Super Mario, Shame Nose Flute, Guitar Strings Revisited

It has been quiet on the blog front since Robin's return from the Amazon but be assured there has been plenty going on.
The majority of time has been spent in practice, and lots of it, for concerts that are coming up and also working on new pieces.

However, there also seems to have been a stream of guitars arriving at the house, three in total, all to be tried, tested, and enjoyed.
Although all three are lovely instruments, none have passed the Hill test and will be returned in the next few days.
I shall not only be breathing a sigh of relief, but also very pleased to reclaim the downstairs of the house.
Three guitars in large flight cases, plus three huge boxes and the accompanying packaging, all take up rather a lot of space.

While all this has been going on I have rounded up another couple of unusual Google searches for you.
They are always popular and also serve to remind me about some of the strange things I have written about over the years.

1) How to play Mario on the guitar?

As we have two young sons I am fully aware that the person making this search was far more interested in Mario and Luigi than the Mario I was discussing..., but I hope they enjoyed it anyway. Here is where they landed:
'Hill/Wiltschinsky Guitar Duo Play Mario Gangi'

2) Polynesian nose flute national instrument

The post I wrote in 2007, 'Shame (Flute) about the African Nose Trumpet', has been a surprise hit for me. This post gets so many hits, mainly from America, and I have yet to figure out why???

3) Opera tea cosy

This search landed on the post, 'Opera House Odessa, Snails and a Tea-Cosy', one you may well remember from earlier Google searches due to the tea-cosy element.

4) Recorder notes to old house

One of the more unusual requests but none the less, they found their way to, 'Notes on a Recorder to Notes on a Scandal'.

5) Bird paintings by Robin Hill

This final search left me a little baffled as the unsuspecting researcher landed on five different blog posts, none of which I can really figure out. So if any of you can offer up a theory then feel free to leave a comment!

i) 'Classical Guitar Sound Waves...'

ii) 'Monet for Nothing...'

iii) 'An Eerie Quiet in Hillhouse'

iv) 'Domenico Scarlatti and the Honky Tonk Piano - Revisited'

v) 'The Many and Varied Uses of Savarez Guitar Strings...'

Latest Batch of Unusual Google Searches

I have decided to share a few more unusual google searches with you today.
This time, for your added entertainment, I have also shown the page on which the unknown searcher landed.
For some there is an obvious connection, others are little more obscure, but that's the nature of Google!
The 'search', in bold, is exactly as I found it.

Here goes:

1) "What was with President Bush's eyebrows last night?"

Now, I don't know what President Bush had been doing with his eyebrows that prompted this search, but here is the page they read:
'Concert Comments and George Bush's Eyebrows'

2) "Possessed by a musician"

Are they possessed by a musician or do they want to be? Who knows.
'John Dowland and a Man Possessed'

3) "Boho Dance and Consumption"

This found a post from back in 2007 which mentions the fabulous Joni Mitchell:
'Robin Hill's 'Unofficial' Desert Island Discs'

4) "Bob Dylan's trousers"

I have no idea why someone was interested in Bob Dylan's trousers but this is the page they read:
'Bob Dylan, BBC Radio 2 and the 'Wrong Trousers'

5) "The Robin Hill flower of Congo"

As the name Robin Hill actually featured in the search it isn't that surprising the visitor arrived at this blog. But here's where they landed:
'From Romanian Gipsy Music to a Latin American Wedding'

6) "Brazilian rosewood fined jailed arrested"

Although guitars can be made from Brazilian rosewood I don't think that's what they were looking up, nor do I think they expected this:
'Concert, Corruption and Recording Company Chaos'

7) "Light on a Turkish Hill"

Strange but true!
'The Clairvoyant Rabbit and the Turkish Shoeshine Scandal'

8) "Felt poodle tea cosy"

I'm assuming somebody somewhere has the desire to purchase a tea cosy in the shape of a poodle...
'Cosi Fan Tutte'

and finally for today,

9) "How many hours from Alicante to Malta by aeroplane?"

