Hey everyone,
Today, I lost a great friend, a guy who looked out for me like I was his little sister, and my favorite grizzly bear. His name was Andy Krueger. He was only 22 for a month when he died today of a massive heart attack that he suffered 3 days ago. I love him like crazy, miss him terribly, and I just want to write a few words in memoriam of this great friend of mine.
I knew about Andy from the very beginning of band camp. He was pretty hard to miss. He was that 6"8 guy who played the piccolo. Yes, I said piccolo. Not tuba. Piccolo. Everybody knew him not only for his commanding physical presence, but for the happiness and joy in life he radiated everywhere he went. I didn't actually talk to him until a few days into band camp when we started charting pre-game (we ran onto the field from the same tunnel), and we became friends.
Every once in awhile (at least 3 times a month), we would get lunch together. As a composer, I have some emotional, tired days. As a composer in marching band, I had a LOT more ridiculously tired days than usual. But every time I would go to band tired, dejected, sick of the horrible weather, or otherwise finding many reasons for not wanting to be there, seeing Andy ALWAYS brightened my day. He knew just how to make me smile and see the positive side of things, would call me out on my crazier moments, and was overall just a fantastic friend.
It's rare to find a person where every single memory that you share with them is a positive one, but, guess what? Every moment I was privileged to spend with Andy was not only "ok", but actually GOOD. Whenever I wanted to complain about how busy my life was, he'd listen, make some joke about me being crazy (these jokes were pretty common), we'd laugh it off, and I'd leave every one of those little conversations feeling completely satisfied without needing to "vent" all of my anger away.
There were also the short jokes. So. Many. Short. Jokes. But, at 5"1, you don't argue your stature with the guy who is 6"8. Just saying. You also may wonder why exactly I called him "my favorite grizzly bear" earlier. This all started when for some reason, I would poke Andy every time I saw him. Like a hibernating bear, you also didn't know how he'd react to this. Sometimes, he'd just poke you back. Sometimes, he'd ignore you. Sometimes, he'd tickle you until your sides hurt. Or, occasionally, he might chase you down, pick you up, throw you over his shoulder and carry you a good distance across campus so you could get stared at by a lot of strangers. Not, like, I'd KNOW about that or anything, I mean, it isn't like it ever happened to me... *cough*
I have one very specific favorite memory that I'd like to share, which will probably cheer you guys up.
The Cornhusker Marching Band traveled with the football team to Orlando, Florida over New Year's. During that time, we marched in a parade. Before the parade, we had a couple hours of down time, hanging out in our uniforms. I was meandering around, talking to people, when, I saw a couple of taller guys (all 6 feet tall and above) running at Andy and chest-bumping him.
Ok, so, I realize I'm one of the shortest people in the whole band, but, for some reason, instead of amusement at these antics, I felt a rather unexpected emotion... Jealousy. Yup. That's right. I decided that I was going to chest bump Andy.
When I offered the challenge, his eyes bugged out a bit and he went, "Caitlin, you have to be kidding me. I'll squish you."
I replied, "No way, dude. I got it. Come at me, bro!" (I also pounded my chest in a very "come at me bro" way, which, let's be honest, was probably just funny and wasn't doing much to intimidate anyone.)
So... The first time, I ran at him and he stood still. I managed to fly about 4 feet back, but I still landed on my feet. Idiot that I am, I felt cheated, so, I told Andy that he had to run at me like he did at the other guys. Andy reluctantly agreed... And I ended up flying pretty high in the air, I would say that my feet were about 3-4 feet above the ground, easily. But, because Andy was always looking out for me, he caught me before I could fall flat on my butt and injure my tailbone before the parade. Because, even though I was being ridiculous, he not only put up with my antics, he saved me from injuring myself by them. We also did this while we were in Universal Studios, out of uniform, but, that time wasn't as completely silly as the first two times. Well, ok, it was still completely silly, but stupid things always seem to look stupider and funnier in a marching band uniform. There IS however, a video of the third chest bump on Facebook, if you'd like a chuckle.
I'm getting off topic. The point is, that's who Andy WAS. A really silly, awesome, hilarious guy who always made you happy, and in the end, you knew would always be there for you. No questions asked. He was wonderful. And every memory I have with him is wonderful. And I'll cherish every single moment I got to spend with him this year. In the short time I knew him, he made an impact on me that'll last forever, unlike a possible bruise from the chest-bumping that went away relatively quickly.
I feel like I'm not saying enough, not nearly enough to honor him, because there are just too many great things to honor and remember about Andy Krueger. But, I'm doing my damnedest to let all of you know, even those of you who didn't know Andy very well or at all, that the world lost one of the best human beings I've ever had the honor to call my friend.
Andy, this last part is just for you.
You were such a good friend to me. Your life and passing has taught me to cherish every moment even more, work harder, choose to have a positive attitude always, and to love. Not like I've been loving, but to love the world and everyone in it with every fiber of my being, and when I get hurt, to take it all in stride. The most important thing you taught me is this: Never lose sight of all the beauty that is in the world and its people. For God's sake, this is the best lesson ever as a composer, and as a person. If I can remember this simple thing, I'll have you to thank for truly unlimited inspiration.
Heaven got really lucky today, they get to keep one of the biggest, best, most beautiful souls of anyone I've ever known.
God, take Andy Krueger into your arms. He deserves nothing less. And, go ahead and give him a huge bear hug, so he can know what it feels like to be small for a little while. I'm sure it'll be pretty disorienting for him.
With all my love,
Gilmore
P.S. A big thank you to Michael Harper, Kyle Sass, Alex Lucier, and Jared Gamble for cheering me up and letting me cry and holding me and loving me and letting me know that I have some of the most amazing friends anyone could ever have. I love you guys, even though I know you hate mushy sentimental crap. :)
R.I.P. Andy Krueger. 2/20/2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Those Damn Young'uns...
Aloha, readers!
Alright, I've got a question for everyone... What in the hell happened to American music and dancing?!
Seriously. This has been bothering me since approximately my junior year in high school, and I'm going to give you an extensive list of the reasons why.
