Lorraine's Diary

Year 2025

Lorraine, December 2025, in her home studio. Have A Merry Christmas!

1 December 2025 - Reflections

Winter has genuinely arrived, I noticed, as I opened the curtains in my home studio early morning and was greeted by natural darkness. Impromptuly, I reflected on what I thought to be the most enjoyable, remarkably artistically creative and worthwhile projects I accomplished for 2025.

Some of the highlights which I am most proud of are:

1) composing 15 songs for my concept album What Will I Do Today

2) writing a storybook entitled "What Will I Do Today" (See entry 19 September 2025) which includes stories, music and sketches.

3) my repertoire of songs by The Who which I play guitar along with The Who

4) scheduling time and making space for my creative pursuits

No doubt during this creative time I embarked on a spiritual journey toward myriad creative pursuits in composing music, creative writing, practising guitar, and colour pencil sketches while finding reprieve time nurturing myself listening to music and reading a book. Inevitably, I have seeked and discovered over many years what I will do today.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas !

28 November 2025 - I'm Drowned in Who

Thanks so much for bringing to my attention The Who's " Who Are You Super Deluxe" which includes The Who's original "Who Are You" studio album, the making and creation of The Who's "Who Are You" tracks, and The Who's rehearsal and live concerts.

Inevitably I have been spending some time since Halloween listening to this work of music. I found some of the methods and techniques for making and creating songs inspiring for my music compositions; the rehearsals fun; and the live concerts exciting.

Two songs from the "Who Are You Super Deluxe" I take with me to include on my repertoire of over 20 songs I play by The Who are "New Song (Pete's Vocal Version)" and "Who Are You." I chose songs for my guitar practise based on songs I like and realistically can achieve playing with The Who.

I enjoy playing a guitar like rock star, Pete Townshend. Photo of Lorraine, June 2006.

15 October 2025 - New Song

Thanks so much for the new song single, titled, "New Song (Pete's Vocal Version)'' which was brought to my attention earlier this autumn. After I acquired it and listened to it, I spontaneously liked this particular version and eagerly learned to play it on guitar.

Although I had an incredible workout over several sessions, I had a chance to really practise chords over the full accessible range of the guitar fret board myriad voicings which included triads, bar and open chords. The tempo is relatively fast, but it is a realistic, achievable challenge for me to practise it along with The Who.

I included "New Song (Pete's Vocal Version)" in my repertoire listed under the album "Who Are You." by The Who.

19 September 2025 - Storybook Release - stories, songs, and sketches

Podcast: Storybook Description (contains music)

An exclusive handmade deluxe storybook "What Will I Do Today" by Lorraine Juhl has been completed. The storybook is a splendid fiction story based on Lorraine's concept album "What Will I Do Today." The storybook features:

15 handwritten short narrative acts

15 Colourful hand sketches, one per each narrative act

15 songs, one per each narrative act referenced by title which are publicly available at Soundcloud

1 handmade book cover

The storybook also includes an illustrated list of characters and the roles they play in the story; a content; a preface, and an About Me.

"I am immensely inspired by the artistic process, and I enjoyed writing all the narrative short stories, making the colourful pencil sketches , and most of all composing all the songs for this delightful story book" -Lorraine

Below are a few samples from Lorraine's storybook:

Sample

Handmade Book Cover

Sample

Handsketch for Act I

Sample

Handwritten story for Act I and title to song for Act I

Lorraine playing guitar at her home studio.

17 June 2025 - Album Release !!

A new concept album titled "What Will I Do Today" by solo artist, Lorraine Juhl, with a collection of 15 song tracks and album storyline has been released on 17 June 2025. The playlist of tracks for the album is publically available on the streaming service Soundcloud. Play What Will I Do Today

The storyline which the concept album is based on is available on a page. Read storyline here Story: What Will I Do Today

Credits: lyricist, composer, acoustic guitar player, electric guitar player, producer and storyline by Lorraine Juhl.

