Pause

I know it's been quite a while since I've updated my blog, but I promise something is coming soon! Things weren't that exciting [musically] in my life for a while, so that is my reason for the lack of blogging. BUT, exciting things happened this past weekend and I cannot wait to write about them. I just have a ton of reading that I have to catch up on and the rest of my busy life schedule to work out. But once I get bored reading and have the energy and mindset to sit down and write about this past weekend, I will do so. And hopefully soon. Here's a preview:
Lamppost Revival plays at Puget Sound [a local band from Western Washington University] and....
The AMAZING Victor Wooten. I'll just say this really quickly - he was so awesome, I wanted to cry.

Okay, I'll write a more detailed post soon! Now, off to reading...

Musical Tangents

I just got back home from seeing West Side Story at The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood with my sister, mom, and some friends. This is one of the things I really miss about Los Angeles: the music, the shows, the culture. Of course, they have this stuff in Seattle, but I don't have reliable transportation to go up there often so I don't really enjoy these kinds of things while I'm at school. Actually, I haven't even hung out in Seattle all year. The only times I went there this past semester were for Bumbershoot [so I didn't walk around the city, just the festival grounds] and to drop off/pick up some friends from a concert. Anyway, back to the point of this post...
I always feel so inspired whenever I watch a musical production - I wish I had that talent. Not just the singing, but the dancing and the acting. Part of me wishes I could move the way all the dancers on stage do. Their movement is so beautiful and precise and it looks like they are having so much fun. And then there's the singing. I love it so much, you can't even imagine. I get goosebumps whenever I hear a completely amazing singer. Unfortunately, I wasn't blown away by the singers in this production. The leads [Maria and Tony] seemed to get lost in the music and their voices just weren't as strong as I had hoped and expected. West Side Story has such an amazing score and the original Broadway cast had such a great sound. I guess I'm just used to those recordings, so I compared tonight's performance to them.
Going back to The Pantages, however, reminded me of the last time I was there. It was my 17th birthday [has it really been 2 years?] and my sister, mom, and I went with our family friend, Andy, to see Wicked. My mom and sister had already seen it before, but I hadn't. I was pretty excited for it because I had heard everyone saying such great things about it. I remember being blown away by the performance that night. Everyone did such an incredible job and I fell in love with Wicked right away; it is definitely one of my favorite musicals now and I can't wait to see it again. That's what I love about going to these things: the feelings of being so fulfilled and inspired by what I had seen. It makes me so happy and amazed with how much talent everyone involved in the production has. Everything that goes into it, it takes so much time, energy, patience, talent, work. It's crazy and I think the people who do it are great and you can always tell that they love what they're doing.
I hope I can be as happy as they are, doing what I love, someday. I don't want to be a performer at all, but behind the scenes - I hope I enjoy it and am satisfied everyday by doing whatever it is that I may be doing. I think my first experience of putting together some sort of public event will be next semester [although the planning and preparations have already started and it's really only for the Puget Sound campus]. I'm the co-chair for RSA's biggest event of the year: Casino Night. Although I don't deal with a lot of the details, I'm trying to be involved with all the committees, if I can. I'm hoping to get some outside entertainment at Casino Night this year. Every year we have the same stuff: on-campus a cappella groups, the jazz band, etc. And, I mean, they're great, they really are. But I'd like to change it up a little bit this year. I have a friend who just finished recording a band's EP, Lamppost Revival. He and all the band members go to Western Washington University and he's been looking into book them in the Tacoma area, specifically something for Puget Sound. So, I told him about Casino Night and put him in contact with our Entertainment Committee Chair, David. I hope they actually get everything together for Lamppost to play, it would be really awesome to have some local, off-campus music at the event. Plus, it's cool to think that I helped to make that connection and get Lamppost booked for the event. And maybe it will help them get a good rep at Puget Sound so they can do other shows there, in the future. Or maybe I can develop a good connection with them and look to them if I ever want or need a band to play for any event that may come up.
Anyway, I've gone on a very interesting tangent and somehow ended up here. I'm tired, it's time for sleep. Goodnight everyone and, in case I don't write anything else for a while, Happy Holidays. Have a awesome start to the new year [can you believe it's going to be 2011??!] and be safe.
:]

