Name: Aphoride (Signed) · Date: 24 Mar 2021 07:41 PM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

heyyyyy here for gift tag (and a fair bit because i've heard (seen?) this story mentioned on the discord a lot recently, always in enthusiastic terms, and i really had to check it out myself!)! :) 

 

ahhhhhhhhh so yk this fic just perfectly showcases one of the things i lovelovelove about fic in general: the way it allows authors to add things to the OG universe, or to expand it in ways, or to critique aspects of it which are underdone or badly done or lacking in some way. just like,, it's such a good point that hogwarts' arts curriculum is massively lacking - there's a choir, sure, but that's about it; and think of the possiblities with cool magical musical instruments or even just old fashioned ones??? imagine some pureblood kid boasting about how he plays the lyre. classic :P ahem, anyway! basically, it's not something i'd really thought much about before but this story makes that lack so obvious and so clear and i love that this story's going to be about rectifying that!! 

 

also i LOVE lisa. she's amazing. she's such a ravenclaw and she's great. she's clever and super talented (piano prodigy whut :o (as an aside, i used to play the piano but my teacher was, ah, not very encouraging, but being able to play the piano super well is a distant dream)) and she has this real creative spark in her - not just with the piano, but with whatever idea it is that she's had :P i love as well how blunt she is, haha, about music and her critiques of the wizarding world's musical offerings - it's brilliant, but it's something which i think a lot of us with a real passion for something can get: sometimes you can come across a bit too passionate or too critical of something and you have to tone it down for people who don't have your understanding or background. it's also an interesting combination of thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness, that she does think about that - but that it's something she had to learn and i'm all about those kinds of character contradictions. 

 

the details in this are amazing, omg. i lovelovelove the names of the songs and the bands and the interview had me literally creased honestly. you have such a witty, lively style and it's so vibrant and vivid and ahhhhhhhh i can't wait for the next chapter. i'm so so excited to see what happens next - what lisa's madcap idea is (because imo all claw ideas are madcap ones amiright??). 

 

laura xx

Name: blackballet (Signed) · Date: 24 Mar 2021 03:10 PM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Hi Protricia!! Here for the guerrilla tag :) 

 

I must first give you props for your wordplay with Handel/handle--just fantastic. Also, on a technical aspect, it really gives a good glimpse of the type of story this will be, as does the title, which is just so awesome :). 

LOL I love how much Lisa has a disdain for magical music, and I hope that she will change that in the future *fingers crossed*. And also Julia seems very funny, and I kind of love it. I like how you've pointed out that there is no music or art really at Hogwarts, and it has me thinking--how has no one come up with a club?? I guess there is the Frog Choir, but not much more than that.

I guess after being a prodigy, everything else is kind of commonplace. Lisa's just like, oh yeah, magic is cool. But can I play the piano? YAY Lisa has a little protege of her own in Julia Birdle, the younger sister of a boy in her year ( :O ) 

I am DYING at the interview-- "Well - you know - a Kneazle is a furry cat - and - you know - a million Galleons is money and not a furry cat." That is wild, and if Lisa read this, I can definitely see why she thinks that wizarding music is not all that muggle music is lol. 

Aw. I love her, and her desire to do something in life that she LOVES. DO IT I BELIEVE IN YOU. And also Lisa there is no saying you have to stay in the magic world, come back and be an artiste!! And I like her and Roxanne's relationship, seems like a bit of chaos with a bit of logic with a bit of rebelliousness. A great combination in my book! I can't wait to see what these two have cooking up next. 

I am really loving Next-Gen careers and life outside of war things right now, and so this is right up my alley. I'm so glad I was able to get into it during this time of random gifts, and can't wait to see a chapter update. :) 

 

best! Catherine

 

 

Name: RogueSlytherin (Signed) · Date: 23 Mar 2021 01:18 AM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Hey There! 

This was such a fun and random story in the best of ways. I am already anxiously awaiting more band names and horrible song lyrics as well as mroe interviews with vapid magical muscians because that wsa HILARIOUS! 

I really enjoyed how cheerful these characters are and how opinionated Lisa is, it adds another layer to this world. The girl just staring at her playing piano so she teaches her a bit - just so full of wonder and optimism and a lovely way to view the world. 

Which makes me wonder what her and Roxanne are gonna get up to! 

 

I'm also here for the 10/10 pun usage XD

Name: shadowycorner (Signed) · Date: 22 Mar 2021 05:06 PM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Hiya Protricia, here to check this out, I've seen people freaking out about it and I've read your interview with Roxanne and Lisa in your WJ and I was super like into them together and wanting to live on Corsica without magic and just the whole dynamic was lovely ajkfnajk fnsf and like I totally get why everyone on the forums is losing their mind over this fic because it's hella cool. 

 

We all just so naturally and readily incorporate Muggle music into our stories that one rarely stops to think what the majority of Wizard Music's like outside of Celestina and the Wyrd Sisters, and the way you approached here is not only super interesting, but also fun. I love your character, I lover this amusing dryness to her narrative, like a dry sense of humor or this funny detachment. Also, I can very much relate, I'm sure we all can, to her disdain about the mainstream music. 

