Day 190 and 191: Busy

Starting tomorrow, the final two weeks of the semester begin. I will be busy with juries and finals. If I miss a post, one is late, or two are combined then that is why. Wish me luck during these last couple of weeks. Goodnight.

Day 189: Black Friday

One thing that's wonderful about being on a break in this school based city is that it turns into a ghost town when school is not in session. Therefore there is not a big swarm of Black Friday shoppers among the city. I can't stand Black Friday. The main reason for this is because it has turned thanksgiving into Black Friday Eve. Toys'r'us opened at five on Thursday. That's before dinner time. I guess people are just thinking that they are thankful since they are about to go broke. That's my second problem: the name. It should be called red Friday because it puts your bank account in the red. Why has the commercial side of the holidays surpassed the thankfulness, spirit of giving, and Jesus' birth. Now it's time to wait for Sleep Saturday when the shoppers crash from exhaustion.

Day 188: Thanksgiving

Yesterday was the national holiday of food that we call thanksgiving. I ate a lot as most people do. All the usuals, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, corn, green beans, dressing, gravy, pie, etc. I didn't get to go home for thanksgiving because it's not practical based on distance or monetary values. Perkins and Cracked Barrel had big thanksgiving specials so I had lunch at Perkins and dinner at Cracker Barrel. Photos are below of the meals. The second is the half eaten Cracker Barrel. First is Perkins and the last is a friend who couldn't go home so went with me to eat. Happy thanksgiving.

Day 187: Snow

It's late so I will keep this blog short and simple. On this Thanksgiving Eve I am grateful for snow. Winchester was covered in gorgeous sheets of snow. Being from the warm south, I wasn't sure how to handle my excitement in seeing the soft powder. This wasn't ice. It was soft pillow clouds of weather. I had to drive in it some which was a new experience but I'll get used to it because if the winter is going to be anything like today there will be snow, snow, snow. I love snow!!!

Day 185 and 186: Breaking Bad

After a long day of school and work, I return to my room and watch Netflix. In simple terms, Netflix is movies and tv on demand with no commercials. I have been watching five seasons or the whole series of breaking bad. While it's a dark, crime drama filled with thrilling suspense, the acting and writing is so brilliant that even someone who normally just likes talent competition shows will like. I'm also a big fan of Shonda Rhimes shows. Greys anatomy and how to get away with murder are brilliant television programs. They leave you on the edge of your seat like a murder mystery. Over the next few days I will watch a lot of her third show Scandal. Thank God for Netflix. It will get me through the break. Back to breaking bad now. Goodnight.

Day 183 and 184: time flies

The end of the semester is almost here. Finals are approaching along with juries which are final exams for lessons such as piano or voice lessons, or simply put a performance for a grade. Things are about to get crazy busy but what is even crazier than the schedule is how fast this semester has gone by. They say time flies when you're having fun. Well I guess that's just one more piece of evidence that I love it here and am having a blast. There are only three more class sessions for each of my classes before finals. It's sad that it's almost over but I know I'll be coming back home and then before I know it, it'll be time to start the next semester. In case I haven't said it enough, I love it here!!

Day 182: Waiting

And now the week is over, so auditions and callbacks are done. Now it's time to wait. Luckily, I don't have to wonder if my name will be on a cast list, but I know how the waiting people feel. In middle school and elementary school I was always eager to see the cast list posted. The cast list can cause excitement and heartbreak but as the saying goes there are no small parts, only small actors. And that doesn't mean that actors are short. I don't think there is too much disappointment from cast list choices here because everybody is supportive of everyone and wants all the shows to be good. However, before the cast lists are posted there is the agonizing wait. So let the clocks tick as the waiting begins. In the meantime, we sleep. Goodnight.

Day 181: Oops

It just occurred to me that I didn't blog yesterday. Oh well, I guess I had nothing to say.

Day 180: Callbacks

After a long stressful day, I had a wonderful evening of accompanying callbacks. Next semester I'm playing for The Elephant Man and Marat/Sade. All week long there have been callbacks for shows next semester and tonight were the ones for Marat/Sade. From what I understand of it, it's a show about people in an insane asylum doing a show. It's crazy. Because everyone had to act crazy (everyone here already is a little which helped) it was a relaxed good time. A lot of inside jokes were created and nerves were non existent. Callbacks can be fun especially when you have a great director and musical director leading them. I can't wait to work with these people more and more on a nightly basis as we prepare all the great pieces of theater here next semester. For information about the shows we are doing go to www.conservatoryperforms.org. I love it here!!!!

Day 178 and 179: short

A short blog because I'm very busy:

Cold temps, exhaustion, bad weather, and end of semester busy crunch time stress makes for a grumpy, irritable, student. But, I love it here too much to let any of those things get me down. Goodnight.

Day 176 and 177: Lazy Days

Every once in a while you have one of those weekends where you don't feel like doing anything. It's been one of those weekends. There are a lot of events always going on, so many that sometimes even if you wanted to you couldn't make it to all of them. I did however make it to one of the events. Of course, it would be the one that happened the latest in the day. There was a mad libs musical event. Mad Libs is a hilarious word game but in this version we took out words of musical songs and the audience threw in random words and then the singer had to compose themselves enough to sing them with the new words. It was a hilarious good time. This weekend I'm not missing the big event though because this weekend there is the opera, Dido and Aeneas. It's going to be a busy week so I'm glad I was able to be lazy and rest because this week will be a constant go. Goodnight.

