Should I dump the BM?

As disgusting as this may sound, I am facing a serious dilemma about graduation. Should I switch to BA in Music and graduate in May? This would mean only one music history would count (and I've taken 5 for the other degree) and it just seems like a less significant sounding degree than BM: Music History and Literature. The latter just sounds like I'm more serious about getting my advanced degrees than a BA. Either way, I am still going to write a thesis. The only thing that is holding me back is those damn 8 semesters of voice and choir. BAs need only 6. Counting my semesters of voice and choir in Wales, this coming spring would be my 8th semester in both. But USM professors, being the stubborn hard-asses that they are, need proof that I took these courses. I told you how these work in Wales in my most recent blog before this one. Transcripts are in, and now Dr. C. is asking for legitimate proof. Well since the music dept at Swansea is no more, I've sent the former professor letters asking her to send a formal letter to Dr. C. This has yet to happen. And I am trying so hard to be patient, but as a 2nd year senior, this is slipping very fast.

Update on Crochet Central: I've finished one of Ali's scarves, and apparently, she got tons of compliments on it....which is good, considering that was my first striped scarf. I am now working on another one for her. I promised Dr. Ragsdale one in Crimson eventually. I also made Dr. Leventhal another one in dark teal (label: Marine). That one was amazing! Crocheting just relaxes me, and makes me think of simpler times.

Well I passed my national exam for SAI! That's right! I am now GREEK!!!! Sigma Alpha Iota is a national women's music fraternity (originally a sorority like Kappa Alpha Theta). We are not an honor society or a social frat, but considered a good mix of both. We do have bids, pledgings, recruitment, initiation, dues, big sis/little sis...still not too sure if it is a secret frat, probably. Our brother frat, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, is secret. Initiation is December 5, and of course all details but the date, is secret. After initiation, I am free to sport my letters. Sing we now to Sigma Alpha Iota!

Since this was Thanksgiving weekend, and to take my mind off of things school-wise, I baked about 4 dozen each of Pecan Chocolate Chip and Red Hot sugar cookies. I also did the Walnut chocolate brownies. Cooking sure does relieve the pressures of school. Well, cooking sweets does for me anyway.

Coming up this coming week, are emails from certain professors and getting this graduation stuff straight (will take several weeks), singing in recital class Tuesday (Samuel Barber's The Daisies), Rachel's piano recital Monday afternoon, results of Latin exam and Invention grade, and some other dates I've forgotten by now...oh yes, I will be back in the pool...don't deny it!

Dominu vobiscum et Bach

It is November. I can obviously say I am not fond of the start of winter in Mississippi. Don't get me wrong - I do LOVE cold weather, but not when the days are fluctuating between the 40's and high 70's. It makes tuning pianos a bitch because the soundboards go in and out flexing the strings. When it's 80 degrees one day, and that night, it drops to 33 degrees. You can sure bet all of those pianos have gone flat.

I am still trying to get my voice and choir credits transferred from the University of Wales, Swansea. I figure it this way

Year
2004-2005 (UWS) - Voice semesters 1, 2
2005-2006 (USM) - Voice semester 3, 4
2006-2007 (USM) - Voice semesters 5, 6
2007-2008 (USM) - Voice semesters 7, 8

I will not be a happy person if I have to take 10 semesters of voice as A MUSICOLOGY major when Performance majors are taking 8. In fact, I would be pissed off beyond belief. And who wouldn't be? I also took choir over there, but unlike here, Choir is not a credited course. And the music courses I took were half practical and half theoretical. Trying to get my undergraduate coordinator to understand this is causing what seems to be unending anxiety.

Voice lessons are going good (as long as you don't get my professor on his high horse). My sound is becoming brighter, more fluid, and the vibrato is starting to become a regularity. I need to concentrate on keeping my vowels forward in the mouth, and between the two pillars (Nichols quote). Resonate! Forward! Tip of the tongue, teeth and the lips! Bright eyes!

Juries are coming up, and this will be my last voice jury if I can help it. I will be writing the Beast (thesis) next semester, and I will have enough pressure getting that done as it is. This means I have to change my voice lesson from 362 to 363 for the spring. And something has been bothering me. I asked my voice prof to pick my pieces this year. One of them is Gluck's O del mio dolce ardor. Nichols hates this piece, and complains every time I ask to run through it. So, my question is, why the bloody heck did he pick it if he's going to be a baby about it? I mean, damn!

