Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
That is the sound of a contented music major. Wind Ensemble finally got finished with its first concert and the Hodie is only graded by Mrs. Hill and I know most of it. I don't have to freak out about Wind Ensemble music anymore.
On the other hand, I do have rehearsal tonight even though Wind Ensemble rehearsal is cancelled. Ah, that lovely, lovely Hodie. Fortunately, Dorothy will be with me so I won't be alone with a bunch of random orchestra people. I told Mrs. Hill I would do it because I wanted to have some orchestra experience and she did ask.
And I've chilled out about practicing too. I still need to do it, but I'm not saying "OMG! I don't have ten hours!!!!" anymore. I know I probably won't get my quota this week, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'll just work harder next week and the week after.
I'm loving that Mrs. Hill assigned a piece I already partly knew as my second solo. Scherzo in C Minor kicked my butt two years ago but I kicked its butt the other day when I looked at it again. It's amazing that I can still remember how to play it, but I'm glad too since I'm still ironing out kinks in my first solo, Scene and Air from Loisa de Montfort.
For now though, I'm enjoying lunch and having internet. I hope they get it fixed in Morris soon.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Traditions
Traditions
So, family traditions. Well, in my family we had a lot of old traditions and then we have our new traditions. The reason we do is because we had the things we did before my grandmother died and the things we do now.
Before Grammy died she was the one who put on all the parties. Every birthday - mine, my sister's, my brother's, all of my cousins', and my niece the few years before Grammy died - was in the Lake House. Grammy would cook a mountain of food and us five Grandkids and our parents plus my Aunt Claire would gather together and have fun. Christmas and Thanksgiving were put on at the Big House and they were open to more of our peripheral family. I haven't even seen most of those people since the last Christmas get together.
After Grammy died in 2002, all that fell apart. She was what unified our family so we really had to begin a few new traditions. My sister and my mother have taken up were Grammy left off, but my sister does it more since Mom's condition (she had a stroke when I was in 8th grade and it was very severe. She doesn't like being in public much and putting on Thanksgiving and such tends to leave her very stressed and we prefer not to do that to her) doesn't lend well to entertaining as much. For the first time in over six years we plan to have Christmas in the Big House this year.
What do these traditions mean to me? To be completely honest I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking about the times we had in the Big House and Lake House. (Listening to this particular segment of the score from the Dark Knight isn't helping either.) I can remember running around with my cousins April, Amy, and Christopher playing Cops and Robbers and Hide'n'Seek. I can see Grammy bustling around the kitchen and my brother Brian opening presents in front of the fire place.
These traditions that my family has lost represent my lost childhood. After Grammy died, I grew up fast. I had too. A year after Grammy died my mother had her stroke. I still sometimes have to check on Mama when she's sleeping to make sure she's still breathing, that's how close we were to losing her. My Aunt Claire went through a really rough time after Grammy died and there was a temporary rift between her, my uncle, and my dad because of the conditions of my grandmother's will. My Uncle GT and my cousins still don't contact us much.
This Christmas is important because it fills me with hope. It means that my family has finally really begun to heal. We'll be doing something that is at least half way normal even though it's probably going to be very depressing because it'll be the first Big House Christmas without Grammy presiding.
But still, it's the hope that counts.
So, family traditions. Well, in my family we had a lot of old traditions and then we have our new traditions. The reason we do is because we had the things we did before my grandmother died and the things we do now.
Before Grammy died she was the one who put on all the parties. Every birthday - mine, my sister's, my brother's, all of my cousins', and my niece the few years before Grammy died - was in the Lake House. Grammy would cook a mountain of food and us five Grandkids and our parents plus my Aunt Claire would gather together and have fun. Christmas and Thanksgiving were put on at the Big House and they were open to more of our peripheral family. I haven't even seen most of those people since the last Christmas get together.
After Grammy died in 2002, all that fell apart. She was what unified our family so we really had to begin a few new traditions. My sister and my mother have taken up were Grammy left off, but my sister does it more since Mom's condition (she had a stroke when I was in 8th grade and it was very severe. She doesn't like being in public much and putting on Thanksgiving and such tends to leave her very stressed and we prefer not to do that to her) doesn't lend well to entertaining as much. For the first time in over six years we plan to have Christmas in the Big House this year.
What do these traditions mean to me? To be completely honest I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking about the times we had in the Big House and Lake House. (Listening to this particular segment of the score from the Dark Knight isn't helping either.) I can remember running around with my cousins April, Amy, and Christopher playing Cops and Robbers and Hide'n'Seek. I can see Grammy bustling around the kitchen and my brother Brian opening presents in front of the fire place.
These traditions that my family has lost represent my lost childhood. After Grammy died, I grew up fast. I had too. A year after Grammy died my mother had her stroke. I still sometimes have to check on Mama when she's sleeping to make sure she's still breathing, that's how close we were to losing her. My Aunt Claire went through a really rough time after Grammy died and there was a temporary rift between her, my uncle, and my dad because of the conditions of my grandmother's will. My Uncle GT and my cousins still don't contact us much.
This Christmas is important because it fills me with hope. It means that my family has finally really begun to heal. We'll be doing something that is at least half way normal even though it's probably going to be very depressing because it'll be the first Big House Christmas without Grammy presiding.
