ANNNNNND APPLE BLOSSOM!

So, the Apple Blossom carnival is right across the street from our house... kind of. I originally thought it would be 30 seconds and we'd be at the carnival, but it's really more like 2 minutes. Which is still really damn cool! Stef and I went last night and the night before and got sick off all the fried carnival food. It's kind of a dirty, crappy carnival, but it's a carnival nonetheless, and they have tacos... yes, tacos (and no I didn't eat one... that's gross). Yeah, we ate nachos, funnel cakes, bloomin' onions, corn dogs (well, not me because I hate hot dogs), ribbon fries, caramel apples, lemonade (and i consider this eating because it had like a cup of sugar at the bottom and the grains would come into your mouth because they wouldn't dissolve. gross.). So yeah, my "get Tommy's ass into shape" plan goes into effect on Sunday, the day after Apple Blossom.

Had my violin jury yesterday, and it went very well. Had a few intonation slips on the Corelli, but the Kreutzer, as Marc AND Olivia both said, was had "very good intonation." The sightreading was a piece of cake, too. Strange thing is, though, they didn't even comment on it. Nothing good, nothing bad, nothing written about it. Oh well, I still got an A (well, Marc gave me an A and Olivia gave me an A- because she said it would make me practice harder than giving me an A... haha). So thank God I never have to play La Folia EVER AGAIN!!!! YES!!!!! Now I can work hard on Khachaturian and Mozart No. 5 (in A Major), that and the like 8 etudes, all of which she gave me to work on this summer. Two concerti and a bunch of etudes. Holy crap. I've never had that much to work on. But I can do it, just gotta practice my balls off. I think that's probably the reason she gave me so much, so that I'd be more willing to practice more as opposed to if she had just given me some etudes and polishing La Folia or something.

Actually, Olivia told me that I should take a few weeks off from the violin over the summer. She recognizes that I've been working really hard, and she said that I'd probably burn myself out if I didn't take a few breaks from it. I think it's a good idea. I practice so damn much that it's starting to wear me out. Perhaps after a hiatus from the violin, I'll come at it with a fresh outlook.

Anywho, it's Thursday, which is the official kickoff of Apple Blossom. No exams tomorrow, so there are lots and lots of parties tonight. I think we (meaning Stef and I and whomever else) are going to "pre-party" at a friend's house before we go to the actual party tonight. Which I think is a good idea. Anywho, perhaps I'll leave a message here in an inebriated state...

Annnnnnnnnnd Apple Blossom!!!

updatings, reminiscings on a year

So I'm finally done with classes and concerts. All I've got now is finals and juries (which I'm not in the least worried about). Speaking of finals, I had my ear training final on Thursday. As soon as Chris and I got to the sightsinging portion, he had us do our rhythms and was like, "Look guys, you'll have A's either way, so how about we don't waste our time and you just go." Hardcore!

Last night was City Of Angels with the Jazz Ensemble and Music Theatre Ensemble (and a few of us, to whom the program referred as "guest artists"... I've never been a guest artist before). It was.... umm.... ok? It didn't really seem like anybody's heart was in it. I mean, some people were really fantastic, but it just didn't feel like a hardcore production. I don't know, maybe because it was "in concert" and nobody had all their lines memorized. I don't know.

I slept in until like 1:30 today. It was really nice, I'm really awake now. I think that was the first really good night's sleep I've gotten in, well, a hell of a long time.

In other news, I can't freakin' believe it's the end of the school year already. It's gone by so damn fast it's not even funny. This summer is going to be great too, though. Just about all my good friends from here are going to be here for the summer for SSMT and the performing arts festival will be fun, as will be getting a new violin and viola. Hopefully a bunch of friends from home can come up too at times throughout the summer. I know I'll be home for a little while at the end of May to visit with my grandfather (who'll be in from Spain for a little while).

Not really much else to reminisce on, except that next week it's going to be 8 months for Stef and I. 8 months! Holy crap! It's great!

