Mistwood Golf Club Tries For Guinness Hotdog Record

Mistwood Golf Club Tries For Guinness Hotdog Record A lot of the golf forums and ... Read more.

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Open de France Winners and History

The Open de France is the oldest national golf open in continental Europe, having been ... Read more.

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Belvedere Golf Club Selected as Host of 2019 U.S. Hickory Open

CLASSIC MAJOR: Belvedere Golf Club Selected as Host of 2019 U.S. Hickory Open CHARLEVOIX, MI ... Read more.

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Schulz Wins 2018 Michigan Junior Girls State Amateur

  Schulz Wins 2018  Michigan Junior Girls State Amateur Mikaela Schulz Switches Putters, Wins 2018 ... Read more.

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Ride Safe This Weekend!

Just an uncharacteristically thoughtful note quick note to wish everyone happy riding this weekend.

I've not been riding quite as much as I'd like these last couple of days, but we did manage a quick spin around the neighborhood yesterday:

And I also worked in a tri-borough Brompton Night Ride, which is something everyone should do now and again, as the city by night is always inspiring:

I hadn't undertaken any long-distance Bromulations in a little while and in doing so was reminded what an agile and capable city bike it is, even with its handlebar bag loaded with sundries.  The two-speed drivetrain is also ideal: you've got your crusing-down-the-avenues gear, and then you've got your riding-over-the-bridge gear.  Speaking of riding over the bridge, as I approached mid-span on the Queensboro Bridge I noticed a number of cyclists were stopped and gazing out over the mighty Queens skyline:

So I joined them and was treated to a brilliant fireworks display:

See?

This town will gut you emotionally but then throw you the occasional bone to keep you from losing it entirely.

What a racket.

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Golf Ball Cups With Straws

  Golf Ball Cups With Straws Ridiculous Golf Item of the Week

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Shoal Me The Money

I've already mentioned this on the Bike Forecast this morning, but so significant is the news that the CBC has covered shoaling that it warrants addressing here too:

A whole @CBCNews article about SHOALING (a term coined by @bikesnobnyc). We always enjoy it when @GiacomoPanico takes on these hard-hitting #ottbike issues. https://t.co/XqxCMJH6K1

— Bike Ottawa (@BikeOttawa) June 28, 2018

Particularly significant is the fact that Canadians have tempered the act of shoaling with their trademark politeness by including the act of simply pulling up next to somebody as shoaling:

"...rather than line up behind Mary, Bob wiggles past in front of the queue, next to Mary."

This runs counter to the spirit in which I coined the phrase.  "Shoaling" specifically refers to the act of stopping in front of somebody.  Moreover, it's called shoaling because then the next person pulls over in front of that person, and then the next person pulls up in front of that person, etcetera ad nauseum and so forth.  The resulting mass of humanity then starts curving in the direction of traffic as it enters the intersection, and the entire mechanism resembles a sandbar, or shoal, hence the word.

(A shoal drifting eastward along with the current as it forms in the 14th Street channel.)

Another aspect of shoaling touched upon in the CBC piece (and which I addressed briefly in the Bike Forecast) is the common perception that it is sexist behavior, to wit:

​"I often get shoaled by men. I don't wear the full gear, I look like a regular person on a bike — I guess maybe because I'm a woman," Dollin ventured.

More often than not, Dollin said, she'll easily blow past the offending shoaler without uttering a word. 

I'm sure this is plays a role in plenty of instances of shoaling.  However, overall, I don't think shoaling is gender-specific.  I myself have been shoaled by women countless times.  Alas, I've not kept an accurate count of the total number of times I've been shoaled or the gender of each shoaler, but anecdotally I'd say I've been shoaled just as often (if not more often) by women.  If this is true (which is a big "if," since as I say I have not properly logged this data), and inasmuch as there are fewer female cyclists than male cyclists owing to the lamentable gender gap inherent in our preferred travel mode, then it would logically follow that women shoal with greater frequency than men.  

Of course trying to say one gender shoals more than another is counterproductive; it's a distraction that only breeds infighting and will bring us no closer to solving the problem.  It is vital that we unite regardless of genitalway, preferred pronoun, etc. and acknowledge that every road user is prone to shoaling.  Indeed, in the photo I took just after the one used in the Gothamist piece, you'll see that particular shoal includes both a woman and a person on a skateboard:

To be honest I'd almost prefer skateboarders to shoal me since when they're behind me I worry that they might attempt to skitch.

Skitching is way worse than shoaling.

(Although now half the people on skateboards are using motors this is becoming less of an issue.)

Another common conception regarding shoaling is that it's competitive behavior; i.e. the shoaler arrogantly considers himself or herself athletically superior to the shoalee.  On the surface of it this would appear to be common sense, and I know I've often drawn the same conclusion.  However, upon deeper reflection (as a semi-professional blogger I ponder these issues so you don't have to) I've decided this common conception is indeed mostly a misconception.  Rather, I've come to the conclusion that the shoaler is not thinking competitively precisely because he or she is not thinking at all.  The shoaler is clueless, existing in a state of complete oblivion regarding velocipedal etiquette, and instead is concerned almost entirely with preserving forward momentum and going as far as possible without having to stop.  In fact, it is the shoalee who is the competitive one, and the very fact that the shoaler takes affront and puts the situation in a sporting complex is supporting evidence of this.