Day 175: It's Business

There's the expression it's a dog eat dog world out there. That is especially true in the world of show biz and entertainment. Everybody wants to be cast or hired for the next big show but it's a competition. We are all friends and family but at the end of the day it's about the job. We all have the I hope I get it feeling like the cast of a chorus line. As an accompanist the demand being higher makes this simple but it's still a business. There is still competition. You have to be professional and not demean others ability to gain business (I don't do that). You have to be humble about your own ability. You have to work with the people well that you accompany and be lenient while being the boss of your own business. You have to price competitively while still understanding your worth. As my grandpa taught me, "never underestimate the value of your time." Money isn't the most important thing though and neither is the job. It's all about the enjoyment we get from doing what we love. There's competition, drama, and money involved at times but we know it's just business. Speaking of this business, next year I will be in full business here because I will be playing and getting paid for everything literally because most if not all the current accompanists are leaving after the spring because of graduation or other reasons. I will be the accompanist on campus and my business will be booming. That won't matter to me though because what it boils down to, is I love what I do. You know that's true when you would do it for free. The fact that I get a grade or a paycheck for it is just a business bonus.

Day 174: Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. As you could tell from yesterday's photo with santa's elves it's almost time for the holidays. Christmas lights are being hung at homes. They are set up at the school with trees all over the already gorgeous landscape. I can't wait to see Winchester Christmas style. They haven't started turning the lights on yet. Another way it's getting like Christmas is snow. That's right. It's been snowing a little today. It was mixed with rain and didn't stick but it was snow none the less. They say it will be a snowy winter. I hope so because I love snow, winter and the holidays. Christmas is just around the corner but first let's have Turkey day.

Day 173: Theatrical

Today was an awesome day because of it's theatrical quality. Of course going to a conservatory there is a theatrical event that happens just by being in the hall. However that's not what I'm referring to today. This afternoon I was asked to be involved in the Jingle bell rock skit from Meangirls. It's apparently a tradition here. Part of the skit is a random pianist walking up to help, played by me. All of this happened at the weekly performance forum where there are weekly mini showcases of the theater students to their classmates. Three powerfully moving scenes were performed, a poem was stated firmly, Shakespeare got a biographical rap, and we ended the show with our holiday tradition. It's so much fun here and you could just feel the enjoyable excitement in the room. I was so glad to be a small part of this annual event. I might drop into more forums to see the awesome actors and actresses that I work with here. Below is a picture of me with Santa's elves. Yes the second person is a guy in drag. He's such a fun sport. Happy Holidays.

Day 171 and 172: Blog Skips

Sorry for any worry that I caused. I've come home from rehearsal in Martinsburg and completely passed out for the past two nights. Also, I was dealing with headaches. Tonight I have no rehearsal and my blogs will return to normal.

Day 169 and 170: Theory, Theater, and Tacos

My life here in college can basically be summarized in three words. If it's not obvious by the title, the three words are theory, theater, and tacos. Every week and especially this weekend, there is music theory homework. Theory is an everyday course. In lessons, theory is always applied somehow. I eat, sleep, and breathe theory. Secondly, being at a conservatory is already theatrical because of the people here but with theaters in every corner it's a constant event. There is always a practice, audition, or class for a theatrical purpose. Finally, one of the most common places I eat is Taco Bell. That's possible because it is right across the street from my dorm and is open at late hours. They serve the perfect midnight snack. However, I don't usually get tacos because I love burritos especially their new one dollar cheesy bean and rice burrito. I could eat one everyday. It's awesome that these three words all start with T because I love using alliteration in my blogs. My T for tonight is tired so I will go to sleep. Goodnight.

Day 168: Culture (Truth)

One of the most important things that define the world is culture. I have been lucky enough to experience the culture of the performing arts my entire life. Then, I just happened to fall in love with it and now I study it at SU. Even, if it's not something you want to make a career of, it's important to expose yourself and younger generations to culture. It's essential that we understand the world around us. The arts might be viewed as boring or for sissies but that's not true. Even the most macho people should experience the arts. Whether it's ballet, opera, visual arts, or theater, there is a whole creative world waiting for you. I say all of this to encourage the continuation of arts and the importance of them, and also, I would like to thank all of the people who always made sure that I experienced culture and can now enjoy that culture 24/7. I'll sleep now. It's been a long two days. Goodnight.