1) Maybe I'm just not "with the times," but do tell me, since when is a DJ playing canned music better than hiring a live band at clubs, school dances, etc.? Now, this is by no means meant to offend DJs who are actually good and mix their own tracks, and you know, DO SOMETHING besides occasionally hitting the spacebar while going through the top 40. I have a special place in my heart for electronica, dubstep, and techno, and can appreciate a sick beat just as much as, if not more than, the next guy. But come on, if someone gets paid 500+ dollars to sit there on their laptop hitting a freaking spacebar... They can gtfo. That requires no talent, and we don't need trash in the entertainment industry when there's true talent out there. Which brings me to my next point...
2) Why in the world is it not only ok, but almost encouraged, for the somewhat attractive, non-musically talented person to get a hit on the radio? I mean, really, there's entertainment value in Keh-dollarsign-hah and LMFAO and those like them, but COME ON. They don't even orchestrate their own music 99.9% of the time. Some other dude usually gets stuck writing the song, putting down the beat, and they take all the credit. Plus, their music is trashy and usually makes me feel like trash when I have to listen to it. Especially as a music major, it really bothers me that I'm surrounded by people who are just outrageously talented, practice forever, and I know that just because they play REAL music, they will never achieve the mainstream success that the aforementioned have. People may argue, "Well, they're good club hits because we can dance to them." I counter with:
3). Swing dancing. Salsa. Tango. Waltz. The Twist and everything from the 60's. A bajillion other things that I'm not mentioning. THAT is DANCING, people. Grinding is not actually dancing. At. All. It really does not require skill. And you know what else? Maybe America would be more willing to lose weight if, when they wanted to go out DANCING and have fun, they'd learn to do something as strenuous and physically demanding as, say, the jitterbug, because that certainly burns more calories than rubbing your body against someone else's body. Just saying.
4) I'm a bit biased as a saxophonist and jazz singer here, but I'm just going to throw this out there... Why do more people not listen to jazz? Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, it takes SKILL, is a very versatile genre, you can slow dance and swing dance to it, and is all around just freaking awesome. Why does Wynton Marsalis not get played in the top 40 vs. Taylor Swift? Seriously?! She literally writes every song about practically the same thing, using most of the same chord progressions, and, when she's feeling crazy, she might change the key. Whoop-de-freaking-doo. I could write a song similar to hers in less than 5 minutes, but will I? NO. Why? Because I have STANDARDS as a MUSICIAN, people. Music isn't just a means to get famous for me, as it SHOULDN'T be for those who truly love it. It's my PASSION. Not nearly enough artists these days write music for the love of music itself, they just produce and produce and produce more and more trash so they can become famous. Fame should NOT be the motivation behind anything, especially something as beautiful, profound, and moving as music can be.
5) Now, I'm not suggesting that all good music is complicated music. Far from it. Some of the best music uses simple harmonic structures and chord progressions, but can still be very profound. For example, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Lyrically, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. "Let it Be," by the Beatles. Also, another lyrical beauty, and it uses only 4 chords. Anything by the composer Philip Glass. He pretty much started a new genre, minimalism, on his own, and his music is extremely contemplative and beautiful, but normally very simple. What sets these apart from, say, Taylor Swift? (If you can't tell, I hate her music, as well as Miley Cyrus' (gag) more than pretty much any artist out there, period.) I don't know, they're not either:
A) In Ms. Swift's case, just whining about problems or talking about my boyfriend.
B) In Miley's case, just plain stupid as hell. She sang Party in the USA without knowing who Jay-Z was, and for God's sake, if you're going to perform music, KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT. For all that is good and holy, don't desecrate this purest of artforms like that.
But the real reason that the examples I listed are better than these two popular leading ladies is this: Music is something that needs to be personal, and come from the heart. It is something that rises from inside of you, and can be powerful enough to burn down the world or raise it up in glory...
I'm sure Taylor was really feeling heartbroken when she was writing however many songs she wrote about the subject, but frankly, her emotions seem extremely petty and immature and that's why I hate her music, not because it isn't personal, but because the personality in her music just leaves much to be desired.
Ok, so, I've kind of gotten myself worked up here, not gonna lie, and am going to leave this and drink a cup of hot chocolate and forget about why the world is making me sad.
Today's song of the day, something I consider real music, is called Typhoon by Young the Giant. It's a beautifully crafted song, and it leaves something for music majors (glorious countermelodies and harmonies!) to enjoy, and for those of you who aren't, just a really really pretty song to listen to. By the way, you don't actually need to be a musician to enjoy most of the music I listen to, just someone who actually likes music.
Anyway, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2XjNZz19uw
Thanks for reading this rant, I hope it entertained you.
With love,
Gilmore
Alright, I've got a question for everyone... What in the hell happened to American music and dancing?!
Seriously. This has been bothering me since approximately my junior year in high school, and I'm going to give you an extensive list of the reasons why.
1) Maybe I'm just not "with the times," but do tell me, since when is a DJ playing canned music better than hiring a live band at clubs, school dances, etc.? Now, this is by no means meant to offend DJs who are actually good and mix their own tracks, and you know, DO SOMETHING besides occasionally hitting the spacebar while going through the top 40. I have a special place in my heart for electronica, dubstep, and techno, and can appreciate a sick beat just as much as, if not more than, the next guy. But come on, if someone gets paid 500+ dollars to sit there on their laptop hitting a freaking spacebar... They can gtfo. That requires no talent, and we don't need trash in the entertainment industry when there's true talent out there. Which brings me to my next point...
2) Why in the world is it not only ok, but almost encouraged, for the somewhat attractive, non-musically talented person to get a hit on the radio? I mean, really, there's entertainment value in Keh-dollarsign-hah and LMFAO and those like them, but COME ON. They don't even orchestrate their own music 99.9% of the time. Some other dude usually gets stuck writing the song, putting down the beat, and they take all the credit. Plus, their music is trashy and usually makes me feel like trash when I have to listen to it. Especially as a music major, it really bothers me that I'm surrounded by people who are just outrageously talented, practice forever, and I know that just because they play REAL music, they will never achieve the mainstream success that the aforementioned have. People may argue, "Well, they're good club hits because we can dance to them." I counter with:
3). Swing dancing. Salsa. Tango. Waltz. The Twist and everything from the 60's. A bajillion other things that I'm not mentioning. THAT is DANCING, people. Grinding is not actually dancing. At. All. It really does not require skill. And you know what else? Maybe America would be more willing to lose weight if, when they wanted to go out DANCING and have fun, they'd learn to do something as strenuous and physically demanding as, say, the jitterbug, because that certainly burns more calories than rubbing your body against someone else's body. Just saying.