Recorder is becoming a lot of fun. I enjoy lessons with Dr. Ragsdale. That woman loves her early music. I hope I am that zealous when I am her age. She is also very supportive of my wanting to get my advanced degrees in that field, unlike my voice teacher. I am studying a few anonymous pieces, as well as Susato, Praetorious, Morrell, and some Christmas carols. I also ordered in a large book with pieces from the Medieval and Renaissance periods, as well as an exercise book.

Piano Proficiency is coming up. I will be singing praises when I pass that test. Not because the material is hard (it's easy), but I am getting bored with it. No offense to Lolo. Next semester should be better because I'll be back with my concertos, sonatas, and suites. I'm also enjoying sight-reading the Bach Inventions (2 part).

Latin is interesting. My professor, Dr. Mark Clark, is a brilliant mind, who knows how to get off on a history tangent during class. I am considering doing a Latin minor, in addition to piano (which I will finish in the Spring). I am currently in LAT 101. Spring - LAT 102, Summer - LAT 201/202, Fall - Latin Poetry and an independent study on the Carmina Burana. This will be an interesting project since my thesis will have been completed by then.

Philosophy is philosophy. Not much to say on the topic.

Counterpoint is getting interesting. We are to start writing our inventions within the next week. And then on to the fugue!

Chorale is doing the entire Bach Magnificat in D at this year's holiday choral spectacular on December 4 at Main Street Baptist. Carillon is preparing for Spring tours and summer tour in Prague.

My thesis topic has been narrowed down, and now I am trying to break it down into chapters, so I can focus on one chapter at a time. I am studying Arvo Paert's Te Deum and Magnificat, and trying to determine how Paert appropriates the compositional style/techniques of Medieval/Renaissance into his late 20th century works. And why his music is different than other 20th century composers.

Next semester will be hard because of the thesis. Juries would only add additional stress. I plan to work on the beast a lot over Christmas. As soon as juries are over, it is thesis time! It humors me that most undergrad B.M.ed, and Performance majors would gawk at having to write a thesis.

About grad schools, I am applying to 5: University of Wales, Bangor; Cambridge University; University of Indiana at Bloomington; Yale University; and the New England Conservatory. Uni of Wales is number one because I have received the most enthusiastic responses from them. Also, the program in early music there is top notch. Cambridge has excellent choirs and I would enjoy the early music program and chapel life. Indiana is one of the top in the US. If accepted, I would go to Yale for free, and the NEC is a conservatory. Not to sound naive, but I've always wanted to go to a conservatory. I am wanting to get my Masters and Doctorate in Historical Musicology of Early Music, but I am also interested in getting just a Masters in Historical Performance: Voice (of the same period).

Anyway, that's what's up at the moment. And tomorrow is the final performance, for us anyway, of the William Grant Still music with the Mississippi Symphony in Hattiesburg. WOOT! (for the symphony!)

Surrealism - Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY!

Today is the last day of my art appreciation class..hence, this means a final exam. Tomorrow, we do our project presentations..and again, I don't want to feel like a showoff just because my project was done in oil. I know I was raised in the arts (painting, sculpture, music), but it still doesn't feel very good to have people glaring at you because you actually know how to do the technique.

Friday night, Larry, Mary Ann, and I drove down to Hammond to see Dr. Leventhal in The Wizard of Oz. Mind you, Doc was in the pit. What a great and magical show! The Southeastern Louisiana University Musical Theatre/Opera Program did a really great job. The Munchkins (kids on stage) were adorable. The Cowardly Lion was a big hit. I couldn't tell that Scarecrow had any bones. There was a Hocus Pocus reference in there when the 3 witches were chatting. One takes off on a broom, the other revs up her vacuum cleaner and flies. Also instead of melting the witch, this director decided to shrink her. So the full grown witch is pushed into the cauldron, a little witch comes out, and then a puppet is left. Hahaha!