10 June 2025 Impromptu Creativity

When creative energy and mood arise I embrace the opportunity to immerse myself in what inspires me. Lately that has been songwriting. I prefer songwriting as a solo artist, even though on several occasions I have been offered collaborations on music projects. But, I don't find much sense in paying a ridiculously enormous overpriced fee when there are lower cost sources and ways for engaging in music projects. Besides, I can easily compose songs myself as well as do the engineering and production too. Afterall I do have a lifetime of experience in myriad disciplines for music projects.

I'm in the process of writing songs. The songs I compose, which include lyrics and instrumental music for guitar, draw their influence from my own experience which often include stories about people, places and nature blended in with my own feelings and mood.

Over the past few years I have been working on my third album, and have been releasing a few songs at a time posted as tracks on Soundcloud. Often each batch of songs I release have a similar theme or mood. Hopefully I will release the next batch of songs soon. An announcement of the songs will be posted when the tracks are ready.

29 May 2025 - Happy Birthday, Lorraine

In celebration of my birthday I hosted a birthday party. For the occasion my family and relatives were invited. I prepared a recipe of homemade Osso Bucco, bread, and mixed salad freshly picked from my son's rented farm plot. Ice cream followed the main course. Thank you so much for the enjoyable, kind birthday cards and gifts, as well as the wonderful, real social connection.

Dear Lorraine,

I'm pleased that you found an enjoyable outlet playing guitar and creative inspiration for composing your own songs. You must find it gratifying. I know there were many challenges along the way, such as learning scales and chords, chord progressions, timing, and composing music for a song. Thanks so much for sharing your songs. I'm impressed with your achievement. And, I am delighted to hear that your activities are favourably benefiting your health, and are a means to supportive social connection.

Wishing you love, happiness, good health, and creativity for many years which lie ahead.

- Lorraine.

25 May 2025 - I hosted A Party

I hosted a birthday party for my granddaughter. I enjoy cooking. So, I prepared my own recipe for homemade Lasagne and mixed salad from freshed picked crops from my son's rented farm plot. Ice cream followed the main course, and she received gifts, one of which was an adorable pure British shorthair kitten from my son. It was a quiet, yet quaint conversation, celebration with family. Not only do I do all the cooking, but I also listen to music while doing all the wash up afterwards. That's the way it is when I am the host, but I do get the benefits of real social connection.

19 May 2025. Lorraine Playing guitar in the garden

19 May 2025 - Garden Guitar

The weather was so sunny and pleasantly warm I took the opportunity to take my classical guitar out into the garden and play there instead of my home studio. Playing guitar outdoors in the garden is an incredible whole new feeling and sound. The sounds of the birds, rustling leaves, and a calm light breeze blended in with the chords I play on guitar blend and mix producing an entirely unique sound.

The classical guitar, made by Yamaha over 25 years ago when I first acquired it, strung with nylon strings has quite a soft pleasant sound to it, and is the very reason I use it as a garden guitar. I don't think it disturbs the birds nor can the neighbors hear it on the other side of the hedge. So, I am alone with my guitar to play what I please. I played a set of songs by The Who which are a part of my repertoire. 'Behind Blue Eyes', 'Sea And Sand' , 'I Can't Explain', 'Squeeze Box', 'The Real Me' , 'Pinball Wizard.'

By the way, It's Pete Townshend's Birthday today. Happy Birthday, Pete.

A few impressions of the trip to the French Riveria.

Top Left: Peter and Lorraine

9 May 2025 - Trip To French Riviera

I spent a week on holiday with a travel group in the marvellous French Riviera which included a day just over the border in Italy. The weather was ideal, sunny and warm except for the last day. I did quite a lot of walking along splendid promenades along the sea and through mediaeval towns in the mountains, visited outdoor markets and festivals, cathedrals, a botanical garden, saw various art works and styles of architecture, listened to a bit of music, and tasted the excellent French food. I took a morning trip via ferry to a nearby French natural island where I walked for two hours. I learned a little French while I was on the trip, and even sang a childhood song in French in a duet. I immensely enjoyed the trip, and I feel rested at last!