4) I'm a bit biased as a saxophonist and jazz singer here, but I'm just going to throw this out there... Why do more people not listen to jazz? Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, it takes SKILL, is a very versatile genre, you can slow dance and swing dance to it, and is all around just freaking awesome. Why does Wynton Marsalis not get played in the top 40 vs. Taylor Swift? Seriously?! She literally writes every song about practically the same thing, using most of the same chord progressions, and, when she's feeling crazy, she might change the key. Whoop-de-freaking-doo. I could write a song similar to hers in less than 5 minutes, but will I? NO. Why? Because I have STANDARDS as a MUSICIAN, people. Music isn't just a means to get famous for me, as it SHOULDN'T be for those who truly love it. It's my PASSION. Not nearly enough artists these days write music for the love of music itself, they just produce and produce and produce more and more trash so they can become famous. Fame should NOT be the motivation behind anything, especially something as beautiful, profound, and moving as music can be.
5) Now, I'm not suggesting that all good music is complicated music. Far from it. Some of the best music uses simple harmonic structures and chord progressions, but can still be very profound. For example, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Lyrically, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. "Let it Be," by the Beatles. Also, another lyrical beauty, and it uses only 4 chords. Anything by the composer Philip Glass. He pretty much started a new genre, minimalism, on his own, and his music is extremely contemplative and beautiful, but normally very simple. What sets these apart from, say, Taylor Swift? (If you can't tell, I hate her music, as well as Miley Cyrus' (gag) more than pretty much any artist out there, period.) I don't know, they're not either:
A) In Ms. Swift's case, just whining about problems or talking about my boyfriend.
B) In Miley's case, just plain stupid as hell. She sang Party in the USA without knowing who Jay-Z was, and for God's sake, if you're going to perform music, KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT. For all that is good and holy, don't desecrate this purest of artforms like that.
But the real reason that the examples I listed are better than these two popular leading ladies is this: Music is something that needs to be personal, and come from the heart. It is something that rises from inside of you, and can be powerful enough to burn down the world or raise it up in glory...
I'm sure Taylor was really feeling heartbroken when she was writing however many songs she wrote about the subject, but frankly, her emotions seem extremely petty and immature and that's why I hate her music, not because it isn't personal, but because the personality in her music just leaves much to be desired.
Ok, so, I've kind of gotten myself worked up here, not gonna lie, and am going to leave this and drink a cup of hot chocolate and forget about why the world is making me sad.
Today's song of the day, something I consider real music, is called Typhoon by Young the Giant. It's a beautifully crafted song, and it leaves something for music majors (glorious countermelodies and harmonies!) to enjoy, and for those of you who aren't, just a really really pretty song to listen to. By the way, you don't actually need to be a musician to enjoy most of the music I listen to, just someone who actually likes music.
Anyway, here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2XjNZz19uw
Thanks for reading this rant, I hope it entertained you.
With love,
Gilmore
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Potpourri.
Hello beautiful internet people!
So, it's been about a week and a half since my last post, and, to be honest, I haven't really been able to focus on anything lately. After a crazy weekend last weekend, and an even crazier night on Friday, it's high time that I start decompressing and getting my thoughts in order. In fact, my scatterbrained-ness has been showing in my composing. I've started about 6 new pieces of music, and I've written at least a page or two in all of them before finding no motivation to continue them or just throwing them away. This is kind of problematic, especially since I need to nail down what I'm doing for my semester project, keep working on my big band chart, finish a choral arrangement, write a trombone duet, and write about an hour of music for my filmscoring class this semester... Oh, and I still need to get last semester's project recorded. Yikes.
Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being a composition major and a composer and wouldn't trade it for the world... But no matter how far ahead I work in any class or get in any composition, I'm technically forever behind. Seriously. As a perfectionist and a person who hates procrastinating, this is stressing me out big time. I know that the rest of my life is probably going to be like this, but still... It's a bit crazy. Seriously though, I would much rather have this craziness than be bored doing something else, so, I guess I can't really complain... Except I just did. Whoops. My bad.
Other than my attention span apparently deciding to take a 2-week (hopefully not longer) vacation, my life has been pretty great. Nebrasketball won a fantastic game against Indiana by 1 point, and I got to be the lucky kid playing synthesizer when it happened, which is pretty awesome. All of my classes are relevant to what my future plans are, and most of them are not only relevant but really really fun. I'm busy, but a good kind of busy, because I realize that if I completely sucked at composing, people would probably not be asking me to write them things. Meaning, I'm at least somewhat competent, which makes me a happy camper because I can only get better thanks to the awesome professors and extremely talented people I get to call my friends helping me out along the way.
I keep thinking back to the word that my professor, Dr. Lee, used when we were talking about how I ended up at UNL: Serendipity. Which, for those of you who don't know, means a happy accident. I used to think that I would hate staying in Nebraska, because at the end of my senior year of high school, I really hated this state and the small-town feel of everything. I now realize that having gone to Hillsdale, though still a great opportunity, would have probably just given me the same problems in a different geographic location. This is a nice balance before I have to go out into the real world and make a living, and I know that this is probably going to be the smallest town I end up living in for the rest of my life. So, I intend to make the most of it, and am actually more than happy that I'm here.
A song that I think sums this up, and that I've been listening to a lot lately: We Are Young by Fun. Featuring Janelle Monae. This song is really great to harmonize to (coughcough fellow music majors coughcough), and is just catchy and awesome and fresh and cool, so you should listen to it and be happy. I'm not personally a Glee fan, but I hear tell that they covered this song, which is cool, because I love seeing not-so-mainstream bands like this one getting exposure like that. I've yet to hear the Glee version, but here is the original. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6dMFF_yts
Thank you to those of you who actually read these, hopefully I get around to writing again before the month is out. But, if I don't, know that I'm really busy and regret not keeping you updated, but that the next post will be more juicy than this one if that's the case.
With love,
Gilmore
So, it's been about a week and a half since my last post, and, to be honest, I haven't really been able to focus on anything lately. After a crazy weekend last weekend, and an even crazier night on Friday, it's high time that I start decompressing and getting my thoughts in order. In fact, my scatterbrained-ness has been showing in my composing. I've started about 6 new pieces of music, and I've written at least a page or two in all of them before finding no motivation to continue them or just throwing them away. This is kind of problematic, especially since I need to nail down what I'm doing for my semester project, keep working on my big band chart, finish a choral arrangement, write a trombone duet, and write about an hour of music for my filmscoring class this semester... Oh, and I still need to get last semester's project recorded. Yikes.
Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being a composition major and a composer and wouldn't trade it for the world... But no matter how far ahead I work in any class or get in any composition, I'm technically forever behind. Seriously. As a perfectionist and a person who hates procrastinating, this is stressing me out big time. I know that the rest of my life is probably going to be like this, but still... It's a bit crazy. Seriously though, I would much rather have this craziness than be bored doing something else, so, I guess I can't really complain... Except I just did. Whoops. My bad.
Other than my attention span apparently deciding to take a 2-week (hopefully not longer) vacation, my life has been pretty great. Nebrasketball won a fantastic game against Indiana by 1 point, and I got to be the lucky kid playing synthesizer when it happened, which is pretty awesome. All of my classes are relevant to what my future plans are, and most of them are not only relevant but really really fun. I'm busy, but a good kind of busy, because I realize that if I completely sucked at composing, people would probably not be asking me to write them things. Meaning, I'm at least somewhat competent, which makes me a happy camper because I can only get better thanks to the awesome professors and extremely talented people I get to call my friends helping me out along the way.
I keep thinking back to the word that my professor, Dr. Lee, used when we were talking about how I ended up at UNL: Serendipity. Which, for those of you who don't know, means a happy accident. I used to think that I would hate staying in Nebraska, because at the end of my senior year of high school, I really hated this state and the small-town feel of everything. I now realize that having gone to Hillsdale, though still a great opportunity, would have probably just given me the same problems in a different geographic location. This is a nice balance before I have to go out into the real world and make a living, and I know that this is probably going to be the smallest town I end up living in for the rest of my life. So, I intend to make the most of it, and am actually more than happy that I'm here.
A song that I think sums this up, and that I've been listening to a lot lately: We Are Young by Fun. Featuring Janelle Monae. This song is really great to harmonize to (coughcough fellow music majors coughcough), and is just catchy and awesome and fresh and cool, so you should listen to it and be happy. I'm not personally a Glee fan, but I hear tell that they covered this song, which is cool, because I love seeing not-so-mainstream bands like this one getting exposure like that. I've yet to hear the Glee version, but here is the original. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv6dMFF_yts
Thank you to those of you who actually read these, hopefully I get around to writing again before the month is out. But, if I don't, know that I'm really busy and regret not keeping you updated, but that the next post will be more juicy than this one if that's the case.
With love,
Gilmore
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
An Enormous Amount of Awesome.
Buongiorno, amici!
Well, it's nearing the end of the second day of my second semester in college. I'm rather excited for the rest of this one. Since I enjoy lists and thinking in lists and writing lists, here's a lovely numbered collection of all the reasons I'm thinking this will be a great semester.
1) I don't have to get up at 6am. Instead, I wake up at the much more reasonable hour of 7am, and this makes me very happy.
2) I'm taking filmscoring with 3 pretty cool dudes, and I have a pretty cool professor. Yeah, our class is only made of 4 people. So much win.
3) I'm taking Organismic Biology instead of AgriScience for my science class this semester, and this is actually something I'm interested in/pertains to my major.
4) My theory and aural skills classes are filled with some pretty fantastic people.
5) I'm playing synthesizer for Big Red Express, which is rather fun and I'm realizing is not something I should have been worried about.
6) I'm getting more than 2 hours of sleep a night (so far, knock on wood).
7) At some point this semester, I'll hopefully be singing with either the UNL jazz orchestra or Big Band. Which is definitely one of the most amazing, wonderful opportunities ever.
8) I got to pick the song/key of what I'm doing for 7), plus, I get to arrange it.
9) My professors all seem pretty awesome, some I've had before, and the new ones are pretty great, too.
10) I will actually have all the textbooks I need by Friday.
11) Jazz choir gets to travel this semester!
12) I (might) get to travel with Big Red Express this semester!
13) I (might) get to go to Chicago over spring break to watch The Black Keys in concert!
14) I'm getting progressively more excited as I type this list!
15) I have a crazy amount of fantastic opportunities as a musician here, and my biggest problem is having time to pursue all of them. I seriously feel limited only by how much work I put in, and not by other people or circumstances, and it's a fantastic feeling to have that I never had in Columbus.
16) There are seriously a lot more, but I don't think I have time to write it all.
So there you go, a list of why this semester is probably going to be my best semester of school to date. I'm extremely happy with my life right now. And, I also have wonderful friends and family who are the cream cheese frosting to my carrot cake of happiness.
The song of the day today is: Are You Gonna Be My Girl, by the band Jet. It's a rather old song, but a good one, and it's happy and makes me even happier. So here it is. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuK6n2Lkza0&ob=av3e
With love,
Gilmore
Well, it's nearing the end of the second day of my second semester in college. I'm rather excited for the rest of this one. Since I enjoy lists and thinking in lists and writing lists, here's a lovely numbered collection of all the reasons I'm thinking this will be a great semester.
1) I don't have to get up at 6am. Instead, I wake up at the much more reasonable hour of 7am, and this makes me very happy.
2) I'm taking filmscoring with 3 pretty cool dudes, and I have a pretty cool professor. Yeah, our class is only made of 4 people. So much win.
3) I'm taking Organismic Biology instead of AgriScience for my science class this semester, and this is actually something I'm interested in/pertains to my major.
4) My theory and aural skills classes are filled with some pretty fantastic people.
5) I'm playing synthesizer for Big Red Express, which is rather fun and I'm realizing is not something I should have been worried about.
6) I'm getting more than 2 hours of sleep a night (so far, knock on wood).
7) At some point this semester, I'll hopefully be singing with either the UNL jazz orchestra or Big Band. Which is definitely one of the most amazing, wonderful opportunities ever.
8) I got to pick the song/key of what I'm doing for 7), plus, I get to arrange it.
9) My professors all seem pretty awesome, some I've had before, and the new ones are pretty great, too.
10) I will actually have all the textbooks I need by Friday.
11) Jazz choir gets to travel this semester!
12) I (might) get to travel with Big Red Express this semester!
13) I (might) get to go to Chicago over spring break to watch The Black Keys in concert!
14) I'm getting progressively more excited as I type this list!