Mark and I have been seeing each other pretty frequently. He is one HANDSOME guy! We are enjoying our times of being around each other, and especially playing Frisbee in the summer sun. I am so gonna get that boy a honey-baked ham for Christmas. :)

Doc is leaving for Europe today with her husband. I do hope she has a great time. I've also printed out some frame-worthy pics for her on photo quality paper. Will put those in her office in a bit. Carillon rehearses all day on Saturday, repolishes and packs the bells on Sunday, and then we leave Monday morn via Continental jet. I know we have like a 5 hour layover in NYC, which is kind of insane. Maybe if it's close enough, Young can come and visit? Wishful thinking on my part maybe, but I really do miss my Young. Scotland here I come! (After having lived in the UK for a year and not been there in 2 years, I cannot wait to set foot again in my homeland. My family is from the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.)

Now, I need to go get ready for this final and other various morning activities. Tara for now!

The Master and the Apprentice

I am NOW AN APPRENTICE in the USM School of Music. I'm doing a work-study, which means I work and take classes. The classes I have are piano tech, piano lessons, and art appreciation (which is proving to be very cool). I am the apprentice to the piano tuner and I am helping him maintain the school's 99 pianos and he is teaching me to tune and repair them. It's very cool to be back in the Burg. I get to see Doc on Saturday....YAY!!!!! A summer without Doc is an empty summer...I agree with Elena on that.

I'm truly in my element down here. Today was practicing, morning class, sightreading, working on the Lakme duet by Delibes and the Webber Pie Jesu for a wedding and a church service. My training happens in the afternoon for the month of June. Today I was removing key balances out of a battered keyboard that Lonnie and I will repair. To get the balances out, I had to steam them out...nothing like smoked wood and hot glue. Then, I had to organize some papers for my prof and go practice some tuning for an hour.

With tuning, I have to be able to hear the beats so I can no whether the pitch is in tune or not. I had to stop after awhile because my ear is not used to hearing the same pitch pounded on the piano over and over. My ears started ringing, but then again, I was also tired.

A good day overall. After I was done at the FAB/PAC, I headed to the theater building to see my beau and needless to say, he was surprised I trekked over there. hahaha.

Quotes

Some quotes from my Facebook profile...

"I do not know what I seem to the world, but to myself I appear to have been like a boy playing upon the seashore and diverting myself by now and then finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay before me all undiscovered." - Sir Isaac Newton

All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost.
~ J. R. R. Tolkien

Even a small star shines in the darkness.
~ Finnish proverb

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood.
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~ Robert Frost

This above all; to thine own self be true.
~ William Shakespeare

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.
~ Leo Tolstoy

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~ Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain)

Dreams are illustrations . . . from the book your soul is writing about you.
~ Marsha Norman

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light
~ Plato

We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does.
Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining - they just shine.
~ Dwight L. Moody

There they stand, the innumerable stars, shining in order like a living hymn, written in light.
~ N.P. Willis

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original:
whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will,
nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.
~ C. S. Lewis

The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.
~ Jean Jacques Rousseau

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I was obliged to work hard. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed just as well."
~ Johann Sebastian Bach

"I carry my thoughts about with me for a long time... before writing them down... once I have grasped a theme. I shall not forget it even years later. I change many things, discard others, and try again and again until I am satisfied; then, in my head... [the work] rises, it grows, I hear and see the image n front of me from every angle... and only the labor of writing it down remains... I turn my ideas into tones that resound, roar, and rage until at last they stand before me in the form of notes."
~ Ludwig van Beethoven

"Your ears will always lead you right, but you must know why."
~ Anton Webern

Franz Schubert - "Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same."

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - "Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius."

Grades

Oboe - A
Piano - A
Opera Theater - A
Choir - A
Carillon - A
Recital Class - P (pass)
Voice - B (still don't understand it. I passed my barrier)
Theory - B (GRATEFUL!)
Aural Skills - B (YAY! AND NEVER AGAIN!)
Opera History - B (Ok, I did my own analysis on the opera since there was no publication of one).
18th Century - B (yep...ive never aced a class of his, though i have aced tests)
Collegium Musicum - C (partially her fault, partially my fault. She gave me the instrument a week b4 exams. I didn't drop everything I was doing to learn a little ditty for her. Oh well.)

Long Time, No Password

It has been a good long while since I last posted a blog. Why? I lost my password. And the computer had saved my email address as ",com" instead of ".com" which complicated things a bit, since I didn't notice it at first. So, everything is now working.