9 April 2025 - Tribute to The Who's 60th Anniversary

After a few years of allocating 30 minutes of my daily pastime and dedicating that time to practicing on guitar a collection of songs by The Who, I have established a repertoire of over 20 songs which I can play by The Who. It is The Who's 60th anniversary this year 2025. To join in and celebrate the event I've been performing my entire repertoire on guitar along with The Who since early March in my home studio. To fulfill this occasion I prepared unique playlist song sets for each week consisting of 5 different songs each chosen from my repertoire. Each week I performed a different song set daily, not including weekends.

I clearly recall when I first embraced playing guitar. It all seemed so challenging, yet my enthusiasm and inspirational guitar guru, Pete Townshend, gave me the energy to endure and pursue my passion for playing guitar. I feel such an enormous sense of satisfaction that I accomplished what I once imagined. Now it is a reality, no longer a dream or fantasy. Still, you can not set aside practising guitar for long. One can easily become 'rusty' and out of practise. In the light of this insight which I gained through my own experience, I created these unique song set playlists to practise from each week in rotation. I enjoy playing with The Who. It is fun, really.

Here is one set of the six playlist song sets I play guitar along with The Who:

Song Set

I Can't Explain

Substitute

I'm One

Pinball Wizard

Baba O' Reily

Pure And Easy

5 April 2025 - Recuperation

I've been listening to songs from the album "Who Came First" by Pete Townshend. Such immensely enjoyable, calm soothing songs to listen to while I am doing strength training physical therapy for my injured knee and twisted leg which I have been doing for the past 4 weeks.

When I first began strength training doing recommended exercises for my particular condition, it was an incredible physical struggle and strain on my injured knee and twisted leg, really. I felt quite a bit of pain. Amazingly, after a couple of weeks of training the pain noticeably began to subside while simultaneously I noticed the muscles in my legs growing and becoming more supportive. Remarkably after 4 weeks my knee and leg seem fully recovered and functional and I am paying less attention to the relentless pain I suffered and endured for quite an extended period of time, say over a year. Still, it will be necessary to continue strength training and physical therapy to maintain well being. And I am gratuitous for having such lovely soothing music from "Who Came First" to listen to.

11 March 2025 - Memorable Event Of Music

Thursday, 11th March 1976 is an exceedingly memorable day of extraordinary music for me. The Who performed live in concert at the Madison Square Garden, New York. I attended this spectacular music performance by The Who, and I wrote a memoir about my experience at The Who's concert which I published at this site along with a few extras included in my memoir:

3 March 2025 - Birthday Party

This past weekend I hosted a birthday party for my beloved husband with invited guests - my son and his paternal grandmother. I prepared a beef roast with mixed vegetables, and a homemade layered birthday cake with fresh fruit filling and whipped cream icing topped with strawberries. As a gift I replenished a few of his worn out torn clothes. Not only is holding a birthday party a delightful social occasion actually, but hosting a birthday party is certainly a good natured deed for someone.

1 March 2025 - Natural Orchestration

Spring is on its way with lovely white petal flowers of snowdrops in bloom while the sweet, relentless melody of small, multi-colourful feathered birds and intermittently whistling black feathered birds are heard in the soundscape of my garden. My cuddly kitty cat immensely enjoys watching them from a distance as they hangout on winter's leafless deciduous trees while she occasionally meows as if she were singing an opera. What a splendid natural orchestration of music they perform together.

January 2025. Loraine composing music for her new song They're All Passing By (Remastered)

19 February 2025 - New Song Release

Recently I was working on a triple accompaniment guitar solo (see entry 15 January 2025) for a new song I had been composing. I have now completed the final version of the song which includes this guitar solo. The song track title is "They're All Passing By (Remastered)." The song is remastered because the first version of the song contained undesirable noise from the amplifier I used while making the recording for the track. As to reduce noise I simply removed the noise from the first version and remastered it to create a second clearer, smooth sounding version.

The track has been pre-released on 5 February 2025 on the streaming service Soundcloud. The track is now publicly Released and available to listen to.

Play > They're All Passing By (Remastered)

Description:

The song track "They're All Passing By (Remastered)" draws its influence from various genres of Classic Rock music and Classical Music, in particular Orchestra.

