knirirr Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 I've already posted elsewhere but realised I hadn't posted here, so: Currently I'm in Oxford (for the last 20 years) and was in Dundee and Edinburgh before that, playing jazz in various bands, both bass (when possible) and guitar (badly). The last one was all scientists and that folded a decade or more ago when we lost the pianist, trumpeter and saxophonist to new research contracts elsewhere. I've not played since then (too many other demands on my time, such as fencing) but I'm thinking that it's about time to get back into practice. Perhaps in another few years I may get some more gigs, but even if not it would be nice to play for personal enjoyment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Welcome to the Oxford Bass Collective, there's quite a few on here from Oxford and nearby. I'm out near Witney (but playing in Oxford tonight). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Good evening, Knirirr, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Welcome Knirirr. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knirirr Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 1 hour ago, FinnDave said: Welcome to the Oxford Bass Collective, there's quite a few on here from Oxford and nearby. I'm out near Witney (but playing in Oxford tonight). Thanks! Funnily enough, there are at least two more where I work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Welcome! Such a strong connection between science and music. Lots of my favourite science colleagues over the years have been good musicians. People who understand the structure in music and the art in good science. (And one of my PhD students is a fencer and classical piano player.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knirirr Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 12 hours ago, josie said: Welcome! Such a strong connection between science and music. Lots of my favourite science colleagues over the years have been good musicians. People who understand the structure in music and the art in good science. (And one of my PhD students is a fencer and classical piano player.) Thanks! If you don't mind me asking, what's your student's PhD on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 6 hours ago, knirirr said: If you don't mind me asking, what's your student's PhD on? Motivation for French language learning (I'm her mentor, not her academic supervisor). My own MSc students are mostly working on assistive software. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 3 minutes ago, josie said: Motivation for French language learning (I'm her mentor, not her academic supervisor). My own MSc students are mostly working on assistive software. When I (and my now-wife) were attended a private prep school in the 60s, we were completely demotivated by our French teacher, a short, stocky German woman, who made sure we had our text books open at the correct page, and then allowed us to do as we pleased. We didn't learn a whole lot of French! Many years later, when I again met the woman who is now my wife, she filled me in on some of the details of that teacher's 'career'. She (the teacher, not my wife) had later served 25 years at Her Majesty's pleasure after beating a shop assistant to death with a hammer. We obviously benefitted greatly from our parents' devoted scrimping and saving to keep us out of the state education system. Motivation for French language learning - zero. But I did learn a fair amount of Finnish as an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 It helps to be motivated to learn anything if you need to! I hated French at school, but I must have learned more than I thought, because I've won arguments with taxi drivers in north Africa. (Never again.) Amazing how much easier it is to spend as much time as I should practicing bass when I have a gig coming up 🙂 "Play for more than you can afford to lose... Only then will you learn the game." - Winston Churchill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knirirr Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Indeed, I found French at school to be dreadfully tedious and had little success, but now that I do have motivation to learn it ("you must sit an exam" was never motivating) I have managed to make a reasonable amount of progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 School exams can be deadly, but I've taken the bass guitar grade 1 and 2 exams and I did find them motivating. The syllabus is well designed, and they forced me to concentrate on important elements of playing that I would have neglected otherwise. (Getting a distinction for both was a nice confidence booster too 🙂 ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knirirr Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 As my current objective is to get a smaller instrument so I can easily practice at home, and then try to re-learn what I have forgotten over the last 15 years, such exams as you suggest could well be worth a try. If it's for my own entertainment rather than school compulsion then it should be a lot easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 http://rgt.org/exams/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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