Absolute Pitch Ear Training Podcast 04-27-07
April 27, 2007
2 Comments
Topics covered:
Learning absolute pitch, your motives, absolute pitch disinformation, motivation to learn absolute pitch, and more.
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(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...GTD: What Are You Doing Right Now Redux
April 20, 2007
4 Comments
My previous attempt at a time-tracking script worked well for a while. But I wanted something that was self-contained so I could share it with my friends and coworkers. I also wanted to cut down on key strokes.
Since my internet connection has been intermittent the past couple of days and I couldn’t get much work done, I decided to switch gears and see what I could put together. Plus, I’ve been wanting an excuse to dig into Applescript more. This is my new and improved journalling script.
What is it and what does it do?
- Journal is an Applescript application designed to log your activity or act as a time-centric journal.
- This journal script uses one timed repeat variable between the hours of 9 to 5 PM (Option 1), and another the rest of the time (Option 2), using your system clock. I use these options to slow the journal updates after my regular work hours are over.
- It creates a folder on your startup disk called ‘Daily Journal’ and creates a date-stamped journal entry as a text file.
- Every X minutes (depending on the variables you set), a dialog opens asking you what you are doing. Type, and hit Enter.
- A time-stamped journal entry is appended to the daily journal entry text file.
- In the dialog box, you also have the option to open the journal file or cancel.
Benefits of using this application:
- It automates your time-tracking. Use it for billing, accountability, journalling, etc.
- It reminds you to get back to work if you’re still reading Digg.
- It gives you the big picture view of your activities for the day.
- It brings you back to the present moment, good for self-awareness.
- It’s downright simple.
- You could force your employees to use it and micro-manage their every movement.
How to use:
- Download the application and unzip.
- Double click the app or set as a login item. You can copy it to your ‘Applications’ folder or run it from anywhere.
- Default options are:
Option 1 startTime = 9 (9 AM)
Option 1 endTime = 17 (5 PM)
Option 1 timeOption1 = (15 * 60) — repeats every 15 minutes
Option 2 timeOption2 = (60 * 60) — repeats every hour
Modify to your preferences. - When the dialog box opens, type whatever you want and hit Enter.
Tips and Pointers:
- If you want to edit any of the variables, open Journal.app from within the Script Editor and set your options.
- Choosing ‘Open Journal’ will override the ability to add an entry to the journal. For this reason, I’ve included a raw, single-instance version of the journal script to run manually from the finder, script menu, or by a keyboard shortcut or Quicksilver action. Using this version will pull up the dialog window so you can add something to your journal in between scheduled entries or open the journal. If you don’t like the automatic interruptions of the app version, use this script instead.
- The Journal is a stay open app. I’m not sure why, but choosing ‘Quit Journal’ (Cmd+Q) doesn’t quit the program. The problem isn’t that it hangs. You can see in ‘Activity Monitor’ that it remains responsive. Until I figure out why, I either let it close when I shut down or I force quit.
- If you don’t respond to a dialog before the script repeats, you’ll get an ‘AppleEvent timed out’ error. So it’s a good practice to quit the Journal if you’re leaving your computer for any amount of time that’s longer than the next repeat. The other thing you can do is make the repeat time longer and just plan on typing more in each individual entry.
- If you want to go beyond just the concrete level of your moment-to-moment activities, the NLP Neurological Levels can give your journal entries some depth. You can note your current environment, your current and previous behaviors, what skills you are using, the beliefs you are operating under, what kind of person you are being, and who else might be involved. It’s good motivation and can help you remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Future plans:
- Add idle or pause controls.
- Add ability to set variables in a run dialog.
- Twitter integration.
I hope you enjoy using Journal as much as I enjoyed creating it.
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...I’m into systems. I love figuring out how to get from point A to point B and then optimizing the process as efficiently as possible. Better yet, I love being able to turn a system on and not have to think about it again.
This is one of those systems. I’m an entrepreneur. I don’t have a boss telling me what to do. It’s easy to start my day, turn on iTunes, and get lost for an hour or two tweaking my Mac or my GTD system while I drink a pot of coffee. This system is a helpful nudge to get back to work.
What is it and what does it do?
- It’s an Apple Automator application designed to log your activity.
- When you first open it, it asks you to set a loop duration. Default is 30 minutes.
- It gets a specified finder item. In this case, a text file, and opens it with the default application. Mine is TextMate.
- It puts the current date and time on the clipboard.
- With the date and time on the clipboard, you can move the cursor to the bottom or top of the page, whichever you prefer, paste the date and start typing.
Benefits of using this application:
- It’s a time tracker, for billing, accountability, etc.
