flute music and play along videos
Flutegirl member login
If you had a flutegirl membership in the past,
email me for the discount link: penny@pennywill.com

Thursday, October 1

NOTHING TO SEE HERE...

A new month is here, and let us have a gander at what 2020 has in store for us. In that frame of mind, I thought I would start with a happy light song.

Ladies in Garments so green

Flutegirl Drawing of the Day

Flutegirl Memberships
$27.50 a year.

Please Note: If you don't get an email from me within the hour, check your spam folder first, then email me at:

penny@pennywill.com

Please don't order twice.

Memberships include:

* Download Sheet music (Pdf),
Backing Mp3's, and MIDI for hundreds of songs.

* Stream or download MP4 videos for all the songs,
for use on a computer or phone.

* Download AVI videos for all the songs,
for use on older equipment

* Some practice videos, scales

covid19 coronavirus flutegirl has toilet paper

Covid19


Remain calm; I have toilet paper.


Many of you know I am the primary caregiver to my 90-year-old Dad and my 87-year-old Mom. Unfortunately, my Mom has Alzheimer’s and is confused by this whole pandemic.

Being at my parents’ house means if someone renews their flutegirl membership (remaining at $18) or signs up as a new member ($27.50), I may be away from my main computer. If that’s the case, I will send a temporary login and sort it out when I get home.

Email me at: penny@pennywill.com if you didn't receive your login information within a few minutes, or have any other questions or concerns.


I hope you all keep safe and sound.

 

penny will po box 71 st thomas ontario N5P 3T5

Snail Mail $25 CASH ONLY
(US or Canadian) :

Penny Will
P.O. Box 71
St Thomas, Ontario, Canada
N5P 3T5

Please include your name and email address

penny@pennywill.com

youtube deleted all my channels but videos are still available at pennywill.com.2

YouTube deleted my channel.
However, flutegirl members can still
stream and download all songs.

 

flutegirl uses chrome canvas to do drawings

Google Canvas

https://canvas.apps.chrome/

Google Canvas is a super nifty, light app for android. You can start with a new drawing, or use an existing image and alter it.

The drawing tools are pretty standard, and I mostly use the marker and eraser.  

The layers selector is to the left of the three dots at the top right, and you can add layers and move layers as required. The background layer can’t be moved, but if you click on the eye icon, you can make that layer transparent.

I use my HP Chromebook 14” x360, and Google Canvas is very smooth and responsive. However, it doesn’t work as well on my mobile phone.  

You can access your drawings via the web, but that seems to have issues, so I usually just run it as an app on my Chromebook. https://canvas.apps.chrome/

A few tricks

  • Sometimes a lag begins to creep in as you are drawing. If that happens, close the app and restart, that fixes this issue.  
  • I use the default colours because if you do have to close the program, it can be challenging to find strange colours.
  • In the Home area (click on the little house), three dots appear at the bottom of your drawing, and this is where you save and duplicate your work. I use the duplicate function a lot because if you make a mistake, you can easily pick up where you left off especially, as the autosave is destructive.
  • Move layers by click and hold the layer until a blue line appears under the layer, then you can drag it.
  • I save the finished drawing to an SD card, rather than using the cloud because sometimes there are some issues with my desktop accessing Google Canvas
  • I use a Dimples Excel Precision Stylus rather than my finger. Once you get used to the drawing with a little disc on the end of the stylus, it’s perfect and is an absolute joy for drawing.
    On Amazon
  • There is no palm rejection, so a drawing glove helps, but it’s not much of an issue for me.

There are not a lot of functions, like scale, editing, and copy/paste, but if you want to have a nice responsive sketch pad, the Google Canvas is AWESOME!

 

Flutegirl Playing an EWI Electronic Wind Instrument Akai 4000s

EWI Goodness

A member recently asked me which EWI I would recommend.

What is an EWI?

EWI stands for Electronic Wind Instrument. These digital instruments don’t produce any sound out in the real world, but can be used with headphones or used to send a signal to a sound system and then mixed with other sounds via a mixer. You can also connect your EWI directly to a computer via MIDI and use your system as a sound module.