Finals Week

I'm sitting in Thompson with Shelby and Katie and we're all attempting to study for the coming week of finals. Shelby's studying Biology, Katie's studying Math, and I'm studying Music History. I'm writing out a list of terms for the class and hoping to get some other things done. However, I've been extremely distracted for the entire time that I've been here and actually have no motivation to even study very hard for this test. I think I've accepted the fact that I'm probably gonna get a B in this class and I'm okay with it. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe i should be completely motivated to kick ass on this final and maybe get an A. But, honestly, at this point, I just don't care that much. I have 2 more classes to take in order to finish this minor and I've already planned out when I can and will take them.
In my list of terms, the word Sprechstimme came up and I was reminded of this past summer in Ojai. A few of us interns went to Ventura for dinner and to make a copy of the score of George Benjamin's Into The Little Hill for Margaret to use; at least, I think this is the right time I'm thinking of. Nonetheless, there was a time when we were driving to Ventura and I remember Sprechstimme came up in the conversation. I had no idea what it was and Josh explained it to me be demonstrating. It's an interesting technique and now that I read the definition provided in my textbook, - "Speech-voice"; a vocal technique in which the singer declaims, rather than sings, a text at only approximate pitch levels - I think Josh's explanation was a much better one.
I don't really know why I'm writing about this. Maybe it's the feelings of nostalgia that were brought about by this random memory of Ojai. Sometimes I just wish I didn't have to go to school anymore and worry about studying for tests and finals or writing research papers or doing presentations or projects. I know what I want to do with my life. I know how to get there. I know where to apply for internships. I've already built a fairly strong network of people. All I want to do is have a couple more awesome internships and then dive right in. Why must I endure two and a half more years of taking classes that stress me out and in which I'm okay with just getting Bs? I hate this lack of motivation. I know that if I were to be working in the real world, doing what I want to do and what I love, I would not be this unmotivated. I would be so passionate about it and would put everything I have into it. I think that's how I was this past summer in Ojai. I did everything I could, helped out in any way needed and possible, and I didn't want it to end. That's how life should be and that's how I knew that I loved it so much.
I wish I felt the same way about all of my classes: passionate about them, putting strenuous amounts of effort into every assignment, studying hard, and excited for the next topic. Instead, I'm sitting in this building, completely distracted and doing everything but studying - hence, the composition of this post. Maybe I should try to study, again. I might move to Diversions soon, instead. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I like doing school work in there; I can actually concentrate. Everyone always says that they are so distracted whenever they try to study in Diversions, but it's kind of like my home base. I feel comfortable and can get work done there. Now, another attempt at studying. Good luck with finals, everyone! Hopefully you've been more productive than I have and will do well on them.

Romanticism and Gypsies

I wrote the following as a concert review paper for my music history class. It's kind of long, and maybe not completely interesting, but I felt that it would be appropriate to post on here. Also [just a warning] I was really tired of this paper by the time I wrote the conclusion, so I didn't wrap it up all that well - sorry! Enjoy.


