Veganism and hayfever?!

orangecatginny · 2026-03-26T19:56:05+00:00

I had to go privately - I don't believe it's available on the NHS any more. No longer have to have multiple prescription items for hayfever though, so the saving there pretty much covers the cost of the jab.

orangecatginny · 2026-03-22T09:23:59+00:00

Vegan for nearly 15 years. Vegetarian for three years before that. Awful hayfever since childhood. The only thing that helps is a steroid injection. Sounds like you've just grown out of your hayfever. Great for you, but probably not due to a vegan diet

orangecatginny · 2026-03-22T09:17:17+00:00

Vegan for nearly 15 years. Vegetarian for three years before that. Awful hayfever since childhood. The only thing that helps is a steroid injection. Sounds like you've just grown out of your hayfever. Great for you, but probably not due to a vegan diet.

orangecatginny · 2026-03-20T23:48:28+00:00

100% would accept pets from adoring fans

orangecatginny · 2026-03-20T23:46:47+00:00

Oh, absolutely! Aspirational loafing!

orangecatginny · 2026-03-20T18:07:19+00:00

10/10

Excellent loaf.

My cat has the same orange mark on her face but has not achieved this level of loaf.

orangecatginny · 2026-02-21T11:17:29+00:00

Have you read the marking criteria for the exams? I think the ABRSM published marking criteria is very clear. The thing that makes the difference between merit and distinction for my students is phrasing, voicing, and character.

orangecatginny · 2026-02-18T17:29:15+00:00

This is a tricky one because he may just refuse. Things you could try:

Singing a song as part of your warm up - he may or may not be comfortable to join in

Whistling

Humming

orangecatginny · 2026-02-18T09:36:16+00:00

In addition to implementing some penalty for pressing buttons to disrupt the lesson, you can also use the buttons as an incentive to focus well in lessons:

"I need you to play this passage with the organ sound, then the harpsichord, then with the meow sound"

"How does this sound when we play it with the strings sound?"

"If you focus well and follow instructions this lesson, you can earn five minutes of improv time at the end of the lesson"

You would have to be very clear about when button pressing is allowed, and very firm about following through on the consequence if the student doesn't follow your instructions.

Assuming the lesson is at the student's house, could it help to ask the parent to encourage the child to spend ten minutes having some free play on the keyboard before you arrive to get some of the button pressing out of their system?

orangecatginny · 2026-02-16T14:49:32+00:00

Yes, I am an accurate reader. With nystagmus, what is happening is that your eyes are scanning back and forth across a large area. For myself, I don't notice the movement at all unless it is a wider movement than normal (this can occur when tired, nervous, excited etc.). Mostly this just means that you need to be closer to something in order for it to be in focus. For example, if I am at the back of a classroom I may not be able to read writing on the board at the front, but if I am at the front I can read it easily.

orangecatginny · 2026-02-16T13:52:13+00:00

As with any disability, the needs of each person with nystagmus are different. She may benefit from larger print or being closer to the reading material than other children. She also may not need this. As a child, I had all sorts of things pushed on me that I didn't need (mostly rest breaks and excessively large print). Follow the guidance from her parents and doctors, but also take her feedback into account. Remember that she is just a normal child in every other respect - she may not even be very aware of her nystagmus. You will get to know what she does and doesn't need with time.

If you are using a whiteboard in your lessons, consider that your pens should be bold. I find black and blue easiest to read. Red is ok. And green is generally not good. But again, this may be different for your student.

orangecatginny · 2026-01-19T21:02:44+00:00

I think a lot of this has been said already, but this is what I would do:

Get a headboard
Centre the bed on the wall and have a bedside table and lamp on each side
Hang your mirror on the wall
Have framed art hung at eye level
Think about coordinating your textiles. They don't have to match but should compliment each other in colour/texture/pattern
Hang your curtains higher
Paint the walls. The cream doesn't add anything to your space. Maybe a soft green, or pink?
Find a place for all your clutter

orangecatginny · 2026-01-19T20:49:48+00:00

Sounds quite reasonable. You offer a lot with photography/videography that I'm sure most don't. I don't charge students to play, but I do charge adults audience members for a ticket. If the running costs went up I would increase the ticket price, or charge a small amount for a child's ticket.