Additional evidence that shoaling is not inherently competitive is that, as all competitive cyclists know, you are at a greater competitive advantage when starting from behind as it's the perfect scenario in which to launch an unexpected attack.  Furthermore, shoaling behavior is commonly (indeed near-universally) exhibited by children, to wit:

Perfect I’m going to rename my 6yr old the shoaler. Every. Ride.

— Bryan (@bedub247) June 28, 2018

This is further evidence that shoaling is the product of naïveté rather than cunning or cold calculation.

Alas, if only the CBC had thought to consult me, the world's foremost authority on shoaling, circling, salmoning, and all other forms of cycling behavior, they might have been able to give the great Canadian public far greater insight into this bizarre phenomenon.

I daresay one of Canada's trademark apologies is in order.

Oh wait, I've already gotten one:

Sorry, on behalf of the CBC.

— Bike Ottawa (@BikeOttawa) June 28, 2018

Sorry!

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How to Effectively Manage Your Rentals from Anywhere on Earth

The world gets smaller every day.

It’s a world where more than one in three buyers make offers sight-unseen and where virtual tours are quickly escalating from photos to videos to immersive virtual reality walk-throughs.

Investors buy rental properties …

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Wood Bike Status Update

As a semi-professional bike blogger ostensibly engaged in long-term product testing, it is my responsibility to apprise you of how things are going with the Renovo Aerowood:

They are going quite well.  In fact, since replacing the tires with 25s, they are going extremely well indeed.  This tiny bit of extra volume is exactly what the bike needed, and my only quibble now is that the clearance is rather tight:

Once in awhile I can even hear the unmistakable sound of herringbone on wood when I'm pushing it on a climb.  (Well I mean I guess it could be my knees, but I'm reasonably certain it's the tire rubbing.)  However, since I took delivery of this bike Renovo have updated the Aerowood with clearance for 28s, so if you're considering purchasing a Tan Tenovo for yourself you can rest assured you won't set it on fire due to tire rub:

So should you buy a Tan Tenovo for yourself?  Well that's between you and your financial advisor.  (And if you don't have a financial advisor you probably have no business considering an expensive wooden bicycle.)  All I know is that my opinion of the bike has evolved thusly:

• Before getting the bike: Intrigued by the novelty factor and an excuse to make gratuitous wood puns
• Shortly after receiving the bike: Impressed by the exquisite craftsmanship but also kind of embarrassed by it at the same time
• Shortly after riding the bike for the first time: Wow, it feels great, but what's that creaking?  I bet it's broken
• Once I'd solved the creaking by tightening the bottom bracket: I really like riding this bike
• Today: All bikes should be made of wood, metal and crabon is for vulgarians

By the way, I really did think the bike was broken due to some very small cracks I found early that turned out to be merely cosmetic.  Had I been a paying customer Renovo would have replaced the bike immediately, but I am not a paying customer so I have no problem riding an aesthetically imperfect specimen.  (In fact even though I'm not a paying customer Renovo were ready to swap the bike, but I declined since it seemed like a waste of everybody's time.)  As for the creaking, as mentioned above it turned out to be a bottom bracket in need of tightening.

Something else to consider when contemplating ownership of a wooden bicycle is the attention you'll get.  The most common question people have is, "Is that wood?," and if they're cyclists they then follow up with "What kind of wood is it?," to which I reply "I don't know" since I really don't know without checking the website.  [*Checks website* it's wenge and maple.]  Then I realize they must think I'm a giant asshole for riding an expensive wooden bike and not knowing what it's made from; I mean, imagine someone on a titanium bike who couldn't tell you what kind of metal it is.  (Though to be honest they probably think the guy on the wooden bike is an asshole even before they start talking to him.)  So I make sure to add that it's not actually my bike and that I'm testing it, but then I get depressed because it occurs to me they clearly don't read my blog or have any idea who I am.

I've got a lot of hangups.

Ultimately though my only quibble about the bike is still the fact that it only has one water bottle mount, which I've mentioned about a thousand times before.  However, the Drysdale has zero water bottle mounts so I guess that makes the Renovo 100% better:

Too bad you can't drink a decal.

If I were Renovo, which of course I'm not, I'd offer a "race" version of the Aerowood appointed thusly:

• Two water bottle mounts
• A slightly shorter headtube
• Disc brakes

Not that I think road bikes need disc brakes by any means, but it seems to me that if you're going to make a high-end Di2-only wooden Fred toboggan you might as well go for the whole schmear, especially since whoever's piloting such a toboggan is invariably going to want crabon wheels.  (The braking has quieted somewhat, but there is still occasional shrieking under the right circumstances.  Then again, that probably happens with road discs too.)

In all, I've become quite attached to the bike, and I'd go so far as to say that in terms of both feel and finish it's the nicest one I've ever ridden.  (Yes, "nice" is a vague adjective, but that's intentional.)  And it does look good in the early morning sun.

Can't say the same for me.

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MICHIGAN WOMEN’S OPEN – Lexi Harkins Leads Into Final Round

  MICHIGAN WOMEN’S OPEN – Lexi Harkins Leads Into Final Round CRYSTAL CLEAR: Crystal Lake ... Read more.