A crazy conversation with the brother
TommyDogg123: yoyoyoyoyoyoyo
notmyfault000: heyhey
TommyDogg123: how goes it?
notmyfault000: it goes
TommyDogg123: yep
TommyDogg123: same here
TommyDogg123: i'm freakin' exhausted
notmyfault000: yeah
notmyfault000: i bet
notmyfault000: yowait
notmyfault000: why?
TommyDogg123: class, class, practiced, piano, practiced, orchestra, practiced, came home for an hour, practiced, and now we're here
TommyDogg123: and i have a theory test tomorrow
notmyfault000: ah
TommyDogg123: but all in all i've played for, oh, say, 5 hours today
TommyDogg123: my violin hickey is real red
TommyDogg123: and my fingers are tired
notmyfault000: hahaha
TommyDogg123: so are you glad you didn't go to florida?
notmyfault000: yeah
TommyDogg123: i was glad i didn't go to london or last year to wherever the hell they went
TommyDogg123: i mean, it's cool if it's a really good musical experience and if you get to perform a lot.... but most of these trips are ridiculous, just a time to hang out for $400 bucks
notmyfault000: yeah
TommyDogg123: like when i went to china
TommyDogg123: it was hardcore fun
TommyDogg123: but
TommyDogg123: it was hardcore performing
notmyfault000: yeah
TommyDogg123: we had a concert like every other day
notmyfault000: yeah
notmyfault000: thats cool
notmyfault000: but you know, florida is florida
TommyDogg123: yeah
TommyDogg123: so i've decided i'm the gayest straight guy i know
TommyDogg123: because yesterday
TommyDogg123: i went tanning
notmyfault000: hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
TommyDogg123: but
TommyDogg123: it was because
TommyDogg123: i don't want to get hardcore burned at disneyworld
TommyDogg123: so i'm trying to get a base tan here
notmyfault000: at a tanning salon?
TommyDogg123: sort of
TommyDogg123: it's called "beach bum tanning"
notmyfault000: how much is it?
TommyDogg123: they've got the beds and they play hip hop music in each room
TommyDogg123: it's 29 bucks for an unlimited month
TommyDogg123: that's what i got
notmyfault000: can I come?
TommyDogg123: sure
notmyfault000: i need a tan
TommyDogg123: you can get two free tans from me and stef
notmyfault000: honestly, im like a fricking jug of milk
TommyDogg123: hahahaha
TommyDogg123: me too
TommyDogg123: well
TommyDogg123: not so much
TommyDogg123: as i've been twice
notmyfault000: do you go "in the buff"
TommyDogg123: i didn't at first because i didn't want my balls to get all burned
notmyfault000: hahaha
notmyfault000: wait a minute, at first?
TommyDogg123: but yesterday i went in the buff and my junk was intanct
notmyfault000: thats gross
TommyDogg123: hahaha
notmyfault000: i shouldn't have asked
TommyDogg123: no you shouldn't have
TommyDogg123: wait a minute
TommyDogg123: can you contract shouldn't and have
TommyDogg123: like
TommyDogg123: shouldn't've
TommyDogg123: i don't think so
notmyfault000: yeah
notmyfault000: well
notmyfault000: it should be two words
notmyfault000: but you can contract them
notmyfault000: it would be shouldn't 've
TommyDogg123: are you sure?
notmyfault000: fairly
TommyDogg123: who do you have for english?
TommyDogg123: if it's someone smart you should ask them
TommyDogg123: (i'm not presently taking english so i can't really)
notmyfault000: mr ellis
notmyfault000: so i suppose i should
notmyfault000: he's kickass
TommyDogg123: yeah
TommyDogg123: actually, i think i'm going to ask my english teacher from last semester too
TommyDogg123: so we can compare their answers
notmyfault000: okay
TommyDogg123: ok
TommyDogg123: i just emailed my english teacher
notmyfault000: ok
TommyDogg123: she's going to think i'm drunk
TommyDogg123: or high or something
notmyfault000: and you're not?
TommyDogg123: haha
TommyDogg123: nope
notmyfault000: come on tommy, it's 420
TommyDogg123: although i should be
TommyDogg123: haha
notmyfault000: even im a little blazed
TommyDogg123: no i have a theory test tomorrow
TommyDogg123: hahahahahahaha
TommyDogg123: oh that's priceless
TommyDogg123: that's going on the profile
notmyfault000: damn well better
TommyDogg123: annnd there