On November 13th, I was able to attend a performance by the Northwest Sinfonietta, conducted by Christophe Chagnard, at the Rialto Theater in downtown Tacoma. The program was a unique one, named “Gypsy Nights,” including pieces by Dvořák, Shostakovich, Mahler, and Chagnard. As I arrived at the theater, I was not sure what to expect – I had never been to the Rialto before and I had never heard these pieces in a live performance. I was also very intrigued and excited to here Chagnard’s Opre Roma! all the way through, for the first time. Once the performance began, I was able to get my first taste of the orchestral music scene in the Pacific Northwest.
The first piece interested me greatly, not because of the composition per se, but due to the way in which it was presented. The orchestra remained standing for its entirety: Slavonic Dance No. 8, Op. 46 by Dvořák. Not to discredit the composer at all, because it truly is an amazing piece in itself, but I really enjoyed this unique presentation. Antonín Dvořák was a Czech composer who lived from 1841 to 1904, starting his career in composition in the 1870s. By the 1880s he had attained international fame, demonstrated by the performance of his Slavonic Dances in cities all over the world from Berlin to London to New York. The Slavonic Dances consist of 16 pieces, which were originally written for piano four hands but were orchestrated at the request of his publisher soon after completion1. The way in which the Northwest Sinfonietta presented this piece caught one’s attention and was a good way to express the origin of the composition. It is based off of a dance and it only seems natural that one would want to be standing – or, more realistically, dancing – while listening to it. The piece is played with constant energy in forte with the only dynamic change to piano when a short flute solo emerges. However, the full orchestra soon ends this solo with a forte repetition of the main theme, therefore, concluding the piece. In my opinion, it was a strong way to begin the program and evoked feelings of lightheartedness and curiosity within the listener.
The second piece - Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35 – only added to the strength of the program. When Mark Salman first walked across the stage, he came across as an awkward and somewhat timid pianist. He adjusted and readjusted his seat several times, which only added to my initial thoughts of him. However, once he made the final seat adjustment and his fingers hit the keys, I was blown away by his performance. The speed, accuracy and skill with which Salman played were awesome. Shostakovich’s composition is definitely not an easy one, but Salman was able to make it seem so natural. Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer who lived from 1906 to 1975. Although he was not yet alive during the Romantic era of music, his compositions have been described as being written in the Romantic tradition2. This only seems fitting, as one can see the similarities in style that Shostakovich has with composers of that era. I think Shostakovich’s most evident characteristic of Romanticism, especially in this piano concerto, is the use of emotion. Salman definitely honed in on this throughout his performance. The accompanying orchestra was perfectly dramatic and subtle, when appropriate. The solo trumpet, performed by Judson Scott, was a powerful and energetic addition to the composition that complimented the orchestra and piano well as the only brass instrument. The first and fourth movements of the concerto are very energetic and lively paced (as hinted by their titles of Allegretto and Allegro con brio, respectively). They were performed with a strong forward motion that never ceased. Both of these movements were engaging and intriguing; they left me feeling happily satisfied with the piece. The second and third movements were noticeably different from and contrasted the first and fourth movements. Although they were of much slower tempos, the level of energy and enthusiasm in the performance of the middle movements was never lost or diminished. If anything, these movements proved to be even more emotional and expressive. The performance of the pianist, trumpeter and orchestra was filled with all dynamics of personal sentiment and energy in its entirety and I was moved by the composition; I didn’t want it to end.
When we returned to our seats from intermission, I was interested to hear how the Mahler piece would fit in with the rest of the program. They performed the fourth movement, Adagietto, from Symphony No. 5 which was chosen to commemorate the centennial of Mahler’s death. Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer who lived from 1860 to 1911. He was extremely popular during his lifetime and his pieces were performed all over the world, dozens of times3. Although his compositions were in the same general style as the previous pieces, I found that this choice did not flow very well with the rest of the program. The piece has strong emotions tied to it, of course, but it was not as energetic as the previous two. The kinds of emotions that I equate with this piece are those of longing, sadness, and melancholy, whereas the others were equated more with emotions of lightheartedness and joy. I think it was a very respectful and appropriate gesture to perform one of Mahler’s pieces in honor of his death. However, I think that a different choice may have fit in with the rest of the program more appropriately.
The final piece to be performed was one that I was looking forward to the most: Christophe Chagnard’s Opre Roma! After listening to short previews of the composition in class, I was extremely curious to hear the completed piece. Chagnard is a French conductor and composer who is currently working in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to conducting the Northwest Sinfonietta and the Puget Sound Orchestra, he is also a performing guitarist with the Northwest Sinfonietta Jazz Quartet. Opre Roma! was written in the style of Gypsy Jazz music with much influence from Django Reinhardt. Chagnard cleverly titled each movement with a specific purpose and meaning behind it. For example, the first movement, titled Gadjaz, is a combination of the words “Gadje” (meaning a non-Gypsy) and Jazz. The orchestration for Chagnard’s composition is a concerto consisting of three solo guitars playing with the full orchestra. The energy and vivacity that was present in the first half of the program was restored with this piece. Although the sound may have been a little unbalanced – the guitars were amplified much more than necessary – the performance was great. It was a fun experience to see Chagnard play two roles at once: that of a performing guitarist and the orchestra’s conductor. The piece went smoothly and ended the concert on a strong note that reenergized the audience for the night. I also appreciated Chagnard’s attempt to incorporate several different influential genres of music from around the world into an orchestral composition. It is a great indicator of the power that music holds to unify people from anywhere; music is something that can be understood by anyone from any culture.
Overall, I thought the concert was amazing. I am a huge fan of Romantic and contemporary music and I think that is one reason why I’d say Chagnard’s piece was my favorite. There may have been a few technical difficulties but, in my opinion, it is a great piece that deserves recognition. All of the musicians are extremely talented and dedicated and this was obvious in the level at which they performed each piece.

