Improvisation

Improvisation.
I have always loved this word. To me, I think it has become a guiding principle of my day-to-day living. Although it is often associated with music, I think it is a life-skill that we all need to utilize, and it is certainly a skill I hope my students learn.

So… a short essay on music improvisation, and then how it applies to our creative worlds.

Music Improv…
I was trained to play classical piano, taking lessons from the ages of six until eighteen. I achieved what is known as Grade 10 at the Conservatory of Toronto. The Conservatory was a system setup throughout Canada that allowed for a very systematic approach to studying and progressing through levels of music study on the piano. To help finance my college education, I even taught piano to children, and for a short stint, played during the Happy Hour in the Faculty Lounge of the University I attended (now as a student, THAT was interesting).

I would not say that I am amazingly talented, but I happen to love classical music and have gained a pretty rounded knowledge of the various composers over time. After many years of setting the piano aside (in the years my children were growing up), I finally came back to it, and now have renewed my love of playing. But… I play for me and few others. I simply don’t have the time to practice as would be necessary to perform for others. Still, I spend many wee hours of the night playing for my cat. She is my greatest fan.

I have always wanted to be able to sit down and just ‘play’, but sometimes when you are trained to read music, it is hard to have the ‘ear’ for it. A few years ago, I took some lessons from one of my son’s friends… he ‘simply played’. That was a new starting point for me, and now, I think finally, I am starting to get it. I am learning to improvise. I have been learning new things… chord modulations, the IVth and the Vth, the minor fall, the major lift. (it reminds me of a Leonard Cohen song… Hallelujah, also sung by K.D. Lang). It is exciting, to say the least.

As I sit at the piano, making music, and not knowing what will come next, (yet somehone most of it sounds decent), I marvel at the word Improvise. I think it is one of my favorite words.

When do we as creative people improvise?
When:
• we accidentally cut a hole in the garment we are in the middle of making.
• we run out of yarn for a project and must figure out what to do about that.
• we are cooking something and realize we don’t have one of the ingredients.
• we lose a pattern piece and have to figure out what to do about that.
• the project didn’t turn out as planned, and yet we want to wear it.
• we forget what we started to say… and have to finish the sentence.
• we don’t have all the right tools for a task, we must figure out what to use instead (like the time I used a bowl to cut out the opening for my head in a hat.. I tried on various bowls in my kitchen until I found the right one).
• you don’t have a pattern for something, but you want to make it.. (maybe you simply lay down your hand and trace it to create the glove pattern).
• the iron is too hot and you either scorch or melt the fabric.
• you accidentally shrink something in the laundry... and it becomes the latest fashion.

and I am sure, you readers can come up with more.

Please share.

No matter what the technique, or the art, one of your greatest assets will be the ability to utilize the art of improvisation.

Why Verona

I have had several friends ask me why I continue to go back to Verona, Italy. I think I shall share the reasons with those of you who read this blog.

There are a few reasons:

First, Verona is the perfect-sized city for my tastes. With a population of about 350,000, it is just the right size. The city is not so large that you can’t figure it out quickly, and the ‘centro’ has amazing things, like Piazza’s, cafes, gelaterias, etc. Built around the Adige River, Verona has amazing charm as it weaves in and around the river. There are various bridges, and one describes things in the city by the vicinity to the bridge. It reminds me very much of Portland, Oregon, where I used to live and still remember fondly.

The city is very safe. I often walk home after an evening out, late at night and I have never been fearful for myself. Here you see a picture I took last night (it snowed!), as I walked home at midnight.

The people are friendly. I have never had a bad experience. Granted, I am attempting to learn the language, but even still, I find the Italians very gracious and kind.

There is a lot of history here, as Verona is a medieval city, and you are constantly reminded of this as you walk around. I soak all this up on a daily basis. Here is Juliet's balcony... and her statue. Note: People touch her breast for good luck!