Carmen was a successful run both in Hattiesburg and at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson. Hilary did a fantastic job (student Carmen) as did Fenlon. I had fun and met a lot of new friends. I also lost one during that production. My old roommate who I thought would be a good roommate since we were both in the same field and had a lot of common interests did not work out. Apparently, she has been diagnosed with OCD, which is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and freaks out about every little thing that is done different from her way. I couldn't handle the emotional toll it was taking on me. She started the process of moving out and I was grateful to have a private room during exams.
I just don't need to have myself associate with people like that.

The handbell tour went off without a hitch. There is this one new guy in the group, Ryan, who is constantly getting on my nerves. He gives the impression that he's better than everyone else. One day, he bought Shipley's for the morning theory class and I thanked him for bringing it. He didn't even mutter a "you're welcome." I asked him why he always acts like this. He replied "because i'm evil." Now, I may be naive in some ways, but in a way this pisses me off. Why? Ryan is the pianist/organist at a baptist church in Petal and he gives the Christian air about himself on Facebook, but he sure as heck doesn't act like it to other people. He may just like aggravating me, like an annoying little brother, but I really wish he would stop.

I finally did play the Shostakovich in recital class. Drs. Leventhal, Ragsdale, and Moak said I did a fine job. I didn't see Nicholson afterwards. And it was Young's last time to play piano with me. (frown). She's gone back home to New York for good. I am going to miss you girl!

Just recently, I got back from a Steinway seminar in Metairie LA hosted by famed piano technician, Franz Mohr. What a great seminar. He Van Cliburn's piano there as well as the piano of Vladimir Horowitz. I got to play on both Steinways! Also, the dealership we were at had one of the Steinway Showcase pianos called the Rhapsody, commemorating George Gershwin's 100th birthday. Twas a blue piano and it had a very pretty tone. The image of my hands is me on Horowitz's piano and then the other piano is the Gershwin.

I miss my Mark. I haven't seen him hardly at all this semester. We haven't seen each other regularly since March really. Tis sad. I'll be down at USM this summer taking some classes and doing an apprenticeship. He's working on a show and I will make it a priority to see him everyday!

Still working on the blanket for Dr. Beard's baby. Shouldn't be long now. Just keep popping in movies, crocheting, sore hands, crochet some more...though I do need more white yarn.

Offspring of an Artist

You know, there are many advantages to being the daughter of an artist. Growing up, my world was filled with mom painting portraits, landscapes, still-life, and she helped me to learn to mix my own colors and paint my own canvas. This weekend, I have discovered the joy of painting with oils. I like the "wet on wet" technique because it allows you to blend the colors easier than starting on a dry canvas. About an hour or so ago, I just finished an oil painting based on a scene from Wagner's Die Walkure (or The Valkyries). This is going to Dr. Hauer, who loves the music of Wagner dearly. It was originally going to Dr. Leventhal, but when I realized what it had become, there was no doubt in my mind who it should have been intended for from the beginning. Momma Leventhal will still get plenty from my collection (once they're painted), but this one is for my opera history professor.
Alot has happened since I last blogged. The Stravinsky concert was AMAZING! and then after bell tour, I hurt my wrist. a little bit of heat, ice, and help from above are seeing me through the end of this episode.

Touring again

I made a 96 on my opera history test. WOOHOO! My professor had a bunch of us at his house last night for drinks, pizza, and Verdi's Othello. What a great show! And Placido Domingo played the lead, so of course my eyes were glued to the screen.