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Cadenza International Summer Music School

When the academic year ends Summer schools begin, and they now appear to be more popular than ever. Students have so many options to choose from that it must be a challenge deciphering which might offer the most inspirational learning experience. I will be spending two weeks in Shropshire this year (from July 22nd – 5th August) at Moreton Hall enjoying PIANO WEEK, hosted and organised by pianist Samantha Ward. But if you would prefer to stay nearer London, the Cadenza International Summer Music School might be an excellent choice.

Artistic director and pianist, John Thwaites is at the helm, and the school is now in its twenty-sixth year. Based at the Purcell School, near Watford, just outside London, this friendly course provides a very generous array of private lessons, chamber music opportunities and coaching sessions.

The course runs from July 13th – 20th and tuition is offered for piano, violin, viola and ‘cello. Students can enjoy a minimum of three individual lessons on their first study instrument during the week, plus chamber music coaching as well as concert and performance platforms. Everyone plays in at least one chamber group which is coached not less than every second day. Repertoire plans can be made in advance, especially for pianists. Groups and partnerships apparently evolve flexibly during the week; the coaching timetable is arranged in two-day cycles. All levels and abilities are encouraged and there is a wide age range from youngsters through to teenagers, as well as undergraduates, postgraduates, professional and amateur pianists.

Teaching faculty:

Piano: John Thwaites, Julian Jacobson, Fali Pavri, William Fong, Pascal Nemirovsk and Victor Sangiorgio

Violin: Krysia Osostowicz, Daniel Rowland, Leland Chen, Maciej Rakowski

Viola: Robin Ireland

Cello: Adrian Brendel, Alexander Baillie, Pierre Doumenge, Louise Hopkins, Ursula Smith

You can find out more information about the Cadenza International Summer Music School, here. Click below to download the brochure:

Cadenza International Summer Music School Full Brochure

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My Publications:

For much more information about how to practice piano repertoire, take a look at my two-book piano course, Play it again: PIANO (Schott). Covering a huge array of styles and genres, 49 progressive pieces from approximately Grade 1 – 8 level are featured, with at least two pages of practice tips for every piece. A convenient and beneficial course for students of any age, with or without a teacher, and it can also be used alongside piano examination syllabuses too.

You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.

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The Timeless Quality of Fredness

When I first reached out to Paul at Classic Cycle to grub an old-timey bike for my L'Eroica California new/old shootout,  one of the velocipedes he offered me was a 1950 Drysdale Special, made in New York, NY by one Alvin Drysdale:

I would have happily palped this bicycle for the ride, but while the Drysdale was indeed old it still fell short of the "Holy shit that's old!" status that was so crucial to the narrative, which is why I ended up going with the Mead.

Nevertheless, Paul was insistent that I experience the mid-century glory of the Drysdale in its native habitat, and so he was kind enough to ship it out this way.  The bike arrived on Friday in a hard case that I opened eagerly:

Though owing to parental responsibilities I was unable to ride it until yesterday.

Assembly was fairly straightforward, though I did send one neurotic email to Paul when the brake pads barely made contact with the front rim as something seemed to be out of alignment:

In response, Paul disabused me of my modern notions considering tolerances and advised me simply to set the wheel off-center as necessary, adding that "a hammer and lowered expectations just might be the right tools for adjustment."  (This also happens to be great parenting advice by the way.)

The hammer turned out not to be necessary, but I did remove all the spacers from beneath my overly heightened expectations and duly "slam" them as Paul had advised.  A few turns of the adjustable wrench later and the bike was together:

There it was, in my basement, a 1950 Drysdale Special:

Back home in the city of its birth:

And yesterday I finally got a chance to take it for a ride:

In addition to a couple of Classic Cycle t-shirts for the kiddies, Paul had also included both a hairnet and a pair of shoes:

Sadly, the hairnet doesn't even come close to fitting on my head and instead sits atop it like a padded yarmulke or a too-small diner waiter's hat.  The shoes however fit perfectly, though I did forego them for the inaugural ride in favor of sneakers.  While of course I've got plenty of toeclip experience (which is how I know they're stupid) I admit I've never used them with real cycling shoes complete with the notched cleat, so I figured I'd have more fun getting used to the bike if I were able to put my foot down relatively easily.

Rest assured that I'll wear the shoes complete with wool shorts and jersey (but sans tiny hairnet) in due course.

Speaking of what I do and don't have experience with, besides the pedals the two obvious equipment differences between the Drysdale and today's modern Fredding machines are the downtube shifters and the tubular tires.  (Though of course plenty of modern-day Freds still use tubular tires.)  Unlike some people who are raised into a life of Fredness from birth, I didn't start getting seriously interested into road bikes until my early 20s, which is to say around 1995.  By this time integrated shifting had taken over the high end and was making its way down to the midrange and even the entry level bikes, and indeed my first fancy (to me) road bike had STI shifters.  (7 speed if I remember correctly.)  I did however also own a bicycle with downtube shifters during my nascent Fredding years, and it was pretty much exactly the same as this one (though not actually this one):

This was a big milestone for me because with the purchase of this bike I officially became a two-bike roadie, which to my mind meant I was the real deal.  Also, I think I may have been flirting with a return to messengering and bought this with an eye towards using it in that capacity.  I ditched the Biopace for aesthetic reasons and equipped the bike with clipless pedals, but I enjoyed the downtube shifters for their simplicity and straightforward functionality.  (Though of course they were indexed.)  Eventually I sold the bike in a sidewalk moving sale on W. 22nd Street, probably for more than I paid for it, though I kind of regret that because in retrospect it's a pretty cool bike.

