to most people, but I feel that this can't be highlighted strongly enough : IF YOU BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR ANY SERVICE THEN TURN UP TO IT (or else, at least contact the company / person within a reasonable timeframe to cancel).

Why does this need pointing out so aggressively? Well, I always thought that everyone else felt the same way as me about these kinds of issues - the old adage about doing to others as you would have done unto yourself. In other words, you wouldn't want to organise to meet someone for coffee in the town centre and find that they hadn't bothered to turn up or let you know that they couldn't (or couldn't be bothered to) make it.

But, then I started working as a self-employed piano and guitar teacher and suddenly I find that not only do people cancel the appointments they make with little or no notice but often they just fail completely to show up - no explanation, no apology.. nothing. And, when I do get hold of them the attitude is often akin to someone being bothered by a sales call. These individuals don't seem to recognise that they, of their own free will, approached me and arranged an appointment to see me which they then chose not to turn up to. They fail to take responsibility for the decision they initially made or to acknowledge that they have wasted the time I spent not only waiting for them on the day but also working hard to prepare the lesson or meeting, to say nothing of the loss of earnings I have incurred. Of course, I don't want to hear overly-sincere grovelling; I'd much rather they just think enough in the first place to either be present for the appointment that they made or else give me a call to let me know that they won't be turning up. Failing this, at least some genuine empathy for the position that they left me in might not go amiss.

Not everyone behaves in this manner, of course. The majority of people I come across in my line of work as a music tutor are decent and considerate, realising that my living depends on students honouring the appointments they make. But, it's still worth reminding people that you wouldn't book a plumber then not be in when he turns up.. not unless you expect to get a hefty bill for the call-out, that is. Equally, it isn't right to organise a lesson with any private teacher then not show up for it. My students only commit to one lesson at a time so I don't think it's a lot for me to ask them to turn up to it!

Anyone who knows me or who has read a few of my blogs will not be surprised to hear that I'm not in favour of private schooling that places those children from the wealthiest families at a distinct advantage in life. My belief is that a high standard of education should be free to everyone and so there should be no need for the rich to push their own kids forward by throwing money at the problem. But, the reality is that, due to the way in which they're funded, private schools are able to equip themselves better than their state equivilents and have the ability to buy in the best teaching and support staff available. This situation is clearly unacceptable to anyone of social conscience but it exists nevertheless.

In the current economic climate in Britain, thousands of parents now have greater choice as to where their children should be educated. As well as many wonderful state schools, parents can get their kids into private schools either by winning grants (by putting their children through entrance exams) or by stumping up the money to pay for them to go to one of the 'better' pay-as-you-go schools. I stand by any parents' right to do this; as long as these options are open to them there is no reason why they shouldn't take advantage of them, even if this ultimately has a negative impact on the development of their children. However, when Ruth Kelly stands up and publicly admits to sending one of her children to a private school the question is not so much whether she has the right as the parent to do this but actually how successful she was as education secretary if she now feels personally that the state schooling system isn't good enough for her brood.

This idea that the reason Kelly feels it right to send her child to a private school because this one of her offspring has a special educational need simply doesn't wash. She of all people could tell you that for some time there has been an initiative in the state school system to include all children in mainstream education, including those with SEN's such as EBD's (emotional and behavioural difficulties) and learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Through a system of statementing, schools can apply for additional support from the local authority to be able to properly educate any child, whatever their SEN. Failing this, there are still many schools of excellence in the state system that cater for those who are most badly affected by SENs. As far as I can see, then, Ruth Kelly's decision to send her child to a private school is tantamount to saying that the state system is not good enough and / or is not equipped to deal fully with her child's educational requirements. What, then, I ask myself was she doing in her role of Education Secretary? Clearly, if she herself feels that the state system cannot adequately educate her children then surely it is also failing many other families, and particularly those who cannot afford to simply send their children to private establishments instead.

I've just been scanning through some old leaflets, I must have picked up in Shipley library months ago, that detail events in and around Bradford over this winter. Most of them are too old to mention, since most of the shows they advertise have already happened, but one that caught my eye was a brochure for the 2006-2007 season at Bingley Little Theatre (in the Bingley Arts Centre).

On the 19th February, a play written by Michael Palin opens, called The Weekend. The blurb gives this description of it:

Faced with a family gathering, world-weary Stephen Febble does his best to be difficult. When his daughter, her dreary husband Alan, their precocious child and - not least - the dog come to stay for the weekend it's enough to make him reach for the whisky, and for the sarcasm. The climax arrives on Saturday night when his patient wife Virginia has laid on a dinner party and the chiropodist comes too.

