Weather: Cold, but in the positives
Epiphany Of The Day: There is no sense at all in trying to give up caffeine while I'm here.

Eating healthily most of the time, no problem. Sustaining some form of weekly physical exercise, certainly doable. Trying to lay off the coffee and still find the will to open my flute case each morning, not something I need to be fighting with. It's been a learning experience only having to think about one person every day - and can be very nice when I get the urge to take a hot bath at 11am - however I tire myself out very easily and embrace all the legally available stimulants I can get!

We had a rocking Cabaret concert last weekend. I played three movements of the Bolling suite for jazz flute and piano, with bass 'n drums. It was great fun, though a little strange playing to a 'musician' crowd that listened intently to every act instead of chatting and sipping wine, which is what I had envisaged.

I enjoyed a wonderfully refreshing lesson with Daniel Taylor, countertenor. He reminded me that I have a back (body-part) and refreshed all the Alexander Technique advice I had conveniently forgotten hunched over my music stand in the little hut for the last three weeks. Since then my breathing, sound, posture and confidence have had a little push in the right direction. I dig this whole self-study thing, but I certainly appreciate the value of human interaction. I couldn't do it without someone gently reminding me of the simple things...

Friday night will see the première of Craig Day's work for solo flute. I'm very excited about performing it, and am going to try and push the boundaries ('I see a boundary, I eat a boundary' - Boosh) by playing it by memory. A warning to the people in the front row, there's some extended techniques which may involve involuntary projectile spit!