notmyfault000: you know, i actually heard someone say "I'm Freeballin' it" today?
notmyfault000: and i'm just like "good for you"
notmyfault000: and for some reason, i couldn't stop laughing
TommyDogg123: hahaha
TommyDogg123: that's great
notmyfault000: and i was discussing the meaning of 420 with my friends
notmyfault000: or rather
notmyfault000: how it came to be
TommyDogg123: and?
notmyfault000: and we figured that there was some stoner who picked up a blunt on 420 at 4:20 pm and he's just like "Whoa!..."....15 mins later..."This should be a holiday"
TommyDogg123: more likely than not
TommyDogg123: who were you talking about this with?
notmyfault000: talking about what?
TommyDogg123: 420
TommyDogg123: the drumline people?
notmyfault000: what's 420?
TommyDogg123: justin, are you high?
notmyfault000: oh no, people in my photography class
notmyfault000: and no im not high
notmyfault000: i think
TommyDogg123: probably not
notmyfault000: well, that nyquil should be kickin' in
TommyDogg123: haha
notmyfault000: no, i can't get high now
notmyfault000: queer eye is on tonight
TommyDogg123: oh yes!
TommyDogg123: i'm definitely watching that
notmyfault000: cant waste that time for substance induced stupidity and sleepiness
TommyDogg123: yeah
TommyDogg123: naturally
TommyDogg123: and speaking of which
TommyDogg123: i don't
TommyDogg123: i got nothin'
notmyfault000: yeah
notmyfault000: stop while you're behind
TommyDogg123: see
TommyDogg123: if you weren't my brother
TommyDogg123: i'd have said
TommyDogg123: "that's what your mom said last night, but i kept going!"
TommyDogg123: annnnnd that's gross
notmyfault000: yeah it is
notmyfault000: don't say that in front of me
notmyfault000: again
notmyfault000: ever
TommyDogg123: ok
TommyDogg123: although again implies i said it already
TommyDogg123: which i certainly didn't
TommyDogg123: i TYPED it
notmyfault000: hey ya
notmyfault000: im just bein' honest
TommyDogg123: and not even in front of you
notmyfault000: heeey ya
TommyDogg123: i'm like a hundred miles away
TommyDogg123: hey ya?
notmyfault000: all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right all right
notmyfault000: shakit shake it shake it, oh oh!
notmyfault000: shake it like a polaroid picture!!!!
TommyDogg123: justin, are you high?
notmyfault000: no, no, no, no, no
notmyfault000: you got it all wrong
notmyfault000: it's more like "justin, did you eat that brownie that that dude gave you?"
TommyDogg123: hahahaha
notmyfault000: if i WAS high
notmyfault000: i'd be more like
notmyfault000: hahahahahahahahahahaha
notmyfault000: justin...just-in....hahahahahhaa
TommyDogg123: lol
notmyfault000: and listening to pink floyd
notmyfault000: instead of Outkast
TommyDogg123: and drinking a slurpee
TommyDogg123: or 7
notmyfault000: and eating abbazabbas
TommyDogg123: hahahaha
notmyfault000: "I've never been so thirsty in my entire life"
TommyDogg123: "abbazabba, you're my only friend"
notmyfault000: hahahahaha
TommyDogg123: oh half baked, i wish i had you here
notmyfault000: nope!
notmyfault000: all for justin!
notmyfault000: bwahahahaha!
TommyDogg123: shit.
notmyfault000: it's okay
TommyDogg123: oh yeah, well i have batman on dvd!
notmyfault000: remember tommy
TommyDogg123: that i haven't watched
notmyfault000: i hate batman
TommyDogg123: and that makes you a communist
notmyfault000: yeah, right
notmyfault000: well you know what that makes you?
notmyfault000: a...guy that likes batman....
notmyfault000: damn you tommy.
TommyDogg123: haha
TommyDogg123: i bet batman would be much better if you were high
notmyfault000: then i could like, see what he was saying
notmyfault000: you get me?
TommyDogg123: yeah
notmyfault000: good stuff
TommyDogg123: and the "BLAMO" would be more entertaining
notmyfault000: yeah it would!
notmyfault000: remember, when life gets you down, there's always beer!
TommyDogg123: that there is
TommyDogg123: ....and vomiting
notmyfault000: don't be fooled by the rocks that I got
notmyfault000: i'm still i'm still jenny from the block
notmyfault000: okay
notmyfault000: QUEER EYE
notmyfault000: BYEBYE
TommyDogg123: ok

