Pianist David Fritz Mr Music - newsletters

Since 15 January 2009 Singing Ivories is a weekly publication.
For your convenience all issues are now stored online.
Please click on the following link to read any issue online:
http://www.mr-music.co.za/newsletters.htm

 

Singing Ivories Newsletter is sent only to my private e-mail list.
I value your privacy and never share your info with others.

 

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may enjoy it.
 
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1.  Overture.

 

Just when I thought, "Wow, everything's running so smoothly", bang!

 

On Sunday 11 October I released my 7th CD, Soothing Ivories
volume 2 and spent a wonderful afternoon with a group of my friends,
some of you, celebrating my birthday and the release of my CD.

 

Then on Monday 12 October we had a thunderstorm, and the first
bolt of lightning struck some power cables, leaving us
"powerless" till the Tuesday evening.

 

On the Wednesday morning my pc wouldn't boot: the long
and short of it, a hard disk crash, which left me
pc-less and communication-less till yesterday.

 

Sorry for the unplanned 2-week silence, but I'm so happy
to be back on track again.

 

I will prepare the ring tone and recipe for October
and let you have it next week, together with
November's MP3-of-the-month.

 

Please take the time to read Alex green's
thoughts on why you should slow down:
today's main article in the "Intermission" section.

 

Right, let's start!

 

2.  "Minuet in G".

 

Today I brought a well-known piano piece,
Beethoven's Minuet in G to usher us into this section of my newsletter
in which I discuss new and recent events.

 

Click on the following link to listen to an excerpt from
the piece:
http://www.mr-music.co.za/sample-0097.mp3

 

- Musical term explained: Ländler

 

The Ländler is an Austrian country dance in a slow triple metre.
It was a precursor of the waltz.

 

- Looking ahead

 

- MP3-of-the-month

 

With every first issue of the month I will be
giving you a unique and special piece of music.

 

Unique, because you cannot buy it or download it
anywhere else!

 

Special, because these are pieces I have composed or will compose,
play and record myself, and which I will only make available to
you, at no cost.

 

If you've missed September or October's song, scroll down to
section 4 to get it.

 

- E-book-of-the-month

 

Every second Thursday of the month you can look forward
to receiving another e-book at 0-cost.

 

This month I brought a classic for you, "As a man thinketh",
by James Allen.

 

If you missed September or October's book(s), scroll down to
section 4 to get it.

 

- Ring-tone-of-the-month

 

On the third Thursday of every month I give you a ring tone: something
smooth/cool/romantic/sophisticated, so that you never have to cringe,
no matter when or where your phone rings.

 

September's ring tone was the very popular
slow movement from Mozart's 21st piano concerto.

 

If you missed it, scroll down to section 4 to
get it.

 

- Recipe-of-the-month

 

With the fourth issue of every month you will
be receiving a recipe. Not just any recipe, but one that I invented
and concocted successfully myself.

 

Last month's recipe was "Mincester Bake".

 

Scroll down to section 4 if you have not
downloaded it yet, to get it.

 

- Soothing Ivories volume 2

 

Yes, it's out!

 

Have you downloaded your F*R*E*E copy yet?

 

SPECIAL OFFER

 

The standard selling price for this album is R120, excluding
postage or delivery.

 

As usual with the launch of a new album, I have
a special introductory offer for you.

 

You can now order Soothing Ivories volume 2 for
only R100 per CD, postage/delivery included: that's a
whole 33% discount!

 

Due to my pc mishaps, I have extended this special offer
to 14 November.

 

With year-end fast approaching, now's the time to jump in and
order a few copies to give as presents.

 

To order, simply reply to this e-mail or send
a new e-mail with title:
Soothing Ivories volume 2 order
to
david@mr-music.co.za

 

I will respond with payment and delivery details.

 

Then make your payment and prepare yourself to listen to my best album yet.

 

These albums are very unique, very special,
and are not available in any stores, making them
ideal presents.

 

- Music for functions

 

By now you know that you can contact me to provide any kind of
music, for any type of function.

 

Although I specialize in performing as pianist, I
also appear in other groups, e.g. as keyboardist for
Sounds Exciting, as keyboardist/vocalist for Dee Jay Destiny; even
as DJ myself.

 

Near or far, for 2 or 200, at dusk or dawn:
I will come and add my magic touch to turn your event into
something memorable.
 
Not to mention the publicity you'll get via my site and newsletter!

 

You know the drill by now: just e-mail me with details,
I will respond with a written quote, then we'll take things from there.
Just e-mail me at:
david@mr-music.co.za

 

3.  Intermission.

 

Why you need to slow down
by Alexander Green

 

Dear Spiritual Wealth Reader,

 

Two weeks ago, a grilled ham and cheese on rye disappeared right before
my eyes.