Whilst not actually answering the question I hope this visitor enjoyed the story anyway!
'Coffee in Alicante'

One thing that has become apparent whilst preparing this post is the fact that I seem to have come up with some rather strange titles over the years. No wonder Google keep sending people our way.

Naked Wife and Everest...

Since I last posted, Robin has been to many places, and carried out the first of his two concerts on the Queen Victoria.
This took place on Sunday whilst cruising the Ionian Sea and all went very well.
There was a good, and extremely appreciative audience, many of whom have been passing on some very nice comments.

This is all very helpful for Robin.
Now he is in his 4th week away from home he is rather travel weary, so to know that your music has been appreciated really makes a great difference.

Since the concert he has been to Aghios (Crete), Izmir (Turkey), and today, Athens (Greece).
So whilst Robin called me from one sunny destination after another, I escaped the rain, by checking out the latest Google searches.
I must say there have been some particularly amusing ones recently.
Here are a few:

'My wife nude on the QM2' - I really would like to know more about this one. I assure you that Robin was in no way involved with this incident, but as he will be joining the QM2 very soon, I shall ask him to investigate!

'Julian Bream's wife' - Sorry, you got the wrong guitarist.

'Robin Hill private bank' - I wish....

'Plastic making machine of Robin' - We've had lots of merchandise over the years but I'm pretty sure we have never made plastic Robin figures.

'Robin Hill jean weeks' - Neither do we have a line of designer jeans.

'Robin Hill and Everest' - Yes, Robin has travelled to most parts of the globe, but he has never performed a concert on Everest. Now there's a thought...

'Downside to being a musician' - If you're even asking that question then music isn't for you...

'Can musicians have children' - err, yes. We have living proof on that one.

'Robin's dark side' - I didn't know he had one.

So there we are, just a few randomly selected and quirky Google searches that have amused me recently.
Meanwhile, back out at sea, Robin performs his last concert of this trip tomorrow. So he has been rehearsing all day in preparation.
At least he won't be suffering with cold hands in the Mediterranean climate.
On second thoughts, maybe Everest isn't such a good idea.

Google Searches for the Guitar?

The sound of the first movement of the 'Concierto de Aranjuez' continues to echo around the house.
So whilst Robin immerses himself in the music I decided to prepare a little 'Google search' entertainment for you, to help ease you all into the weekend.

These unusual Google searches have proved popular on the occasions that I have included them, resulting in a number of emails expressing amusement.
So, here are a few more.

For those unfamiliar with the system, these are a few of the latest batch of searches that have found there way to this blog, occasionally by very strange and devious routes.
Often the link to the classical guitar appears rather tenuous, but amazingly, I have actually found some of the pages the unknown searcher landed on.

For example, 'name tapes for socks' arrived here.

'spilt nail varnish remover', here.

'George Bush eyebrows', here.

'Barbirolli Marriage of Figaro boiled egg', here.

But then the person enquiring about 'guitar socks' could have ended up on one of two pages, this one, or, this one.

However, there are always a few that I never really know where they ended up:

- musicians who practice too much (always)
- can musicians have children (what!)
- robin hill murders (!!!)
- top 10 hills in India

One of my favourites:

- one day I pay the hills (yes please, whoever you are!)

Quiet in the Med, Interest in Cuckoo Clocks and Handling Handel

It has been remarkably quiet out in the Mediterranean sea today.
Other than hearing that Robin had enjoyed a very pleasant alfresco breakfast, on board Crystal Serenity, there has been little news.
I do know that the first of his two guitar concerts takes place tomorrow, so Robin will be hard at work preparing.

This lack of information left me with time to contemplate the latest batch of unusual Google searches.
Why has there been a sudden interest in cuckoo clocks?
A number of different people have recently been searching cuckoo clocks and found themselves here.
I can only assume it is due to one, or both, of these old posts.

The first was back in January 2007, 'Pierre Petit and the Cuckoo Clock Pendulum', which looked at Robin's uncanny ability to judge tempo, acquired after many years of foot tapping.

