This winter,for me at least,felt more isolating than the ones of years past. Not only due to the virus and it's mutations, but also the shorter days and it being too chilly to play outside. Now,however,Spring has arrived and with it,longer days,warmer temps, and if you're blessed enough to have a porch- porch pickin'! So let's talk a little bit about porches and playing.
I go thru a yearly ritual of cleaning up mine- sweeping,getting rid of any empty pots that have gathered,and placing potted flowers and other decor to make it a desirable place to hang out. Only firm rule is a porch chair must be armless so one can play freely. This year I'm growing a "new to me" flower- the "Broadway Lights" shasta daisy. It changes colors 3 times as the bloom matures. Shastas always bring me back to childhood as it was one of my Mom's fave flowers.
It's important to make your porch (or deck,balcony,etc) as pleasing as possible to your eye so you're inspired to play there. A music and instrument stand tucked away by the door in the home will make it easy to move these items outside if you need them.
And of course,use sunscreen if you're not in the shade. I wait till the sun passes over the house enough that my covered porch is in shade before I go out there to jam.
Other items for your porch could be a hummingbird feeder or a seed feeder. I have a hummer feeder hanging from my porch and a seed feeder in my front yard. I enjoy watching the birds,butterflies and dragonflies while I'm playing and sipping coffee.
Lip balm is another must have. You won't be concentrating well if your lips feel dry! If you're in the sun,use lip balm with sunscreen.
And.....here's what I've been doing lately!
I'm currently arranging bluegrass tunes for uke and plan to have a Zoom class for this.
I've also been teaching beginning bluegrass banjo and teaching beginning ukulele. I have openings so if you're interested,go to the contact page and drop me a line!
I go thru a yearly ritual of cleaning up mine- sweeping,getting rid of any empty pots that have gathered,and placing potted flowers and other decor to make it a desirable place to hang out. Only firm rule is a porch chair must be armless so one can play freely. This year I'm growing a "new to me" flower- the "Broadway Lights" shasta daisy. It changes colors 3 times as the bloom matures. Shastas always bring me back to childhood as it was one of my Mom's fave flowers.
It's important to make your porch (or deck,balcony,etc) as pleasing as possible to your eye so you're inspired to play there. A music and instrument stand tucked away by the door in the home will make it easy to move these items outside if you need them.
And of course,use sunscreen if you're not in the shade. I wait till the sun passes over the house enough that my covered porch is in shade before I go out there to jam.
Other items for your porch could be a hummingbird feeder or a seed feeder. I have a hummer feeder hanging from my porch and a seed feeder in my front yard. I enjoy watching the birds,butterflies and dragonflies while I'm playing and sipping coffee.
Lip balm is another must have. You won't be concentrating well if your lips feel dry! If you're in the sun,use lip balm with sunscreen.
And.....here's what I've been doing lately!
I'm currently arranging bluegrass tunes for uke and plan to have a Zoom class for this.
I've also been teaching beginning bluegrass banjo and teaching beginning ukulele. I have openings so if you're interested,go to the contact page and drop me a line!
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