 

Omg her playing the piano there and being observed by this other girl and teaching her play and finding so much joy in it was wonderful. I think it's completely valid for Hogwarts to start up some arts department so that magical music can thrive. Will Lisa and Roxanne do that?? That'd be rad. or or or ARE THEY GONNA START A BAND? I just can't wait to see what you do with this, I'm super excited for an update now. :) 

 

Also, I laughed so hard at that interview with the singer about his Kneazle song, lol, I could just imagine him saying all that, stoned out of his mind, but looking serious into the camera, trying to explain why his lyrics are super deep, yo. Brilliant! 

 

So much fun, hope you write more soon! 

 

ELi 

Name: Crimson Quill (Signed) · Date: 22 Mar 2021 03:55 PM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

 

Hey!

 

I'm here for gifting fun!

 

I loved this first chapter, you're so talented at world building like from this first chapter. there are so many cool details that you've packed into there. I love all the little touches like 'Rolling Cauldron's top 40' is so cool. I just love everything that you've done to build up the importance of music to Lisa and it's place in her world. I can't say that their interview about the song seemed too intelligent if I'm honest but again just love the background details.

 

Lisa is very opinionated. she knows what she likes and what she doesn't clearly. She's passionate which is just obvious by how much she describes hating wizarding music and how she offers piano lessons to that first year. she totally wants to push on her passion and knowledge, very ravenclaw too. lots of characteristic creeping into the story in a very natural way. 

 

I liked the dynamic between Roxanne and Lisa too. they seem to bounce off each other really well. I'm really interested in this story because it seems like there is a ton of potential here. You've really got me interested in what is going to happen next and what you have planned for the story. It seems like it's going to be really unique plotline! I really like how vivid and rich your writing is but it's also very readable, like it's not too heavy I guess is what I mean. I'm sad that there isn't another chapter now though!

 

Abbi xx

 

Name: prideofprewett (Signed) · Date: 21 Mar 2021 11:03 PM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Proticia! I have been seeing multiple reviews of this pop up, plus the title spoke to me and my ballet sensibilities. "Glissando/don't," reminded me immediately of "glissade," which is a different sort of gliding/scaling. And so naturally, I was intrigued by this. :) Also, I love me a good pun. 

 

And then I immediately get to the intro of this piece and it is ripe with excellent "wizarding adjacent," gems that relate to music. I love whenever writers do that in such a seamless fashion like you do here. "Rolling Cauldron's Top 40," was amazing. And I dunno if Sickle Hooper is your creation or something from canon, but I absolutely loved the song title, lyrics, and band name. It was all just very well thought out and added to the depth this OF piece that has magical leanings into HP territory (my favorite kind of story to read by the way :)).

 

Ok, yes, the fact that Hogwarts doesn't have some sort of performing arts program. Like can you imagine something like "magical music," and what that would be ok? Or like "magical ballet?" I mean, I don't know what the differences are, I'm just here to support your headcanons that Hogwarts needs to do better with that sort of thing ;)

 

Lisa is such an interesting character! To have to give up her love of piano to attend Hogwarts...I related to that personally. Parental expectations versus the choice of the child is a difficult sort of thing that can divide relationships. But Lisa seems no nonsense and logical (more so than me LOL). And I love that she can still indulge in playing piano. And is passing this past time onto another fellow classmate.  

 

I love the connection to the Weasleys. And Roxane is a character I definitely don't see a lot of fics written for. I am curious to see where you go with this story. I am wholly invested in the characters so far and really want to see what Lisa's idea turns into. 

 

Well done with this intro! 

 

<3 Courtney 

Name: kuusi palaa (Signed) · Date: 21 Mar 2021 07:14 PM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Hey Raspberry! Here to leave a guerilla gift review! And BvB--go Bronze!

 

This story is adorable. I love how Lisa dramatizes her distain for the Sickle Hoppers and "Give Me Your Kneazle." I mean, she has all the good reasons to dislike the hit song (love how you include legitimate musical reasons instead of it "sounding bad"). Her dislike of wizarding music comes off as a little bit arrogant, too, but makes Lisa an even more well-rounded and likeable character! :) As a classically trained musician, I could relate to Lisa's well informed opinions on disliking certain top hits.

 

I loved this opening chapter! I'm so curious to see what Lisa has in store--is it to write her own Chocolate Frog Cards with some magical musicians? Or so compose her own music, thereby trying to redefine some standards in the magical world as to what "good" music is? Or to try to get a music class going at Hogwarts? I want to know!!! :D

 

The newspaper/article in between both scenes was really effective, too. I loved getting a glimpse into the story behind "Give Me Your Kneazle" and also the boy band (boy band, omg, please make a picspam of them, I want to see the Sickle Hoppers in all of their glory, lol). And the way you have their hit song make very little sense lyric-wise also is an effective way to relay Lisa's dislike of the music to your audience. Some of your readers might not be trained musicians, so including this nonsensical (yet very amusing) lyrics helps translate the humor of a poorly written song to a wider audience. Well done! That can be difficult for a wirter to accomplish, especially when the thing they are describing is more aural than visual.

