Thought-provoking/moment of inspiration....

So I've been thinking a lot about people in general. Just peoples' tendencies and actions, and how people choose to do what they do. Now, I think I have a theory on the nature of people as a whole.

People are easily divided in halves. Perhaps, more specifically, almost all the time people can be categorized as one of two things. Take politics. We're either liberal or conservative, basically. Neither has significantly more merits than the other. It's just what appeals on an individual basis. Now I know some people will say "But some people are neither! Some people are genuinely neither on the political scale!" I say bullshit. People who say they aren't one or the other are either lying to be cool or just to pussy to pick a side. Religion also has these two categories. Either you're a theist or an atheist. You either believe in god(s) or you don't. Or being straight or gay. Either you like doing guys or girls. Or you like both (but mostly, people are more one or the other).

Now I've come to realize two categories that have to do with one's intellectual side. Some people think they know everything (especially people who are good at one subject and/or can remember little, inconsequential details), and others try to learn something from everything they do; they believe that they don't really know anything. You're either one or the other. We all know the people who fit the first category... they like to prove that they are right all the time, and they pretend that they are somehow above the rules or better than everyone else because they're so smart/talented/well read etc. Then the second category encompasses the people who don't try to show off. they genuinely like to do things and don't try to put themselves on a higher pedestal than anyone else. They believe that everyone is equally valid/invalid, and they usually have fresh outlooks on things. The best leaders I have met are people who look at leading as a learning experience. Maryory is a great example of this kind of leader. She's the concertmaster in my orchestra and she doesn't try and make everyone feel lower than her. She's genuinely concerned with the orchestra and tries to help out as much as she can. My Dad is another great leader who fits the second category. He doesn't profess to know everything about everything, and if someone can think of another way to do something, he's not opposed to them getting it done their way.

So I guess the question one should ask himself is "Which category am I?" I'd like to think that I'm part of the second category, but I'm not all the time. Especially when I get frustrated, I can fall into the first category really easily.

Which one are you?

(comments, anyone?)

October 13, 2004...

Let's see if I can figure out what to report.

The musical's finally over, so now I have some time to practice again, which is a big plus. I really want to get significantly better this year, and I know how I'm going to do it. I've gotta start working on using my technique musically. The other day, Marc said that I have very good technical skills, but that I need to integrate them into playing musically. I'm so worried about playing with perfect technique that it's interfering with the musicality of my playing. He also said that if I'm solid musically (meaning I can sing everything and know what I want to do with music when I look at it, that I have a solid idea of what I want to hear), then everything will come so much easier to me. I'm going to try that out. I also asked Olivia today at my lesson how I am doing. See, I'm kind of nervous that I'm not doing as well as I ought to be for a performance major. She said, however, that she's noticing a significant week-to-week improvement, and that I've gotten a whole lot better since last fall. She also said not to worry about getting my concerti perfect quickly because even students at Julliard take 8-12 months learning and polishing a concerto (and she would know, having been at the best damn music school in the UK). So I feel a lot better.

Tomorrow's my piano test. I'm kind of nervous, but not too bad. Piano is coming much better than it has been. I can finally do more than a basic block chord accompaniment in my left hand (well, sort of). Transposition isn't much of a problem. The only hard part is really the choral score reading. It's rough reading three voices at once, especially when you've only got two hands. But when I work on it I do just fine.

Anywho, I'd better get to bed. Work at 8am followed by class until 11 followed by 2 hours of practicing before piano. Then home for a bit then practicing and orchestra then it's almost fall break!

Oh boy...

A crazy busy week is almost over!

Here's a brief rundown:
-MY E string tuner broke and it was a pain.
-Pit was real bad at the beginning of the week.
-It got better once Maryory joined us and we rearranged some stuff.
-I hardcored my sightsinging test!
-I hardcored my theory test (I hope)!
-I had really good lessons this week
-I got a series of gigs (two concerts and two rehearsals if I'm not mistaken) for a total of $170!!!!!
-The VCR ate it so I didn't see the second debate...
-But luckily someone else has it on tape so I'll be able to watch it soon enough!
-Can't move in with Mark...
-But Jenn is moving in with us, and she's the new Box Office Manager so we have a 4th roommate again for a long while!
-I hate everyone at the library front desk (if you want to hear the whole entertaining story, comment here or just ask me)
-I got a Kerry/Edwards pin!
-Got pissed off at certain violinists who came to the performance last night (for which I was substituting for concertmaster) and told me during intermission how terrible the orchestra sounded.. yeah, that was really cool.
-I got my tuner fixed today at Perrin (with a new gold-plated tuner) for free!!!!
-Had lunch at Hooters today!
-Am going to be home next weekend for fall break!

And that about sums up the week thus far....