Voice Lessons

I just got back to my room from my voice lesson this week. They're 30 minutes long, every Monday at 4pm. The thing that is not so great about that is the fact that so many long weekends occur on Mondays, so I've already lost 2 voice lessons this semester [one from Labor Day weekend and one from Fall Break]. But, I guess it's just something I have to live with and work around. Also, it forces me to actually practice more throughout the weeks so I don't completely fall behind.
My voice teacher is Michael Delos. I googled him once and found out all of the great things that he has done. I think it's such a privilege to be part of a music program that has access to some amazing musicians from all over the world who are continually involved with the music industry through performing, composing, etc. Although I am no longer a music major, I still enjoy being a performer. It was my favorite part of the program: voice lessons and choir. I may complain about having to go to them sometimes, but singing literally makes me feel better. I'm always in a better mood once I finish a lesson or rehearsal and I just want to keep singing more and more. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about music that uplifts me and makes me forget about any worries or stress I may have.
This semester I have been noticing that I've been growing a lot, as a musician. My voice is developing so much, compared to last year, and I've become much more comfortable with just putting it all out there and not being afraid of singing the wrong note or having my voice crack. That, in return, has allowed me to support myself fully while singing, which causes a stronger sound to be created and avoids any mishaps. It's just one large never-ending cycle of affects; it's wonderful. Although I'll be done with completing the requirements for a music minor by the end of this school year, I want to continue with my voice lessons and I still want to be involved with choir. I just don't know if my schedule can handle it, and that would suck. We'll see how it goes, I still have time to figure it out. But, either way, I'm glad I've been able to stay involved with music throughout, at least, half of college.
I don't have much else to say. Just a random expression of my love for singing. Have a great week!

Purple

I know this is a music blog, but this topic is too important to go on unacknowledged.

Today is a special day. I’m wearing purple all over the place and so is everyone I know. This is in memory of all people in the LGBTQ community who have been victims of suicide due to bullying. What is happening is not okay and we need to raise awareness on this issue. No one should ever see suicide as the only solution. I’m not just talking about LGBTQ bullying, just in general. Everyone should know and realize that there is ALWAYS something else - a way to make things better. No matter how alone or depressed anyone may ever feel, there is always at least one person out there who cares dearly for you and would want to know that you’re going through a rough patch. Tell someone, talk to people, they’ll listen. Or if you don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone you know, talk to a counselor - that’s what they’re there for. I’m pretty sure every college campus has counseling services available for students FOR FREE. Puget Sound does, use it. There are so many options and steps that can be taken before anyone should ever think of hurting themselves.

Trust me, I know this. There was a time when I was feeling so completely low in every aspect of my life and I felt so alone and I hated it. Although I never got to the point of even considering suicide or hurting myself, it was a difficult time and everyday I have a lingering worry that something might set me off again and cause me to fall back into that horrible place. But one thing I learned from that is this: there are always people who are there to support you. All you need to do is take the courageous step to let them know you’re not okay and that you really need someone. Not only is it so nice to have someone to talk to about everything, but it makes you realize how much you really do have. Family and friends - they’re around to help.

If you’re a Puget Sound student, PLEASE go to the Suicide Prevention Presentation today. It’s only an hour or so out of your busy day and it will be a huge help for everyone to simply be informed of the details around suicide and signs to look out for. I know I’ve really been pushing this event and as the RSA Vice Chair I feel like this is one of the most important events we’ll be putting on all year. Sadly, I can’t even go to my own event [I have a previous academic commitment] and I’m upset about that. But I truly hope that everyone who has that open gap in their evenings goes to this. Maybe you can’t make the whole thing, that’s fine. Come late or leave early, just be a part of it. And go to the Candlelight Vigil afterward. I’ll be there. This event is to raise awareness and provide aid for people and it would be great to see such a large part of our campus come together for something that is so sensitive, emotional, and important. Candles are going to be provided, but if you have one, bring it just in case. We don’t know how many people will exactly be there, but I’m hoping for a large turnout.