- It’s a reminder to get back to work if you’ve been slacking.
- It gives you a picture of what you’ve been doing for the day.
- It’s a journal. You don’t have to be so concrete, as in, I’m sending email. You could write about what you’ve just learned or hope to learn, how you’re feeling, or any other fluffy thing that journals are good for.
I use it as a combination of all of these. It keeps me on task. It reminds me to reflect. It gives me a place to collect thoughts. And it really helps me to get things done.
Preparation:
- Create a text file named ‘What I’m Doing Now.txt’ and save it in ~/Library/Favorites/
How to use:
- Download the application and unzip.
- Double click the app or set as a login item.
- Default loop time is 30 minutes (1800 seconds). Modify to your preferences.
- The text file you created during the preparation will open in your default text editor.
- Move your cursor where you want it, paste the date and time that’s already on your clipboard (Ctrl + V), and then type what you are doing.
Tips:
- If you want to edit any of the variables, ctrl click on the app and choose ‘Show Package Contents’. The workflow is located in the ‘Resources’ folder and named ‘What I’m Doing Right Now.workflow’. If you want to change the default loop time, open the scripts folder and edit ‘main.scpt’ in Script Editor. The second line, ‘current_idle’ is the delay in seconds before the workflow runs.
- It helps me to think about the NLP Neurological Levels when I log what I’m doing. I will note my current environment, my current and previous behaviors, what skills I’m using, the beliefs I’m operating under, what kind of person I’m being, and who else is involved. It’s good motivation and helps me remember why I’m doing what I’m doing.
- This is not a replacement for Twitter. What this can do, however, is help you to differentiate what your Twitter followers need to know about your moment-to-moment activities.
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...Ear Training or Listening Practice?
March 15, 2007
6 CommentsYou can make ear training something you do once in a while or you can make it part of who you are. That’s the difference between ear training and a listening practice.
Ear training has often been half-jokingly, half-seriously referred to as “ear straining.” And I can understand why if it’s something that you feel forced to do, like doing sit ups. Why can’t washboard abs just come with the package?
But a listening practice isn’t something you have to motivate yourself to do every morning. It’s something you get to do all the time. It’s the equivalent of eating whatever you want, whenever you want… without gaining weight!
Your ears are always on. All you have to do is start paying attention. The world is filled with sounds for you to soak up. Your musical ears are hungry for stimulation. It’s time to give them what they want.
Here’s just a few things you can do to begin your listening practice.
First, just start listening unconditionally. We all daydream, so make these times of subconscious wandering into conscious sound expeditions. You’ll be amazed at all the different rhythms, counterpoints, and natural symphonies you will hear. If you can, close your eyes and just listen to the world around you and inside of you.
Second, think on media. Keep a few things with you at all times: music manuscript and a pen, a recording device, and a tuning fork of some kind. When you hear a note, figure out what it is. Teach yourself. Write a scale or a pattern and imagine what they sound like as you write them. Record rhythms and intervals and whatever else inspires you in the moment. Take a recess into the playground of sound. It will be fun and you’ll learn new things and reinforce what you already know.
Start a sound catalog. In a sound journal, begin to catalog all the different sounds and textures you hear. This will increase your “aural intelligence.” People who live bland lives have about a dozen different words that they use to describe their daily emotions. If you only have a dozen different words to describe what you hear, then it’s no wonder your musicianship is straining. But if you have a rich database of descriptive words in your musical vocabulary, then your experience of sound will be rich and abundant. Grab a thesaurus and your favorite album and have some fun.
Stop for a moment and think about these two musicians. One musician trains their ear for 15 minutes every day or so. The other musician actively listens all the time. Which is a better musician?
Answer: The musician with more aural experience. Go get some!
(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...Ear Training on Speed
February 28, 2007
0 CommentsGiven enough time, it’s inevitable that you will figure out what you are hearing. But what about knowing what you hear in the moment? For this, you must practice speed.
You can practice speed whenever you hear a song on the radio, when you’re at your instrument, or just in your head. The key is to be relaxed, yet alert, and set the intention of your practice session to improve your speed. The most accurate form of measurement would be a stop watch or timer of some sort. You could measure the time it takes to get a single answer right or how long it takes to get a group of answers right. Then try to beat your previous measurements. Do this with intervals, chords, pitches, and anything else musical that you want to be able to identify.
Even though you are focusing on speed, don’t worry about how long it will take to meet your goals. That’s not really the point of this practice. The point is to use whatever level of improvement you’ve gained to make better music. Having goals and setting dates can be important, but don’t lose sight of the big picture.
Practice so that you can make better music.
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5) Loading ...