The culture is wonderful. There are plenty of concerts (classical and other), galleries, museums, and entertainments. So far on this trip, I have been to the opera, to a Russian Dance presentation, and I plan to go to a piano concert, a tango dance presentation, the photography museum, a modern art exhibit (on loan from the Louvre), and various other things. These are my rewards for working diligently on writing projects during the day.
Here is the opera Cin-ci-la.

For me, the fashion is great! There are two main streets where fashion can be seen, and the vendors change the windows on a regular basis, so the window shopping is fantastic.
Look at Dolce and Gabanna’s window display!

I enjoy living the every day life. I have done a lot of travel in the ‘adventure mode’, but when I travel alone, I either want to be with an organized adventure group (like Overseas Adventure Travel), or in a situation where I am completely comfortable being by myself. I love going to the grocery store and the vegetable market, and it is wonderful to be greeted by the vendors. I cook most of my own meals, and am now venturing into translating Italian recipes (all in the plan to learn the language).

And of course, an important reason for my continual return is, is the family I have met, who have made me feel welcome, have assisted me with plans, travel, etc., and who in general have made me feel almost like one of the family. Meet the Campolongo’s. Bruno (left), who I teasingly call Popeye, because he can fix anything, Santina (center) who is my ‘professoressa’ of Italian (she speaks no English), and Andrea, (right) who is the landlord, and has put himself out to arrange things for me in my field of study. Yesterday he lined up a visit to the costume collection at the opera house. I will be preparing a blog entry on that.

I am here in the month of January for a couple of reasons; first, to see Verona in the winter, but more importantly, to continue the finalizing of a Design Retreat I am hosting here this coming June. I am bringing eight American/Canadian women over, and together we will study fashion, art, food, wine, etc. It will be amazing. I can’t wait to share what I have learned of this city. Again, I will be blogging more about that in future. I hope to do this every summer, so if any of you are interested to be kept abreast of future plans, shoot an email to Sonia or me at cochenille (info@cochenille.com) or watch our events page. We do have a couple of other workshops planned in the U.S.

Best of all… I feel I am able to slow down when I come to Verona. Perhaps it is how the Italians live, and it is rubbing off on me. Perhaps it is because I don’t know many people, I have no daily phone or Internet, or perhaps, I actually give myself permission. Amazingly, I am very productive with my writing projects, but I still have time to read, write for pleasure, journal, and contemplate my navel.

So, there you have the ‘short list’. If as a reader you are interested in coming to Verona, check out the website of the Campolongo’s apartments (they have two). It is at www.myapartmentinverona.com. I plan to share more on this topic as well in future.

Ciao!
Susanna (while in Italy)

Done #5: Maddy's Blanket

Still catching up on blogging the Done's!...
This project began with an invitation… to my friend Carol’s daughter’s baby shower. I decided to make part of my gift, so I found some “fashionable” flannelette and purchased it to make a baby blanket.

Here you see the soon-to-be mama… Emily. (Thanks Suzanne for the shot).

I then used Garment Designer to create a quick ‘shape’ that I could use as a template for the corner for the blanket.

I cut out two layers of flannelette, and then proceeded to create the trim. Time was running short, and in the end, I didn’t like the trim I had prepared, … it just didn’t work, so I didn’t sew it in place, and took the unfinished blanket to the baby shower (along with my other little gift).

So… time flew, and the hunt for a better fabric for trim began. I finally found it, but the semester at the college took over, and I somehow never managed to finish the project.. Besides, the baby wasn’t born yet.

OK.. so, Maddy was born on Nov. 5th. I finally got to see her over the Christmas holidays, and I was able to deliver the final gift.

Here you can see me cutting the trim, a great polka-dot fabric.


I use this helpful tool to create the bias strips. Simply pull it the strip through and press as you go, and you get a folded bias tape.


Then, I sew the folded trim in place.

I decided to try the Embroidery function built into my Brother QC1000. Without reading the manual or anything, I was able to simply press in Maddy’s name, and her birthdate, and let the sewing machine do all the work! Wow!! I was impressed.



The finished blanket!

Here is Emily and Maddy, modeling the final product.

Twiddle Dee, Twiddle Dum… just another day of working at being a baby! Isn’t she gorgeous?