As for tubular tires, of course as an overzealous bike racer I used them for awhile, so while I've long since abandoned them I'm more than adequately versed in their care and feeding and don't find them intimidating.

Anyway, once I strapped a spare tire under the saddle (thoughtfully provided by Paul, which is a good thing because I recently threw away all my old tubular tires after years of holding onto them "just in case"), I set out be-sneakered and be-jorted and soon rolled up behind a fellow vintage vehicle enthusiast:

Mine's cooler.

While I love integrated shifting and have become addicted to Di2 despite my best efforts, I find something very enjoyable about operating downtube shifters.  Granted, it's a facile comparison, but they're satisfying in the way that manual car transmissions or motorcycle shifting is satisfying.  And of course the lack of indexing adds another element of rider involvement that's particularly fun and novel in today's precise pushbutton world.  (Dialing the rattling out after a gear change is like tuning in a radio station, which is something else you don't have to do anymore.)

Hey, I'd be lying if I said I wanted to ride that way all the time, but on this ride I was totally into it.

Also, they're pretty cool to look at:

Also cool to look at is the Campagnolo Gran Sport derailleur moving across a five-speed freewheel:

And of course the Stronglight cranks with close-ratio chainrings:

We're totally spoiled nowadays as far as gearing goes, but there's something to be said for making do with what you've got.

As for the feel of the bike, it fits me well and is smooth and comfortable.  Really, the only thing that truly sucks by todays standards is the braking.  Stops require some advance planning, and I realized just how much I take for granted the ability to slow down quickly with just the flick of a few fingers when a driver shoots out of a driveway.  In fact, I'd go so far as to say that better braking is by far the single most important improvement in road bikes over the past century and is probably worth at least as much as wider gearing, integrated shifting, and clipless pedals combined.

I should also address something numerous people have remarked upon, which is the saddle angle:

Note that I have not adjusted the saddle angle since taking the bike out of the box, and I reserve the right to do so at any time.  However, note also that, while every perineum is different, Brooks saddles tend to be more comfortable with the nose angled up.  Also, as you can see, this saddle is quite old, and the cover is so flexible that at this point I imagine the saddle angle hardly matters anyway.  In any case, appearances aside, it felt totally fine while riding it.  Really, my only complaint is that the ancient leather stained my shorts brown, which as you can imagine is rather embarrassing--especially since I didn't realize it until at least eight hours later when my wife pointed it out.

I guess what I'm saying is that everyone should feel free to take their fit recommendations and shove them up their asses.

So there you go.  Things are a bit hectic here for the near future but I am very much for the opportunity to get all wooled up and take a good long ride.  Keep an eye out for me--or at least listen for the chattering.

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Preventive Conservation Work Placement

My name is Elena Verticchio and I have just completed a 3-month voluntary work placement with the Preventive Conservation team of the British Library. As a recent graduate in Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, my particular interest lies in preventive conservation, which employs scientific knowledge to minimise the deterioration of collections. The importance of this multi-disciplinary approach to conservation is ever increasing and good expertise in the issues related to preventive activities is an integral part of most of the job specifications in the field. Feeling that there was limited access to formal preventive conservation training, I was looking for internships to enrich my expertise as well as allowing me to become familiar with a new working environment. I was able to reach my goal thanks to an Italian Call for Proposals supported by EU funds1, which financed my project aimed at defining the role of preventive conservator in libraries and archives. During my work placement here, I was given the opportunity to work closely with the professionals of one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. The office is based at the BLCC (British Library Conservation Centre), but the Preventive Conservation team carries out varied activities throughout many areas of the main building as well as working with colleagues at the Boston Spa site in West Yorkshire.   Shadowing conservators, I have been delivering handling awareness training, environmental monitoring and pest management, as well as practising the craft of bookbinding in the conservation studio. In the science laboratory, I had a taste of the analytical equipment and tools used in the analysis and tests on a range of materials, such as the Oddy testing technique, the A-D strips to detect acetate film deterioration and the use of infrared spectroscopy and portable XRF. In February, I took part in voluntary activities to engage visitors in the Library at the Harry Potter: A history of Magic family day, where I helped engage children in the crafting of their own little spell books.  My tasks included collaborating to keep environmental records updated, collecting thermo-hygrometric sensors for calibration and in the regular substitution of the blunder sticky traps used to monitor pests. Also, I was involved in weekly departmental meetings as well as in team meetings to draft the Work Programme for the year 2018-2019, where I could have a wider insight into the variety of activities carried out and I could learn a lot about planning, time management and how to ensure the workflow as part of the role of a preventive conservator. More recently, I participated in the installation of the upcoming James Cook: The Voyages exhibition and I got involved in the salvage exercise aimed to alert salvage team members to priority items on display.  Salvage preparation. Left to right: Eszter Matyas, Elena Verticchio and Lorraine Holmes. As an emerging professional, I was seeking to gain a thorough insight into the job and confidence for my future employability. My experience here at the British Library has proved to be hugely beneficial to me, giving me the opportunity to bridge the gap between my academic studies and my professional career. Once back in Italy, I will begin a new internship at the Institute of Restoration and Conservation of Library and Archival heritage based in Rome (IC-RCPAL). I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and I am really looking forward to using the skills I have learned to share the knowledge of the best practices in preventive conservation.  This blog post is to thank all the conservators who shared their time and experience with me to make me grow as an emerging professional. A special mention goes to the amazing Preventive Conservation team: Sarah Hamlyn (Lead Preventive Conservator), Karen Bradford (Collection Care Monitoring Conservator), Nicole Monjeau (Preventive Conservator) and Paul Garside (Conservation Scientist). Should you have any questions, you can contact me by email at elenaverticchio21@gmail.com. Elena Verticchio 1I participated in a Call for Proposals for the Programme of initiatives “TORNO SUBITO 2017” aimed at university students or graduates. The grants are comprised of two phases: the first outside the Lazio region at host locations to carry out training or work experience and the second within the Lazio region at host locations (public or private). My project aimed at defining the role of preventive conservator in libraries and archives, gaining experience in major institutions in the field. The first phase included a shared internship between the British Library and the London Metropolitan Archives; the latter, back in Italy, will be hosted in the Institute of Restoration and Conservation of Library and Archival heritage based in Rome (IC-RCPAL).  

