Scales and Arpeggios

by John Passmore

Everybody will tell you this business is all about priorities. You have to choose how you spend your time and this morning I made the other choice. I had my Clarinet Grade 3 exam at 12.40 and I spent the entire morning practising scales and arpeggios.

And did it do me any good?

No, when it came to the exam I went to pieces. My mind went blank my fingers turned to jelly and if I passed it will be a miracle.

(I should add that I felt pretty much like this over Grade 2 and I passed that – but this was worse.)

Still, following the teachings of The Secret, I went straight round to the music shop and bought the book for Grade 4.

And then I looked at the man behind the counter. He seemed bored and fed up. As he handed me my bit of paper, I said: “I’ve been in before but have I ever told you how you can earn some more money?”

“How’s that, “ he asked.

“Write your name, your mobile number and your email address on there and I’ll send you something.”

And he did. This is the second time this has worked. I’m beginning to think I might have made a discovery.

Next it was off to the opticians to get my glasses fixed (actually I claim the missing nose pad and the wonky glasses were the reason for my complete inability to read the music).

“Have I told you about my business?” I asked brightly.

He was hard going. He lived in an eco-friendly house, he’d just signed a two year electricity contract for the shop and he never shopped in supermarkets. But even so the cashback card got him listening. It turned out he bought everything that wasn’t edible in Argos – and when it came to the prospect of his three children at university being able to pay their way by putting in an extra hour a day, all the lights came on.

I was feeling quite optimistic when I set off to the post office to send a box of business cards to my Brother-in-Law who works for the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh - where people are being made redundant all around him. Then, as I came out, the heavens opened and there was nothing for it but to take shelter in front of Boots.

And there, with my captive audience, I did the last four in Win a Mini forms. One was an existing customer who never realised he could make money out of it (but who has now taken a DVD home). Another lived in sheltered housing and didn’t pay his own bills (but gave me the number of his son who is always interested in making money).

Of the final two, one wanted a call in January and the other didn’t want a call at all – ever.

And then the sun came out and I concluded that the day hadn’t gone badly after all.

And now the blog is done, it’s back to those ruddy arpeggios …