I seriously think I drank more than two gallons of water today.

And I probably used the restroom more than 20 times.

Just in case you were wondering.

I've got all the classical music I could ever want here at FSU/Naxos, and my dad has pretty much every rock/oldie CD ever made. I do however, have to buy my own CDs for some genres of music, and since I never actually do that, I have some holes in my collection. Here's what I would like them to be filled with...a wish list of sorts...

Norah Jones Feels Like Home















The Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack















Dido's No Angel











Dougie Maclean's Plant Life Years





Swing Around the World, a Putumayo world music product








KT Tunstall's album Eye to the Telescope














Ashley MacIsaac's CD aptly titled Ashley MacIsaac

Immune System: I've worked hard enough, I think I deserve a break.

Blogger is being stupid

Sometimes, my backpack is REALLY heavy.

The Stephen Preston interview:

"Obstacles only exist, I mean real obstacles, when you're not desperate to do something, don't they?"

"Well, most of us have far more technique than we're able to utilize. We tend to underplay because we worry about this, and we worry about that. There is an accumulation of memories about the process of learning--the difficulties. And too many of us are unable to drop them. We're unable to say, "Well, that's easy now. I can do it."

"It's a pity, this insecurity. But insecurity is better than arrogance. After all, no one picks up Shakespeare and says, because I can read words, I understand everything that Shakespeare is about. It is prevalent among flutists to think that because one can read music, one understands what music is about."

Time for a quick blogger update...

Welp, I'm home for Thanksgiving, and all is well. Had a game night last night, the girls made a stunning comback in Pictionary to take the win. We watched The Fountain, don't go see it, it's not very good. Don't say I didn't warn you. I also saw James Bond, and that was great. The best Bond movie I've ever seen. Especially the first scene--it was soooo sweet.

I haven't gotten much practicing done, but that's okay (I think).

I read a great interview with Stephen Preston, I'll have to post some of the more memorable quotes on here later.

Back to practicing!

Let us all give thanks!...by eating turkey?

Bye-bye, Tally. I'll see ya in a few.

It just doesn't get any creepier than this. I'm scared just thinking about it:

From Wikipedia:
"Tim Burton will direct an adaption of Sweeny Todd on the big screen. It will star Jonny Depp as Sweeney Todd...slated for release in late 2007."

Did I really go to bed at 8:00 last night?

And I complain about spontanaeity...

When my survey teacher was talking about symbolism today, I couldn't help thinking, "FIND MISS X."

Time to sleep.

Mmmm...cheese and crackers, my favorite!

Note to self: Find one-to-one form and turn it in.

Why do I have so much homework? Why?

Oh yeah, it's because I'm in college.

Oh Sunday, the day when all my procrastination falls on my head.

I didn't have internet for, like, 8 hours, and it was driving me CRAZY.

Shows me how much I depend on it.

Joshua and Jessica: I wish I could be as cool as you.

A thought occurred to me last night: the people here do not know my past. They only know what the past has made me become. And that is a very refreshing thought.

Every day is an adventure.

One of my facebook friends joined a group called "You can't eat that." Everyone who joins adds a picture of something you cannot eat. Pictured items (so far)include:

Mexico
Your audience
Hobbes
Christmas
An explosion
Spartacus
A Van Kilburn concert
Lava
The sun
An electric fence
Love
The Little Mermaid
Ghosts/The Ghostbusters

You cannot eat that!

I think it's a very inventive and hilarious group. SO THERE.

This could get interesting.

Haha! I played Moncayo's piece Huapango in WYSO at Interlochen. I just listened to it on Naxos, and what a difference in the two orchestras! And what a joyful piece! It makes me proud to be Mexican...well, it would if I was Mexican.

"Naxos...that's Ashley's answer to everything."-Stephanie

So I got chosen as an alternate for the advanced masterclass at the flute fair. The grad students took all the spots! Well that's less than exciting...

Hey metrenome, GET A LIFE.
Haha, get it? Get a life? Because it's TICKING??

(No, I don't get it either.)

Nap does not equal practice.
Hey, both of those are verbs and nouns at the same time!

The sophomore flute studio TOTALLY did a pyramid for the studio picture.

My friends are cooler than your friends.

The end.

I don't know what it is tonight, but I can't seem to concentrate on my homework. I've been pretty flighty all day, and the excess halloween candy doesn't help things.

Sooooo...recital tonight....
Awesome! I thought everyone did an AMAZING job, especially the four juniors, who never fail to astound me. Kudos all around.

As for me, I was unusually un-nervous (see, I forced it into alliteration). So I played well! Yay!

The best part of the night, though, was after the recital when I was walking through opperman with Ashley. I was being my usual silly self and was like, "ya know what's fun? stomping around for no reason." So we started stomping through the hall. A second later, I hear a tap on the window, and Sarah is lookin in, yelling "You're crazy!!"
What fun!

I really should start that research paper one of these days.

Kay homework time.

If anyone ever tells you to "attend the tale of Sweeney Todd,"
DON'T DO IT.

Haha! My sextet is such a riot (in the good sense of the word). I love it. This is the best chamber group I've ever been in. I'm talking about playing and personality both. Fun people, great musicians.

I was feeling a little creative tonight. Here's the product of a simple and unabashed mind:

I am a girl
And you are a boy
I like you
You bring me joy

Everytime you smile
You make my day
I like listening
To everything you say

You walk over
Just to talk to me
I feel so special
To converse with thee

Thank you so much
For just being you
And for keeping me
From feeling blue

ll:concert:ll tomorrow 2:30
da capo al fine

So my family and I were just watching the high school football report on the news, and one of the high school teams was seriously called the
SYRUPMAKERS.

