Wednesday...

So I've got a double-header today. A show at 2:30 and another one at 8. I really need to find time to practice the violin again. I got the OK from Olivia to start working on the Bruch Scottish Fantasy for the concerto competiton. I'll be studying the Introduction and first movement and hoping the judges eat it up. It's a really beautiful piece, and I don't think the fact that they are sort of slow movements will hurt me, since Jason made it to the finals with the Kol Nidrei last year (a slow Hebrew melody).

But yeah, my violin chops are really shitty right now. I can't even play through the Mozart by memory any more. That's bad. So, methinks that I'm going to have to start up a hardcore 5 hour a day regiment again like I had over the school year. Maybe an hour of scales, and hour of etudes, and 2 of repertoire (since I have Mozart, Khachaturian, and Bruch to worry about now).

In other news, I got a haircut yesterday at the local barber shop (just a short walk from my house). It was, well.... really damn masculine. I've never been to a barber shop before, just salons, so a barber shop is a new experience for me. First off, you don't need an appointment, they just say "next" and you walk up and tell them how you want your hair cut. Then they cut it, while you're not facing the mirror, and without talking to you. Then they show you a mirror, and you say "oh that's perfect" because they still haven't shaved your neck/ears with a straightedge razor and you can't piss off the guy who could potentially cut off your face with his razor. Then you pay. And it's only NINE FREAKIN' BUCKS!!! So, until I find another place, I'll just stick with the barber shop I think.

Well, I'd better get ready to play viola all freakin' day.

directions to party...

I'm posting directions to my 4th of july party for all of you at home who are coming (i don't know who all is, so leave a comment if you are...

Route 100 West
I-70 West

now here you can go one of two ways, the first is easier, but the second is faster by about half an hour.

1.
Take I-70 all the way to I-81 South (you're almost out of MD by this point, you're on 70 for at least 45 minutes).
Take I-81S to exit 313B

OR!

2. Take I-70 West to Frederick (maybe 30 miles)
Take 340 South towards Charles Town/Harper's Ferry
After Harper's Ferry, you'll come to Charles Town, where you have to take an exit to stay on 340. It's clearly marked.
After Charles Town, you're on 340 for another 15 minutes, and then you take the exit for Route 7 West towards Winchester.
On Route 7, take the exit (after 10 miles or so) for I-81 S
Take I-81 S for about 2 miles to exit 313B


Then both sets of directions follow this:

At exit 313B you come to a light, bear to the left of the Shenandoah University sign. This road is called Jubal Early Drive.
Turn left on Loudoun Street (the third light after you bear left onto Jubal Early)
Turn right on Weems Lane (second light on Loudoun).
Turn left on Wilson Blvd (First light on Weems)
My house is 2260, on the left at the corner of Wilson and Taft.

If you'd rather Mapquest, my address is
2260 Wilson Blvd
Winchester, VA 22601

Get to my house sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning/early afternoon for a BBQ before the show and a party after the show. I don't know if I can get comp tickets (I doubt I can for more than one or two people, if at all) for the show, but if I can't, you have two options. You can (a) come to the show, or (b) not come to the show, maybe stay here and get drunk or something. Hah.

updates...

And so begins another week of summer. Man I've got a lot to do today. I've gotta turn in my revised financial aid shit to the financial aid office, call West VA because they screwed up my ticket and told me the wrong amount to pay them (because, well, they're WVA and stupid), get my hair cut, and practice Mozart, Khachaturian, Bruch, Kreutzer, and Flesch. Then hopefully go see Fahrenheit 9/11 with Stef, Chris, and (maybe) Marietta.

So, it has occured to me that Winchester is definitely a black hole. You get stuck here and just can't leave for whatever reason. It's ok though... at least I have an ok job for a while, and then I get to go home for a few weeks. I sure could use a break. Not really from the things that I'm doing, but from this damn town. The only thing that Winchester (really VA in general) has going for it is cheap gas. And it's not even that cheap. Wow I definitely have no desire to stay here for my master's. If I didn't have such a fantastic teacher here and "Shenandoah Performs," I'd probably think about transferring just because Winchester sucks so hard.

This summer has been... well... not quite what I'd thought it would be. It's ok, I guess. It's just, well, I don't really have too many friends here, and my life seems to be revolving around how much I can practice/performances. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of the people Stef likes to hang out with, but I just feel like I could use my own crowd. Actually, I think I may have found a "group" that I really like (the box office squad), but I don't know. I think next school year I'm going to have to make a more concerted effort at making friends. Not that I need a whole bunch of people to hang out with, just a few good friends. And I definitely have the start of that with Mark and Chris and Nick (well and Brandon and Ed but they've graduated now). I feel incomplete in Winchester. Well, that's not entirely true. I feel like I'm learning leaps and bounds, but it's taking me a bit longer than most people to get in the social scene. But, that's the way it's always been with me.