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Chris Lutzke Accepted Into The American Society of Golf Course Architects

Michigan golfers are familiar with the work of Chris Lutzke thanks to his award winning ... Read more.

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What Decade You Running?

Good afternoon!

Just back from a little spin on my new test bike courtesy of Classic Cycle:

I'll tell you all about it.

Just not right now.

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5 Life-Ruining Mistakes for New Home Owners to Avoid

Buying a house is one of the biggest investments most of us will ever make, and many of us make this decision with an astounding lack of information.

When I bought my first house, I had spent about 30 …

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Samsonite Golf Hard Sided Travel Cover Case

Samsonite Golf Hard Sided Travel Cover Case When you travel, do you have your clubs ... Read more.

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Beau Breault Wins 107th Michigan Amateur

  Beau Breault Wins 107th Michigan Amateur by Greg Johnson   GROSSE POINTE WOODS – Beau ... Read more.

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Harpsichord basics by Katharine May

Katharine May, who is a British harpsichordist and pianist, is my guest writer today. I asked Katharine (pictured below) for some tips and guidance for those who fancy swapping the piano for the harpsichord, therefore in this post she seeks to explain a few fundamentals. Over to Katharine…

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I have often been approached by pianists wishing to try their hand at the harpsichord, needing some starting points on technique and repertoire. Following on from my brief introduction to the instrument posted in 2016 (you can read this post, here), I thought I would outline some of the harpsichord basics from a practical viewpoint to give readers some confidence and knowledge in understanding this wonderful keyboard instrument.

Touch and Technique

The first, most striking aspect one notices when trying a harpsichord for the first time is the action of the quill plucking the string, and it is the control of this action which helps to determine the quality of the sound produced. Tomás de Santa Maria in c1565 wrote `although the hands strike the keys gently, they nevertheless have to strike them with a little impetuosity`. It might take a little getting used to especially if one is more familiar with the action of a piano, and all harpsichords will feel different, but the trick is to be definite with the fingers and keep them close to the keys. In the first instance, and beginning with a single register (or set of strings, which Francois Couperin recommended in his 1716L`Art de Toucher le Clavecin), try pressing a key very slowly so that you consciously feel the moment when the string is plucked. Notice how long the sound lasts when the finger is still depressing the key, and listen carefully to the moment when the tiny damper cuts off the sound as you mindfully release the key. Control and sensitivity of these movements will greatly enhance articulation nuances, and equally can sound clumsy if mismanaged.

Harpsichord technique is essentially a finger technique – the arm and shoulder are used to maintain a good hand position and help it move over the keyboard and, as Rameau advises, `no great movement should be made where a lesser one will suffice`. Pianists will also invariably notice a difference in key width, length, depth and weight as everything is on a smaller scale. For small hands, this is ideal! Octaves and wide leaps (commonplace in Scarlatti) are somewhat easier, as the distance travelled is shorter but it can also make moving in between the naturals and accidentals more fiddly. Practice some familiar scales slowly using conventional fingering to help you feel more familiar, then take this a stage further by trying some (even all!) the scales using 1-2 fingering throughout, then 1-2-3, and so on, playing as legato as possible. You`ll be surprised how different this feels especially when moving between the naturals and accidentals but it will help to make, and keep, the fingers flexible. This exercise was passed on to one of my teachers, originally from Wanda Landowska. J S Bach`s own teaching method was, apart from scale, arpeggio and ornament exercises, based on using simple pieces. Which brings me to my next topic.