In his first stage play, The Weekend, Michael Palin takes a look at family values with black humour.

I've got to say that I'm intrigued enough to want to go along to one of the performances (although I'll be out of the the country until the Bingley run is almost over!). I've always admired Michael Palin's work from his numerous adventures around the world, such as Pole to Pole and Sahara, in both prose and VHS format, to his publication of limericks for children, to say nothing of the amazing work he did with the Monty Python team: truly remarkable stuff that will be quoted for ever more-

You don't need to follow me. You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves. You're all individuals!

Yes, we're all individuals!

You're all different!

Yes, we are all different!

I'm not.

Absolutely brilliant! If this play is anything like as funny or interesting it will be a must-see. It is being done by The Grumpy Corporation Ltd and will be directed by Phil Holbrough. The run is from the 19th to the 24th February.

No couple needs reminding that their wedding will probably be the most significant day of their entire lives; the single most meaningful milestone between birth and death and an occasion that will bring them together, permanently and in the presence of their entire circle of friends and family, in love. So, it stands to reason that the ceremony and all the other traditions associated with this coming-together of souls should reflect the joy and sincerity of the promise that the two of you are making to one another.

Because of the very personal nature of marriage, everything about the big day should be arranged to meet your view of what would constitute your ‘perfect’ wedding - there is no such thing as THE perfect wedding but YOUR perfect wedding is achievable given enough vision, determination and support from the pair of you. This is no time for accepting second best and this applies just as much to the music you want played on the day as it does to every other little detail – it has to be right and, if it is to stay with you for the rest of your lives together, it has to mean something to you!

To make it easier to manage, break the day’s music down into four chunks: the ceremony, the drinks reception, the wedding breakfast and the evening reception.

For those couples who have decided to have a religious wedding ceremony, some of the hard work on this first part is already done. Most faiths have a fairly clear repertoire of songs and other pieces that are associated with marriage and these will inevitably become part of the wedding event. In Christian weddings, there are some very well known set works played for the arrival of the bride and for exit music, including Mendelssohn’s and Wagner’s Wedding Marches (the latter being common for the arrival and the former for the exit), The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel and Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary. If you would like something a little less well known then I would recommend listening to a commercial classical radio station, such as Classic FM, for a couple of weeks and you’ll soon pick up on some perfectly respectable alternatives from the classical music genre that you could put to the church organist. Whilst you chat to him, ask that he keeps his own voluntary at the signing of the register well down – this is often a time for family and friends to take photos of the bride and groom so distractions aren’t always welcome! Your vicar or priest might suggest some appropriate hymns to be sung during the service but take into account that this is still your day so if there is anything you’d specifically like to request then be brave enough to do so.

Civil ceremonies differ from Christian ones only in as much as that there is rarely any congregation participation involved – no singing of hymns – and that no religious music (or music associated with religious weddings, such as the Wagner mentioned above) is allowed to be played. You will still need to decide on pieces for the arrival of the bride and the exit music, as well as coming up with some ideas for the music during the signing of the register and for when your guests enter the room and wait for the ceremony to begin. Other than that, your options are really much greater – you could hire a soloist or a group of musicians to play your favourite pieces, or else have recordings played over the PA system (this might work better if you decide to use rock or pop music). I’m currently working on some pieces that will be composed specifically for a wedding that’s taking place this June, set to the couple’s favourite poems – this is a great idea if you want to really personalise the ceremony. When thinking about the actual event, thought, take into account that locations for civil ceremonies rarely have a piano or organ onsite so any live musician would need to bring his / her own equipment.

The music for the drinks reception and the wedding breakfast are often catered for with a single solution. Some think that it is appropriate to have a quiet area in which the guests can gather for pre-dinner drinks where are others prefer some form of live music. Popular options include solo pianists and small chamber groups such as string quartets or classical trios. Certainly, it would be normal for a little light music to accompany the day’s meal but, again, be sure that the venue organisers have accounted for the space required if live musicians are needed to be present in the dining room. Also, be very specific about what it is you would like them to play – pianists will mostly ‘fill in’ the silences with cocktail style arrangements of popular songs, unless otherwise directed, and it would be the norm for chamber ensembles to play light classics such as Mozart and Haydn quartets. If there is one or two particular pieces you’d really like played then let the musicians know well in advance so that they can purchase any music and get fully prepared. Equally, if you’d like mostly Irish music or your wife’s mother is a big Tom Jones fan then a word in the ear of any pianist will be enough to have him / her meet these requirements, as long as you give that person enough time to organise the music (at least a few weeks). Some musicians advertise as able to ‘take requests’ but even in this case be aware that no man is an encyclopaedia!

