Stuff Sally Likes and How It Gets into her Books
Music and Drama
Sally is not musical, but she comes from a musical family. Growing up with Dad singing loudly in the dairy, loudly in church and extra-loudly in singalongs, with Mum and Granny Elsie singing, with Sister Anne singing harmony meant Sally has a feeling for music and loves it... She was very disappointed to discover she lacked one of the talents necessary to be as good a singer as her family members. Singing, like writing, is a group of talents. Sally got volume, and timing, but not much of a range (mezzo at best), some tone, but not enough, and also not enough tune. She still sings, just not very well. All the same, growing up in that musical environment, and being married to a husband with an excellent ear, she loves to introduce music into her books. Drama comes along too.
Another Good Friend and All the Sea Between involve the musical play All the Sea Between, written and performed by the Year 9 script team of Springford Highschool. The idea came from a school script team Sally worked with as mentor. The reality was thta Sally wrote almost all the script and a lot of the right-handed melody for the music... and lyrics, not because the kids were incompetent but because they were high achievers and the school couldn't/wouldn't spare them for more than a couple of script meetings.
Kissing Cousins involves a local choral society putting on a musical.
The Counterpoint series features Court Leopold, who, with his singing partner Jordana Dane, forms the musical duo Courtesan.
When Court vanishes during the Counterpoint music festival, Jordana, her husband Chess, her sister Gemma and Gemma's new beau, Henry, try to solve the mystery while still fulfilling Courtesan's obligations.
In Sam and the Sylvan, Sam Silver learns to play the woodlin instrument she's had since childhood. Tab Merriweather and his brothers form a family group, 4TsQuad. In the sequel, Sunshower, Tab's girlfriend Josepha joins with him in a musical program for a nursing home as they investigate a mystery for Sam Silver.
Sally is not musical, but she comes from a musical family. Growing up with Dad singing loudly in the dairy, loudly in church and extra-loudly in singalongs, with Mum and Granny Elsie singing, with Sister Anne singing harmony meant Sally has a feeling for music and loves it... She was very disappointed to discover she lacked one of the talents necessary to be as good a singer as her family members. Singing, like writing, is a group of talents. Sally got volume, and timing, but not much of a range (mezzo at best), some tone, but not enough, and also not enough tune. She still sings, just not very well. All the same, growing up in that musical environment, and being married to a husband with an excellent ear, she loves to introduce music into her books. Drama comes along too.
Another Good Friend and All the Sea Between involve the musical play All the Sea Between, written and performed by the Year 9 script team of Springford Highschool. The idea came from a school script team Sally worked with as mentor. The reality was thta Sally wrote almost all the script and a lot of the right-handed melody for the music... and lyrics, not because the kids were incompetent but because they were high achievers and the school couldn't/wouldn't spare them for more than a couple of script meetings.
Kissing Cousins involves a local choral society putting on a musical.
The Counterpoint series features Court Leopold, who, with his singing partner Jordana Dane, forms the musical duo Courtesan.
When Court vanishes during the Counterpoint music festival, Jordana, her husband Chess, her sister Gemma and Gemma's new beau, Henry, try to solve the mystery while still fulfilling Courtesan's obligations.
In Sam and the Sylvan, Sam Silver learns to play the woodlin instrument she's had since childhood. Tab Merriweather and his brothers form a family group, 4TsQuad. In the sequel, Sunshower, Tab's girlfriend Josepha joins with him in a musical program for a nursing home as they investigate a mystery for Sam Silver.
Books and Writing
Dogs
Horses and Ponies and Unicorns
Cats
Roses
Jewellery
Party Dresses