Repertoire to get you going

Even if readers are highly accomplished pianists, it is best to begin with the simplest dance pieces such as minuets and gavottes. This will enable the focus to be entirely on mastering, or at least understanding the basic touch. And there are hundreds of such pieces available. Try some of the ABRSM List A choices from Grade 1 upwards until you feel reasonably comfortable with the instrument, then you could move onto the Little Preludes of Bach or a selection from the Anna Magdalena Notebook (the original manuscript of one of the pieces in this popular book is shown above). Taking things a step further, have a look at some of the 2, then 3 part Inventions which after all, Bach wrote specifically to encourage a singing style on the harpsichord. Another composer worth exploring at this stage is Henry Purcell who wrote some exquisite pieces for the keyboard which tend to get overlooked today. His many dance pieces are characterful and evocative of 17^th century England, while his 8 Suites explore a variety of harpsichord sonorities, though some movements are not quite so easy to the newcomer.

Accompanying

My concluding section focuses on the art of accompanying since here lies a whole new area to explore with the rewarding benefits of being a more social pastime. Again there is a plethora of music written by a wide range of composers which is very accessible for keyboard players and instrumentalists or singers alike. Originally the accompanist or continuo player would have just a single bass line with figures (or sometimes not!) to read from. This requires a whole new skill which can be daunting for those new to this aspect.

Today, most performing editions come complete with realized keyboard parts, making life perhaps a little easier for some. However, in all my years as a continuo player I have rarely come across a realized part that sounds really stylish, so I`d like to add a few tips and suggestions to the would-be accompanist finding themselves in such a position. Firstly it might be helpful and liberating to know that realized parts usually add far too much in the right hand. As Quantz wrote in 1752 `less is more`. So the most important thing is to follow the bass line and add what you can of the right hand, avoiding playing higher than the melody line, and provide rhythmic support and stability. Adding right hand notes when there is a rest in the left hand is not usually stylish, while adding chords to every bass line note can sound too busy and detract from the solo line. This applies especially to fast movements where there might be numerous passing notes – they certainly don`t all need to be harmonized. If readers are keen to try playing from a figured bass start with a slow sonata movement (to give you more thinking time) by composers whose harmonic language is not too complicated, such as Handel or Vivaldi, and avoid Bach and Purcell until you are more confident. As before, even if you lose your way, just keep the bass line going. While important, the figures are often just giving information rather than instruction and harmony is usually implied by the solo and bass lines combined.

www.edenvalleymusic.co.uk

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My Publications:

For much more information about how to practice piano repertoire, take a look at my two-book piano course, Play it again: PIANO (Schott). Covering a huge array of styles and genres, 49 progressive pieces from approximately Grade 1 – 8 level are featured, with at least two pages of practice tips for every piece. A convenient and beneficial course for students of any age, with or without a teacher, and it can also be used alongside piano examination syllabuses too.

You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.

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It's Summer! It's Friday! It's a New Outside Column! That's Three Things To Be Wildly Excited About!!!

This is what passes for culture nowadays, seriously?

And does this illustrator have it in for me or what?

Hey, I'm not gonna lie, I've been known to palp flip-flops when the temperature starts tickling the undercarriage of the triple digits, but I don't run the sweater/shorts/sandals combo.  

Not that I have anything agains those who do, it's just not what I'm about. 

(I don't actually know what I'm about, I just know what I'm not about.)

I'm surprised he didn't put me in socks to really drive it home:

Speaking of kids on bikes, the Junior Fred Sled continues to work out well:

And I'm looking forward to some outings once school is finished.

Maybe I'll even let my son get a turn on it.

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Golf Pen Set

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American Cancer Society Outing At Oakland Hills Nearly Sold Out

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Wilson Raw V6 Offers A Different Look

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Golf Is The Old Cycling

Firstly, an important update to yesterday's art as suggested by a commenter:

Now if you look closely you'll see a "litter bike" by the flying cat's tail.

Also, if it's unclear what's going on here, basically I'm enjoying the Moon's low gravity by hurling cats.

There's a whole bag of 'em just out of frame.

Secondly, every few months we get a story from one of the white collar publications about how cycling is the new golf and how high-powered Freds are half-wheeling and dealing:

It's ironic that VeloNews, the golfiest of all the cycling publications, disagrees.

Anyway, here's the latest one from the Wall Street Journal:

'I have executives say, ‘Send me your cycling calendar.’ They’re using it to decide which conferences to attend' https://t.co/RgggOpKXAv

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) June 21, 2018

Which starts off with a bit of a head-scratcher:

I see what the writer was getting at, but was there ever a time when you'd tell people you ride bikes and they'd respond: "Wait, you mean cycling?  That obscure sport for kids?"

But that's just nitpicky and I'll take a story like this over another anti-bike lane editorial any day.  In fact my only real problem with this story is that it made me anxious, because apparently I'd better get myself a cycling calendar right away if I ever want to get ahead:

“I have executives say, ‘Send me your cycling calendar.’ They’re using it to decide which conferences to attend,” says Ben Rabner, Adobe’s head of experiential marketing, who founded the bike program five years ago.

Okay, here you go!

Have your people call my people.

By the way, when I googled "Cycling Calendar," that was pretty much the only result that was safe for work.  So it's only a matter of time before some male executive desperate to pass himself off as a cyclist sends one of the NSFW ones and winds up out of a job.

