sempstress' Friends

Doing battle with laziness
Oh! A rare public posting! What a treat!

Anyway, I've been dreaming of a harpsichord or virginals for years now. Given that my only other musical skill other than singing involves a keyboard, and a modern piano is both not period for pre-1800 music and too huge to lug around, the only option is to get a hold of something smaller, portable and period. Or take up another instrument entirely... Which is also something I've been considering, but more on that later.

So, anyway, in case you've never cared to look at pricing such things as archaic musical instruments, you might not know that harpsichords and virginals are kinda expensive. Like, on the order of magnitude that is comparable to what I paid for my car. Of course, you can purchase kits to make your own instrument of choice, but they're only half as expensive as buying the thing pre-assembled. Which is to say, the high-four figures.

That then leaves the option of sourcing your own materials with which to make the instrument; a notion that I find utterly, completely terrifying. For one thing, the thought is enough to make me say "Never mind, I'll pick up the lute* instead."

What's baffling to me is that somewhere along the line I decided that I can't learn how to do anything new**. The idea of doing wood working has always freaked me out, despite the fact that my mother is a damn good wood worker and has a garage full of fancy tools and stuff that would be at my disposal. The idea of making a thing that makes noise, however? That's just too freaky to contemplate. What if I screw it up? What if it sounds horrible? What if I can't figure out how to do it?***

This is stupid, of course. It's not really fear, so much as laziness that ultimately prevents me from picking up the tools and having a go at it. Or, learning a new instrument. It was laziness that, up until yesterday, was preventing me from calling up my old vocal coach to start up lessons again, despite my desperate wish to regain control of my singing voice. It's laziness that's stopping me from really, finally, for reals, get serious about French**** and stop farting around with it like I have been for the last 20 years of my life. It's laziness that's stopping me from just about anything I want to do but haven't done yet. Not finances, not time constraints, not intellectual incapability, or phsycial inability. Just pure laziness.

And you know what? It pisses me off***** that laziness is the only real factor I can think of that's really stopping me from doing or having things I want in my life. It's sad that I've let it win out for so long... Something must be done about it. Tomorrow, though. It's late and I'm not so much lazy, as just plain tired.

G'night kids!

*Not that the lute is exactly inexpensive. It's just easier to get ahold of.
**Which also is what has me in favor of trying to get my hands on a keyboard instrument, rather than a fretted instrument because OMGZ! I can't possibly learn how to play a whole new instrument!
***Well, considering there's step by step guides on making virginals out there, this part shouldn't be quite as difficult to overcome as, say, figuring out how to reinvent the wheel.
****French is Srs Bzniz, and I have a mind that's too easily tempted by shiny things, which makes me horribly suited for languages in general. Except Pig Latin. I rawk at Pig Latin.
*****This footnote is a complete waste of your time. I really don't have anything to say here. Well, maybe just that I really like the word "minscule". Say it a bunch of times and tell me what happens!

Current Mood: drained