Anyway, there’s my spiel. I hope it did something for you.
Oh, and look at the facebook event for more details right here

NetworkingNetworkingNetworkingNetworking

It's key for pretty much every profession. It might be a harsh reality to live with, but it's true. It's not always about talent/brains/intelligence/skill, you need to know the right people, too. I'm not saying that all those great qualities won't get you anywhere, because they definitely will. But you can't simply depend on your own personal achievements and abilities to get you that amazing job. You need to network, market yourself, market your abilities, use any and every connection you have ever made to your advantage. Also, on that note, never create negative feelings between yourself and someone who is involved in the professional business that you want to be involved with and in which you want to start your own career - that definitely will not be helpful and may actually be harmful for your future. Networking. It's something I started to do this past summer at my internship and is something I'm trying to continue to do.

Last night was ASK Night here at Puget Sound. I wasn't able to go because I had a mandatory dress rehearsal for Dorians. I was upset because ASK Night is when a bunch of alumni come to answer any questions that current students may have about a specific career. There are people who graduated with degrees in a wide array of majors and are currently working in very impressive fields. It's basically a great opportunity to create connections and, well, network. Students give out resumes, receive business cards, and create open lines of communication with these professionals. When I looked up the list of alumni who would be at ASK Night, I found one person who I really would have LOVED to have met. Her name is Gretchen DeGroot, she works for One Reel. I've been looking into One Reel since this past summer and am really hoping to apply for and get an internship with them this coming summer. One Reel is the organization that sets up the intern programs for music festivals in the Pacific Northwest such as Bumbershoot. I would LOVE to have an internship with Bumbershoot. It would be so incredible and I feel like I would gain so much amazing experience and so many great connections [networking, right?]. Especially since one of my dreams is to organize my own music festival someday, it would be such a great opportunity to get a solid idea of how things work. When I interned at the Ojai Music Festival this past summer, I got a small taste of the behind-the-scenes life of a music festival and it was awesome. But being a part of something that's so much bigger would provide me with even greater knowledge.

Anyway, so I was bummed that I couldn't go to ASK Night and I was in the Cellar with my friend, Taylor, getting pizza after rehearsal when Serni Solidarios came up to me and told me that he wants to introduce me to someone: Gretchen DeGroot. I was so happy to meet her and told her that I had seen her name on the list of people at ASK Night and really wanted to meet her - I also explained why I wasn't able to go. They both also explained to me that Gretchen had graduated with the Executive Director of the Ojai Music Festival: Jeff Haydon. Serni decided to take a picture of me and Gretchen to send to Jeff; I thought that was funny. All these crazy connections among people at Puget Sound just blow my mind. Gretchen gave me her card and I expressed my interest in interning with One Reel. I just sent her an email. I hope things work out well, I hope I get an amazing internship this summer, - I'm applying for 3 so far - I'm so excited for this summer and it's barely October. I just want to start applying for internships already and start my summer! Oh well, I'll have to get through my Sophomore year first and then finally start the fun stuff.

Whichever internship I end up getting will be amazing. I'm hoping to be able to return to Ojai this summer to do that internship again. I loved interning there so much this past summer and all the other interns were so great, it'd be nice to be able to hang out with them again. I'm also applying for a few NPR internships; I'm interested in getting involved in radio in the future so that would be a great experience. They have offices in Culver City, CA and in Washington D.C. I'm not sure if we can choose at which one we'd like to have an internship, but if I could I think I'd choose D.C. I mean, I like being home and I love my mom and sister, but I feel like I really need to push myself to learn to live on my own because, at this point, I don't know if I'll even be going back home after I graduate; I really don't think I will and I'm already planning on not going back for the majority of the next few summers. And I love the east coast, I think it's has so much character and is just thriving, so I'd love to be in that environment for a few months. In addition to those internships, like I said, I'll be applying for an internship with One Reel for Bumbershoot. Who knows where I'll end up? I'm just going to do what I need to do in order to be qualified for these internships and we'll see what happens.

To sum it all up, I'm just so excited for any options that may be available to me this summer. It's all about networking. Get out there and meet people who are involved in the field in which you are interested. Keep in touch with past connections made, stay friendly, and don't create animosity. That's my advice. Take it or leave it, after all I am just a 19-year old college student who is so unsure about so many things; I don't sound like a very reliable source of information or a wise adviser. This is just what I've gathered from my own experiences and by observing the experiences of others. Network. I really don't have anything else to say.