A word about the evening reception: wedding DJ’s often come out of a mould holding a vinyl copy of Daydream Believer in one hand and a CD-single of I Am the Music Man in the other. This is all very well if you and your guests are fans of retro-pop-cheese: let’s face it, we all like a good dance at the end of the night to see off a cracking day! But, if you want anything a bit different at your evening reception then you need to be very careful about the person you choose to organise the music – perhaps enquire at your favourite nightclub or approach a band that plays the kind of style you’re into. Whatever you do, make sure that the music reflects what you want out of the evening – some friends of mine went to the lengths of programming an iPod with all the songs they wanted playing and simply sticking it through a PA system in the hotel, thus saving money on a DJ and getting an entire evening of the songs that they loved. This isn’t everyone’s idea of an ideal evening reception but, set off by a live band, it made a unique and memorable night after an unforgettable day. Do what you need to give your wedding the same kind of personal touch.

I was despairing when I heard that alongside Leona Lewis on the X Factor final would be the contestant that your granny no doubt loved from the beginning, Ray Quinn. Thankfully, the best singer won in the end as Leona walked away with the title of X-Factor winner of 2006 and a Christmas No.1 single A Moment Like This.

The fact is that there were always much better singers in the competition than Ray and so I found it startling as week-after-week each and every one of them was knocked out leaving his beaming smile on our screens. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Ray is nice to his Nan, but he's no great shakes when it comes to belting a tune out. To be fair, he did do a couple of good renditions of songs in the old 'crooner' style, but there's many a pub karaoke singer who could pull this off in a similar way. No, Ray's singing I found to be mostly out of tune and when he did manage to hit the notes he certainly didn't bring anything else to the performance. Your Nan would love him but I'd rather pull teeth than sit through one of his performances.

Leona, on the other hand, clearly has a nice voice - she does stick to a Mariah / Houston type style of singing but within this area she can flourish. The control she has over her instrument is quite something, switching seamlessly between her head and chest voices, and given the right song she really seems to have a lot of musicality about her performances. Admittedly, her new song is not to everyone's tastes (it's not the kind of thing I would listen to, of an evening) but what she does she does with flair, so it only seems right that she came out on top. Well done, I say - just hope it doesn't go to her head.

As always, the X-Factor competition was full of turkey's from the very start and I found it shocking how many of them managed to make it through to the later rounds. The MacDonald Brothers who Louis mentored, for example, were just dire, as were his Eton Road band - this really was a group of people who had no idea how to sing in harmony. And, the judges weren't much better: while I can broadly agree with most of what Simon had to say about the contestants musical abilities, Louis talked utter nonsense (praising people who clearly had intonation 'issues' etc.) and Sharon may aswell not have been there for all the constructive criticism that she imparts... what does this woman know about music anyway??!! All she seemed to say to each contestant was "You made that song your own." Jeez... there's a nothing remark if ever I heard one! Compare this to the comments made by the judges in Strictly Come Dancing: here are a panel of experts in their field who actually have something to say about the technical side of the performances before them. The likes of X-Factor and Pop Idol could do a lot worse than learn from this if this programming format is to survive.

New Year's Day has always meant much more to me than Christmas Day. Not just because I'm not religious but also because January 1st of a new year seems like the ideal time to reflect on the recent past and look forward to new beginnings. Of course, the date is, in all reality, totally arbitrary but because we choose this particular day to add another digit to the year tally (and this is a day that most people get off work) then it seems appropriate to use it to re-establish a positive outlook and to decide what parts of my life are really worth celebrating and which other bits I would perhaps like to change.

I'm not talking New Year's resolutions here because, as we all know, we never manage to stick to them for more than a couple of weeks (if that!) anyway. But, rather just to look generally upon your existence on earth, understand that it is brief and to think about what things might enhance the time that we each have. For my part, I'd like to spend more time doing the things that I enjoy the most - attending musical and theatrical events and reading. I recognise that the working schedule I've been keeping to over the last six months has meant that it has been hard for me to go along and see musical productions that other people have organised (because I'm often committed to teaching in the evenings) and I suppose it will be difficult to change this but with some extra effort I could make it to lunchtime concerts and weekend shows. Equally, I'd like to get to the movies a bit more and this is something that I can do with a little more determination.

So, whatever you decide to tackle to improve your lot this January 1st, Happy New Year to you and yours!