Day 167: Awesome Opera

Sorry that this post is a day late. I got in very late and was too tired to post it. One of the benefits of attending Shenandoah Conservatory is getting to see capital performances at the Kennedy center in DC. Last night I saw opera singer, Pretty Yende, in concert. She's a famous soprano from South Africa. She sang and looked gorgeous. While I am definitely not a fan of opera, I'm broadening my horizons and thought I would go. During the first few songs I was a little bored but when she sang her act I closer I realized just how brilliant opera can be. She just sang high notes like it was nothing. When she sang rapid passages of runs, you could hear every note. Granted, none of it was in English, but it didn't matter because it was so gorgeous and her face, body, and voice acted the emotion and the point of the song. My second favorite song she sang was some song by Liszt. She had 10 curtain calls and two encores. For her second encore, she brought down the house with O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini. It was incredible. For music all that was needed was a piano. It was that simple: a voice and a piano. No mics, just her sound. I never understood why people said brava at opera but after last night I get it perfectly. All I have to say now to Pretty Yende is Brava!!! Thanks for opening my eyes to opera.

Day 166: Dance, Dance, Dance (Truth)

When Julie Andrews sang I could have danced all night in my fair lady I would like to know what type of dancing she meant. Part of my curriculum here is to take dance courses. I have to take a dance class in tap, jazz, and ballet. The first two I don't mind. I have 7 years of experience in tap and a year experience in jazz. However, I found out tonight the details involved in a ballet class. You have to wear tights and a dance belt. If you don't know what a dance belt is, then that is probably best. I know that attire is all part of the ballet deal but you're never mentally ready for that until you know you will have to take a ballet class. Now there is nothing wrong with guys in tights or guys doing ballet but I am pretty certain that when I take the class that it will not be my cup of tea. I might look like a weird uncoordinated stick jumping through the air. Also, it doesn't help that most dance classes are at the crack of dawn. Luckily, of all the dance classes, I will get to start with my favorite probably: tap. I am going tomorrow to dance in on the current class so the teacher can place me in the right level next semester or next fall. I'm not training to be a dancer but this school makes accompanists do both sides of the piano so to speak. We have to act sing and dance as well as play the piano. This helps us understand what we are accompanying, how a dance rehearsal works, prepares us for arranging music for dance, and how dance works with music. It's an amazing experience and worth it no matter what the time or the attire is. I don't know if I'll be dancing all night but I will be dancing all morning and all semesters in the near future. Once again, in case you missed it recently, I love it here!!!!

Day 165: Musical Research (Truth)

As I said in yesterday's post, I'm currently picking out pieces I want to play next semester or throughout my piano lessons here. Because I have limited knowledge of classical music, I have to research. However, this isn't long hour boring research. This is going through scores, reading music, listening to recordings to see what I would like to play. That's one thing that is great about my teacher: I can have insight on what pieces I play. That's good because I'm stuck with those choices for four months. Our expansive music library here made it simple for me to go though the complete works of several big name composers that I have never experienced such as Brahms or Grieg. I can use that resource to pick out the music and then buy my own copy of what I decide on. The stack of books I checked out tonight to research through is pictured below. In case I forgot to mention it, I love it here!!!!

Day 164: The Piano Lesson (Truth)

One of the many reasons that I love it here is I have great professors. My piano teacher is extraordinary. For anyone who knew my last teacher Mrs. Gordy is basically like my current teacher. Professor Chen is simply put, the Asian Mrs. Gordy. She has some humorous techniques. Today she had me do squats while I played to transfer arm tension to my legs while I played. She also told me to practice away from the piano. Also, she does the sweeping gestures and singing along the phrasing like Mrs. Gordy did. Most importantly, she is really fine tuning my technique. I feel myself improving daily and every week as a musician. I'm beginning to explore music for next semester. I'm so thankful I get to add input to my repertoire. I'm so excited for spring because I think we are going to pick some great pieces. I love it here!!!!

Day 162 and 163: My First Show (Truth)

Today, marked the closing performance of my first show at SU. I played in the orchestra pit for Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Dr. Albert, the Godfather of Musical Theater Knowledge, wrote amazing incidental music for the show. It can only be described in two words: hauntingly beautiful. The cast was brilliant and their performance was raised to the next level with the awesome direction of Carolyn Coulson. It's not a happy show, but I had the happiest experience working on the production. We had a great cast, a great crew, and a great orchestra. Even though we (the orchestra) were in a hole in a back room we had a connection with the stage. No, I don't mean that the actors had power over us like the characters are believed to have in the play. It was not just the technological  connection that allowed us to see the stage. There is a spiritual, theatrical connection that joins the cast, the crew, the orchestra, and most importantly the audience into an amazing little world. Our theatrical world goes beyond Salem. It goes throughout the conservatory and into the world. Good theaters have this connection and it makes what we do so exciting. We build a family with each show we do and we have a blast during the process. I still can't get over the fact that I was in a class called pit orchestra. I got a grade for playing for the show. SC would stand for Shenandoah Conservatory but it also could stand for student connection because that is what happens here and I love it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I Love It Here.

Day 161: Another Openin'

This evening, I was a part of another opening night. We opened Arthur Miller's The Crucible. I'm playing the piano in the orchestra. We play incidental music as underscoring and scene change music. It was written by the genius Dr. Albert. The cast is brilliant and so is everyone involved in this extraordinary production. I can't think of a better way to spend Halloween then to open a witch-related play. The audience may have come seen the show instead of going to trick or treat but they experienced a real treat. Three more performances this weekend so I must sleep. Goodnight.