Day 98: Materials

If you didn't fully understand the excitement from yesterday, I love this school. Before I get to the actual post, I have to say that I had a great voice lesson. I was so scared of it but my teacher helped calm me. Also, she is going to help me so much with my voice, or as I now view it, my human instrument. All I need for that class is some music and my voice; those are the course materials. Piano requires music and my hands. My other courses have stacks of books. When you open them though there are not equations or laws but music. Whether it's music theory or music history or actual music, it's music. I'm studying music and while it does cost a lot of money for the materials, the things I'll learn, the people I'll meet, and the journeys I'll travel on are priceless. Money makes the materials manifest, materials make the education possible, but it's the music inside the materials that makes this place the magical miracle of my life.

Day 97: That's Entertainment

I love this school! My schedule only consists of music based classes. I can practice for hours on great Steinway pianos in quiet rooms without disruption. I can learn about things I'm interested in. I get grades for what I love. I get academic credit for piano lessons. I'll finally begin to feel comfortable with my voice and expand my range through voice lessons. Yesterday, I had the most interactive experience in class learning about the different types of opera regionally, their histories, and their characteristics. We worked together to teach each other and then watched some really cool opera. I would have never been able to say I would enjoy opera before being introduced to it here. Another example of all of this was in today's American Musical Theater class when we were discussing songs in dramatic context. We watched the opening scene of Amahl and the Night Visitors, an opera that I already knew about because my grandpa introduced me to it. Then, I smiled from ear to eat when we watched good morning from singin in the rain. Finally, we watched the opening sequence of Oklahoma. It was awesome and fun, but I was still learning. Now that's not class, that's entertainment.

Day 96: Sleep

I haven't had a post like this in a while, but I'm too tired to really post anything. This morning I posted a status on Facebook that said "That moment when you are too tired to eat breakfast." The 8 AM theory class is incredibly early and I'm going to try to start going to bed earlier. It will take a few days with a progression towards earlier bed times. Last night, I went to bed at one and tonight is 12:15. Tomorrow night, I will aim for 11:30. So with that I will say goodnight.

Day 95: Hats

Some people collect coins, some collect shirts, some collect stamps, I collect hats. Not just hats but hats with musical theater logos. I have three that are worn out and 7 others one for each day of the week. My philosophy is a hat a day keeps bad hair days away. Wearing a hat makes fixing your hair so simple. I love show hats and people don't recognize me without them. People that are just meeting me can't wait to see what the next show hat is. Here's the hats starting with today's through Monday and then all of them.

Day 94: Day 1

While this wasn't my first day at Shenandoah today was the first day of classes for me at SU. It was the second best first day of school I've ever had, next to the first day of preschool which was ultimately the best. It's such a surreal experience coming to a school where your classes are centered around music. Some people have math classes or chemistry courses but I dive into music everyday and every class. My homework isn't algebra or english, it's theory. I get a grade for piano lessons and voice lessons. The latter of the two I am still petrified of. Two things about today: 1. My theory class got randomly changed to 8 AM and 2. Textbooks are EXPENSIVE. I can't wait for tomorrow because I have American musical theater history I. I'm ecstatic. Hopefully, I can stay unexcited enough to sleep because I have an 8 AM class, but hey, at least it's a music class and not something I would sleep through or skip. Who would want to miss a theory class? Nobody of course, so it's time to prepare for theory with sleep. Goodnight.