15) I have a crazy amount of fantastic opportunities as a musician here, and my biggest problem is having time to pursue all of them. I seriously feel limited only by how much work I put in, and not by other people or circumstances, and it's a fantastic feeling to have that I never had in Columbus.
16) There are seriously a lot more, but I don't think I have time to write it all.
So there you go, a list of why this semester is probably going to be my best semester of school to date. I'm extremely happy with my life right now. And, I also have wonderful friends and family who are the cream cheese frosting to my carrot cake of happiness.
The song of the day today is: Are You Gonna Be My Girl, by the band Jet. It's a rather old song, but a good one, and it's happy and makes me even happier. So here it is. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuK6n2Lkza0&ob=av3e
With love,
Gilmore
Thursday, January 5, 2012
New Year. New Stories.
Hello readers!
Well, I didn't bring my laptop to Orlando, and I'm glad I didn't, because I really would NOT have had time to use it, plus, Wi-Fi at the hotel was apparently 10 extra dollars, anyway.
So, I'm going to tell you the events of my (All expenses paid, oh thank you UNL and the Capital One Bowl) trip to Orlando.
Day 1. Arrival.
Well, our flight left Lincoln at 3am CST, and we arrived in Orlando at approximately 11 EST. We went from the runway to a charter bus, and immediately to rehearsal from there. Rehearsal lasted a few hours, then we went back to the hotel, and had the rest of the day to ourselves. I opted for a pretty low-key night (I hadn't slept since the night before), and hung out with some friends, exploring the area around the DoubleTree Hotel near SeaWorld, getting milkshakes, and eating in this awesome little pizzeria across the street from the hotel. After that, we explored the hotel itself, which had 3 outdoor pools, an indoor pool, and a Jacuzzi... And did some karaoke with another friend. My on-the-fly harmonies will eventually be found on my friend Josh's Facebook.
Day 2. Parade. Universal Studios.
Well, that title was pretty much my day. But here are some details.
The Parade:
Long. Hot. Sweaty. Boring.
These 4 words sum it up the best, but seriously, it was kind of grueling. The Florida heat and humidity didn't help, and it we played the whole time and stopped pretty much every 30 feet for almost 2 miles. Not the most enjoyable experience of my life. Also, there wasn't really water for us after the parade, which sucked. Thankfully, I'd forgotten my water bottle on the bus the night before so I shared that with a few section members to tide us over until we got back to the hotel. After a nice, quick shower, we headed to...
Universal Studios!
Amazing. Fantastic. Wonderful. Thrilling.
Yup, these 4 words sum it up best.
Seriously, I had an amazing time. After a quick performance in our band polos (instead of full uniform, thank God), we embarked on a wonderful journey through the entirety of the Universal Studios park. My group, which consisted of 3 guys named John, Josh, and Cory (and me. Duh.), had a fantastic time riding all the rides and seeing all the sights that were to be seen. My two favorites had to be the pharaoh rollercoaster where the ceiling lit on fire (way cool), and the Rock it, a rollercoaster that was rather fast and rather fun, where Josh and I got to sit in the front row both times with our arms up.
We spent the magic midnight moment in the park, and went to get our stuff... To discover our stuff was gone. Turns out we couldn't get the locker open because the electronic lockers didn't register that we put our stuff in in the first place, and it was all still locked... So... Yeah. We were about 5 minutes late for the busses. But hey, we got all our stuff back, so that's all that matters.
Day 3: Practice. Pep rally. Universal Studios part 2.
So yeah, we had to wake up rather early the next morning after getting back to the hotel circa 1am or later... And after another 4 hour rehearsal, I took a nap, and played a pep rally in full uniform with the band (it was a rather uneventful pep rally.). After said pep rally, we went back to the hotel, showered, and my friends from the night before, plus my good friend Harper (that's his last name. We don't call him by his first name.) went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. This park had separate admission, and we were only there for about 2 hours and 15 minutes. But it was a rather magical 2 hours and 15 minutes. See, the great thing was, when we were getting there, almost everyone was leaving since the park closed at 10pm. So, we went to guest services, they gave us a 25% discount from the admission price, and we went into the park to experience only 5-15 minute waits on almost every ride. Which was so super fantastic. Plus, Harry Potter world at night is WAY FREAKING COOL. Seriously. We were able to explore most of Harry Potter world, go on the Hogwarts castle tour/rollercoaster, the Dueling Dragons rollercoaster, enjoy a ButterBeer, and buy pumpkin juice (which Harper and I brought home and still need to drink.). We also got to go on The Hulk (The biggest, best rollercoaster in the whole park) two times in a row. I also got a chocolate frog, which I still need to eat. Very very worth the money and the time. We took a cab back to the hotel, and went to Village Inn for a late dinner afterwards. That was definitely a fantastic night.
Day 4: Pep rally pep rally pep rally. Foo'ball foo'ball foo'ball. Gameday gameday gameday. HOME.
This was our last day in Orlando... I really wasn't ready for the trip to be over until it was, because I came home extremely exhausted.
We played a few pep rallies before the game started, were herded into the stadium, and marched a very condensed version of our pregame. The game was kind of sad, we really shouldn't have lost as badly as we did, but oh well. The halftime show went well, and the band played well, so at least it isn't a reflection on me personally. After the slightly disappointing game, we went straight to the airport, and waited around for about 4 hours, then finally went home. Not a whole lot of interesting things to report about the flight, it was pretty average. I talked to my friend Michael for awhile on the plane, then we both passed out until we got back to Lincoln. From there, my mom picked me up after I (FINALLY) got my luggage, then I went back to Columbus. I left C-town on the 4th around 3pm, and now I'm finally back in Lincoln in my dorm again. I missed hanging out here in Lincoln, I really feel at home here, and am ready for next semester and all its stress to start... Because I'm a bit crazy like that.
So there you have it, my days in Orlando, and a rather fantastic end to my marching band career. I'm going to miss marching band during gamedays and during the bowl trip next year, but what I didn't realize is that marching band isn't just an activity in college.... It's a lifestyle. And I can't lead a marching band lifestyle and a double major lifestyle next year without killing myself from stress and overwork, so this will have to be my last year. I've made some amazing friends throughout though, and I'm definitely going to miss it, but I'm also glad it's over. This was probably the best way to end my band career, and I ended it with some pretty great people. Thanks for everything, Cornhusker Marching Band, this year meant so much more to me than all 4 years of high school band did put together. Even though you had less time to make an impression than my high school years did, you sure made a hell of one on me, and I feel I’ve gained a lot more from it. I’m so glad I got to have this experience while I was able to fit it in my schedule. You guys will always hold a very special place in my heart.