Credits:

Acoustic and electric guitar - Lorraine Juhl

Vocalist - Lorraine Juhl

Composer (songwriter) - Lorraine Juhl

17 February 2025 - Flip Flops

I was out for another day of indoor swimming. There was quite a crowd of adults and kids there splashing away having fun while I did my swimming laps. My leg is remarkably better, although my hip is still a bit stiff, but is increasingly improving. So now that I am almost fully recuperated, I included a new swimming exercise for my stomach, since I get plenty of exercise to my arms and legs doing laps.

The new flip flops I acquired for swimming pool areas are quite satisfactory to me. They are comfortable and have quite good traction. I like the colour of them too.

15 February 2025 - Winter Pumpkin & Pasta

I had my son and granddaughter over for an afternoon winter warm meal. One of the side dishes I prepared was Fusilli pasta with pumpkin. It was a bit tricky at first getting the right balance of pumpkin and water, but ultimately when I found, by trial and error, the right balance it tasted rather delicious blended in with the pasta. Here is how I made it for four servings:

My Homemade Pumpkin and Pasta Recipe:

1 small whole pumpkin, peeled and diced into small wedges.

1/2 dl water

1 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt to taste

pinch of cinnamon to taste (optional)

200g Fusilli pasta, boiled water with a pinch of salt and drained

Blend pumpkin, water and olive oil in a pot. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir every 5 to 10 minutes. When done remove the soft wedges from the pot and set aside, leaving the pumpkin creamy sauce in the pot. Stir in the cooked drained pasta and a pinch of salt. Transfer the pasta and pumpkin to a dish and sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top for a bit more taste. Some of my guests like to sprinkle a bit of sauteed hot chilli peppers over the pasta and pumpkin, actually. Watch it - it is spicy hot!!!

Chord progressions Lorraine composed purely for practise in the key of G with major, minor, and dominant 7th chords.

12 February 2025 - Chord Progression Exercise

As to keep in tune with the sounds of resonating harmonised chord progressions and classical scales, every now and then I review a bit of music theory which draws its influence from the genres of Rock 'n' Roll and Classical Music. One element I am working with is playing chords which interchange from major to minor while blending in a few dominant 5th, 7th and suspended chords. The other element I am working with is composing different, yet simple, endings to these progressions. This is all purely exercise which I do. As I play the progressions on my guitar I become acquainted with the harmonic sounds for a particular key.

8 February 2025 - A Refreshing Swim

I was having a chat with one of the folks from my community to whom I voluntarily mentioned that I was on my way swimming. I started seasonal swimming last winter after injuring my leg. During my swimming session recently, I found that my leg remarkably improved. I am now able to, once again, swim laps in the community olympic pool without feeling any pain in my leg actually. Although I shower before and after swimming, I have not yet joined a swimming group or have taken a sauna in over 30 years. I prefer to heal myself at a pace that I can handle and do swimming exercises that I feel comfortable enough with.

Not only have I found swimming physically therapeutic, but also a natural antidepressant for seasonal winter depression. I felt so exuberant and enormously refreshed afterwards, I am ready to go again.

5 February 2025 - Shopping Assessories for Swimming

I found a love beige shoulder bag with not only enough room for my swimwear, but also plenty of pockets both on the inside and outside of the bag. In addition, the bag comes with a hand handle and an adjustable shoulder strap. It is quite soft, yet stiff and wide enough to stand up straight without falling over. I really like it, actually.

02 February 2025 - Fun Who Song To Warm Up With

I enjoy listening to The Who's song 'I Can't Explain.' I have it on a CD track from The Who's album 'Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy' which I acquired over 20 years ago. Now the track can be easily streamed. I love playing guitar along with it too, actually. It has quite a lively rhythm and beat to it. And it is fun to play. It took me less than 20 minutes to learn to play through the song. And, I found it to be a wonderful song to warm up with.

The first time I played through the song I played it with all bar chords. Although this might be a more efficient way to play it to keep the fast timing, it sounds so much better to play the E chord using the open string voicing just like the way Pete Townshend plays it. Not only does it sound better blended in with the bar chords in the progression, but it also gives the guitarist a half note hand and finger rest from the bar chord progressions.

