IAAD VII: EYE OF THE NEEDLE DIARY
Week 10
Monday March 17 20254:30pm
Good night’s sleep last night, but my back is still nagging me. Up early enough to get all of my morning business done, including an hour of IAAD practice, before the arrival of my first student of the day.
Kept things simple. Into the Practice Room. I was alone for the entire hour. Metronome on at a reasonable clip. Nothing but my most current First Primary variation. Made it through 18 of the 24 possible iterations, so I’ll pick up where I left off tomorrow morning. Throughout counting and sensing, looking to clear out pathways for the Guitarist Inside. Took a couple of minutes at the end to revisit the bass part to another piece from the early repertoire that came up in conversation yesterday.
Tuesday March 18 2025
3:45pm
Up earlyish, which was good as I had just enough time to take care of my morning routine and get in a solid IAAD practice hour before my first student at 9am.
Into the Practice Room at 7:45, remained alone for the hour. Camera on. My back, which is still not 100%, reminded me of the plan to do my practicing standing up. And so I did. Picked up the First Primary work where I left off yesterday. Completing the cycle I began yesterday, I worked for some time on a slight variation, increasing the tempo and adding counting. First in 5/4, which sits very obviously over these patterns, and later in 4/4, which I found remarkably challenging. It eventually clicked, so I moved to counting while sensing the soles of my feet and observing my breathing.
After 40 minutes, I played through Eye of the Needle 4 times at performance tempo, once on each part. Guitars 1,3, and 4, are serviceable. I don’t think Guitar 2 will ever be ready for primetime.
In the final 10 minutes I worked Asturias at escalating tempos to see where my breaking point currently lies. Better than I expected, but since I had just been doing calisthenics for 40 minutes I probably should not have been so surprised. But still not great.
Paused for a moment and departed the Practice Room. My 9am student plays NST, so In a way I was able to ride the energy into the next hour.
Wednesday March 19 2025
2:00pm
I’m looking at two late nights in a row. Tonight to attend a performance, and tomorrow to take part in one. So I allowed myself rise later than usual this morning. While a completely reasonable decision, this always leaves me a little off balance, with the feeling that I’m perpetually running late.
No early AAD practice. Did make it to Tea Time after breakfast, and then Level T. Then used the free time before my noon Zoom lesson for a few chores around the apartment, and then practice.
In the Practice Room and on my feet. First Primary work actually went quite well. The counting aspect also settled in more quickly, and I wondered if perhaps that might be because I was on my feet. I was not animated, but I found I was gently shifting my weight from one foot to the other, which felt very natural and unforced, and aided me in following the time better than foot tapping.
From there to practicing Guitar 3. In particular the transitions in and out of the sections where it is in unison with Guitar 1 parts.
So far so good.
Then I ran Guitar 3 several times, and while the transitions I had been practicing were, indeed, much smoother, overall my performance of the part sounded kind of unmusical. Small accuracy errors. Wobbly time. I know I’m hard on myself when assessing my own playing, but I don’t think it was imaginary. And willing my hands to play better definitely wasn’t working.
Ended with Asturias and some supporting calisthenics, and this did nothing to lighten my mood, and I was getting impatient.
The hour was up, and I was off to my day job.
Thursday March 20 2025
3:30pm
Ah yes, the 3rd Thursday of every month. It’s magical.
Awoke reasonably early, again. Just early enough to take care of the morning business and 45 minuters of AAD practice before my 9am Zoom student. Breakfast would have to wait until afterward. In fact I made and ate it over Tea Time. By my calculation 10am is tea time somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. But what the hey?
Into the Practice Room about 8am. Spent my time alone except for a brief visit from Kim. On my feet the entire time. Except for the final 10 minutes, it was all Asturias-related calisthenics. Pushing tempos. Definitely an improvement from yesterday’s grimness. I’m still running up against some inevitable realities with respect to the limitations of my chops. But still, better.
In the final 10 minutes, with a little trepidation, I ran Guitars 1 and 3 at performance tempo. Unlike yesterday, these were renditions that did not embarrass me. Sat quietly for a few moments and then signed off.
Friday March 21 2025
1:15pm
Last night was a really, really late one. Got home well after 2am. And after a performance I’m too amped to go straight to bed, so I chilled for an hour or so. Made absolutely no attempt to force myself to get up at anything resembling my normal hour. Fortunately, I had a moment of prescience yesterday and decided to do most of my normal Friday “office” tasks ahead of time. So what morning was left after I got up was low key and unpressured. “Buddies” meeting at 11. I mostly listened from my easy chair, at least until there was something that felt necessary enough to say to get me up off my ass.
After that meeting I headed into the Practice Room for 30 minutes of raw calisthenics. Jaime was in the room, camera off. I worked while standing again, with camera on. I will probably come back for a bit more of that later today, as we have our stealth gig tomorrow afternoon and I need my chops to be as sharp as possible. Once again ended with run-throughs of Guitars 1 and 3. Not as satisfying as yesterday, but not awful. I sounded tired, and I was making tired mistakes. It was feeling kind of either/or between The Guitarist Inside and technical accuracy. Not quite enough attention to go around.
Saturday March 22 2025
Busy, busy, busy.
Sunday March 23 2025
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