That and I feel crappy when I go out to do something with Stef and her friends. Like, I know she wants me to go, but I can't help but feel like a hindrance, like she feels like she has to drag me along to hang out with her friends because I'm her boyfriend (although intellectually speaking, I'm pretty sure this isn't true). And I don't want to try and become best friends with her best friends. Not because I don't like them, but because I don't want to come off as trying to take her friends. And I know that she needs her own people to hang out with. Sometimes I just feel like a hindrance to her social life and I'd really like that not to be the case. I know that she misses her friends and I'm afraid that's got something to do with me. I guess the best thing to do would be to figure out her thoughts on the subject.

Holy crap... that was just a serious entry! I think my first one ever! Methinks a celebration is in order!

*lone "first real entry" baloon falls from ceiling, like when Homer bowled a 300 game on "The Simpsons"*

Job...

I'm really disliking pit. Coming from such a fantastic program like Shenandoah Performs, pit just sucks. Everyone complains about a 2 and a half hour rehearsal and how the music is stupid, etc. That and nobody practices so the orchestra is pretty dreadful.

Anywho, I can't wait for the school year when I havea trio who cares, and an orchestra that's at least better than pit. But I really can't wait for next summer. It's going to be great. I hope Arturo and Andrews come back so I can have a good quartet, and that it really takes off soon, then I can say that I was here the first year it happened.

On a side thing that makes me angry, the new issue of the SUN (the SU newspaper) had a great big article, front page at the top, about someone giving money to the Music Theatre department, and a small article at the bottom about Shenandoah Performs. That and stuff about Shenandoah Performs has always been in the inside of the paper and stuff. I mean, this is a conservatory, and I think a two week performing arts festival, with performances every night and international talent, including the winner of an international competition, deserves a bit more recognition than it's gotten. And people agree with me. MUSIC THEATRE people agree with me!

Anywho, time to take a shower and hardcore around until 12:30 or so.

Reminiscings...

Tonight my quartet went out with Tim (our coach) and Carl and Rune (cellist and violist of the Danish quartet). It was fantastic! Oh man, these guys are so cool. They're so down to earth and just really nice people. Every single one of them. It's really sad that we all have to part ways after tomorrow. I wish we just had some more time to chat and connect. It's so interesting meeting other people from all over the world. Talking to them not just about music, but about culture and lots of things. It really makes one feel more rounded. Just learning about people, about humanity. It's a beautiful thing and I'll be sad to let it go. But now I know that I definitely have to visit Mexico and Denmark to visit Arturo and Andres and take the "Young Danes" on their offer for dinner one night. Man, I've made some good friends these past two weeks.

Oh and just a note for me about bow holds from a conversation that Andres and I had:
The bow hand should be a natural feel. Nothing should be strained to move out of place, because it's a personal kind of thing. As long as you have a secure bow hold, then it will fall into place, as long as you use this principle when you make your bow stroke. When you're at the point, you need to use elbow/forearm action, and when you're at the frog, you have to use lots of shoulder motion, not wrist action. It's also important to remember that when you use more pressure, you need more speed to project the sound. That's how you get a pure sound on the violin.

Also, it's of note that the Franco-Belgian, German, and Russian bow grips aren't really different. It's just that the people of those countries are similar in body type, so they most naturally go to that pattern, and it's pretty uniform across those countries. But, the US, being a bunch of mutts, we all have an individual bow grip that works the best for each one of us, so we just have to find it, and it's there. The arm movement is really the important thing to remember.

Viola

...is MUCH harder than I had anticipated. Not that it's such a difficult instrument to play. I mean, when you play violin, you're almost a natural at viola, except for two things. The right hand (bowing/tone production) and ALTO CLEF. It's kinda tough to transpose the notes onto viola, or as Jason says, I have a "violin moment." I imagine those will go away in a few rehearsals though, as now I can hardcore read alto clef. It's just a matter of keeping it together and not getting confused or anything. That and it's really exhausting to play for long periods of time. Everything's just BIGGER, which means I need more pressure/weight in the bow arm, etc etc. It's just exhausting. But, I guess that comes with the territory of being a violist. Actually, Jason said I should be playing the solos and sitting principal. I just think he's unconfident and/or lazy, but I'm still going to take it as a compliment.

Anywho, I've been going since 9am and it's now after 6. I'm exhausted and want to spend some quality time with Stef.

So I'm off!

More ramblings...

So last night was our quartet performance. We did the first two movements of Shostakovich's 8th quartet. It was fantastic! Afterwards, everyone was coming up and shaking our hands and telling us how great it was. I even got some residual compliments this morning at rehearsal. It was great! I'm really going to miss this quartet, and these really cool guys I'm getting to play with. Hopefully next year Jan will put us in the same quartet, because it's so much fun to work with these guys.