 

It was in front of me when I flipped on the TV to watch the U.S. Open in
Flushing Meadows. But just a few minutes later it had vanished.

 

All that was left on my plate was a piece of crust and a spot
of pickle juice.

 

True, there were a few crumbs on my shirt. And my wife detected the faint
smell of Dijon mustard on my breath.

 

Hmm. Perhaps even Inspector Clouseau could solve this one. Apparently,
I hadn't eaten the sandwich. I had inhaled it.

 

How much in our lives is the victim of this kind of distraction and
mindlessness?

 

Probably more than we're willing to admit.

 

People around us are talking but we aren't listening. We're divided
between what is happening here and what is happening somewhere else.
Or we're thinking about what is happening tomorrow… or 15 minutes
from now.

 

In the process, we miss a lot.

 

Modern society puts a premium on speed and efficiency, too. We figure
we can accomplish more by doing two or three things at once.

 

But this distraction often comes at a price.

 

John Freeman, editor of Granta and author of the forthcoming book, The
Tyranny of E-mail, writes, "We will die, that much is certain; and
everyone we have ever loved will die, too, sometimes – heartbreakingly –
before us… Busyness numbs the pain of this awareness, but it can never
totally submerge it. Given that our days are limited, our hours precious,
we have to decide what we want to do, what we want to say, what and
who we care about, and how we want to allocate our time to these things
within the limits that do not and cannot change. In short, we need to slow
down."

 

He has a point.

 

~ Doctors say slower breathing is one of the simplest ways to better
health. Deep breathing lowers stress and reduces systolic blood pressure. It
allows oxygen to get down to the smallest airways in our lungs, the
alveoli, where the oxygen exchange is most efficient. Quick, shallow
breathing causes our bodies to release less nitrous oxide, so our organs and
tissues are less oxygenated.

 

~ Eat slower and you will eat less. There is a lag time between when the
stretch receptors in your stomach signal it is time to stop eating and your
brain gets the message.

 

If you slow your intake, you won't just savour your meals more.
Researchers at the University of Rhode Island discovered that people who
eat slowly consume 70 less calories per meal. Multiply that by three meals
a day and you'll drop 20 pounds over the next year.

 

~ Slowness won't hurt your love life. Mae West once remarked that
anything worth doing is worth doing slowly… very slowly. Marriage
counsellor Lori Buckley of Pasadena agrees, "Often, the first thing to
disappear from a marital relationship is the long, lingering, teasing kiss."
See if your significant other doesn't agree.

 

~ Slowing down prevents accidents. It's impossible to calculate the
number of motorists killed or injured each year because they were in a
rush. Insurance companies have found that the overwhelming majority of
job-site accidents are traceable to hurrying. You actually save time, do
better work and prevent more injuries by slowing down.

 

~ Slowness is part of successful money management. Some folks realize
late in life that they haven't saved enough for retirement. To make up for
lost time, they often decide to roll the dice by trading risky derivatives
(futures and options), penny stocks, or hot tips from friends and
colleagues. Big mistake. When it comes to meeting long-term investment
goals, the tortoise beats the hare.

 

~ A more deliberate pace enhances your quality of life. There's an old
Chinese saying, "Man in hurry cannot walk with dignity." A constant
flurry of activity doesn't present an attractive image. It creates stress and
anxiety. It causes us to miss much of what is going on around us. As the
philosopher Lin Yutang noted, the wise man is not hurried and the hurried
man is not wise.

 

Deep down, most of us realize this. But it never hurts to be reminded –
and perhaps take things down a notch.

 

More than 150 years ago, clergyman and Transcendentalist, William
Henry Channing, described the slower, more relaxed life as his
"Symphony":

 

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and
wealthy, not rich… to study hard, to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and
unconscious, grow up through the common – this is my symphony."

 

We all have obligations and deadlines, of course. But hurry and extreme
future-mindedness impoverish the present.

 

What we value most are love, friendship, solace, beauty and humour. These things
are best communicated face to face in a calm, relaxed setting.

 

Slowing down enhances your sense of gratitude, improves your mental
and physical health, allows you to gain control of your life, let's you
appreciate beauty and enables you to reconnect with those around you.

 

So take a moment to enjoy what's right in front of you before it's gone.

 

Even if it's only a grilled ham and cheese on rye.

 

Carpe Diem,

 

Alex

 

Would you like to subscribe to Spiritual Wealth?
Just click on the link below. It's free:

 

 

For comments or queries, e-mail me at:
david@mr-music.co.za

 

4.  "Dances with wolves".

 

Today I brought "Dances with wolves", a harmonica
rendition, to lead us into this section of the
newsletter in which I remind you of
things to diarize and do.
 