There are many advantages to EWI’s including:

  • No external sound, so you can practice at any time without disturbing others
  • Unlimited sounds. Because you can connect to a computer, you can make your EWI sound like anything from traditional instruments to sound effects.
  • EWI’s are by default tuned to C, you can change the instrument key with the flick of a switch. That means you can play the clarinet part without transposing the music.
  • You can change the fingering system on your EWI. If you are a clarinet player, you can have it play with the fingering, you know. I actually use the EWI fingering rather than the flute fingering because the EWI fingering is similar to the flute fingering, but has a lot more alternates. Also, on the EWI, the left thumb is used on rollers to change octave, you don’t have the B/Bb key, so having alternates to 1-1 for Bb is useful.
  • Easy to record. You can simply plug directly into your recording device, so if you have noisy neighbours, it doesn’t matter.

I have an Akai 4000s and have used it for many years. This version has 100 onboard sounds, so you don’t have to connect to change between a sax and an oboe. It runs on 4 AA batteries, and I use rechargeable ones and find they last for 5 - 7 hours. I plug it into my mixer via a ¼” mono cable. I also run it through a reverb, though the EWI has a built-in reverb.

Alistair Parnell has the best EWI lessons on YouTube. He covers everything from setup to tricks and tips that will help you get the most out of your EWI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMoSH4YH1-U

Another fantastic resource for all things EWI is the Patchman site. https://www.patchmanmusic.com/ in the Wind Controller Forum https://www.patchmanmusic.com/forum/, you can talk with other EWI users and find even more resources.

Three main kinds of Akai EWI

 

Play Along music videos on the amazon fire stick

The Fire Stick
and the Flutegirl

Once upon a time, there was a Fire Stick, and it met flutegirl. They lived happily ever after.

A flutegirl member recently asked if it was possible to use play-along music videos on their TV using an Amazon Fire Stick. The answer is yes. There is no flutegirl app, but you can use the internet browser on Fire Stick (Amazon Silk Web Browser). I used my parent’s set up to check this out and here are my findings.

First, typing in the full address https://flutegirl.ca is a big pain in the neck, so I simply type in flutegirl.ca  

However, this may send you to an insecure version of flutegirl.ca (described below). If that happens, you can click on the logo at the top, and it will take you to a secure version of flutegirl.ca.

Your user name and password are case sensitive, so make sure you capitalize appropriately.

Tip

If you click on the Hamburger (explained below) at the top right, you can bookmark flutegirl.ca, and when you start the Silk Web Browser, you can go directly to flutegirl.ca.

The Fire Stick seems to remember your login, but I’m not sure for how long or if the power goes off.

The streaming MP4 videos work the best and to make them full screen, you can click on the little box on the bottom right.

Steps

These instructions also apply to other Smart TV setups like Roku.  

  1. Find the Internet app on your Smart TV
  2. Type in flutegirl.ca
  3. Click on the ‘secure’ website button at the top of the page
  4. Bookmark the page
  5. Login
  6. Have fun

 

flutegirl reading Patricia Briggs Storm Cursed

“Storm Cursed” by Patricia Briggs is the 11th book in the Mercy Thompson series. http://patriciabriggs.com/books/

I read a couple of books a week, mostly hard Sci-fi but sometimes fantasy. The Mercy Thompson series is a quick and delightful read. Very basically, Mercy is a shapeshifting Coyote who has close ties to a werewolf pack and is also friends with a Vampire and a Gremlin. In her spare time from her car mechanic business, she saves the world from supernatural threats.

“Storm Cursed” opens with some black witches creating miniature zombie goats and moves onto a plethora of strange and powerful zombies. Can Mercy save the world once again? Of course, she will and do it with her usual humour and her own unique style.

