Barrios, Miss Bimps and Milly, the Musical Dogs

We have decided that we have very musical dogs.
It isn't surprising really, since puppy hood they have grown up surrounded with all types of music.
This morning was a prime example.
Robin was practising in the music room and my faithful friends were by my side as I worked.
The music stopped, the dogs pricked their ears up, then Robin appeared, with guitar and sat down.
The dogs sat down.
Robin started to play.
He wanted to run through 'La Catedral' by Agustin Barrios, to an audience of one (which was me) and two Labradors.
Miss Bimps and Milly put their heads on their paws resigned to the fact that their morning walk was about to be delayed.

La Catedral is in three movements, Preludio, Andante Religioso and Allegre Solemne.
At the end of the fist movement I was spellbound and the dogs didn't move.
The second movement, still nothing.
At the end of the final movement both dogs got up, and did the nearest they could to clapping their paws, by wagging their tails and circling Robin as if they were rounding up a flock of sheep.
As they used to power of positive thinking to stalk their prey, Robin gave in to the pressure, put his guitar away, and took them for a walk.
But how did they know the piece had finished?
I can only assume that we have very knowledgeable and musical hounds...

Here they are, Miss Bimps:



and Milly:

Dogged Devotion to J.S.Bach

Sunday morning and Robin is hard at work.
He is in the process of memorising J.S.Bach's Double in B minor from the violin Partita No.1.
Our canine friends', Milly and Coco, (also known as Miss. Bimps) favourite composer is, of course, Bach, but that isn't why they are there.
Whilst Milly is rapt by the music she is also willing Robin to put his guitar away and take her for a walk.
You can see in the mirror that Miss. Bimps is trying to execute the classic pincer movement by attacking simultaneously from both sides.
Ohh, and in a Hitchcockian moment, yes, they are my legs...




You'll be pleased to hear that very shortly after this photo was taken Robin caved into the pressure and took them out.
They are now sleeping it off in the kitchen...

Rain, Rain, Recording and More Rain

I knew it wouldn't be easy when Robin decided to record his new CD from our studio at home.
The most obvious reason is unwanted background noise.
With two small children, two dogs and a cat, the potential for extraneous noises filtering through a series of closed doors, is quite high.
But our children have grown up with this and understand that when we tell them 'Daddy is recording', they actually do respond by creeping around the house quietly.

We've turned bath time into a game.
Who can go upstairs the quietest.
Who can manage to get through an entire bath time without squealing.
That sort of thing.

Don't get me wrong though. We haven't cramped their style too much and in fact they do quite well out of it.
When the 'red light', so to speak, is not on, then mayhem ensues.
Running up and down stairs making as much noise as possible is actively encouraged.

Sing songs around the piano become a daily occurrence - usually made up by the boys themselves.

The timing couldn't be worse. Final decisions on recording equipment were made just as school broke up for the extended summer holidays....
That makes two children at home all day plus assortment of friends.
Ohh well.

But the biggest problem has been the weather.
Anyone with children will know that boys in particular are like puppies. They need regular and lengthy exercise.
Since the end of term it literally hasn't stopped raining.
A constant stream of water slides down the window pane.
We start each morning with, 'How many beats per minutes is it today?'
It's July - we want the sun....

Even the amount of rain has had to be turned into a game.
Is it:
1) Drizzle
2) Fine rain
3) Large drops but coming down vertically
4) Huge drops bouncing on the ground
5) Daddy stops recording because the microphones are picking up the rain as it lashes down on the window.

If it doesn't stop soon I think I shall have to relocate to another continent....

From Billy Cobham to John McLaughlin

Sunday morning = musical quiz here in Hillhouse and today it was a particularly upbeat affair.
We were given the task of recognising the time signature for two pieces. The first, Billy Cobham, 'Spectrum' from the album also named Spectrum. It's fast and furious and no matter how hard I tried to get in and count, I just couldn't do it. For those interested, I was informed by an amused Robin that it is in 7/8 time.
Fuelled by his success, he put another track on.
John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, 'Miles Beyond', from the album 'Birds of Fire'.
Robin was obviously intent on winning this morning. It starts in 4/4 time but moves swiftly on to 9/4. No, I didn't get that one either.
Incidentally, John McLaughlin appears to be a dog lover as two of his album covers sport Labrador/Retriever dogs, and I was pleased to see we aren't the only ones who allow our dogs on the furniture.
He, and any other dog lovers, may be interested in an article by Roger Highfield, 'Dogs' behaviour - it's all in the wag.' Apparently dogs wag their tails to the right when they are pleased to see you, and to the left when they secretly want to run away!
We have been studying our two canine friends in the interest of science. The results are mixed. Milly, dependable, loyal and aged 7, has a definite right sided wag. Miss Bimps obviously hasn't read the article and has an equal sway in either direction. She, however, is the 'dotty' one, and it isn't as much her tail that wags but the whole body making it difficult to assess.
In the light of my musical failings this morning I sent Robin, (he'd already done a few hours guitar practice), sons and dogs off to the park so that I could play Aretha Franklin, 'I Say a Little Prayer', very loudly, and sing along. No-one sings it like Aretha, and certainly not me...

Mozart's Dog Revisited

Meet Coco (Bimps)

Having met Ramsbottom the cat the other day I thought it was time I introduced you to one of our two Labradors. So here she is, Bimps.
As I've said before, she is actually called Coco, but we always call her Bimps.
This is because Mozart had an English Terrier called 'Miss Bimperl', shortened to 'Bimps', which when translated means 'Spot'.
Mozart must have had a sense of humour to call his dog, 'Spot the dog'.
As you will see our Bimps doesn't have a spot in sight as she is chocolate all over, but she is probably the most eccentric dog you will come across, or some might say 'dotty', hence the name 'Bimps'.
She's an essential member of Hillhouse as loves long, rambling walks, particularly if very muddy puddles are involved, and therefore it provides Robin with the perfect reason to put his guitar down and take a break.
She will in fact sit and stare at him until he does.

Mozart's Dog

Robin has two dogs. Both Labradors, one yellow called Milly, the other chocolate called Coco, (as in Chanel not the drink). Coco has become known as Bimps which may seem strange but I will explain why.
Mozart had an English Terrier named Miss Bimperl, shortened to Bimps which when translated means 'Spot'. Mozart obviously had a sense of humour naming his canine companion with a typically English Spot the dog.
Coco is completely chocolate in colour with no hint of a spot anywhere. She is however completely eccentric and 'dotty', hence the nickname of Bimps.
Just a little snippet of information for you.