Click on the link below to listen to an excerpt from the piece:
http://www.mr-music.co.za/sample-0098.mp3

 

Thank you to all of you who are doing some and/or
all of the things suggested. May you have lots of fun doing them.
 
Make this another memorable week by diarizing and
doing as suggested below:
 
- DATES TO DIARIZE

 

- 02 November - 17h30, UJ Arts Centre, F*R*E*E Sundowner Concert,
  Kristel Birkholtz (violin) and Michael Watt (piano)
- 09 November - 17h30, UJ Arts Centre, F*R*E*E Sundowner Concert,
  A recital by the wonderful piano duo, Tatiana Bogomolova and Brian Bekker.
  They will be playing the Brandenburg Concerto No 5 (1st movement) by Bach,
  Mozart’s Sonata in D K381 and the Nutcracker Suite Op 71 A by Tchaikovsky

 

- THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK
 
- Bake a bread
- Buy a bunch of fresh flowers for yourself (your home)
- Buy a box of blank CD's to dish out to 
  colleagues/family/friends who are running short
- Invite a group of family and/or friends over for
  a table tennis competition; for every game loser(s) pay
  R2 into the kitty and winner(s) pay R5 into the kitty;
  at the end of the evening the top winner nominates
  the charity/cause of his/her choice to receive the funds in the kitty
- Order a few copies of Soothing Ivories volume 2
  at the special introductory price, to give as presents

 

- Reminders

 

- Downloaded "cool yet? Get it by clicking on this link:
http://www.mr-music.co.za/mp3month001.htm
- Downloaded "The 4 symphonies of stress" yet? If not,
  right click on the following link, then click on
  "Save target as", then on the following screen click on "Save":
http://www.mr-music.co.za/books/4-symphonies.pdf
- Downloaded the Mozart 21 ring tone yet? To get it,
  click on the following link. You will be taken to a download 
  page where you can choose the ring tone download in a file  
  format best suited to your phone:
http://www.mr-music.co.za/ringtone001.htm
- downloaded and prepared your september-2009 recipe yet?
http://www.mr-music.co.za/recipes/david-fritz-mincester-bake.txt
- Downloaded "Spiff" yet? Get it by clicking on this link:
http://www.mr-music.co.za/mp3month002.htm
- Downloaded "As a man thinketh" yet? If not,
  right click on the following link, then click on
  "Save target as", then on the following screen click on "Save":
http://www.mr-music.co.za/books/thinketh.pdf

 

5.  Encore

 

The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews,
and testing were done there were 3 finalists. Two men and a woman.

 

For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal door and handed him a gun.

 

"We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what
the circumstances. Inside the room you will find your wife sitting
in a chair. Kill Her!

 

The man said, "You can't be serious, I could never shoot my wife."

 

The agent said, "Then you're not the right man for this job.
Take your wife and go home."

 

The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room.

 

All was quiet for about 5 minutes. The man came out with tears in his eyes, "I tried, but I can't kill my wife."

 

The agent said, "You don't have what it takes. Take your wife
and go home."

 

Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to kill her husband.

 

She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after another.

 

They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was quiet.

 

The door opened slowly and there stood the woman. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

 

"This gun is loaded with blanks" she said. "I had to beat him to death with the chair."

 

MORAL: Women are evil. Don't mess with them
Pass on this advice !!

 

...

 

Today I'll take my leave with the beautiful
"You're still the one", sung by Shania Twain.

 

Click on this link to listen to an excerpt from the song:
http://www.mr-music.co.za/sample-0099.mp3

 

"(When I first saw you, I saw love.
And the first time you touched me, I felt love.
And after all this time, you're still the one I love.)

 

Looks like we made it;
look how far we've come my baby;
we mighta took the long way;
we knew we'd get there someday;
they said, "I bet they'll never make it";
but just look at us holding on;
we're still together still going strong.

 

Chorus
You're still the one I run to;
the one that I belong to;
you're still the one I want for life;
you're still the one that I love;
the only one I dream of;
you're still the one I kiss good night.

 

Ain't nothin' better;
we beat the odds together;
I'm glad we didn't listen;
look at what we would be missin';
they said, "I bet they'll never make it";
but just look at us holding on;
we're still together still going strong.

 

Chorus
You're still the one I run to;
the one that I belong to;
you're still the one I want for life;
you're still the one that I love;
the only one I dream of;
you're still the one I kiss good night.

 

Instrumental interlude

 

Chorus
You're still the one I run to;
the one that I belong to;
you're still the one I want for life;
you're still the one that I love;
the only one I dream of;
you're still the one I kiss good night.

 

I'm so glad we made it;
look how far we've come my baby."

 

Love and the best music
 
David
Mr Music
Music with impact ...
(C) 072-265-3963
(F) 086-588-2632
 
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