 

flutegirl and linux on a chromebook loading programs and tricks

Linux on Chromebook

With Windows 7 End of Life, I’ve had it with Windows. I have used Linux Mint on an old laptop but figured I would try using a Chromebook. For the majority of my computer activities, the Chromebook is terrific, and since you can now load Linux (Debian), it’s even better.
This video is very perfect, but here are the steps in list form:

  1. Turn on Linux beta in the settings
    The ‘Terminal’ will pop up and that’s where you type the commands

  2. Type:
    sudo apt update

  3. Type:
    sudo apt upgrade

  4. To install a program type:
    sudo apt install [name]

    Example:
    sudo apt install gimp
    sudo apt install LibreOffice

       

I mostly use Google apps, but it’s nice having the option of using Linux apps, especially for offline use.

 

Hamburger held aloft by flutegirl to talk about file management

The Hamburger

In today’s world, Hamburgers are delicious AND useful.  

Techie Parlance

The Hamburger is the three lines at the top right of many mobile programs and apps. Clicking on the Hamburger brings up a context menu, and that lets you do things like bookmark pages, print, save files and other things. These ‘other things’ change from app to app.  

To bring up the context menu, you can also use a two-finger click on a trackpad for laptops, ‘right click’ on a mouse for desktops. The Hamburger accomplishes the same thing but is mainly for touch screens and smart TV devices.

Foodie Parlance

Yummy!

 

flutegirl showing off her lovely watch to talk about time

TIME

So, here I sit, looking at my watch. My Niece just had a baby, and she and her mother are on their way to my parent’s house for a visit. They are late. My Mom has Altzheimers and is starting to freak out. My Dad, who is almost ninety, is beginning to lose it as well. Mom has now decided to burn some toast in protest, and as I sit in the smoke-filled kitchen, I pondered the importance of time.

Tactus

Initially, musicians kind of just played what they wanted when they wanted, and everything was very loosey-goosey. The Tactus, which came into fashion during the Medieval period, changed all that. 

Rather like the second hand on a watch, it was around 60 beats per minute and was a down-up motion. Sometimes they used a large stick that was struck on the floor. These days we use a metronome or a conductor. This invention kept all the musicians synchronized.

Time Signature

As time passed the time, signatures were refined into what we know today. The top number is the number of beats in a bar and the bottom number shows which note gets a beat.

6/8 time would mean there are 6 beats in a bar, and the eighth note gets the beat.  

4/4 time (also known as Common time) means there are 4 beats in a bar, and the quarter note gets the beat.

2/4 time indicates there are two beats in the bar, and the quarter note gets the beat.

Emphasis

Each time signature creates a different feeling. 

3/4 time is used in a Waltz and causes a lilting quality. That’s because the strong beat is the first, so it feels like (STRONG-weak-weak).  

6/8 time, which technically has the same number of eighth notes in a bar, has a different feeling because the emphasis is different. (STRONG-weak-weak-STRONG-weak-weak) in one bar.

Reggae is in 4/4 time, but the emphasis is on the 3rd beat, so it’s (weak-weak-STRONG-weak).  

A March, in 4/4 time has a strong 1st and 3rd beat, or, (STRONG-weak-STRONG-weak).

All this makes me think,
“Where is my sister? Mom is burning more toast!”

 

Video Format Containers with flutegirl holding a tea pot and bag milk

Video Format

I have in my hands,
two different containers. 

Though they both hold liquids, one is for Tea, and one is for milk. A side note here: I live in Ontario, Canada, and we get our milk in bags. This isn’t true of all provinces, mostly Ontario and Quebec, I think. Greta Thunberg would be proud! Probably more proud if we drank our milk directly from the cow, or didn’t drink milk for that matter, but I digress.

This is my analogy for video formats. Let’s say the milk is for .avi (AVI) format, and the Teapot (which my Mom made) is .mp4 (MP4). Both can be swapped for the other, but it’s a little messy and usually a bit unnecessary. Both AVI and MP4 are video types, but they are within different containers. One is generally better than the other in certain instances.

MP4’s

MP4’s are the type used by HTML 5 (the coding language of the Internet) and are used for streaming videos. YouTube uses MP4 format, and so do I for streaming the videos on pennywill.com. The next bit is subjective, but I have noticed the blacks are much blacker in MP4 video, though I don’t think the sound is as good. This is the best format for watching movies and is used by Netflix and can also be shrunk down for phones and tablets without losing much clarity. Phones seem to play this type of file better, but sometimes I get warnings that they may not play. They do, but it may be the file size or aspect ratio that is concerning my phone.