Friday night, I was going to go to Dr. Oakes's recital mainly to see Doc play. I have immense respect for Doc. When she first told me (and Dr. Smith told me as well) about the disease, dystonia, in her right hand, I was shocked. So I read up on the disease and the fact that she can play that well while not having complete control of two fingers just amazes me. She can play better with 8 fingers than I can with 10! I'm sure the clarinet recital was awesome and I wouldn't be surprised if Dr. Oakes performed a piece or two that required circular breathing. The day of the recital, a bunch of us over at Elam during lunchtime decided to try circular breathing. All of us run to the soda fountain to grab a glass of water and Leslie grabs a handful of straws. Needless to say, it was an interesting experiment that saw a lot of spraying water and popped straws.
Instead of going to the recital, I went to a ballroom dance class with Jennifer, Vincent, Suzanne, and Brittany. It was soooooo amazing!!!!! Wow! I never knew I could spin that fast on a dance floor! I learned the merengue (i think that is how it is spelled), foxtrot, and tango. Poor Vincent was being passed around because not many guys I knew were there. There was this one guy. Not only was he cute (not as cute as my Mark!), he was one of the top dancers there. He comes over, extends his hand, "Ma'am, would you like to foxtrot?" My jaw nearly hit the floor of the class of this place. He escorted me to the dance floor, taught me the foxtrot, performed it on a song, and like a gentleman, escorted me back to my seat. It was a lesson from 7-8, and then a dance party with food from 8-11. The atmosphere was smoke-free and classic ballroom dancing. And I do plan to go back. USM is starting their own ballroom dancing club that will meet on Monday nights. I'll be 30 minutes late due to oratorio choir. I'll just have to remember to bring my dance shoes! And I was so passed out the next morning. 4 hours of that type of dancing will wear you out! I slept in til 12:30. 12:30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't done that since high school when it was the day after band competition! I also got some sun yesterday which should help the acne on my back, and oddly enough my posture. You can never stand up too straight!
This afternoon, Carillon is going to Brookhaven to ring for the Arts Council. This performance will be televised I am told, so prayers be on our side that we ring exceptionally well. And the evening concert will be at a presbyterian church in McComb. Like all tour days, it will be a LONG day. And I will be DEAD when I come in. So it would probably be best to STUDY while on the van. =) Viva Verdi!

Hahaha bugging larry

Let the Bells Peal...a piece that is too much fun to ring with a straight face. Dr. Hauer said I did really well on my opera history test. I only hope I got what he was looking for in the big essay question on opera seria and Gluck. And Dr. Beard left some hilarious comments on my homework, and speaking of homework...I have to put some homework on Finale and turn email it to him...hahaha..oops. I also have to put the final touches on this timeline and hope that the color printers at the school have a lot of colored ink tomorrow so I can print and put it in a desirable format. =)

i go draw now. tara!

Between war and literature

Here I am blogging under the covers out of respect for my roommate who can't sleep with a computer screen glowing in a dark room. There is little oxygen under here so every few lines, I will uncover and breathe.
Hauer's test was not that bad. I am glad I wrote down all of the characters for all of the operas, as well as the plots. If I had not done so, I would have been screwed. I think I faired pretty well. I may have gotten a detail wrong about the Florentine Camerata, but I think I was steering my response in the right direction. He also gave us a take home essay, which I will not type. And we could pick one out of two questions, so I have chosen the one discussing opera seria's influences on Gluck, Handel, and Mozart. I plan to use both the Hill and the Grout for this question.
I'm also glad that I did the essays prior to this test. None of those essay questions were asked like that on the test, but the comparisons helped me in my other answers and overall understanding of the material.
And I am now a happily sunburned music student. I was reading my chapters for 18th century out in the beautiful 80 degree weather of February and I decided to lounge in the sun while listening to Carillon, a 40 minute sit. One side of the face is more burned than the other. The nose got it noticeably, but I really plan to sit out in the sun on saturday afternoon after my library time. This means I will be toasted come next week. Tis good for my skin complexion to a point. The UV rays dry out my skin, which removes the oil, preventing the formation of acne...which is a PAIN! Drinking loads of water helps too. I usually burn the first time and the I start tanning, but while you are damaging your skin, remember to moisturize it constantly and you won't wrinkle too bad at age 40. :)

Procrastination and Heart attacks

Procrastination is the devil. I did not get anything done yesterday and it will cost me in the long run of things. And I am also worried about my grade on Hafer's response. Ed is a nice guy, but if I took his classes next fall/spring, I would probably die of a heart attack because I worry about every little thing for his class.

I HATE PROCRASTINATION!!!!

Storms are a-coming!