Auto response from notmyfault000: Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got.

I'm still I'm still Justin from the block.

TommyDogg123: see you around

AHHHH!!!!!!!!

Holy crap! I just had the best lesson I've ever had. This is THE most significant breakthrough I've had on the violin. EVER.

I finally have intonation. I thought it would never ever come, but it finally has, and my sound, well, it rings. I have a violin that is very picky about how it wants to sound. It will only do this ringing if I'm dead in tune AND using lots of vibrato, but I've finally tamed the beast. At my lesson today, Olivia said that it sounded like I had a new violin compared to last week because I was playing so well. She actually told me that I was "dead in tune." Just imagine how great it will sound on my new violin! (that i'll hopefully get sometime relatively soon...).

Oh hell yes!

morning thoughts...

Oh, where to begin?

Stef's recital is this Sunday evening, after the Orchestra concert. I won't blame her if she doesn't go because she's got a hell of a lot to do. Well, I suppose I ought to say something or other about her and I, as I haven't really written anything on the subject yet. I met Stef like my fourth day at school in the Conservatory building. We hit it off right away. That night, she, Mark, her (former) roommate, and I all hung out until like 4 in the morning. The next day she got my phone number (from Paul I'm guessing) and invited Mark and me to go to a party. Then we basically hung out every single day from then on. A week after we met we starting dating, and now it's been almost 8 months. It's a pretty great relationship I think. We're pretty crazy about each other. And... yeah.

So Jan (conductor and music director here) asked me to play in the "Shenandoah Conservatory Performing Arts Festival" this summer. It's the first year they're doing it here. Basically, we're getting people from all over the world (including the winner of the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition! Holy shit!) to play with us, lead our sections in orchestra, coach ensembles, and give us private lessons. Basically, it's sort of like one of those violin camps, except it's only for a couple weeks, and it's a lot cooler (because I'm going to be there). Plus, I get to do all of this tuition-free! Oh hell yes for getting tuition waived (because I'm awesome).

That'll take me to June 20th, three days after my pit job starts. Pit should be.... fun? I guess? I mean, I'm playing viola, which kind of blows... but, well, no reason to complain about it. It'll be a good warmup refresher course for my viola lessons next semester.

Anywho, gotta go to ear training. *vomits*

Oh, and I MUST play the Intro and Rondo Capricciosso

an update.

So I tried to put an entry in here the other day, but for some reason it wouldn't publish... shit. It was a good one too. Naturally I didn't save it, so here we are.

I've got three concerts to play this weekend. A baroque concert with Chamber Orch, the concerto competition concert with Symphony, and Stef's voice recital. So, another busy weekend for yours truly.

Corrie and Ed's show went well. They were really well together all of tech week, so they knew their stuff solid by the time their show went up on Saturday. It was good, and I must say they had a damn good violinist/violist. I mean, this guy tore it the fuck up! Plus, I made a great connection with the pianist; he said that he'd use me for any shows that he's playing next year (which will probably be a lot), which means that (hopefully) I'll have a semi-steady source of income next year from these shows.

I have a lesson this Friday night at 8pm. I'll be working on the stuff for my jury in three(?) weeks. I'm not sure if she'll have me do the Khachaturian for it because she said she wanted me to have it at a performance level for my jury, which it is most certainly not yet. I'll probably clean it up over the summer instead of playing it for a jury.

I'm trying to decide what I want to play next. I mean, I know I'm going to be working on the Mozart A Major concerto this summer/fall. I want to do some Bach, too. But I haven't heard all of the sonatas and partitas yet, so I don't know which one I want to play. I know definitely not the D minor or E major. EVERYONE here plays them. I honestly haven't heard anyone play any others. It seems that way with a lot of people here, they play a lot of the same things. I'm trying to break away from the Lalo, Bach, and etc that people like to play here. I'm playing the Khachaturian, which, granted, Enrique played last semester, but Olivia wanted me to do something that I could play for a competition, which means a modern/less frequently played piece. Thus, instead of starting with a Mozart or a Romantic concerto, she suggested either Khachaturian or Kabalevsky. I of course chose Khachaturian because the Kabalevsky is a piece of crap. Hopefully sometime in the next few years I'll be playing Bartok #2, Beethoven, or Tchaikovsky. Those are some great concerti. That and a Mozart sonata or two. And maybe a couple showpieces, Saint-Saens, Kreisler, Sarasate? I don't know. I definitely want to play either Tambourin Chinois, Intro and Rondo Capriciosso, or Zigeunerweisen (i know it's spelled wrong).

Anywho, gotta get ready for rehearsal and the like. I'll try and update more frequently.

Goings-on in the proverbial life

So it's been a while since I last decided to blog, so here goes nothin'. I've gotten through 1 (almost two concerts), and am finally done with hell week of rehearsals. Now there's only a recital, symphony, and City of Angels to worry about (all pretty easy music, so I'm home free!).

Last night I went to the Chesapeake Dinner Theatre to see an acquaintance (and Stef's friend) perform 42nd Street. It was... well... umm.... a dinner theatre. Really, I'm used to seeing SU-quality productions, so I'm sort of biased (SU being the best school around for musical theatre studies). There were some good people in it. Olin (our friend) was good, even though he's not a tenor (and sang a tenor part). He's one hell of a tapper though. Holy crap. Aside from playing a lead role, he was dance captain and stage manager. Yeah. And the chick who played Maggie had a decent belt. And she used it pretty sparingly, which was good. All in all, it was an OK dinner theatre (and my first dinner theatre experience).