The other appeal of playing this song as a warm up song is that the chord progressions are played with mostly slash chords where the guitarist strikes the chord, relieving the guitarist of a lot of strumming. Instead, giving practise to the fret hand moving up and down the fretboard. I immensely enjoy the variety of ways a guitarist can play a guitar.

23 January 2025 - Loud And Clear

A few years ago I acquired a MS-2 micro amplifier which I use to amplify sound from my Les Paul electric guitar. The micro amp is ideal for a small home studio. Certainly loud enough to hear, yet not loud enough for any grand public concert. It has basic controls such as volume and tone, and on/off, clean and reverb settings. When I make recordings for songs which I compose, particularly guitar solos, with electric, lead guitar connected to the micro amplifier, the volume, quite surprisingly, is dampened and lower than the acoustic guitar accompaniments, actually. For a guitar solo that I had been working on I preferred that the lead guitar was a bit more audible. One way I improved the recorded sound level equalisation for the recording device I use to make my demo songs is to use a simulation amplifier App (SAP).

The SAP offers controls which not only boost the audibility of the electric guitar, but also can modify the sound. Recently, I spent an afternoon trying out numerous simulated controls and pedals on my SAP for picking up sound from my Marshall MS-2 micro amplifier. I applied the audibility and sound effects to my triple accompaniment guitar solo which I had been working on, and listened to the various sound effects and sound levels created. Ultimately. I was able to boost the sound level and change the sound effects of the lead, electric guitar in the guitar solo.

Some of the simulated controls and pedals I tried out and used are compression, gain, level, depth and speed. Now, I can certainly hear that lead, electric guitar loud and clear!

15 January 2025 - Triple Accompaniment

I am in the process of composing a guitar solo for a new song. For my earlier works of music I composed guitar solos with one rhythm guitar part and one lead guitar part. As to enhance sound effects, the guitar solo I am currently working on has three accompaniment guitar parts.

A short while back ago, I had been practising numerous double-stop scales, where two tones are played at the same time. As to create an alternative sound effect, I included double-stops as another accompaniment. Originally, I made an 8 bar, 2 track recording, one for rhythm and the other for double-stops. While searching through my music archives, I came across a 16 measure guitar solo which I had composed just about 20 years ago. Being it was composed in another key, I transposed it into the key my new song is composed in and improvised the tones a bit, ultimately shortening the solo to 8 measures. With this second, 8 measure version I made a recording on a third track for the solo playing acoustic guitar for the first take of the lead guitar part. Inevitably, the triple accompaniment acoustic guitar solo has more and fuller sound to it.

06 January 2025 - Tips on Guitar Posture

After a few weeks of guitar practise intermission I am back in my studio practising guitar. To begin with I am practising a few songs from my repertoire. The first warm-up song I choose to play is The Who's 'Pure And Easy' song. I play the version from their earlier album 'Odds And Sods' because I have the music sheets for that version. The intro to it starts out with a gentle moderate tempo whole note strum over several measures before entering a vigorous strum and rapid chord change in the chorus.

I am able to relatively quickly pick up my guitar and play just like yesterday after a few weeks of guitar intermission when I literally placed my guitar back in a hard covered guitar case and set it aside - I just simply didn’t play it. On the contrary, I remember a few years ago the excruciating pain I experienced for months after not practising for over 10 years. When I started to practise again after this period of guitar deprivation, I sat on a spare bed supporting my classical guitar on my leg, inevitably pressuring my muscles and bones in my upper leg while learning to play songs all over again. Unfortunately, my upper leg became stiff after sitting for a long time practising.

To remedy and ultimately cure the discomfort, after I had acquired my small body Gibson studio acoustic guitar, I stopped in a music shop and bought a guitar strap which I can fasten onto the guitar and hang it on my body by draping it over my shoulder. With this guitar strap I can now stand up and practise. I am finding it a much more comfortable position and less strainful on my leg.

One other caveat to avoid is leg twisting. I have a tendency to twist my leg outward while standing up practising, culminating in a radiating pain from my hip to toe. In this case a couple of weeks of guitar intermission will cure the pain. It is best to keep the guitar in front of the body and leg straight while playing. I feel enthusiatic and well to play guitar again. - It is pure and easy!

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