With love,
Gilmore
P.S. Today's song of the day is called Lonely Boy by The Black Keys. It's from their newest album, El Camino. Still blues-rock, but so gritty that it's the listening equivalent of chewing on a dirt road. In other words, absolute fantastic-ness. I've been obsessed with this band for awhile now, and their quality of music has been amazing from their first album, and keeps outdoing itself with every new release. I love them a lot, and after watching this guy dance to this song (yeah, all they have for their current music video is this random guy dancing. It's all ya need.), you'll probably be in love with them, too.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8
Well, I didn't bring my laptop to Orlando, and I'm glad I didn't, because I really would NOT have had time to use it, plus, Wi-Fi at the hotel was apparently 10 extra dollars, anyway.
So, I'm going to tell you the events of my (All expenses paid, oh thank you UNL and the Capital One Bowl) trip to Orlando.
Day 1. Arrival.
Well, our flight left Lincoln at 3am CST, and we arrived in Orlando at approximately 11 EST. We went from the runway to a charter bus, and immediately to rehearsal from there. Rehearsal lasted a few hours, then we went back to the hotel, and had the rest of the day to ourselves. I opted for a pretty low-key night (I hadn't slept since the night before), and hung out with some friends, exploring the area around the DoubleTree Hotel near SeaWorld, getting milkshakes, and eating in this awesome little pizzeria across the street from the hotel. After that, we explored the hotel itself, which had 3 outdoor pools, an indoor pool, and a Jacuzzi... And did some karaoke with another friend. My on-the-fly harmonies will eventually be found on my friend Josh's Facebook.
Day 2. Parade. Universal Studios.
Well, that title was pretty much my day. But here are some details.
The Parade:
Long. Hot. Sweaty. Boring.
These 4 words sum it up the best, but seriously, it was kind of grueling. The Florida heat and humidity didn't help, and it we played the whole time and stopped pretty much every 30 feet for almost 2 miles. Not the most enjoyable experience of my life. Also, there wasn't really water for us after the parade, which sucked. Thankfully, I'd forgotten my water bottle on the bus the night before so I shared that with a few section members to tide us over until we got back to the hotel. After a nice, quick shower, we headed to...
Universal Studios!
Amazing. Fantastic. Wonderful. Thrilling.
Yup, these 4 words sum it up best.
Seriously, I had an amazing time. After a quick performance in our band polos (instead of full uniform, thank God), we embarked on a wonderful journey through the entirety of the Universal Studios park. My group, which consisted of 3 guys named John, Josh, and Cory (and me. Duh.), had a fantastic time riding all the rides and seeing all the sights that were to be seen. My two favorites had to be the pharaoh rollercoaster where the ceiling lit on fire (way cool), and the Rock it, a rollercoaster that was rather fast and rather fun, where Josh and I got to sit in the front row both times with our arms up.
We spent the magic midnight moment in the park, and went to get our stuff... To discover our stuff was gone. Turns out we couldn't get the locker open because the electronic lockers didn't register that we put our stuff in in the first place, and it was all still locked... So... Yeah. We were about 5 minutes late for the busses. But hey, we got all our stuff back, so that's all that matters.
Day 3: Practice. Pep rally. Universal Studios part 2.
So yeah, we had to wake up rather early the next morning after getting back to the hotel circa 1am or later... And after another 4 hour rehearsal, I took a nap, and played a pep rally in full uniform with the band (it was a rather uneventful pep rally.). After said pep rally, we went back to the hotel, showered, and my friends from the night before, plus my good friend Harper (that's his last name. We don't call him by his first name.) went to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. This park had separate admission, and we were only there for about 2 hours and 15 minutes. But it was a rather magical 2 hours and 15 minutes. See, the great thing was, when we were getting there, almost everyone was leaving since the park closed at 10pm. So, we went to guest services, they gave us a 25% discount from the admission price, and we went into the park to experience only 5-15 minute waits on almost every ride. Which was so super fantastic. Plus, Harry Potter world at night is WAY FREAKING COOL. Seriously. We were able to explore most of Harry Potter world, go on the Hogwarts castle tour/rollercoaster, the Dueling Dragons rollercoaster, enjoy a ButterBeer, and buy pumpkin juice (which Harper and I brought home and still need to drink.). We also got to go on The Hulk (The biggest, best rollercoaster in the whole park) two times in a row. I also got a chocolate frog, which I still need to eat. Very very worth the money and the time. We took a cab back to the hotel, and went to Village Inn for a late dinner afterwards. That was definitely a fantastic night.
Day 4: Pep rally pep rally pep rally. Foo'ball foo'ball foo'ball. Gameday gameday gameday. HOME.
This was our last day in Orlando... I really wasn't ready for the trip to be over until it was, because I came home extremely exhausted.
We played a few pep rallies before the game started, were herded into the stadium, and marched a very condensed version of our pregame. The game was kind of sad, we really shouldn't have lost as badly as we did, but oh well. The halftime show went well, and the band played well, so at least it isn't a reflection on me personally. After the slightly disappointing game, we went straight to the airport, and waited around for about 4 hours, then finally went home. Not a whole lot of interesting things to report about the flight, it was pretty average. I talked to my friend Michael for awhile on the plane, then we both passed out until we got back to Lincoln. From there, my mom picked me up after I (FINALLY) got my luggage, then I went back to Columbus. I left C-town on the 4th around 3pm, and now I'm finally back in Lincoln in my dorm again. I missed hanging out here in Lincoln, I really feel at home here, and am ready for next semester and all its stress to start... Because I'm a bit crazy like that.
So there you have it, my days in Orlando, and a rather fantastic end to my marching band career. I'm going to miss marching band during gamedays and during the bowl trip next year, but what I didn't realize is that marching band isn't just an activity in college.... It's a lifestyle. And I can't lead a marching band lifestyle and a double major lifestyle next year without killing myself from stress and overwork, so this will have to be my last year. I've made some amazing friends throughout though, and I'm definitely going to miss it, but I'm also glad it's over. This was probably the best way to end my band career, and I ended it with some pretty great people. Thanks for everything, Cornhusker Marching Band, this year meant so much more to me than all 4 years of high school band did put together. Even though you had less time to make an impression than my high school years did, you sure made a hell of one on me, and I feel I’ve gained a lot more from it. I’m so glad I got to have this experience while I was able to fit it in my schedule. You guys will always hold a very special place in my heart.