It is very windy today. When I lived overseas, the gales there would be 40-60 mph on average. So, you would think I would be used to it. For awhile, I was. Then I moved back to the States.
I often ask myself why I came back. Financially, I had to. I had finished my sophomore year over there and according to my contract with the USM International Studies department, I was to return. Oh, how I wanted to stay! I absolutely loved my time in Wales. The scenery was beautiful and unspoiled. The people were lovely and the culture was thriving. I desperately miss the people I was in choir with. The picture above is the choir I was in. Seven of us that day had just received our Dean's awards after having performed the Matins. That's what the green ribbons and medal represent. Those that are wearing navy blue ribbons/medals had been in the choir for 5 or so years and the one purple medal that is visible is the sign of a Bishop's Chorister, one step up from the Dean's. How I miss it and how I want to go back!

I must finish up this stuff for opera history. I really hope Dr. Hauer carries that same pride in me after this first test and doesn't think the lesser of me if I don't do too well.

DAY-O, Daylight come and we all go home....

Hahahaha, somebody asked me today why I am so happy. It's like a complete change of last week. God, I hope I'm not bipolar. That would suck....really bad. I told her I'm on happy drugs and it's just made me apathetic about a lot of things and really happy about others. And I was also wired on caffeine at the time too. I need to lay off caffeine. :)
Theory was fun this morning to a point. I didn't really understand the homework and I was desperately asking the elderly lady in our class for help. Oboe was good. Dr. Malone is like such a happy person and is a real joy to be around EXCEPT when she sneaks up behind you and does that knee thing to make you lose your balance. she did that to me a few days ago. scared the crap out of me. :)~ thank you dahling!
Dr. Hauer payed me a compliment today. He said "It is such a joy to have you in this class. You know so much material." I was floored. If I know so much material, then how come I don't test well? I just hope he isn't disappointed if I screw up the essays on my upcoming test. He's had us writing journal entries so he should know how I write by now. I have a really bad habit of writing what I think. Not just my opinion, but the style that I write in looks like it is coming straight from my conscience. Every time I do tests with essays, I always feel rushed because I try to compile my thoughts in a certain amount of time. I don't get it. Last semester, I made a 97 on the second test in Baroque. Understand that this is the highest grade I've ever made on test under Hafer. My essays on that test were well thought out. However, on the first test, I made a 77. And on the paper I scored an 86 or 88, can't remember which. He says my writing is unambiguous, but apparently with those grades, it can't be that way all the time. And on the last test, I did write out my essay questions prior to and I used my notes/handouts for material to study from. It just pisses me off that I can't write perfectly every time. Hafer did tell me to patient with the writing process because I am still learning and that writing is hard. How can I be patient when this is interfering with my GPA?
Carmen rehearsal was decent. THE WORK NEEDS TO BE MEMORIZED!!!

I am so sleepy right now, but I cannot seem to pry myself away from the laptop. I wonder why.

Brilliant mind. Average grades.

So, yeah...I got my Aural skills and 18th century tests back today. Average grades on both. I'm relieved about the AS grade because I knew the harmonic dictation was going to screw me over. It has been screwing me over since Aural Skills 1 (and this is 4). The other test was 2 points higher than the AS grade, but still nothing to smile at. What somewhat pisses me off is that I didn't study the Haffner Symphony and Beethoven's symphony No. 1 as thoroughly as I should have. If I had, then I would have made a B+ on the sucker. Cramming for music history is not smart. Someday, I will learn that. Also, I need to learn to trust my instincts more and just take the risk that the answer I put down the first time is probably right. If USM still offered the Church Music degree, I would so be doing that rather than Musicology. William Carey offers it, but I cannot afford to go there. USM has better credibility too.
I think I will be doing my 18th century paper on Mozart and Freemasonry. It seems like I can go far with that topic and I should be able to pull up a ton of information on it. We'll see though.
My voice lesson went rather well this morning. Dr. Nichols is going to let me do Schumann's "In the Wonderful Month of May" from Dichterliebe. It is short, and very sweet! And there is another Schumann piece he is having me do. Other pieces I am working on are Schubert's Die Forelle, Mozart's Non so piu from Le Nozze di Figaro, My Little Welsh Home by a welsh composer. I have to repeat the French Si Mes Vers by Hahn this semester. Also, The Beatitudes by Malotte, a Bach aria from the Pentecost cantata, and the Green Dog. Those are the ones off the top of my head. He did complain again about getting up early, but he didn't dwell on it like he has in previous lessons.
I am just now coming back from a wonderful dinner with my wonderful boyfriend, Mark. What an unbelievably sweet guy that God has placed in my life. Even before we started dating, he was still a really good friend.
Carillon rehearses tonight from 8-10. I will probably hit the floor when I come in from that rehearsal. Bells always seem to wear me out. I guess it is just the intense concentration, either that or Larry is just that intimidating. :)

