After almost a month on the seas, I have become a much more thoughtful and reflective person, more focused on the important things in life and very much in touch with my spiritual side.
This new, quieter me has sought musical growth in Manuel Ponce’s* haunting first prelude; a piece I have found challenging not because of its slurs** but because in this piece, the pauses and the silences they create seem almost more important as the sound.
Here:
is a link to Johannes Keunel’s interpretation of the prelude, which for me truly expresses the feeling of quiet loneliness that the piece exudes. I recommend spending a moment with this music, perhaps with a nice cup of tea. Oh, thanks very much, I’ll have milk and one sugar. Heaped spoonful. And don’t put the milk in first.
*aka Manual Pounce, with autocorrect.
**notes which cannot be plucked on a string; the sound is made by hammering your finger down onto the fret. But oh no, that’s not enough for Manual Pounce, he has you doing them with your little finger too. This is why, in the above picture, my little fingers now look muscly and toned.
Emma Jay Ashton 
Oh I’ve just found the comment box! Right, this is very lovely with very nice technique. I can comment with confidence on this having done quite a bit of guitar practice myself recently. I can almost play all of the Grade 1 pieces (this means I can’t actually play any of them). However, I did have a mini-lesson with Bernardo. But it just wasn’t the same. I didn’t feel the same rigorous expectations of my right hand position… I miss you. For this and many other reasons. But it’s lovely to see you’re okay.