Also, I may have an opportunity at being in a good quartet next year. Taylor and Natalia are both playing in a piano quartet with a violist who just doesn't have time to do it next year, and Eunice (another violinist) might be coming to Shenandoah next year, and since I play viola, we might be able to have a quartet together, which would just be fantastic. I'd really like to play viola in a quartet because it would give me some extra (much needed) viola experience. All in all, I think it'd be a good idea to do.

Other than that, my job starts tomorrow! Go money! For playing off beats! Go big violins!

New Layout

I like it better, with the text on the left and other stuff (links, archives) on the right. I think it works better that way, since we read left to right, as opposed to vice versa.

Anywho, I made a couple hamburgers for dinner tonight, as Stef is at the gala/opening performance of "Pirates..." I think I'll either take a nap or go practice the third movement of Shostakovich.

Annnnd that's it.

Edit: Oh, and now you can make comments on my blog.... if you read it that is.

update!

So Shenandoah Performs is well underway. Today is the third day of the festival, and it's a freakin' blast! I've met some really cool people from all over the country (well, all over the world, really). One guy that I really like is the first violinist in my quartet. His name is Arturo, and he is from Mexico City. He'll be a junior next year at Columbus State in Georgia (he's presently at Central Michigan University, but he just got offered a hella good scholarship from CS so he's going there in the fall).

My quartet is really cool. It's Arturo and me on violin, Andres (from the same city as Cynthia, my friend from school) on viola, and Taylor on cello. I've been working pretty hardcore on my Spanish because I'm the only one in the quartet who isn't of Hispanic descent. They're all really nice, cool guys, and we play really well together. We have fun in quartet. We're playing Shostakovich's 8th string quartet. It's 5 movements dedicated to people who died in Germany during Hitler's reign in World War II. It's a beautiful, somber piece of music. Our coach is Mr. Fredericksen, who also happens to be the concertmaster of the orchestra. He's a fantastic coach, and is only doing two quartets at the festival, ours and the guest artists, the Young Danish String Quartet. Needless to say, our group got really lucky to have him coaching us.

The wire grip on my bow sort of ate it last night while I was practicing. Fortunately it's not an ESSENTIAL piece of the bow, but now I've got a bare spot that I really need to get regripped. It almost makes me think that I should've bought a new bow. But oh well, this'll make sure I get a new bow this summer. The crappy thing is, though, that I can't send it off to get regripped until after the festival, when I'm playing viola for the pit. Fortuantely I'm playing viola because otherwise I'd have to wait until August to get it regripped (because I refuse to use my crappy fiberglass bow if my nice bow is in any sort of working condition). So I think I'm just going to get ghetto and put a little piece of black electrical tape over the wire hanging off so it doesn't unwravel anymore.

Today Stef is picking up an Equity actor from Union Station in DC. I unfortunately couldn't accompany her because I'm in rehearsals practically all day (save for when I'm on lunch break between 12 and 1). Hopefully she found someone to go with her because it's a sucky drive to have to do on your own, and kind of confusing coming out of Union Station. Then after she gets back she has to get ready for the opening gala for Pirates... tonight, then go to the show. So, pretty much I won't be seeing her until late tonight, if I don't pass out at like 10pm. I'm so exhausted I can't wait for Saturday to sleep in past 7:30am. I've been hardcore drinking coffee lately just to keep my wits about me.

Well, I ought to get back to the ol' salt mines (i.e. back to more practicing and rehearsals starting at 1).

violins and violas!

I have my Glier. It is mine!

I also have my Juzek. "Your what?" you are probably asking. My Juzek! My new VIOLA! It's a 1923 Juzek viola. Beautiful! And the same price as a Doetsche and sounds soooo much better. I also have a nice Brazilian bow (love those Brazilian makers) and a nice case (with humidity controls and everything.... yeah, it's badass)

So yeah, I'm hardcore happy.

and bed.

A survey deal flagrantly stolen from my comrade Chris

LAYER ONE
-- Name: Tommy
-- Birthdate: 3/26/85
-- Birthplace: Baltimore, MD
-- Current Location: Arnold, MD/Winchester, VA
-- Eye Color: Brown
-- Hair Color: Brown
-- Height: something a bit above 6 feet, maybe an inch or two... wow i don't even know how tall I am.
-- Righty or Lefty: I'm not not not a southpaw.
-- Zodiac Sign: Aries

LAYER TWO
-- Your heritage: mutt.
-- The shoes you wore today: I wore my flip flops earlier this morning
-- Your weakness: Alcohol (almost every time I drink I puke it all up... so I don't do it so much)
-- Your fears: not having success
-- Your perfect pizza: Pepperoni. no extra cheese. hand tossed crust.
-- Goal you'd like to achieve: Win the concerto competition here before I graduate.