AVI’s

AVI videos play better on older equipment. I think the sound is better, and they seem to look better with a 4:3 aspect ratio. That’s why I use the AVI files when I’m performing. I can pop them onto a thumb drive, and they will play just fine on practically ancient laptops or tablets. When I’m practicing every morning, I use AVI files because that what I started with and I am nothing if not a creature of habit.

Video Player

Whenever I’m playing on old equipment, I’m usually running Linux or even Windows XP, and my goto video player is VLC. It’s free, and it has excellent features, like speeding up or slowing down the video, random, and repeat. I also like using software that works the same on different operating systems and devices. When performing, I don’t want to have to remember all kinds of other commands and functionality.


There are many other types of Video containers. I don’t use those on flutegirl.ca because my videos are small and, so I don’t really need to worry about more efficient formats.

 


01WhiteOut flutegirl holding a tube of whiteout

White-out Pens,
the musician’s friend

I love white-out pens. 

Back thousands of years ago, when I was taking ‘typing’ in high school (yes, that was a real subject), we were warned of the evils of white-out. My bottle of white-out, with a brush, was precious to me. Not only did I use white-out for doing french nails, but I could also label my pencil case and running shoes. I was the talk of the school.

Years passed, and now through the miracle of invention, there are white-out pens. These pens have a little, retractable tip, keeping the liquid fresh.

White-out pens are indispensable
for musicians and techies. 

02WhiteOut flutegirl climbing on a music stand

I have labelled all my gig equipment, stands and cases, and find them particularly handy for adapters. I must have a hundred adapters for various bits of kit, from synthesizers to pedals and beyond. When I label an adapter, I know for sure it’s for my Zoom H4n and not my small humidifier. 

WhiteOut flute music adapters

I also use my white-out pen to make sure I have proper cord connections and quick reminders for setting up equipment with speed and efficiency.

Heck, I even label pill bottles, and once the white-out dries, you can add hilarious eyes.

04WhiteOut showing a mixer marked up with each output

I keep a white-out pen in my gig bag and another one in my purse, and you should consider doing the same.

 

a rose by any other name all about enharmonic transposition

Enharmonic Transposition

A rose by any other name
would smell as sweet.

A note by any other name
would sound the same.

Notes can have other names.

Here is a quick list:

B# = C

C# = Db

D# = Eb

E# = F

F# = Gb

G# = Ab

A# = Bb

B# = C

I didn’t list double flats or double sharps, but this gives you the idea. The usual practice is to use sharp accidentals for the sharp keys and use flat accidentals for flat keys. I write to make it quick and easy to read, so I mix them. Even if convention dictates an A#, I find it easier to break that rule and use Bb. When I see a Bb, my fingers go there, when I see A#, I get stunned because it’s more unusual to see A# than Bb. Especially, if you learned flute in band class, as flats are much more common than sharps.

SSL certificate adding an S to the http in address bar

Security

Flutegirl.ca is a secure site. What does this mean?  

I have an SSL Certificate for flutegirl.ca, which is basically like an online ID Card. This lets your computer know flutegirl.ca is legit, and information that goes back and forth is secure from prying eyes. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer and is like a set of keys. Your computer and flutegirl.ca connect with a “Handshake,” establishing security protocols (exchange keys) and off you go, logging into flutegirl.ca with confidence.

I also don’t use any tracking information. The only data retained is your login, and that’s done by your browser and set up and dictated by you. 

If you get to flutegirl.ca by another website that doesn’t have the address spelled correctly, you may land on flutegirl.ca and be told: “This is not a secure site.” If that happens, look at the address and at the beginning is Http:// it should be https:// That “s” stands for “Secure.” You can go to the Http and put an “s” in after the “p,” and it will change it to the secure site.

Save Save Save flutegirl.ca holding a usb drive aloft backing up files

To download any file, just right click (two finger gesture on a phone or touchpad) and save it to your device. You can save it to your main storage then move it to storage media, or save it directly to storage media.

