vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
2025-01-03 04:18 pm

Good wheeling

One thing I was pleased about today is that I was wheeling myself well around the Kimono exhibition in between Martin pushing me. Definitely better than when I was at Tartan a year ago. I’m often very weak in my arms or otherwise struggling to control them. But this morning my arms and also hand grip were good. I was also coping well with a very packed and busy room. Though sitting down helped with that! Now in bed and going back to sleep!
vivdunstan: Photo of my 72 bass accordion (accordion)
2023-07-28 12:03 am

Accordion practice

Delighted to have managed 90 minutes practice this morning on my bigger piano accordion. Mainly trying tunes for musicals that I’m going to do new accordion arrangements of. For example I’ve got the full vocal score for Guys and Dolls, and plan to arrange some of the lesser heard (eg skipped in the film version) tunes starting from that sheet music. I also had fun today with a tune specially written for the movie. Played loads of other tunes though, mainly my own arrangements. My right hand control (piano keyboard side) held up throughout the entire 90 minute practice period, from Speechless (live action movie Aladdin) through to Spanish Gypsy Dances at the very end. That is a phenomenally good outcome. I’ve been weaker in that right hand ever since a stroke like huge relapse in 2004, when I was suddenly much weaker down my right side. The French chromatic button accordion learning is another way I am trying to fight that. It’s probably too soon to know if that’s helping. But today’s piano accordion play was the most successful, including right hand keeping working, for many years …