A Problem... Italian word

I am in trouble. There is a word appearing everywhere here which can only cause problems to me and anyone like me.

The word?


Saldi... which as you have guessed.. means 'Sale'.

As soon as the New Year hit, so did the signs in all the stores. It was like Black Friday in the States.

I learned.. if you don't move quick (I was trying to restrain myself).. you lose. Below is the sweater I wanted and lost... sold out.

I did try on the skirt below, but it didn't fit right... so I will have to make one with Garment Designer.

Of course.. I did find a few things... ahem... but I am working on restraint, even though I do save most of my clothing budget for here.

To Start 2010... Nella Fantasia

I thought I would share with you the lyrics in both English and Italian. This would be my wish for 2010 and all future years.

With music by famed composer Ennio Morricone and lyrics by Chiara Ferraù.

My favorite soundtrack is by Russell Watson, a British singer. Check it out on I-Tunes. There are various artists who sing it, but I like Russell Watson's voice the best. It is on his album called The Voice (which is apparently not on I-tunes, but you can find it on a compilation album called Classic Love: The Ultimate Ballads Album.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

In my fantasy I see a fair world,
Where everyone lives in peace and honesty.
I dream of a place to live that is always free,
Like a cloud that floats,
Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.

In my fantasy I see a bright world
Where each night there is less darkness.
I dream of spirits that are always free,
Like the cloud that floats.

In my fantasy exists a warm wind,
That breathes into the city, like a friend.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like the cloud that floats,
Full of humanity in the depths of the soul


ITALIANO
Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo giusto,
Li tutti vivono in pace e in onestà.
Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere,
Come le nuvole che volano,
Pien' d'umanità in fondo all'anima.

Nella fantasia io vedo un mondo chiaro,
Li anche la notte è meno oscura.
Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere,
Come le nuvole che volano.

Nella fantasia esiste un vento caldo,
Che soffia sulle città, come amico.
Io sogno d'anime che sono sempre libere,
Come le nuvole che volano,
Pien' d'umanità in fondo all'anima

[ Nella Fantasia Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo from Verona

I was not sure what to expect of a European city during the holiday season. Do they get into the festivities as much as Canadians and Americans? I love the holidays, and I was a little nervous about being away from home during part of them; i.e. New Years.

Well, I am pleased to say, that I had a wonderful New Year’s Eve, It can be a little daunting being in a city where you know few people, and maneuvering everything da solo (by myself).

So, here is how my New Year’s Eve went.





I began my evening around 8:30 p.m. by going to see Piazza Bra which houses the Roman Arena (where the opera takes place in summer). This is Verona’s equivalent of Times Square in New York City. You can see a little of the Roman arena on the left.


Then, I made my way to Teatro Nuovo to attend “Russia Eterna” a Russian dance and music presentation. It began at 9:30 (as most things do in this city) and ended at 11:20. Then, champagne (brindisi I think it is called) and Panettone (a type of raisin bread) was served in the lobby. Here you can see the inside of the teatre and a few shots of the dancers.


After that, I walked back down Via Manzzinni (one of the main fashion streets) to Piazza Bra. Now, the Piazza was crowded with people from all parts of the world. Live music was playing and the fireworks had started (from inside the Roman Arena). There air was charged with excitement. As midnight approached, fireworks started. There was a live band playing. The midnight countdown happened, and the cheering occurred: this is a universal language. Then, one of my favorite songs was played, Nella Fantasia. It brought tears to my eyes… pretty emotional.

Once the fireworks ended, I slowly started to make my way home, and enjoyed watching all the families celebrating the New Year together. Fantastico!

Verona: a City of Lights

It’s chilly here! Almost like being back in Canada. The temperature is down in the 30’s and 40’s (Fahrenheit), and it actually snowed today.

Yet, the city is alive. As you can see by these images, Verona dresses itself for the holidays… in lights. Last year, 2008, when I was here in early November doing research for my sabbatical, I had watched the lights start to go up, but I never got to see them lit. So, this was my reward for patience.


The city will remain lit until January 6th.