But still, it's the hope that counts.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Homesickness
I don't have any.
So, this weekend is Fall Break and almost all of my friends are going to spend the weekend at home, most rolling out of here right after IDC.
I'm not.
I only live an hour and a half away but I don't want to go home for the weekend. I love my family, but at home I do pretty much what I do here: whole up in my room or the computer room(home)/practice room(here) and not see the light of day. Ann-Alyce told me about how her and her mom would go out to eat a lot and hang out, but my family doesn't do that a whole lot. Really, my family isn't the "traditional" kind. We love each other, but for my entire life we've never been the "let's-go-out-to-eat-tonight!" kind of family. We hang out together sometimes, but for the most part my parents, my brother, and I don't do family outings.
To be fair, it's mostly because of our personalities. Depending on the day my dad can be either very gregarious or anxious, and many of my birthday outings have featured my dad trying not to be too ill tempered. My mama suffered a stroke when I was in eighth grade, so she often feels slightly uncomfortable out in public. My brother doesn't take any crap so if Dad's in a pissy mood Brian gets mad too and things snowball from there. I like going out and having dinner with my family, but I'm the mediator so I often get pulled in to ref and then I get pissed.
It's always interesting to look at my brother and I because we both have opposite features. Brian gets his social attitude from Dad and his quick-ish temper from Mama. I get my solitary habits from Mama and my temper from Daddy. Brian is very physical and handy-man-ish like Daddy, and I'm artistic and crafty like Mama. Maybe it's because we're all so alike that being together too long isn't all that pleasant.
Anyway, tangent aside, I think I might go home for a day, but I don't think I'm going to spend any nights. In Con 101 they talked to us about studying strategies, and since I've never studied at home I usually associate it with down time. I can study anywhere on campus because even though I live here, it's still school. Home is where I don't do diddly, and with two Mid-terms coming after the break I can't really afford to do diddly for even two days. One yes; two no.
So, this weekend is Fall Break and almost all of my friends are going to spend the weekend at home, most rolling out of here right after IDC.
I'm not.
I only live an hour and a half away but I don't want to go home for the weekend. I love my family, but at home I do pretty much what I do here: whole up in my room or the computer room(home)/practice room(here) and not see the light of day. Ann-Alyce told me about how her and her mom would go out to eat a lot and hang out, but my family doesn't do that a whole lot. Really, my family isn't the "traditional" kind. We love each other, but for my entire life we've never been the "let's-go-out-to-eat-tonight!" kind of family. We hang out together sometimes, but for the most part my parents, my brother, and I don't do family outings.
To be fair, it's mostly because of our personalities. Depending on the day my dad can be either very gregarious or anxious, and many of my birthday outings have featured my dad trying not to be too ill tempered. My mama suffered a stroke when I was in eighth grade, so she often feels slightly uncomfortable out in public. My brother doesn't take any crap so if Dad's in a pissy mood Brian gets mad too and things snowball from there. I like going out and having dinner with my family, but I'm the mediator so I often get pulled in to ref and then I get pissed.
It's always interesting to look at my brother and I because we both have opposite features. Brian gets his social attitude from Dad and his quick-ish temper from Mama. I get my solitary habits from Mama and my temper from Daddy. Brian is very physical and handy-man-ish like Daddy, and I'm artistic and crafty like Mama. Maybe it's because we're all so alike that being together too long isn't all that pleasant.
Anyway, tangent aside, I think I might go home for a day, but I don't think I'm going to spend any nights. In Con 101 they talked to us about studying strategies, and since I've never studied at home I usually associate it with down time. I can study anywhere on campus because even though I live here, it's still school. Home is where I don't do diddly, and with two Mid-terms coming after the break I can't really afford to do diddly for even two days. One yes; two no.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Test Strategies
How will I study for my IDC midterms? Inquiring minds want to know.
Simple: Reread important passages. Dr. Brown gave us a heads up on what's on the midterm, and I don't foresee any problems with just going back over and rereading certain passages. Most of them I either marked or she gave us.
I'll also go back and skim over my notes while doing them. I'm also going to reread the Plato works since I never actually finished either of them.
To be truthful, the IDC midterm isn't freaking me out. It doesn't seem any more intimidating then the tests we had in AP English, but then again I'm a wackadoo so what do I know? I probably won't freak out until the night before and then all Hades with break loose. The midterm I'm really freaking out about isn't until after fall break: Musicianship. That is the one that I'll be studying quite a bit for.
Simple: Reread important passages. Dr. Brown gave us a heads up on what's on the midterm, and I don't foresee any problems with just going back over and rereading certain passages. Most of them I either marked or she gave us.
I'll also go back and skim over my notes while doing them. I'm also going to reread the Plato works since I never actually finished either of them.
To be truthful, the IDC midterm isn't freaking me out. It doesn't seem any more intimidating then the tests we had in AP English, but then again I'm a wackadoo so what do I know? I probably won't freak out until the night before and then all Hades with break loose. The midterm I'm really freaking out about isn't until after fall break: Musicianship. That is the one that I'll be studying quite a bit for.
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