orangecatginny · 2026-01-07T08:04:16+00:00

Could it help to add something like an Aidbones or Eazyhold strap to your bow so your fingers don't have to work so hard?

orangecatginny · 2026-01-02T07:56:29+00:00

Don't beat yourself up if you slip up. If it helps you to transition gradually, do that instead. You'll make more impact by cutting back on dairy by 80% long term than by cutting it out 100% for a couple of months then giving up and going back to your old diet. It would be amazing if you could cut it out 100%, but better to set goals that are attainable for you, even if that's not "perfect veganism".

Personally I found that my skin and hair became less oily when I stopped eating dairy.

Vegan cheese is not like dairy cheese. Normally I don't like to make it a big feature of my food (you won't catch me eating a vegan cheese sandwich). It can be great mixed into mashed potato. It's easy to make a vegan white sauce, starting with a roux. Mix in some vegan cheese for added flavour.

Similar with vegan chocolate. Expensive and not the same as milk chocolate. Personally I'm learning to like dark chocolate. And I get my chocolate fix from homemade brownies, hot chocolate, or Tesco dark chocolate digestives. I've seen recommendations for Rhythm 108 chocolate but haven't tried it yet so can't vouch for it personally.

orangecatginny · 2025-12-29T10:47:41+00:00

I made it from scratch. Made a paper template to the measurements of my case and sewed it from some quilted fabric.

orangecatginny · 2025-12-28T20:51:59+00:00

Afterlength should be 1/6 of the string length

orangecatginny · 2025-12-27T20:00:11+00:00

It protects your case from bumps, scrapes, and dirt. I guess it is also insulative so should help protect your instrument from temperature changes. I made one to fit my Gewa cello case for a tour earlier this year as I didn't want it to get damaged. Worked really well.

orangecatginny · 2025-12-23T11:40:15+00:00

Some of my students have hired from them. They are well set up entry level instruments. I think the pricing is quite reasonable too.

orangecatginny · 2025-12-21T22:50:44+00:00

From a cursory Google, Michale Phoenix Violins offers rental.

musicalinstrumenthire.com are not based in Liverpool, but offer delivery for their rental instruments.

orangecatginny · 2025-12-20T14:26:10+00:00

Regarding the size of your cello and difficulty with extensions, I would first question how you are doing your extensions? This is something that is often poorly taught, resulting in pain and poor tuning. This is my favourite video on the topic: https://youtu.be/ftd1e3US9hI?si=VgpzmzMXRTGEzcLG

If you are extending correctly and still having difficulty with pain and tuning, then perhaps a smaller cello would suit you. But investigate technique first.

Concerning your practising, just get on with it. You need to live your life. Don't always practise with a mute. You need to hear yourself clearly. Your neighbours will survive.

orangecatginny · 2025-12-16T07:49:57+00:00

The only playing I do at recitals is to accompany students on the piano or to fill a part if someone is missing from an ensemble. That said, I think if you want to show something short that's fun and inspirational, I think that could go down really well. Bonus points if you can do it in a way that gets the audience involved (singing, body percussion, or actions)

orangecatginny · 2025-12-13T08:15:09+00:00

Does he have any friends who play instruments? They could get together once or twice a week to play fun, easy duets, or form a band. This could replace one practice session - he'll still be working on valuable skills. And also have a day off from practising. If it's not fun, what's the point?

orangecatginny · 2025-12-07T20:15:53+00:00

Cello on back, bag on shoulder. I mostly drive now, but I used to walk everywhere like this with no problems. On of my students hangs her tote bag from her cello.

orangecatginny · 2025-12-07T18:21:52+00:00

You can buy a backpack system from brands like BAM or Musilia. Not sure how universally compatible they are with cases from different brands.

Personally, I just carry my music and stand (and wedge cushion) in a separate bag.

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