 

Every Day Effort

Music's Greatest Lesson?

The Value of "Every Day Effort"

There are many studies extolling the virtues of music.
It helps develop a child's brain,
it improves hand-eye coordination,
it forestalls Alzheimer's;
but I think the greatest benefit of music is that it fosters an "every day effort" mindset.

In this day of montages in movies and a desire for instant fame and fortune, nothing is more important than developing the true key to success;

Every Day Effort

I'm not a world class flute, piano, or guitar player. In fact I'm rather ordinary, but I play every day.
At 8:00 a.m., I turn off my cell, pop on my headphones and play. I don't have any other criteria than that. I don't worry about how long I play, what I play, what instrument I play, and generally, have no goal in mind.
Some days it's horrible.
Some days I don't play for very long.
Some days I end up fiddling with electronic gadgets and do very little actual playing.
Occasionally, I have a great day, but more times than not, it's just an unremarkable day.

Unfortunately this "every day effort" mindset runs counter to the "lottery" thinking that pervades our society. So many people give up on music because they are not instantly great like this montage in August Rush

Thanks to movies and TV, we get used to the idea that long and tedious tasks can be accomplished by magic. Because this is unrealistic, as we try and learn something we invariably lose our way.

At some point you ask yourself,

* "Is there any point to this?"

* "I'm getting nowhere, should I give up?"

* "This is hard. Is it this hard for everybody?"

and worst of all

* "Isn't there a quicker way?"

Cue the dramatic music and enter the purveyors of the quick and magic solutions.

We've all seen these hucksters:

  • "Make millions with no investment, time, or effort."
  • "Buy a house with no money down, even if you don't have a job."
  • "Lose weight in days with this pill."
  • "Learn the computer in one seminar."
  • "Find your perfect mate by calling this toll free number."
  • "Learn a musical instrument in an hour.

After watching Rocky run up a few stairs to some inspirational music, then skip a bit of rope, only to become world boxing champion a few scenes later, these quick and easy solutions don't seem so far-fetched.
We all know, logically, that if we want to be the world boxing champion we have to train every day, for years, but we've been so inundated with the message that everything is instant and easy, that we've lost the ability to work slowly towards our goal.

Learning music is great for re-establishing the concept, 

"The slow and steady, wins the race."

Here are some tips that have helped me develop an 
"every day effort" mindset:

  1. Set a regular time. At first you may need to move the time around to accommodate work, family, your favourite TV show, food; whatever, but once you have a time that works, stick with it.
  2. Have everything ready to go, or at least handy. Nothing stops you faster than having to re-arrange furniture or drive somewhere.
  3. Don't watch the clock. In fact, don't have a clock anywhere near you. Work until you finish or become so wretchedly uncomfortable that you have to stop.
  4. Don't fret if "today" is wasted. You will always have bad days. Things will go wrong; don't sweat it. Even if you only lasted for 10 minutes, that's fine.
  5. Goals are good but don't become a slave to them. If you start of with a particular goal and get side-tracked, that's fine; that's how we discover new things.
  6. Enjoy it as much as you can, or at least take satisfaction in knowing that you put in some effort

A side benefit of learning music to develop every day effort, besides making you fun at parties, is this is transferable to other things in your life.
One of my YouTube channels recently passed the 16 million view mark. I don't have any viral videos. I wasn't written up in a premier website. It wasn't luck. What I do is work on that channel, slowly, every day.

Many of my videos are terrible. Many are experiments. Many are too short. Many are too long. I've deleted countless failures and I've re-issued some with improvements. Not everything has to be gold.

This is the incredibly valuable lesson of music. A little effort every day and you can move mountains.

10,000 hours, we are told; it takes 10,000 hours to become expert in something. I don't know if that's true or not, but if you take on the "every day effort" mindset, in 27 years you will be glad you did.

YouTube is in a state of flux at the moment,
but you can still watch the videos at:

pennywill.com the website with hundreds of song for flute

penny@pennywill.com