Monday, June 25, 2012

Jayuzzzzz.

Well hey there, everyone!

As some of you know, I just got done camp counseling for the UNL High School Jazz Band Camp on Thursday.

Camp started Sunday, the 17th, on Father's day. I was able to make it home for the weekend to see my parents and some of my friends to celebrate father's day and my birthday, and was at Harper residence hall at 8am sharp, ready to move in and work with the campers. The first day was a lot of auditions for combo placement, followed by a jazz movie called Jazz on a Summer's Day later that night. If you're a jazzer and haven't seen it, I suggest you do. It has a lot of outstanding performances from a lot of the greats, and I'm sure all you cats would appreciate it. (:

Monday-Wednesday was a lot more of the same, shepherding students from place to place, making sure everyone was where they needed to be. There was jazz listening, jazz theory/arranging, combo practice, improvisation class, and a lot more for the kids to do. We got great seats at Jazz in June on Tuesday of camp, and my birthday passed on Wednesday with a lot of the campers singing me happy birthday and whatnot. My job was pretty easy, out of the 29 students, only 3 were female, and since I stayed on the same floor as the girls, all I had to do was knock on doors at 10:30 to make sure they were in bed, which was a much easier time than the men had. My friends took me out on Thursday night to celebrate my birthday a little late, so the celebration of me turning 19 wasn't a wash or anything. All in all, last week was a great week, full of great music, and a lot of great strengthening and starting of new friendships among my colleagues and fellow musicians in Westbrook Music Building. The greatest part about this camp was definitely the privilege of working with some amazing faculty and my 3 awesome fellow counselors. (:

BY THE WAY, look out for this new group I'm going to be in around the Omaha and Lincoln area, folks! We're called Wind Armada, and were formed by my fellow counselor Andrew Janak, who is a killer saxophonist. It's going to be great, we're doing jazz/indie-ish music, and it'll be really freaking sweet.

As for how classes and things have been going, it's all fine, I just can't wait for July and a lighter workload, and Middle School Band Camp! I know that camp is exhausting and a lot of work, but it's really great seeing young kids so excited about music, and watching talent develop. (:

Song of the day: Tea for Two, the Anita O'day version. This is from that Jazz Video I was watching, and I want to do a transcription of it. Her version is seriously SICK. You don't have to like jazz to love this. Promise. It's also on Spotify!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTk0pk6cFhE

Cheers,
Gilmore


Thursday, June 7, 2012

C'est la vie.

Hey there, friend;

Well, a good starting point would probably be the fact that I am no longer in Columbus for the summer. That's right folks, I'm back in Lincoln-land. My time at home was very refreshing and was a much-needed break, and I'm raring to put my nose back to the grindstone. Or at least, I keep telling myself that. 

Some answers to a few FAQs I've been getting lately:

Q: Where are you living?
A: Well, I'm not going to disclose the EXACT details on the internet, thank you very much, but, I'm in an apartment for just the summer. I'm living with a friend and her two roommates, and I'm taking someone's lease for June-July so I can have a place to live during summer school. I'm moving back to campus with a good friend of mine from high school come fall. 

Q: When did you move back to Lincoln?
A: Friday, June 1st. 

Q: What classes are you taking?

A: Comm 109 and Food Science (online) during the merry month of June, and Philosophy 106 during July. This is to fill my ACE requirements that aren't being covered by my majors.

For all the people not familiar with UNL lingo:

Comm 109- A speech class. I apparently need to this to fill some sort of requirement, despite my 4 years of speech team experience in high school. Well, technically, it's "communications," not speech, but whatever. 

Food Science- A science class. It's pretty easy since I've been pretty good about doing all the work when I can. My first test for this 'un is on Wednesday. 

Philosophy 106- Current issues Philosophy. It only meets 2 nights per week in July, but that means only 8 classes until the final. I'm excited for it regardless, I'm taking it with my roommate. 

ACE requirement- Known everywhere else in the whole entire world except UNL as "Gen-eds." 

Q: Are you working/Do you have a job this summer?

A: Yes and no. I unfortunately do not have a steady part-time job for the summer (which is looking like it's a good thing since my workload is surprisingly copious), BUT, I was hired to work for the UNL High School Jazz Camp (position and actual work I'll be doing unknown) as the only female counselor, and the UNL Middle School Band Camp (on saxophone). They're both about a week in duration and they both agreed to work around my classes, so I'm super excited for them! As Music Education/Composition, I'm hoping grad schools, etc., will eat this resumé booster right up... Plus, I'm super excited to work with these kids, AND I get paid. It'll be glorious, I hope.

ALSO, I am tutoring people over the summer. I have a job tutoring a girl in Norfolk in ACT English and Reading, and I'm doing things like giving music lessons, tutoring, etc., throughout the summer for those who want them. Especially ACT stuff and lessons. Sorry for the shameless plug. 



As for how I'm enjoying the new apartment, it's fine. It's kind of an adjustment not having my mom make me delicious food and having to fend for myself as far as cooking goes. Don't worry, it isn't like I'm sitting here starving or anything. No child of Joy Gilmore has an inability to cook for themselves, rest assured. I have a huge bathroom all to myself, and a lot of closet space. If I could change anything about my bedroom, I'd have a larger desk. It's only 2 months though, so I'll be ok. HOWEVER, it seems that some boys upstairs have (hopefully HAD after today) bedbugs, so they kicked us out for 2 hours (luckily the 2 hours that I happen to be in class so it was no big deal), but it was still very annoying that they were knocking at our front door whilst I was in the shower. 

As for classes, those are fine too. It's a lot of busy work but nothing super mentally taxing. I'm slowly getting into a composing schedule again. I'm also trying to work in a work out schedule (see what I did there?), and hope that motivation will come once I'm truly settled in here. There's still some unpacking that needs to be done. 

ALSO, I plan on going home not this weekend, but the next. I probably would have gone back to Columbus this weekend, but I was hired to play piano for a wedding in Omaha on Saturday, so I can't really justify the trip. 

I guess I kind of miss being at home, I mean, it IS summer and all, but for some reason, I am very unproductive at my house. Or in Columbus. I mean, it isn't like there's a whole bunch to do there, but I just get lazy when I go home. Hopefully these classes will give me a routine so I can kick things like composing and working out and being a productive member of society in the butt. That is, if I can get un-addicted to this new TV show my roommate got me addicted to within 3 days of moving in.

I have decided that I don't mind cooking for myself, but... I HATE WASHING MY POTS AND PANS AND DISHES. Cleaning up after myself, after all these years, still remains my least favorite activity. Oh well. 

Song of the day in honor of the brand new blog layout/title:

Hallelujah. Originally written by Leonard Cohen, but this is the Jeff Buckley version. A very powerful song, with some of my most favorite lyrics of all-time ever. Which is exhibited by some of them making the new title of this here blog.


Cheers,
Gilmore