With love,
Gilmore
P.S. Today's song of the day is called Lonely Boy by The Black Keys. It's from their newest album, El Camino. Still blues-rock, but so gritty that it's the listening equivalent of chewing on a dirt road. In other words, absolute fantastic-ness. I've been obsessed with this band for awhile now, and their quality of music has been amazing from their first album, and keeps outdoing itself with every new release. I love them a lot, and after watching this guy dance to this song (yeah, all they have for their current music video is this random guy dancing. It's all ya need.), you'll probably be in love with them, too.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Orlando!
Aloha, friends!
Ok, so, I'm aware that "Aloha" isn't the proper greeting for the place I'm going to be spending the next few days in with the good ol' Cornhusker Marching Band, but still. Orlando, Florida has no official greeting that I'm aware of, so Aloha it shall be.
Oh, by the way, I'm going to be in Orlando for the remainder of 2011.
For those of you who didn't know, I play Alto Sax in the Cornhusker Marching Band. It's pretty cool, and pretty fun... And it'll probably be my last year doing it.
I'm a bit sad, but I had a crazy, busy, stressful semester last semester, trying to juggle the obligations between my two completely unrelated majors, and that + all the hours marching band consumes= a very tired, stressed out, Caitlin. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I have so much to do that trying out next year is going to be an impossibility I'm afraid.
I won't miss getting up early in the mornings, that's for sure, but my gamedays will almost definitely be a bitter letdown from how fun they were to watch from the band.
But, on to happier things, I'm going to be Orlando for the remainder of 2011!!!!
I get to spend that magical midnight moment that changes the year from 2011 to 2012 in Universal Studios, which is pretty exciting.
Don't worry, I'll try to toast the New Year with a Butterbeer for all of you. (:
Now, I have some packing to finish, and some sleep to be getting. It's going to be a long trip.
Song of the day that seems appropriate for travel and the mood I'm in about the place I get to go to: Daylight by Matt & Kim. The upbeat piano part is something you all might recognize from a few commercials, but if not, it's just a really great song. The music video is another one worth watching if you want a smile, even though this song will probably already have you grinning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgBeu3FVi60
I'm not sure if I'm bringing my laptop to Orlando yet... So if not, Happy New Year everyone, and catch you in 2012.
Don't worry, I'll be sure to write about my adventures next year.
With love,
Gilmore
Ok, so, I'm aware that "Aloha" isn't the proper greeting for the place I'm going to be spending the next few days in with the good ol' Cornhusker Marching Band, but still. Orlando, Florida has no official greeting that I'm aware of, so Aloha it shall be.
Oh, by the way, I'm going to be in Orlando for the remainder of 2011.
For those of you who didn't know, I play Alto Sax in the Cornhusker Marching Band. It's pretty cool, and pretty fun... And it'll probably be my last year doing it.
I'm a bit sad, but I had a crazy, busy, stressful semester last semester, trying to juggle the obligations between my two completely unrelated majors, and that + all the hours marching band consumes= a very tired, stressed out, Caitlin. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I have so much to do that trying out next year is going to be an impossibility I'm afraid.
I won't miss getting up early in the mornings, that's for sure, but my gamedays will almost definitely be a bitter letdown from how fun they were to watch from the band.
But, on to happier things, I'm going to be Orlando for the remainder of 2011!!!!
I get to spend that magical midnight moment that changes the year from 2011 to 2012 in Universal Studios, which is pretty exciting.
Don't worry, I'll try to toast the New Year with a Butterbeer for all of you. (:
Now, I have some packing to finish, and some sleep to be getting. It's going to be a long trip.
Song of the day that seems appropriate for travel and the mood I'm in about the place I get to go to: Daylight by Matt & Kim. The upbeat piano part is something you all might recognize from a few commercials, but if not, it's just a really great song. The music video is another one worth watching if you want a smile, even though this song will probably already have you grinning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgBeu3FVi60
I'm not sure if I'm bringing my laptop to Orlando yet... So if not, Happy New Year everyone, and catch you in 2012.
Don't worry, I'll be sure to write about my adventures next year.
With love,
Gilmore
The Stunning Sequel to my Story of Serendipity
Ahoy, mateys!
So, here's the continuation of that super-long post about how I came to be a composer. I'll start with my Junior year of high school.
After doing some songwriting as a Sophomore, I was still convinced that I wanted to be on Broadway, as much as I loved this new thing I seemed to have a knack for. Junior year came, and I found out about this thing called Nebraska Young Artist's awards. So, I tried out on saxophone and... Composition. I was still a bit confused about it, but I'd written some things for piano, and thought I might try sending them in... And turns out my crappy recording of my saxophone solo didn't get me the award, but my composition, where I'd never had a lesson, training, or even a clue of what I was doing, won. I was a bit shocked. I was even more stunned when I found out I was 1 of 3 people to win the award, after hundreds of auditionees in the state.
Yeah, like I said, I really didn't have a clue.
Senior year came, and for scholarships, I tried out with voice and composition at UNL, and voice, composition, and jazz saxophone at Hillsdale College (I also had a jazz voice audition with Harvard, but it was way too expensive so I didn't even consider it). I applied to about 5 schools, Drake, Harvard, Northwestern University, Hillsdale, and UNL. Hillsdale and UNL gave me the best scholarships, and I had the most difficult decision I'd ever made in my life trying to choose between the two schools. Because I'm incredibly anal, I made a spreadsheet comparing the pros and cons of each school, and... The points were completely tied. Hillsdale wanted me to be the lead singer of their faculty jazz band. UNL's voice auditions herded me through like cattle, and all I could do was my classical repertoire. Hillsdale let me have an interview with all 3 of the music departments I made it into... UNL only gave me an interview with the composition department. However, UNL gave me even more scholarships than Hillsdale did after my composition interview, and Hillsdale literally made up a scholarship to give me. What decided me was that composition interview at UNL, and Dr. Damon Lee's filmscoring class. Dr. Lee let me sit in on his class for music majors, and I realized that this wasn't only something I could see myself doing reasonably well at, but something I'd really enjoy doing.