 

Roxanne and Lisa have such a great friendship. I love their banter and their exchange, and they are what I envision when I think of Ravenclaws hanging out in their dorms, lol. They seem like a very dynamic duo, and I cannot wait to see how they develop!

 

One last thing, when I first saw the title to your story, I laughed out loud. I love a good pun! But as a (former) harpist, I truely hope you manage to fit an actual glissando into the story (and not just the stepwise scalar motions in Pesto improv sections :P )

Name: lostrobin (Signed) · Date: 21 Mar 2021 04:19 AM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Hey, Protricia! I’m just stopping by with a little gift!

First off, I love the chapter title. Also the fic title. Listen, this is just my jam. I clicked on it based on the title because it’s just *chef’s kiss* perfect. Right. Onto actually reading it instead of squeeing about the titles.

‘Give Me Your Kneazle’. Fam, I just love your titles. I know I already said that, but this is just such a good title for a magical peeps song and then you wrote part of it??? I agree with Lisa Chen; not something I would want to listen to over and over again. This reminds me of when I was in freshman year of college because some movie with a song about letting it go came out?? But everyone wanted to build a snowman. So many times those songs were mangled.

Getting your braces tightened is the Worst. Seriously. Though I imagine that listening to the same song being sung over and over again is just as painful. I feel so bad for Lisa. I don’t know who Sickle Hopper is, but I agree with her so much about them.

They really should have a music program at Hogwarts. It just seems like something that would have a lot of people interested in it. Where is our orchestra teacher? The one with the McGonagall vibe, but is also very soft but will also fight you. And they should totally let Lisa take piano lessons on the weekends! Surely there’s some nice magical piano teacher or someone who lives in Hogsmeade and will take pity on this poor girl.

Ah, Sickle Hopper is a boy band. Lovely. That explains the over-singing of their latest hit. I’m just imagining them as One Direction with pointy hats. Hip Hurley. I… You know, that sounds like a very wizardy name and a very boy-bandy name. I love how subtly snarky the article about them is.

Let Lisa become a magical piano teacher! She has the music teacher vibe. Or, here’s a thought: she becomes the first magical concert pianist, and she gets to play around the world, and everyone tosses flowers to her.

I don’t know if this was on purpose or not (though it probably was because you’re super clever like that), but I like how you are sort of paralleling magic and music. Music has, over the course of hundreds of years, changed from Baroque to Classical to Romantic to Modern (though I am not a huge fan of modern classical music save film scores), but magic just… stays the same. And it’s apparent in how the music all seems to be kind of that mid-century pop music like Celestina Warbeck (though it would be hilarious if she turned out to be, like, some opera star and that’s why she’s so wildly popular because everything in the magical world is a weird blend of Victorian and medieval) because, like magical society in general, it’s stuck. It’s never changing, and it sort of goes against the nature of music to never change.

I went off on a tangent, and I am very sorry. Basically, I love this story, and I am super excited for where it goes next. Thank you for being a fellow music nerd (even if we play different instruments). I think this is the longest review I’ve ever written, so I’m just gonna leave now because it’s past midnight.

 

-A

Name: victoria_anne (Signed) · Date: 20 Mar 2021 03:17 AM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Hey Protricia!

 

Ahh this story is so much fun! I absolutely love this take on the arts in the wizarding world, since it's something we never really saw much of. It got my mind thinking about all the magical music possibilities! I think your writing is really entertaining and the characters all stand out. The song itself is just so ridiculous, and I love it so much! I really enjoy the idea of their being a song craze taking over the Hogwarts common rooms!

 

Oh my goodness, is this going to lead to Lisa creating the next music sensation? That would be amazing! I really enjoyed this, Protricia! I hope you write more soon <3

Name: RonsGirlFriday (Signed) · Date: 17 Mar 2021 06:02 PM · For: I can't Handel it anymore

Yes, yes, I love the concept. I, too, headcanon that Wizard music is total crap, for whatever reason. I love that you've got an OC who's muggleborn and very musically gifted and has spotted this deficiency and perhaps this will lead her to a profession she'll love, getting to play and teach music and revolutionize wizarding music.

 

Ravenclaw having a self-playing grand piano constantly going for ambiance in the common room is now canon for me, thank you for this, what a gift. Because of course we do!

 

ok this:

 

When asked about his inspiration for writing the song, Hurley said, “I don’t know.  One day I just thought...what would I do if someone gave me their Kneazle?  I just - I thought you know, what’s the difference between a Kneazle and a million Galleons?  Well - you know - a Kneazle is a furry cat - and - you know - a million Galleons is money and not a furry cat.  They’re just different.  And that’s really where I got the idea from.”

 

“Right...what would I do?” Quinfer seemed to assent.  “And Hurley came to me with that half-formed idea, and I told him that I was a lonely wizard.  And that I was only a wizard.  It really just kept flowing from there.  We work really well together, you know, so when we had such a deep topic to write about, it wasn’t too difficult for us.”

 

Fucking. HYSTERICAL. It's like every non-answer answer that just restates the question. Amazing. And like, not every artist is like this of course, but once in a while you read an interview where you're like... wut?

 

+100 for musical puns, and puns in general!

 

<3 Melanie