I was also intrigued to learn that there are people who use Fred rides to choose high-powered law firms:

“When potential clients are choosing a law firm,” says Edwards, “chemistry is important. If we can get to know them in a more informal setting, like on a bike, it’s a good way to find out if you get along.”

That's interesting, because usually the way you meet lawyers while cycling is when they hand you their business card as you're being loaded into an ambulance.

I do take issue with this claim however:

It’s also an inherently social sport, thanks to drafting—following in a tight “pace line” formation where a lead cyclist (or two, side by side, in a double pace line) cut the wind for the cyclists behind them. 

I maintain that pacelines are inherently antisocial.  After all, how do you chat in a paceline?  Unless your idea of conversation is shouting into someone else's asshole then this doesn't make sense.

Then again, I'm a bike blogger who fires off wisecracks from the couch, so we should always keep in mind that when it comes to the corporate world I have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about.

Still, even I can see that this is an unfortunate bit of branding:

O’Neill quit his job to build out ICE, now 1,000 members strong. Sponsors (like Vodafone Global Enterprise and EY’s Data and Analytics Practice) get their brand on the club’s “kit” (cycling gear), website and social-media presence and have the chance to offer sessions at the breakfast that follows the rides. Sponsors can also seed the club with a couple of their own cycling employees. (O’Neill says sales talk is frowned upon by sponsors unless it springs up naturally.) There are ICE chapters in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the U.K., and there are plans for seven more cities by 2023, including at least two in the U.S.

Seriously, you're going to launch a company in the US called ICE now?

(Via here.)

Of course we are dealing with corporate America, so maybe it's perfect branding.

I guess it pays to know your customer.

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How To 10X Your Reach On Craigslist

One of the greatest marketing tools for real estate investors today is Craigslist.

Unfortunately, it's also one of the biggest headaches.

The real power behind Craigslist is that it's FREE, and it also gives marketers the opportunity to reach …

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Jacques Lemans Golf Watch

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Leather Golf Journal

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On Visiting Every European Country, and Goals that Matter

I landed in Cyprus with a smile. More than 17 years after I first set foot on the European continent, I had visited every country in Europe. (47 countries by my count, which includes all UN-recognized nations plus Kosovo and the Vatican. I count Turkey but I don’t count the Caucasus.)

To be honest, I can’t remember when that became my goal. Maybe somewhere around 2013 or 2014? I realized I was visiting so many different European countries, and it might be cool to visit all of them.

I love Europe. No, that’s not strong enough. I adore this continent, and have since I first set foot on it as a sixteen-year-old in 2001.

Kate’s Europe Timeline

• 2001: France, Ireland, UK
• 2004: Italy, Vatican, Monaco, Hungary, Czech Republic, Switzerland
• 2006: Belgium
• 2011: Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Turkey
• 2012: Portugal, Spain, Iceland, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands (Denmark), Sweden
• 2013: Netherlands, San Marino, Malta, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Romania
• 2014: Slovenia, Finland, Norway
• 2015: Andorra, Greece, Albania, Serbia, Latvia
• 2017: Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia
• 2018: Cyprus

Europe is my place — from the elegant streets of Paris and St. Petersburg to the rocky Adriatic beaches of Albania and Croatia, from the peaceful pine forests of Finland to the mountains of Austria.

And…part of me feels like I belong in Europe. Long-term.

I usually roll my eyes when someone says, “Wow, I BELONG in this place I discovered on vacation!” but I honestly, after all these trips, I feel like half of my heart is in Europe and the other half is in the US. I’m very American in mindset, but much more European in temperament.

In an ideal world, I would split my time between New York and Paris. Or maybe London, Berlin or Amsterdam. (Germany’s artist visa would make Berlin the easiest option.) If I’m going to be living there half the time, it has to be a big city where I have lots of friends.

This isn’t the time, though. America needs people on the ground fighting for justice.

Fact: I didn’t have style until I turned 30. This photo was taken when I was 29 years and 11 months old in Zadar, Croatia. Is that a black and white checked belt?!?!

This matters because it matters to me.

To be honest, visiting every country in Europe seems like a small, cute, easy goal compared to what my friends are doing. But only because of the circles in which I run. I have several friends who are working toward visiting every country in the world, who are at well over 100 countries with no sign of stopping.

And that’s when I smack myself in the face and remind myself that my experience is atypical, as is my circle of friends. I shouldn’t minimize this accomplishment; this is something I worked hard to achieve, even with the privilege I had to make it possible in the first place.

But there are a few things about this achievement that make me particularly happy.

I’m happy that I traveled deliberately. Sure, I could have visited every country in Europe within a few months — hell, I even know a couple that did it in 30 days, during which they would arrive in a country, do a quick loop around the city center, then leave — but I didn’t want to do that. It always makes me cringe when I see a blogger land in a capital, spend a day and a half, say, “Country done!” and move on to the next place.

My goal is usually to visit three destinations within each country (microstates excluded), to at least get a sense of what different regions have to offer. I don’t always succeed — sometimes due to limited time (Slovakia), sometimes due to bad weather (Latvia) or cancelled tours (Estonia), sometimes due to exhaustion (Luxembourg). But I try to make an effort when possible.

