There are many "big" events where almost everyone seemed to know where they were, what they were doing, and who they were with. It might be because my memory is not as great as it could be, but I don't remember many of these moments. I could maybe remember 3. One of which doesn't count as it's a situation that's only big to me.
The first would be 911. I knew what I was doing; sleeping. I was too young to really understand all the implications of the event, but I knew it was a big thing. I went into my school, where the teacher decided that we needed to have a discussion about this major current event. We moved all the tables to the side, moved our chairs into a circle, then the teacher started briefing about the event for those of us who were not caught up. Obviously the briefing was very PG, since even as the vice principal the teacher could be fired if the conversation was too explicit. The class then all shared their views, before ending with a minute of silence.
Then comes HSF. As probably is the case with the other 9 finalists, I was at school when the phone calls were made. I dropped by home during lunch to see the answering machine blinking (well, it was blinking, but I was directed to it by my mom). I was freaked out (and evidently misunderstood the phone call) after listening to it a few times. I went back to school, explained the situation to my teacher, and excused myself for the afternoon. Apparently I looked pale; I definitely felt it. I had to psyche myself up (like I do with many many circumstances). I even had to phone one of my references to ease my nerves. After I felt that I've done as much nerve prepping as I could, I called Mr. Sommers. What came after is all over facebook.
Lastly, Obamamania. The mood that night was very weird. I was in Woodward, and was feeling really disappointed by the information night that was being held there. My future career looks more shrouded and bleak than ever before when I left the library. But as I walked out of the campus that night, getting ready to head home, the atmosphere didn't feel right. There was electricity in the air. I could not go a block without someone overhead yelling or some drunk pedestrian looking ecstatic. I had a hunch about what happened and sent a text to my friend from Chicago: "Did he win?" The affirmative answer explained my feelings as I crossed the campus that night. It seemed funny how the night that is marked with hope by millions of people around the world was so bleak to me.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
1:30, Two Counts
There is something very powerful about that quote. To be immersed so deeply into a piece of art, choreography, or music: passion at its best.
People obviously perform better when there is passion attached. The incompetent begins passing as a competent; the competent begins passing as a master. The strokes, the steps, the notes all become secondary to the emotion, the feeling, the integrity.
We all need a little bit of integrity in our actions. Our talk shouldn't be just talk, nor should it be some attempt to glorify, or falsify ourselves. Our action should be limited to the act, with the intent of accomplishing the act, for the sake of the act, and not to put up an act.
The remedy? Passion. Passion for what you believe in, passion for what you fight against.
So get out there, love some, hate some, justify killing some. Condemn the condemner, and deny the victim.
People obviously perform better when there is passion attached. The incompetent begins passing as a competent; the competent begins passing as a master. The strokes, the steps, the notes all become secondary to the emotion, the feeling, the integrity.
We all need a little bit of integrity in our actions. Our talk shouldn't be just talk, nor should it be some attempt to glorify, or falsify ourselves. Our action should be limited to the act, with the intent of accomplishing the act, for the sake of the act, and not to put up an act.
The remedy? Passion. Passion for what you believe in, passion for what you fight against.
So get out there, love some, hate some, justify killing some. Condemn the condemner, and deny the victim.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
This is not a blog post pt2
Event name: Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends
Event subtitle: I slept with a member of Fall Out Boys and all I got was stupid song titles stuck in my head
Event sub-subtitle: Adagio in B flat for bass clarinet
Whimsy, coming to you 10.10.09.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
My 19.5 Birthday
This is not a blog post.
So, I've decided that for my next birthday celebration, I will celebrate my half birthday and not my birthday. Reasons why this'll be is because:
- It'll be during midterm season and not second final season!
- I can drink, gamble and eat meat this time!
- It'll be on a Saturday!
- There things that you just can't do in April. (like extreme puddle jumping!)
- It's another excuse to party =D
- and give me gifts =D
What kind of gifts? I'm going to divide into individual and group gifts:
Individual:
- Bandanas!
- Ties! (Either wacky or solid coloured (a white one if you got it))
- Dark blue dress shirt (or a dull red)
- Black socks!
- Long shorts!
- "Vintage tees" - will explain in a far off in the future post
- Things I can plant for next summer (Chrysanthemum!)
- Things I can grow in my room
Group:
- One of those cheap cars!
- An iPod classic!
- Or a new mac book and the free accompanying iPod classic!
- A realistic way to apply ORB/OGB
I repeat, this is not a blogpost. I will update this later on as I think of new things to want.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Up close and Personal
I have never really thought about this until lately, but have you ever realized that when you kiss someone, you are really close to them? You are literally in their face.
Of course once I had that thought in my head, it makes things so awkward.
Try it. Kiss someone and think about just how close your face is to theirs.