LAYER THREE
-- Your most overused phrase on AIM: hardcore
-- Your thoughts first waking up: "My eyelids sure are heavy today."
-- Your best physical feature: My taint.
-- Your bedtime: Depends... sometimes as early as 10 or 11, but sometimes as late as never.
-- Your most missed memory: what?

LAYER FOUR
-- Pepsi or Coke: they are exactly the same.
-- McDonald's or Burger King: Before "Super Size Me" it would be either, but now it's neither.
-- Single or group date: what exactly IS a group date?
-- Adidas or Nike: Oh, I don't know.
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: again, exactly the same
-- Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
-- Cappuccino or coffee: capp of course

LAYER FIVE
-- Smoke: nope
-- Cuss: way too damn shitty ass much
-- Sing: I attempt to during sightsinging.
-- Take a shower everyday: Of course!
-- Have a crush(es): ummm, no.
-- Do you think you've been in love: sure
-- Want to go to university: wow i guess I'm too old to be taking this survey.
-- Like secondary school?: Not in the least.
-- Want to get married: someday. not for a while though.
-- Believe in yourself: naturally
-- Get motion sickness: negative
-- Think you're attractive: sure, why not?
-- Think you're a health freak: nah.
-- Get along with your parents: of course
-- Like thunderstorms: most of the time.
-- Play an instrument: violin, viola

LAYER SIX: In the past month...
-- Drank alcohol: nope
-- Smoked: with warren, it's sort of our ritual whenever we meet (which, unfortunately is pretty infrequently.... he was the first one i smoked a cigar with)
-- Done a drug: nope
-- Made Out: yeah
-- Gone on a date: sure have
-- Gone to the mall?: nope
-- Eaten an entire box of Oreos: oh man that would be great.... except for the vomiting part. oh, and no.
-- Eaten sushi: nope.
-- Been on stage: nope.
-- Been dumped: nope.
-- Gone skating: nope.
-- Made homemade cookies: nope.
-- Gone skinny dipping: nope.
-- Dyed your hair: no, but perhaps i'll rectify that some time
-- Stolen anything: nope.

LAYER SEVEN: Ever...
-- Played a game that required removal of clothing: nope
-- If so, was it mixed company: n/a
-- Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: several times.
-- Been caught "doing something": what? doing what exactly?
-- Been called a tease: no
-- Gotten beaten up: no
-- Shoplifted: nope.
-- Changed who you were to fit in: i don't think so.

LAYER EIGHT
-- Age you hope to be married: not for a while (at least until i'm done undergrad and am stable)
-- Numbers and Names of Children: i don't know
-- How do you want to die: implosion.
-- Where you want to go to college: well, I go to Shenandoah, but for grad school, somewhere in the city: Mannes, MSM, CIM maybe?
-- What do you want to be when you grow up: Crack Whore, or professional violinist
-- What country would you most like to visit: Australia, France, Germany, not sure really. there are lots of places that i haven't been.

LAYER NINE: In a girl
-- Best eye color? oh i don't know
-- Best hair color? doesn't really matter
-- Short or long hair: whichever doesn't look stupid on the particular person
-- Height: a bit shorter than me
-- Best weight: doesn't really matter
-- Best articles of clothing: what?
-- Best first date location: something active, or movie and then dinner. not dinner and then a movie.
-- Best first kiss location: doesn't really matter.

LAYER TEN
-- Number of drugs taken illegally: zero, unless you count alcohol underage
-- Number of people I can count on with my life: several... at least 6 or 7
-- Number of CDs that I own: several dozen
-- Number of piercings: zero
-- Number of tattoos: zero
-- Number of scars on my body: several
-- Number of things in my past that I regret: actually, nothing that i can think of.

Just hanging around....

Oh my god I am so bored. Actually, it's not so bad. Well, yes it is at times, but at other times it isn't. And, really, this week I have a whole lot to do. I've gotta wait for Gary to take back his fiddle, go to Baltimore to buy the fiddle from Rodger Perrin, then go to Potter's to sell my violin and get a viola. So I guess I won't be so bored this week. I've also gotta turn in my festival form, practice the orchestra music, and find some viola music to copy/maybe get the music for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in advance so I don't have to sightread it at the first rehearsal (which would be really really hard).

Next week starts the performing arts festival. I'm in a quartet playing Shostakovich 8, which I'm really excited about. It should be a fun time, at least something to do instead of wasting away the days.

Wow there's nothing that I have to talk about. Absolutely nothing. Perhaps nothing has been going on, or has any promise of going on. OK I'm done.