Or maybe it was, 'Cuckoo Clocks and Microphones', from 2006.
Either way, I hope they found what they were looking for.

There was another search that I haven't been able to figure out.
"Robin Handel you can't Handel Me"
The mind boggles with that one....

The QM2, Billy Connolly and a Tea-cosy

There has been little communication from the QM2 so far today, mainly because of the time difference.
However I do know that Robin spent yesterday evening dining with the cruise director and a few guests.
He will be rehearsing most of today as his second guitar concert is tomorrow.

As there isn't much to report from mid-Atlantic, and photo opportunities on board are rather scarce, unless you like sea and fish, I was lucky to have another unusual Google search.
The search was:

"If you were locked in room which had nothing but a tea-cosy in it how long would you wait before putting it on your head"

Now anyone that has only recently joined us here, may well think there couldn't possibly be a connection with this search, and a classical guitarist.

That's where you are wrong.

Back in October last year I wrote a post, 'Cosi Fan Tutte', go over and have a look, to find out how Billy Connolly, a tea-cosy and a classical guitarist can in fact be linked.

New Right Hand Position and a Return to the Iguana in a Sombrero

After Robin's recent guitar concert, on the QM2, you would expect him to relax and take it easy today.
But, as always, there is another programme to work on, in preparation for the second concert, which is on Friday. Plus his usual daily routine of scales and arpeggios.

I did get a message explaining, in great detail, a new hand position that Robin is working on.
Apparently, by altering his right hand position very slightly, scales can be performed with more speed and less effort.
I look forward to a demonstration on his return.
It continues to surprise, and amaze me, that after all these years of playing, Robin still comes up with new approaches.
I suppose the secret to any success, whatever you do, is to constantly examine your actions, assess their efficiency, and readjust as necessary.
His email was titled, 'You can teach an old dog new tricks', so any students reading, take note.

Whilst Robin works on his scales, I was amused to find that someone in America had done a Google search, 'Iguana with sombrero', and found themselves here.
I am assuming that they have previously read this post, from back in February, and wanted to return to it.
Unless of course anyone out there can think of another reason why someone would type 'Iguana with sombrero' into Google...

Bob Dylan, BBC Radio 2, and the 'Wrong Trousers'.

We are entering a busy phase just prior to Robin's next trip away from home.
So, we are frantically trying to get various projects sorted out, and jobs done, before it becomes difficult to communicate.

We are getting there though, and, today I have sent off the master tapes of the next CD to be released. So keep checking out the blog for more information over the next few weeks.

We have however relaxed a few times.
One of the most enjoyable hours was spent listening to Bob Dylan, on BBC Radio 2, the other evening.
His regular programme, 'Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan', has always been a delight. The last one we heard being on musical instruments.

Dylan hand picks an eclectic mix of music, and the show is interspersed with interviews and commentary.
It is such a refreshing change to have such an articulate and interesting host talking about some incredible music.
It's worth going to the site and listening to some playbacks.

I've also been quite amused to find that today, two separate people in Turkey, have found their way to this blog, by Google searching, 'The Wrong Trousers'.
Why Wallace and Gromit have suddenly become popular in Turkey I have no idea, but I hope they were satisfied by just one image of 'Wallace and Gromit', and not too disappointed to find all this talk of guitars!

Unusual Google Searches for Robin Hill

Robin has decided to start his Christmas shopping.
I wish him the very best of luck as he fights his way through the bear garden that any town and city will be today.
No, I really do wish him luck, as the only person he has to buy for, is me...

So, whilst he is out, I decided to make a list of 10 of the most unusual ways that people have come across this site, through google searches.
As I have written them is exactly as they appeared in the search, it amazes me that some of them found their way here!

In no particular order:

1) Mozart's dog
2) Pump it or dump it
3) Fava soup
4) Musicians have larger brains
5) Cat called Lovejoy
6) Jeckyll & Hill
7) Thatcher idiosyncrasies
8) If you can keep your head
9) Albert Einstein daydream theory of relativity
10)Home improvement blogspot

Strange but true, all these searches arrived at 'Life of a Musician' one way or another!