Then it was off (the three of us) to downtown Annapolis to look for some crab legs. And of course all the restaurants were closed. Which is odd seeing as it's a Friday night and hardly 11pm. But oh well. We went to the Hard Bean and drank Bawls with Jeff and Nate, and happened to see Bev and Andrew, which was pretty hardcore. Then it was back home to sleep. And back to Winchester because I'm playing in Corrie and Ed's senior show (like a musical theatre recital/review for those non-SU people who read this). It's cool. I'm playing violin and viola. And I must say I'm getting pretty damn good at viola.

Anywho, I've gotta run and get myself all pretty for the show tonight. I promise I'll be back with a spite filled entry soon enough though!

Over-freakin'-whelmed

Let me start off by saying that I'm really stupid for biting off more than I can chew. I'll break it down for you guys.

In the next week and a half I have 4 concerts.
This week I have rehearsal for at least 3 hours every day. Monday I had 6 hours, Thursday I have 5 hours (Plus playing for a recital). Rehearsal every single night is until at least midnight, and probably 12:30 or 1 the rest of the week.
I still have class every day at either 9 or 10am.
Luckily tomorrow is advising day (only a violin lesson) and Friday is Good Friday (no class).

In other news, I've gotten a slew of IMs from my violinist friends regarding where I should look for a new fiddle, and it looks like my savings bonds will provide a good amount of the money that I need (not really going to post a monetary factor here). So hopefully sometime in the near future I'll be able to try out some fiddles and eventually have a new one.

Holy crap I'm tired. I'm sleeping in until like 1 tomorrow.

morning ramblings...

So yesterday was a relatively uneventful day in the way of April Fools. Otherwise, it was really hardcore packed. Woke up at 7 for quartet at 8. Quartet blew more than it usually does. Mr. T told us more or less that we sound terrible. The thing is, though, that he is acting more like a coach than a teacher. Which is I guess what we signed up for, so I can't complain. It's just really difficult for 4 people who just got their techniques rebuilt to get together and play in a quartet. I don't know. Ear Training was empty because Shenandoah Chorus is in NM for the weekend. Oh, remind me to email Dr. Oakes about rescheduling that test for the 4 or 5 of us who missed it for orchestra. (That was directed mostly to me to not forget about it). Music Lit was a waste of my time. Just have to study a little for the next test on Tuesday. Then our recording session that I was under the impression that it would take half an hour or 40 minutes took a good hour and 15 minutes. But it was all right because it didn't cause me to miss a class or anything. Then I had to cancel my lesson because I had a nasty splinter in my 4th finger. Olivia was cool about it.

Then it was orchestra time. Wagner, Tchaik, and Elgar. Fun. Wait a minute. Go back and put "not very" in front of fun. There ya go. It just sucks not to be playing anything hard this concert. I mean, it is a soloists concert so it's mainly accompanying. Eh.

Then came home for a bit and went to Chili's with the gf and some friends before rehearsal for Maryory's recital. Man that was a great rehearsal. She's doing the Mozart A major concerto and I'm playing first violin in a little chamber group she got to accompany her. It's great because it's the best concerto ever. Well, maybe except for the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Or maybe the Shostakovich piano concerto.

Speaking of which, I probably ought to talk a little about how violin is going (for those of you just dying for an update). Well, right now I'm working on the Khachaturian violin concerto, Corelli's La Folia (well, cleaning up the La Folia), Gavinies etudes, Kreutzer etudes, Flesch scales. I really like the Khachaturian concerto, but I can't wait to play something that I'll be using for auditions for orchestras, like the Mendelssohn, Tchaik, Beethoven, Dvorak, or something. I don't really want to play the Lalo though. I mean, it's all right, but the last movement is really the only one that I like. That and it seems like a lot of people here are playing or have played the Lalo. I don't want to play the Bach d minor partita either, because everyone and their brother plays it. Maybe the C major. Actually, I think I'm going to ask Olivia if I can play some Bach this semester.

I'm (hopefully) going to get a new violin sometime in the next year. I could really use one that's better than the one I have now. I mean, not that it's a bad violin, but I'm outgrowing it. I mean, I've had it since I was in the 8th grade. I think the outfit was around $1800 (fiddle, bow, and case). It was good for its purposes, but there's no way I'm going to be winning any concerto competitions with it. Olivia told me to look at Gail's violins in College Park. So I think I'm going to be exploring that for some time. Telling them my price range and seeing what they have in stock. I know one thing, though. I'm definitely getting a modern instrument (at least made in the past 50 years). They're much less expensive, still great quality and great sound, and their sound grows with you as you own it. I think it would be so great to have a fiddle that sounds great now and that grows in sound as I grow in ability. Then when I'm rich and famous I'll get a Strad.

HAH!