Oh God, and my interview! That's a pretty entertaining story, especially for any musicians that might be chancing upon this. Dr. Lee and Dr. Richards had my scores, and asked me if I could play the music I wrote. Until I got to UNL, I'd only ever composed music for myself to play, so I said, "Of course I can!" After (let's be honest, I was embellishing a lot and showing off) I played the music, they covered up the piano and started to play intervals and asking me to identify them. Well, I'd never taken a music theory class in my life, and had no idea about the difference between augmented, diminished, minor, and major intervals and what classified what as each of them... So, I warned them and they said "Just give the number." So, they sat there playing the intervals, and I distinctly recall what I named them. "The 7th that's flat. A sharp 4th. Er... A half step. A major chord with a flat 9?" Turns out, I got all of them correct, even with my... Atypical naming system.
And so, I finally decided to come to UNL. I actually felt so bad about not going to Hillsdale (they REALLY wanted me. Aside from making up a vocal jazz scholarship for the first time in the school's 100+ year history, they gave me an accounting scholarship (ha!) and a scholarship that I'm pretty sure was actually supposed to be for boys...) that I wrote an apology letter to all the people who tried to get me to go to school there. There are some days where I regret my decision, but most days I'm pretty happy with my choice.
Especially now, that my semester project is done. Also, I think I'm going to get to sing with either UNL's big band or the Jazz Orchestra next semester, which is amazing. I'd thought I'd given up an opportunity like that forever when I turned down Hillsdale, but Dr. Richards asked me to sing with one of the ensembles, which is a HUGE honor that I'm still extremely grateful for. PLUS, I get to pick the song, the key, and I get to arrange it!!! (: I've never written for so many instruments before, but I'm sure with Dr.'s Lee and Richards helping me, I'll be able to get something decent out there.
So there's my pretty long story about how I stumbled upon a talent I didn't know I had, and how I know that if my life were the best ever, I'd get to make a living doing this for the rest of my life.
Today's song of the day: My Body by Young the Giant. This has been one of my favorites since early this summer, and I listen to it almost every day and can never get sick of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYpF2pCkLI&ob=av2e
If you like this, I highly recommend getting the album. Every song in it is absolutely fantastic.
That's all for meow.
With love,
Gilmore
So, here's the continuation of that super-long post about how I came to be a composer. I'll start with my Junior year of high school.
After doing some songwriting as a Sophomore, I was still convinced that I wanted to be on Broadway, as much as I loved this new thing I seemed to have a knack for. Junior year came, and I found out about this thing called Nebraska Young Artist's awards. So, I tried out on saxophone and... Composition. I was still a bit confused about it, but I'd written some things for piano, and thought I might try sending them in... And turns out my crappy recording of my saxophone solo didn't get me the award, but my composition, where I'd never had a lesson, training, or even a clue of what I was doing, won. I was a bit shocked. I was even more stunned when I found out I was 1 of 3 people to win the award, after hundreds of auditionees in the state.
Yeah, like I said, I really didn't have a clue.
Senior year came, and for scholarships, I tried out with voice and composition at UNL, and voice, composition, and jazz saxophone at Hillsdale College (I also had a jazz voice audition with Harvard, but it was way too expensive so I didn't even consider it). I applied to about 5 schools, Drake, Harvard, Northwestern University, Hillsdale, and UNL. Hillsdale and UNL gave me the best scholarships, and I had the most difficult decision I'd ever made in my life trying to choose between the two schools. Because I'm incredibly anal, I made a spreadsheet comparing the pros and cons of each school, and... The points were completely tied. Hillsdale wanted me to be the lead singer of their faculty jazz band. UNL's voice auditions herded me through like cattle, and all I could do was my classical repertoire. Hillsdale let me have an interview with all 3 of the music departments I made it into... UNL only gave me an interview with the composition department. However, UNL gave me even more scholarships than Hillsdale did after my composition interview, and Hillsdale literally made up a scholarship to give me. What decided me was that composition interview at UNL, and Dr. Damon Lee's filmscoring class. Dr. Lee let me sit in on his class for music majors, and I realized that this wasn't only something I could see myself doing reasonably well at, but something I'd really enjoy doing.
Oh God, and my interview! That's a pretty entertaining story, especially for any musicians that might be chancing upon this. Dr. Lee and Dr. Richards had my scores, and asked me if I could play the music I wrote. Until I got to UNL, I'd only ever composed music for myself to play, so I said, "Of course I can!" After (let's be honest, I was embellishing a lot and showing off) I played the music, they covered up the piano and started to play intervals and asking me to identify them. Well, I'd never taken a music theory class in my life, and had no idea about the difference between augmented, diminished, minor, and major intervals and what classified what as each of them... So, I warned them and they said "Just give the number." So, they sat there playing the intervals, and I distinctly recall what I named them. "The 7th that's flat. A sharp 4th. Er... A half step. A major chord with a flat 9?" Turns out, I got all of them correct, even with my... Atypical naming system.
And so, I finally decided to come to UNL. I actually felt so bad about not going to Hillsdale (they REALLY wanted me. Aside from making up a vocal jazz scholarship for the first time in the school's 100+ year history, they gave me an accounting scholarship (ha!) and a scholarship that I'm pretty sure was actually supposed to be for boys...) that I wrote an apology letter to all the people who tried to get me to go to school there. There are some days where I regret my decision, but most days I'm pretty happy with my choice.
Especially now, that my semester project is done. Also, I think I'm going to get to sing with either UNL's big band or the Jazz Orchestra next semester, which is amazing. I'd thought I'd given up an opportunity like that forever when I turned down Hillsdale, but Dr. Richards asked me to sing with one of the ensembles, which is a HUGE honor that I'm still extremely grateful for. PLUS, I get to pick the song, the key, and I get to arrange it!!! (: I've never written for so many instruments before, but I'm sure with Dr.'s Lee and Richards helping me, I'll be able to get something decent out there.
So there's my pretty long story about how I stumbled upon a talent I didn't know I had, and how I know that if my life were the best ever, I'd get to make a living doing this for the rest of my life.
Today's song of the day: My Body by Young the Giant. This has been one of my favorites since early this summer, and I listen to it almost every day and can never get sick of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYpF2pCkLI&ob=av2e
If you like this, I highly recommend getting the album. Every song in it is absolutely fantastic.
That's all for meow.
With love,
Gilmore
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