I haven’t got nearly as much done as I hoped today but for a while there it was looking like I wouldn’t get anything done, so something is better than nothing, I guess. Again, it was a problem of studio access as Djeli was working from home all day so needed the space as his office. I ended up trying to use the iPad piano (I have Pianist Pro) once back at the temporary accommodation because I really need to be not so dependent on having solitary access to one particular room. Ordinarily I’d just pack up the laptop and move, but I’m working so much at the piano on these two pieces that that just doesn’t work.

Using the iPad wasn’t hugely successful – the keyboard is rather limited and both pieces seem to be doing a bit of a line in registral contrasts, which makes it difficult. But it was enough to play through approximately what I had and I’ve been able to get down some shiny new notes for both which I’ll test out properly tomorrow on the real piano.

I think I’m quite pleased with the direction Ladders is heading in and am hopeful of finishing the first movement by the end of the weekend. However, Lilies is starting to feel lost and worked-over and I’m wondering whether the concept for this piece mightn’t work better with a more conventional approach, possibly as a group piece. It seems the more I work on the actual notes, the less it seems to fit my thinking for what that piece should be and the disjunct is really starting to disturb me. My original concept for Carla’s piece had been renovation-inspired and was to do with interior design but when I came up with that one I was in a bit of a bad emotional place and didn’t want to end up having the piece coloured by the issues we were experiencing with the house. Now I’m wondering whether I should have stuck with it.

I will forge ahead with the concept for Lilies though – at least until it becomes entirely clear that doing so is no longer useful. It’s part of my Creative Pact, after all, and any work I do on it will extend my understanding of both what I want the piece to be and how to deal with quarter-tones, both of which will be helpful.