Category Archives: Delta Ladies

Painted Smiles

Delta Ladies, Diana Stones Songs, glass cage, music, Musings, other, whatever

Especially for winter. The Valentine’s day post. There are a lot of very lonely people about of a certain age it seems.

My muse is battered from overuse. I really need to creatively decompress a bit. I have been busy rehearsing new material for the 3 acts I play with and my brain is just a little fried. Ears get tired two and it’s not always possible to know what one is hearing. I haven’t run out of ideas by any means but I am getting a bit jaded and need a palette cleanser. Possibly a bit more outside influence to spice it up a little? Sometimes having total creative freedom can work against the process. The trouble is If I stop I feel I wont get started again. So I plough on perhaps slightly mechanistically.

I recorded this song at the time of writing.
DON’T NEED MY PERMISSION

Here be monsters, when I read the news. Its not getting any better. You can it seems die of innocence in many parts of the world. On my drive to rehearsals the signs of an early spring are popping up. Its also very warm again for this time of year. A sign that the world is changing perhaps? Tell me if you have heard this one before. My body complains as ever so no change there. I am finding it difficult to keep up the effort to exercise daily, but hopefully over all I am doing enough.

Diana Stone at home.

Currently I am working on a new solo piano tune running through various variations on a theme. I will let it ferment a while.

Talking of ferment. Mostly things are jogging along reasonably OK as in having fun with music and having a bit of regular social contact. Really I can’t complain on that score. What’s going on in the world upsets me greatly. Gaza obviously. Ukraine I saw on a BBC news report is having munitions shortages now which makes me think that Putin “winning” is now very lightly indeed. Even Labour winning a couple of by-elections relatively locally did not give me much chear, as IMO as I feel they one simply by not being as awful as the other lot.

And as I type this:
“Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny dead, says prison service”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-68316979 Well no surprise there really. They got him in the end though they took their time about it..

I had a quick panic about possible unpaid bills and of course having checked I had indeed paid them on time. What triggered it was having more money than expected. Of course it’s now a year since having a reasonable stable income that is not dependent on music and performance.
My emotional brain has not caught up with my logical one yet it seems.

Diana Stone 5 Euro Hat from the Supermarche

Confidence and Imposter Syndrome

Delta Ladies, Diana Stones Songs, glass cage, history, Musings,

Some days you feel like a fraud. Well I do. Yes indeed. What’s to be done about it? I have got a little lazy recently, not learning things properly. It’s a mindset that is easy to get into. I was very anxious when I arrived at the gig yesterday. Much more than the last time I played there. I did relax as it progressed. Just one of those things I guess. If I was doing regular solo stuff I would be OK with it I think. So its all back to doing stuff locally a bit I guess if I want to try and progress that side of things more. I really do find that I cant learn stuff just for the sake of it. I have to apply it somehow for it to stick. Although I can still learn new tricks I need a reason or an external challenge to spur me on and make it stick. Solo is a rare thing for me and to be honest really a last resort unless I turn it in to a piano bar thing with lots of standards (American song book 30s to 50s) and some originals. I just prefer working with others. It’s a little less intense.My performances are a bit variable at times I feel.

The sun is out as I write today. Another week of rain expected though. I have two rehearsals this week to fit in. But not much else. I looked at a song I have written, and played it. It’s not quite ripe for recording yet though. So in the meantime I have started working on another idea.

So here is a recent one to be getting on with instead:

I must go now and check how the sunset is proceeding.

Diana Stone playing in the composing studio.

The sunset was excellent and I hartly approved of it. A very good effort indeed.

Saturday Random Thoughts

Delta Ladies, Diana Stones Songs, glass cage, music, Musings, whatever

Free will, does it exist? Search me. Well actually I would rather you didn’t unless we have been formally introduced. A typical day. A little bit of practise and rehearsal and publicity stuff (a quick piano video). And a slight headache too. I am doing a slightly more rigorous exercise regime at home now most days. Not sure its making any difference but one has to try. And I am tired again. Ho hum

This song “Tin foil hat on 1234” from last month seems to have been very popular, which is always a nice feeling. I have no idea what is about though, rather like many politicians recent speeches I have heard.

“Sometimes it’s good to remember, but not good to kiss and tell. I remember the things you did with when you had your wicked way and played the merry hell. But you left me with a smile on my face and just a little guilt. Often I was exhausted by your overwhelming ego and you passions that I could with stand, but oh those times were grand.”

“So once more around the park, though I have not now much spark. I will remember the snow in Reims and red wine, a motel and your loving grace“.

D.Stone 2024

The years come round quickly now I find. It looks like I am going to have a few gigs this year again. It should be fun I hope. 🙂 I need to get to a couple of local events from time to time. So I shall try and aim at that. If I had a few more local music mates I would be happy as a pig in shit. With the nice country side and so forth. I have a place I can make music in that’s warm and sound proof, shops and a pharmacy on the doorstep. If I can’t drive one day cabs will come here. So I am OK for the foreseeable. I don’t have any real hankering to go back to london other than for the occasional visit. The nearest I have got for quite a while is Enfield.
I have had a bit of a revelation: Why am I depressed? 1) Arthritis as the pain of that is tiring and does slow you down. 2) Getting tired/not having the energy and motivation to go to social or other music related events. 3) Not sleeping so well 4) Winter 5) Too much thinking about what I have lost due to the ravages of time. 6) Not enough shaging or rather zero, as also 1 on the list the arthritis also rather takes the fun out of that at times (not that I can remember that far back). Monogamy is overrated or was that monopoly 😉 I am still seeking counselling, but on a very basic level what I am really missing is a friend thats local. Not that you are not of course a friend but rather someone that is more attuned to my lifestyle, interests. If I were still London there would be people I could hang out with. I always feel much better having been to a rehearsal with people. My partner stops me from being lonely but our interests are very different so whilst we are company its not really enough. She will come back happier after her weekend away, though she won’t be able to quantify what she gained from it. It will simply be the effect of being part of a like minded social cohort.

Warning: Some or all of the above content may contain traces irony