Day 92 and 93: Lazy Days

Welcome week 2014 at SU is now complete. I'm here, I've register for classes, I've moved in, and tomorrow all the hard work begins. This welcome week has been rough for me: long move in day with disappointments, missing some great student life activities, wondering if I'll make friends, music theory test failure, scheduling problems and wondering if people would know me and what I do and not get lost in the shadows by other people. I was told in a welcome meeting that being a transfer student is hard and that is very true. Because of the rough week I laid in the bed resting and being lazy this weekend slightly depressed and wondering what had I gotten myself into coming to this school BUT hope was restored tonight. Alpha Psi Omega, the theater Greek society on campus which is more about community support than the normal Greek party stuff, had a welcome back show tonight. I had doubts about going because I knew I might have to face a person who I can't get along with but I could not be more thrilled that I went. It was a spoof on annie that she went to SU and all the things she would encounter. All of this was to musical theater songs with parody lyrics. For example, annie talked about a college boyfriend and they sang a parody of day by day from Godspell as gay by gay to explain that straight girls will have a hard time finding relationships here. It was hilarious. The night started with underclass men doing impressions of the upper class men. It's definitely a society I want to join. Now I know that I will have an abundance of friends and lots of fun times. Academically speaking, Dr. Albert is going to make everything possible. He is my advisor, mentor, teacher, and friend. He helped with my schedule and has given me so much advice. As Annie, parodied and for real said, "I think I'm gonna like it here." I change that to I know I'm gonna like it here. Yes there will be drama, but in those times I'll have so many people to lean on for support. I can't wait for school to begin tomorrow. The adventures are about to begin. And to end this post I will leave with my cross stitch project that I finished tonight which will remind in good times and in bad times why I love music, want to study it, and do it as a career... In music there is harmony, in harmony there is peace. Amen.

Day 91: Technological Tacos

Technology helps and hurts. One of the many things about SU that is phenomenal is that you are supplied with an iPad and a MacBook laptop. I have used my new technology all day and am slowly getting used to it, but my iPhone after my nap revealed to me the dangers of technology. My Facebook account was hacked. I fixed it though and started my new technology discovery. I got a Blu Ray DVD player. It is awesome and when combined with my awesome tv it makes all of my movies and tv look and sound phenomenal. Then I ended my day with Taco Bell and it is packed with college students even after 11:00. That was my day. That is all.

Day 90: New Things

In life, we are always coming across new things. Today was a huge day of new experiences for me. I had to play for the musical auditions. The musical is Green Days American Idiot. It's a rock musical based on the bands hit album. Because it's a rock show I was sight reading rock music. Boy, that was such a new experience. Then, I finally needed to get all of my new technology set up. Because it is all Apple Mac products, i was very confused at first. The iPad was easy to figure out but the Mac is a new experience. If you don't know what a Mac is, it is the apple version of a computer. So after a day of new adventures it's time to end with something not so new: sleep. Goodnight. Can't wait to see what new things tomorrow holds.

Day 89: Eat, Drink and Exercise

Wow what a day. So much happened that I'll have to include some of it in future blogs but this will cover some of today. My day started by doing the two things that new students in college do: Get lost and eat. I did them together because I got lost looking for the dining hall. Finally I smelled my way there. Then I was lost when I was there because there are so many choices. That more applies to lunch and dinner but still confusing for a new student. Once I had my food it was delicious. I was spoiled by Perkins but still good. It was definitely better than high school or any school lunch. The biggest change from school lunch is they'll actually trust you to cut your food with a knife. Because of that I was able to eat knife needed foods like pancakes for breakfast or glazed pork tenderloin for dinner. With the pancakes I had some tater tots and eggs. With the pork I had rice, mixed veggies, and a cornbread dressing with a dinner roll. To cover the drink portion of the blog post that I said in the title I kept going back for refills at the worst times because they happened to be out of tea at those times. However that gave me a reason to drink water which is good for you. Speaking of good for you, today and yesterday made me realize this campus alone will make exercise a necessity. Transportation around campus is walking. I do drive to campus, but then I have to walk everywhere. The first student life activity was tonight and it was bingo in the cafeteria. It was a lot of fun. However I didn't win any prizes but I did make some new friends which is better than a gift card prize. So like the title said most of my day was food drink and exercise but more of my day will come in a later post. Until then, eat, drink, and be merry. This was my breakfast.