Of course once I had that thought in my head, it makes things so awkward.
Try it. Kiss someone and think about just how close your face is to theirs.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Curse of the Big Heavy Instruments
Since I don't have any idea what I'm going to writing about for my Sociology T1 (named of course after our beloved term 1 project), I've decided to write about what I wanted to.
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Like everything else - hierarchy, get-rich-fast schemes, Egyptian burial places - a balanced band is constructed like a pyramid. At the bottom you have the bass line (for all intensive purposes I'm grouping the percussionists in here), and the higher up the pyramid/pitch you go, the smaller the sections. This has something to do with that whole higher frequency gets heard more clearly/they get more solos and less need for a section/who really need more than 2 flutes. If you want that explained more clearly then talk to Chris. However, most (especially younger) bands have an inverted pyramid where a gazillion flutes sitting on top of a few euphs.
Since you would never need that many flutists, streaming occurs. Band teachers subtly poke students that are in the lower echelons of their section to try to pursue a different (lower) instrument. Of course occasionally they aren't even that bad, just no long term potential (I mean, I was solo clarinetist before I switched =p).
With this however, comes the realization that the music we play are not very challenging once we got used to our respective instruments. This isn't like the whole Pachelbel debacle where, OMG, you get 8 quarter notes repeated over and over again. Try a bass clarinet part for Mars; we get one note where every bar is repeating the same rhythm as before; or even worse, I've had a whole page of the same dotted half notes.
Of course, if we reapproach our band teachers, they would do anything for us not to switch back to our original instruments. Of course if you're in the school band, that means only a max of 4 years of the instrument and you're out of there. If you're in a community band, you're stuck there until someone else comes along playing the same instrument. Imagine my shock when the kid I was mentoring quit half way through the year? I mean, the guy I replaced fled the continent ffs (although he has been doing it a LOT longer than I have, and is a LOT more talented than I).
Because of this, people struck by the curse are a lot more prone to settle. I mean, if you don't submit, comments like "Oh, so you play quarter notes" are going to sting more and more as time goes on.
-----------
Like everything else - hierarchy, get-rich-fast schemes, Egyptian burial places - a balanced band is constructed like a pyramid. At the bottom you have the bass line (for all intensive purposes I'm grouping the percussionists in here), and the higher up the pyramid/pitch you go, the smaller the sections. This has something to do with that whole higher frequency gets heard more clearly/they get more solos and less need for a section/who really need more than 2 flutes. If you want that explained more clearly then talk to Chris. However, most (especially younger) bands have an inverted pyramid where a gazillion flutes sitting on top of a few euphs.
Since you would never need that many flutists, streaming occurs. Band teachers subtly poke students that are in the lower echelons of their section to try to pursue a different (lower) instrument. Of course occasionally they aren't even that bad, just no long term potential (I mean, I was solo clarinetist before I switched =p).
With this however, comes the realization that the music we play are not very challenging once we got used to our respective instruments. This isn't like the whole Pachelbel debacle where, OMG, you get 8 quarter notes repeated over and over again. Try a bass clarinet part for Mars; we get one note where every bar is repeating the same rhythm as before; or even worse, I've had a whole page of the same dotted half notes.
Of course, if we reapproach our band teachers, they would do anything for us not to switch back to our original instruments. Of course if you're in the school band, that means only a max of 4 years of the instrument and you're out of there. If you're in a community band, you're stuck there until someone else comes along playing the same instrument. Imagine my shock when the kid I was mentoring quit half way through the year? I mean, the guy I replaced fled the continent ffs (although he has been doing it a LOT longer than I have, and is a LOT more talented than I).
Because of this, people struck by the curse are a lot more prone to settle. I mean, if you don't submit, comments like "Oh, so you play quarter notes" are going to sting more and more as time goes on.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Love is like a lemonade
Not so much the kind that's squeezed from the heart, but the bad kind.
The kind that isn't so much tart, but downright sour, but heavily sugar coated to try to hide the undeniable fact.
You try to convince yourself of the value of the vitamin c contained within, trying desperately to ignore that it only contains 5% real juice. As it wears away at the enamel, upsets your stomach, and wreck havoc on your intestines, you start seeing the real picture.
Why do we put ourselves through this? We try to obtain what little pleasure we could from it, always wanting more, never getting it. Why do we bother?
The kind that isn't so much tart, but downright sour, but heavily sugar coated to try to hide the undeniable fact.
You try to convince yourself of the value of the vitamin c contained within, trying desperately to ignore that it only contains 5% real juice. As it wears away at the enamel, upsets your stomach, and wreck havoc on your intestines, you start seeing the real picture.
Why do we put ourselves through this? We try to obtain what little pleasure we could from it, always wanting more, never getting it. Why do we bother?
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