I’m glad that I financed these travels myself. No rich family members, no rich partners. When I took friends, family, and partners on my travels, I bankrolled most if not all of it, either with my own money or in exchange for my work. And for the last two and a half years, I did it while simultaneously paying for an apartment in Manhattan that I didn’t rent out once.

I’m proud that I planned my travels cannily. Over the past few years, I’ve used conferences and campaigns to subsidize the other trips. Speaking in Scotland and Germany? In between I went to Slovakia, Poland, and Luxembourg. Speaking in Romania? Afterward I went to Moldova and Ukraine. Working in Finland? Afterward I went to Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia, and Russia. Speaking in the Netherlands? Afterward I went to Cyprus.

On each of those trips, flights from New York were covered so I saved on long-haul airfare. And nobody ever cares when you want to stay longer than the conference or campaign.

This is a fantastic way to maximize your business travels — add on a few extra days and visit somewhere nearby. You’ll save a ton in airfare. But even if you’re not a business traveler, you can do the same thing if you need to travel for a wedding or family event. Just add on a few days.

I don’t want to go to every country in the world.

That might seem like the next logical step, but I couldn’t have less desire to travel to every country. Why? Because I know it will turn into a burden. Imagine being a year into this goal and feeling exhausted, and just wanting to go to Italy and eat pasta, but all your time and money needs to be spent on trips to Kiribati. And Suriname. And Central African Republic.

I don’t want to get to the point where I hate travel. Some of my friends have ended up in that position. And associating travel with burdens would do that to me.

Plus, I love my life in New York. I currently spend about 75% of my time in the city, and that feels like a good amount for me at this point in time. I love my routines, I love my friends, I love a special little baby who is looking more like a little boy each day. I’d actually be open to traveling even less than I am now, but as my fellow itchy-footed travel people know, it’s very easy to succumb to temptation.

So, what’s next?

Nothing at the moment.

Really?

Really.

You’re not going to do another continent?

Nah. I mean, it would be nice to visit my two remaining countries in Central America, Honduras and Panama (though technically I drove overnight through Honduras so you could count it, though I don’t). But beyond that, I don’t have any desire to do so.

Europe was special to me. I love Central America fiercely, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to Europe.

So are you done visiting Europe now?

Hell to the no. Europe is still my favorite continent and a place that I adore. Plus, the wisdom of a traveler is realizing that the more places you visit, the more you realize you haven’t scraped the surface.

In fact, I feel a great freedom now. The next time I have a conference or campaign in Europe, I don’t have an obligation to visit Belarus or Moldova or Serbia. I can explore Italy more extensively! Walk the Camino de Santiago! Visit my Balkan oversights, like Piran in Slovenia, Kravice Falls in Bosnia, and Vis in Croatia! Explore a ton of cities along the Rhine I’ve already visited — but at Christmas!

So…where do I want to go next?

Karersee, South Tyrol. Image by Eirien

My NEW Most Wanted Destinations in Europe

South Tyrol, Italy. I’m nuts for mountains and this is one of the most spectacular mountain destinations in Europe. South Tyrol is home to the spectacular Dolomites, and while it’s technically Italy, the landscape and food are more similar to Austria or Germany.

San Sebastian, Spain. One of the best culinary destinations in the world. I’ve been intrigued by Basque Country since reading The Sun Also Rises for the first time when I was seventeen. This would be the place to pintxo bar-hop like never before.

Northern Norway. Norway is one of the most visually spectacular countries in Europe, but I’ve only been to Bergen and the surrounding fjords. But the far north is where it gets really gorgeous, especially around the Lofoten Islands. And the Northern Lights viewing is great up there.

Lviv, Ukraine. Ukraine surprised me with its loveliness last year, and apparently I missed the most beautiful city of all: Lviv. From what I’ve seen it looks like Krakow and Ljubljana, two of my favorite European cities.

Corsica. This island south of the mainland in France has occupied my thoughts for a long time: its cliffs, its beaches, its food. I especially like that it isn’t overly discovered by international tourists. For now.

Cornwall, England. I consider myself an “accidental Anglophile” and have seen so much of Britain — but this southwest peninsula eludes me. It’s home to beaches that look like they’re part of the Mediterranean, and gorgeous rolling hills. Plus a cool pirate-y accent.

Finnish Lapland. Finland is a county I love dearly, but I’ve only been in the summer. I think I’m overdue for a winter visit in Lapland — all the snow, all the ice swimming, all the early pink sunsets. And maybe a dogsled ride or two.

Fact: By the time I turned 33, I found my style. Tom Ford sunglasses, Zara leather jacket, silver earrings from El Salvador, dress from Albania. Pictured in Minsk.

Sweet Satisfaction

I feel very content right now with my travels. And that’s a bit unusual. Happiness is one thing; contentment is something different altogether. I’m used to feeling restless and driven, already planning my next trip (and let’s be realistic, one or two more trips) before I’ve even finished the first.

For me, getting to my final country in Europe meant a lot to me. I’m going to be riding this pleasant buzzy feeling for a long time.

Stay tuned — I can’t wait to write a post about my absolute favorite places in Europe! Maybe the top 50 places overall, with special distinction for the top 10? I’ve been thinking about this!

What is one of your special travel achievements?

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