Painting My Own Canvas

Good evening to all! Wow, what a day! So my alarm clock goes off at 6:30am, I reset it for 6:45, then 6:55, then 7:20. Ha, then I get up. Shoot I was tired last night after bells. With rehearsal from 8-10pm, one's brain is bound to be fried. Then, I read like 45 pages of that article for Hafer. I just hit the hay when I was done....dead to the world.
So, I drag myself out of bed, get dressed, primped, slip on the headphones, and head to the Cochran for a bowl of Apple Jacks and then to the FAB for another 20 pages of classic music. I did practice my scales, but the piano I was at had no bench, just a chair, so I was actually very low on the keyboard and it didn't feel too good on the wrists.
I head into theory for the morning and the first thing I see is Mardi Gras beads flying across the room. Turns out Dr. B, wife, and baby had fun over the weekend and the baby collected more beads than Danny Beard did. I made a nice odd 83 on the theory test, which in truth, I am relieved about. I could have made an A and should have made an A, but at the end of the test I rushed, and thus made stupid errors. At least, I made my leading tones go up and my chordal sevenths go down! Ha! Mastered!
My piano lesson was good. Started off with a rocky scale cycle. To be honest, I try to practice just the normal scales once a day, usually the first thing I do in the morning. I just haven't been in the scalar mood lately. The Shostakovich was a bit dodgy at the beginning. I think my mind was on other things, because it always is (hey! i know i'm scatterbrained! i take after my mother!)., but it eventually smoothed out. I just need to work on my phrasing in the right hand and remember to hit the right notes in the left. Firefly is coming along. With time, it will be up to speed and that piece is going to rock my socks off! Haven't worked on the Beethoven in awhile. Will do it though. I still can't believe ML, the abbreviation for Momma Leventhal (my piano teacher), crawled under the piano while dragging a bench behind her. She was doing it to hang a wall hanging. At her age, she doesn't really need to be doing that. She should have asked one of us more flexible younguns to do it. Even if it was like late at night, I would have come and done it. I may live in McCarty, a good mile at least from that building, but still on campus. Anyway, I now have an exercise for augmented chords! YAY!
Opera History was interesting, as it always is. Byron convinced Dr. Hauer to move the test to Monday, which gives us, especially me, more time to revise. Hallelujah! This means I CANNOT SLACK OFF IN STUDYING! I also need to finish the Classical Period timeline this weekend and ask Hafer if I can email it to him. The thing is going to be huge and if it is printed, it will be in color, which means more money on my part. Joy.
Choir was ok. I couldn't stop yawning through it. Thank God for Starbucks. The high B-flat sounded ok, I just need to support it more underneath and approach it from the top. And Mary is right, Flan needs to have 1-2 people on that note because when 6 first sopranos try to hit that note and miss, it sounds bad. It's at the end of The Battle of Jericho, which is a very energetic arrangement by Moses Hogan, and the high notes are relatively easy in this piece.
Today in rehearsals for Carmen, the chorus was only needed for No. 21 and then released. We have to be off-book for Acts I and II on Friday.
And tonight, FPC Bell choir was a hoot. At the very end of rehearsal, Dr. Smith knows we're tired and we want to get out of there. So he calls up "Let the Bells Peal," which has a ton of half notes for the bass bells. Well there is a certain bell technique that requires lightly tapping the bell on the table to make an echo effect. This technique is not written for use in this piece. But to annoy Dr. Smith, Mike, Patrick, Bearcat, Me, and Whitney are randomly doing this echo effect on random beats throughout the half-note line (which sounds really cool because being random, you never who's going to do it when). And what's even more hilarious is that we've been doing this since the beginning of the semester and he just now heard it and acknowledged it tonight. Now anybody who is observing would know that we are goofing off because we're just cracking up. Hahahaha. I love being young. Still wish I was 19, but you don't get everything you wish for. I have the mind of a 19 year old (the year I went overseas), but the stress of a 21 year old.
Aural skills test and 18th century test come back tomorrow. 5 page response to a 90 page article due tomorrow. 12:01 is tomorrow afternoon at the BSU. Carillon is tomorrow night from 8-10. Hopefully, tomorrow will not be a bad day. Hopefully, I passed both tests with decent above-average grades. Hopefully.