Day 88: Move In Day

While I'm upset I have to post this again, here it goes because technology failed me last night and it didn't post. Yesterday was move in day. Student life said it was the biggest day next to graduation and they were right. Overall, I moved in, returned a UHaual, got a Mac, got an iPad, got a parking pass, learned about the campus printing system, went to convocation, dinner, prepared my room, and said farewell. At the beginning of the day bright and early we started in a car parade to the residence halls. While most new students get special treatment to unload there cars quickly, because I'm special and live in a single room in another residence hall that wasn't available. However, the awesome RA staff in my dorm helped. Then I went to the student center and got all of my logistically important items. You should have seen it. The parents, the students, lines. It was insane. Next, there was convocation or I called it a welcomation. It's basically a pre graduation. A lot of the program is the same but you meet the president receiving a star keychain of encouragement instead of a diploma. At the service they ended with the John Wesley benediction. Dr. Beyers would have been pleased. I still had a lot to get done so I came back to my room with mom and dinner. When we were done we said goodbye. I miss my friends and family already but I can't wait for the new adventures to begin. All of the photos I originally had were deleted after I thought my original blog posted, but here are the ones I could get back. One of them is a cross stitch college humor one I did to serve as a reminder to me next to my sink everyday. The others are of my dorm. Have a great day, mine will be busy.

Day 87: Move In Day Eve

The word Eve provides people with such an anticipating excitement. With Christmas Eve, there is the excitement of Santa coming or lovely services at church. New Year's Eve involves party and awaiting new beginnings. That's how I feel today. It's move in day Eve and while finishing packing was exhausting it was exciting too because I know I'm just one step closer to starting school. Today I combined all my stuff from this summer which was in storage with my stuff from home. Also, I picked up my keyboard book for Les Mis since I'll be playing for it at a community theater nearby in a couple of weeks. It's been a long day, but because it was an Eve it was exciting. Now I must sleep because tomorrow will be very busy. Photos from today are below. Note the exhausted photo.

Day 85 and 86: The Move Part 2

And with an 11+ hour trip in a bumpy, painful, and uncomfortable Uhaul, we have arrived in Winchester. Here are some fun facts about the move weekend.

1. I'm obsessed with Barbra Streisand.
2. I had five of her films and two concerts to watch on my portable DVD player.
3. My DVD player was annoying because I had no remote and I couldn't turn off the subtitles.
4. Also, mom had to have the radio loud enough to stay awake that I couldn't hear the films.
5. Therefore, I couldn't fully enjoy the Babs trip.
6. Nothing makes a car ride more relaxing than cross stitching and sleep.
7. I got a lot of outlining finishing detail on my cross stitch project. It's a violin with flowers that has musical staves and says "in music there is harmony, in harmony there is peace."
8. Burger King has chicken fries again. That may seem the most random of facts but it's the most important on this list.
9. Cell phones, correction iPhones, also make long car rides bearable.
10. I'm worried that I'll be the only one bringing a Uhaul and that might mean that I'm bringing too much.
11. There are a lot of weird city names around the country. There was one strange one that started with a y and seemed German. I couldn't even pronounce it.
12. Moving is exhausting.
13. Driving or riding in a car is exhausting.
14. You are never so happy to see a bed as you are after a long trip.
15. There was a town called Gonshire, I think, that was divided into east and west. In that town there is the worst Burger King ever. They were out of onion ring sauce, salt, ketchup, large side boxes, large cups, and coke freeze and soda fountain machines were broken.
16. There are too many cities in Virginia that end in burg.
17. I said hello and goodbye very quickly to the best group of "young" people ever this morning: the Maxwell Sunday School class.
18. Speaking of "young" people there was a really cranky, rude one at the hotel desk. He wouldn't give me an extra towel or fulfill any request.
19. I pulled into town and the giddy, childlike manifested as I saw my new home waiting for me.
20. Move in day is going to be so exciting. More about that in Tuesdays posts.
21. I have some loose ends with moving to tie up tomorrow.
22. Busy week ahead of musical auditions, challenge/placement exams, and welcome activities.
23. I'm tired.
24. Goodnight.
25. Oh wait, pictures below. The first three are from moving out two weeks ago. The last two were selfies before we left today.