I go through phases in my music-listening sometimes. I have 6 stations on my radio settings. One of them is a classical station (because there is only one classical station), and the other 5 are popular music stations, varying from hard rock to classic rock to modern pop (Taylor Swift, Train, Katy Perry, etc. etc.). Sometimes I start to think that classical music is extremely boring to listen to, and I have to listen to the other 5 stations for entertainment value. More often, though, I just cannot stand listening to anything but the classical station. The popular songs strike me as unrefined, synthetic, generic, too simple. Not all the time, mind you. Like I said, I go through phases.

I think I just finished a very long phase of only classical music. Bob Marley Friday opened my eyes to the sweetness of popular music once again. Gotta love this guy, and gotta love Fridays. Hopefully I can maintain a good balance now.

I'm getting reeeeeeeally lazy. What's senioritis called when it's at the end of your master's degree?

Some news. I'm switching apartments next year and I am going to live alone for the first time in my life! I am going to be in Florida for the majority of the summer--yay! I am one assignment away from finishing my master's degree!!! Zounds!

This group I have been subbing with is doing a fundraiser, and the "winner" of the fundraiser (the one who raises the most money) gets to pick a piece that the group plays next year. Despite knowing that I will never be the winner, I started thinking about what I would pick for the group. The first thing that came to mind was the Rodrigo guitar concerto (Concierto de Aranjuez). I love this piece so much; it was the topic of my first music research paper. As this piece crossed my mind, my brain said to me, "A guitar concerto??"

The second piece that popped into my head was a very fun little piece called "Huapango" by Mexican composer Jose Pablo Moncayo. I don't suppose that many people know about this work; it's not by a well-known composer. However, it is one of my favorites, and I can't help but smile every time I hear it. Possibly because I played it at Interlochen, at a very happy time in my life. Still, my brain said to me, "Huapango? Really? Out of all the rep in history, you pick this little piece by a composer who isn't even that famous??" Yes, I suppose I do.

To be fair, the third piece that popped into my head was Appalachian Spring. I've never played it and it is the most famous piece by my favorite composer, Aaron Copland. There's a staple in the orchestral repertoire.

I'm back from Tuscon! I'm not even that sore, just tired. I slept almost 11 hours last night! Anyway, happy belated Easter and a good day to all!

Uomo Donna with a good team and a cross-gender 2-pt huck rule. YES! And spending Easter with people I like a lot. YES! This weekend=win.

SO MANY BUNNIES
I want to go here.

Also. This documentary is awesome. Watch it. Life by the BBC (narrated by David Attenborough).

So my presentation on WALL-E just happens to land on ASU's "Earth Week." How coincidental!

Also... I feel like I am organizing about a million things right now. Usually I'm only organizing about a thousand things.

Sibelius Symphony no. 2... still good after all these years. Gotta love that one.

Also... I have a cold. :(

What the heck. Facebook suggested that I friend my student's mother (through "people you may know"). I am friends with zero of my students on facebook. HOW DOES IT KNOW???

ICH HABE EIN RAUMSCHIFF GEFLOGEN. ES EXPLODIERTE.

So this is interesting to me:

http://www.uscollegeranking.org/music/tp-music-schools-ranking-in-2010.html

I have to wonder what the criteria is for this ranking system. Either way, it's good to see FSU at no. 12--and I agree wholeheartedly with this ranking--and ASU at no. 19.  Apparently, I have gone to some quality schools for music! Besides this, I have auditioned at nos. 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 18, and 21 for grad or undergrad, and have considered auditioning for many others on the list.  Good choices, me.

reuiopfidasjohfkjAHKJLHJMFHDSUIHAPIOPHGDAGDSAGVFDHNGF

I'm a girl.

Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing

I don't want to deal with bad things anymore. I've had my fill of bad for a while.

No, thank you. Take it back, please.

I need to find a way to start making more money.  And I'm actually having a lot of fun seeking out different options! In a way, it's kind of empowering to really just do all this searching for myself and to think about the possibilities. I am excited!

This is extremely funny and reminds me of something that would come directly from my brain.

Oh and btw, I guess you guys should know that I'm staying at ASU next year to begin my DMA. Gonna be Dr. Stahl. No biggie.

There's a term in ultimate called "boxing out." It is a defensive strategy where you prevent your man from being where he needs to be by placing yourself in his path.

Sometimes I feel boxed out.

Can I get some good news? Is that allowed?

Life is a little crazy right now, and I'm not exactly sure how to react to it all, so I'll talk about something that makes me happy: ultimate. Paul and I really outdid ourselves this league by managing to draft both the best and the worst of all the captain pairs.

7 members of our team (out of a total of 17) have never played in VOTS league before. We had seen some of these people before (like Jeff and Jacob), but some were totally blind picks (like Alex and Stephanie).  Turns out that we got very lucky, and ALL of our choices were athletic and able to catch! If you could see where we picked some of these people in the draft order and then see how they play, you would be astounded. "You picked him in the ELEVENTH round??? No way!"

We also managed to get (arguably) the best handler in Phoenix in Nate Johnson, a steal of a pick in Dave Abdoo, a very good all-around player in Rob Norback--about two rounds later than he would normally be taken (since he is missing finals)--and a very quiet consistent speedster in Melanie. There are no weak links on our team. There are no turnover machines, there are no unathletic players... it's a baller of a team.

So what happened? Why are we not killing every game? Well, Rob decided to never show up (he was at one game for about 40 minutes, not even worth mentioning), and Nate's knee decided to not heal. Those two draft picks were, in a word, wasted (and I think it's no secret that Nate was our first pick).

With two out of our four best players missing, we are an average team. That's why we picked the best and worst of all the captains. If all had gone according to plan, yes, we would probably have the best record in VOTS and would win finals. As it is, though, we are 4-5 with one game left, and we are having so much fun! I don't think anybody really cares how well we do, as long as we aren't so bad that we aren't able to win games.

If you think about it, though... how many teams could miss two out of their four best players and still have a chance of winning any games? Not many. So no, we probably won't make it to semis. But at least Paul and I know that truly our team IS the best. PONG forever!

I
can't
sleep.

Too much sugar tonight, I think. No more pepsi at night.

Blackbird singin' in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

So. I have some decisions to make.

I have to trust that everything is going to be okay.

So you know how sometimes people complain that they don't have a chance to do any pleasure reading anymore, due to having to read so much for class? I'm like that with music. I have to listen to so much music for my lessons that I don't get a chance to "pleasure listen" anymore.

Wellp, I heard from NWS. I feel sick. Daaaang it. April Fool's? Or just another bad dream? Nope, this one is real.