YAY LIFE!!!

I am so excited about the UPO concert! I get to play in Dvorak 9, one of the cornerstone pieces of music in all of history! How awesome is that? Really!

I agree with Dr. J when he closed the rehearsal with:
"What a privilege."
Really. What a privilege it is to play some of the best music ever written in an orchestra full of friends. What is better than that?

"And if they don't take my advice, they are IDIOTS."
-said in all seriousness by my chamber coach

<3

Gosh, I didn't think that normal life could make me this happy! Everything is going so well right now. No stress! I love my friends!

Even practicing is going well. I was getting very stagnant, not making much progress, not enjoying myself very much. But I decided at my lesson Monday that I am entering this LaGrange competition, and we discussed the pieces I am going to play, and they are two of my favorites, and my musical spirits have perked right up! Challenges always excite me. Practicing is a joy again!

Of course, I always forget to give credit where it's due. I owe it all to my God. Soli deo gloria.

I got an A on the stupidmeterology test!
I'm sure nobody cares that much about my grade, but this is my blogger so I am going to write about it anyway!

My final test average with the lowest score dropped is an 88 (haha, score). That means that if I do well on the final exam, I still have a chance for an A in the class! Woo! I better start studying now, though. Stupid meterology.

Listening to Griffes' Poem makes me want to curl up into a ball and cry.

It's just that depressing.

So much to do, so little time...

THIS TUESDAY NIGHT

This is what I want to do:
Go to RUF.

This is what I need to do:
Study for stupidmeterology

This is what I probably will do:
Go to the required graduate flute studio recital

Meterology, you're killin me here. Just killin me.

Noo! The music guy at my church at home is leaving. What is this? Everybody at that church that I've ever liked or had any kind of connection with has left. It started with Father Charles, then Father Murray, then Annie and Justin Davis, then Tom Mundy, and now Danny! It's kind of frustrating.

I really liked Danny. I got to work with him a lot this summer. He played organ like a madman (he has a degree from Indiana in organ performance), he wrote all the instrumental music for services, and he let me cantor and play as much as I wanted to. And he was always willing to help me if I needed it. Every Sunday last summer, I would bring in a different flute piece to play as a prelude, and he would just sightread the accompaniment on the spot. He was amazing and a great asset to St. Teresa's. We'll all miss him.

I guess this is the life of a musician, eh? He's leaving because his wife (a percussionist) got a job with a navy band in Washington. Proabably (hopefully) I will dissapoint a number of people sometime because I got a job somewhere, and I have to leave. And probably this will not be the last time I am dissapointed because a fellow musician is moving away. It's the life I chose, I spose. Nobody said that this was going to be easy.

The Good News translation of Sirach 9:4 is
"Don't keep company with female musicians; they will trick you."

Don't know quite what to think about that...

I'm so HAPPY!!

"I am sure my music has a taste of codfish in it."
-Edvard Grieg

I've been tagged in more than 60 facebook pictures this week.

Oh my!

I just took a look over my blog, and I noticed that things are changing very quickly in the little world of my brain. Very quickly, and in a very short period of time. The things I write do not show this, but as I read I remember what I was thinking at the time. There have been many thinking changes in a month. Kind of scary, kind of new. Scary because I did not even notice that changes were taking place. But they were. Scary for other reasons, too...

Big changes are going to happen soon; they have already begun. I can feel it.
And I'm ready.

IN OTHER NEWS
Here's a song from one of the CD's I bought. It's great:

Touch of the Master's Hand by Natalie MacMaster

T'was battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it was barely worth his while
To spend much time on that old violin
But he held it up with a smile

"What would you bid, good folks?" he cried.
"Who'll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar, a dollar then two
Two dollars, who'll make it three?"

Three dollars once, three dollars twice
Goin' for three but no.
From the room far back a fair-haired girl
Came forward and took the bow.

Then she wiped the dust from the old violin
She tightened up the strings
She played a tune so pure and sweet
You could hear the angels sing

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low
Said, "What'll you bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars who'll make it two
Two thousand who'll make it three
Three goin once, three goin twice
And goin gone" said he.

But the people cheered and some of the cried
"We don't understand
What changed its worth?" came this reply,
"The touch of the master's hand."

The touch of the master's hand
The touch of the master's hand.

Now many a soul with life out of tune
Battered and scarred with sin
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin

A mess of pottage, a a glass of wine
A game and she travels on
She's goin once, goin twice
Goin, almost gone.

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
They never understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's brought
By the touch of the Master's hand

The touch of the Master's hand.

Orchestra rehearsal was INTENSE today. We ran Dvorak 9, and it was emotionally and physically insane. And I guess mentally too. Whatev.

In the very last section of the last movement, at the final climax of the piece where the whole orchestra plays louder than they have ever played before, Dr. J stopped suddenly and started SCREAMING at the timpani player because he was lost. I've never seen a conductor so mad! It was scary.

Later I thought to myself, he wouldn't have screamed like that if the timpani player was a girl. If I got yelled at like that by a conductor, I probably would either burst into tears and run out of the room or my head would explode.

Timpani player, I don't know who you are, and you probably will never see this, but I don't think you deserved that. Keep your chin up.

I don't like when people don't believe in God because they don't have "evidence."

You do not find evidence because you do not want to find evidence.

I have evidence:
I keep it in my heart.

If you really want to prove that God exists, you will prove it. You will believe.

If you do not want to prove that God exists, you will not prove it. And you will not believe.