Whirlwind

Mardi Gras break ends today. It has been a relaxing weekend, full of sleep, piano practice, and sleep. The nose goes back to the grind tonight with Carillon at 8pm. There is one piece that is completely kicking my tail. But rather than start at the end of the program, I will start at the beginning.
The opening song, Chester, is fun. It then transitions into Gramann's Celebration which requires counting like mad on the runs. Silk Road is cool, though it is easy to overplay the bell. It has such a quiet beginning and that G4 is so loud. The runs are surprisingly good and the chime part requires a bit more polish on my part anyway. Fantasy on King's Weston is my absolute favorite right now. It requires me to split my brain. One hand rings one rhythm, while the other hand rings another. And the themes woven in and around each other creates a really cool effect. There's also a lot of 3 vs 2 action in this piece. We took Faith out of the program. I didn't like that one much at all. Change Ring Prelude on Divinum Mysterium is wicked. The penultimate page of the piece has the meters in the following order: 3/4, 7/8 (2+2+3), 3/4, 6/8, 3/4, 7/8 (2+3+2), 5/8, and 2/4. So if you can't count to at least 7, you're screwed. Festive Fanfare is festive. It starts with shaking of my two bells, which are not bells one would normally shake. This is the exception. Rustic Dance is fun. I was moved back to my old bells, E/F4. The mallets at the end are awesome. You just have to remember to hit the bell and not the table. Amazing Grace is one word: gorgeous. Te Deum is wow, I think I've met my match as far as pieces go. There's a tough repetitive part in the middle of the piece and my musical moronic self drags on it every time. I guess that's why I suck at playing upbeats. One of the pieces at the Scotland festival will be In the Bleak Midwinter, which we played last year. I've requested my old bells for that piece, because in truth, it is a toughie.
Carmen is coming along rather well. We are supposed to be off book by now. There are still a few places in each act where I feel a bit sketchy, but with a little hard work and help from above, I'll be fine. Carmen is April 12 & 14 at Mannoni in Hattiesburg, and April 21 at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson.
I have my piano lesson tomorrow. I did work on Firefly over the weekend and I did change one fingering because I hated that index crossing action. I love my piano lessons. They are so much fun. Curses to me for not taking them as a kid.
Voice lesson is Thursday. And I'm sick of hearing Dr. Nichols complain about me scheduling my lesson at 8:30 in the morning. For one, my afternoons are booked, and the free hours I do have in the morning are spent studying. I am taking 22 hours. I need to study at some point. I am already up there practicing. So what's wrong with me having a lesson that early in the morning? I just wish he would quit complaining about it. I love him dearly as a person. He's a good person to go to when I am down about something, but lately this has really been pissing me off. And it's hard to tell whether he is teasing me or not. My advice: Just accept it and drop it!
Wednesday, I get my theory test back. Thursday, I get my Aural skills test and 18th Century test back. Friday, I have my opera history test. Lord, I'm scared of the outcomes of those grades. In every Hafer class I have taken, I always manage to screw up the first test of the semester. The movements of the symphonies screwed me up this last time. I know one of the answers that I changed at the last minute, I had it correct the first time! grrr it makes me mad. I'm deathly scared of the Aural skills grade because I suck at harmonic dictation and I know it. The theory one is creeping me out because that last part of the Haydn string quartet was confusing me like mad. Studying for this opera test is interesting. I have an idea of what format his tests are in. And Dr. Hauer really is a great guy. I'm just worried over the essay questions. Dr. Hafer at least gives you examples of what he might ask on his tests.
I'm also still working on the Classical Period timeline and I should finish it up this weekend. Hafer said he did not care what format it was in. Mine will have to be the way it is on Word. It would take about a mile and half of butcher paper just to fill in the information
Must complete my Opera History study guide at some point today. Take care!