Movie soundtracks. Epic movie soundtracks. I live for them.
Downsides: movie soundtracks are not good for taking a nap to. The epicness of them usually increases your heart rate and sleeping becomes the last thing you want. They are also not helpful when doing homework, especially reading. I get very, very distracted and spacey.
Other than that... Seriously, they're one of my favorite things. They get my creative mind going and are one of my biggest inspirations. (Strangely, Olivier Messaien, a huge composer of 20th century organ music that sounds really bizarre, also seemed to be inspiring... I might have to look into that again. If you're curious about the idea of primitivism, you should definitely check him out. But that's another tangent.) Especially today, composers are taking things like the traditional symphony orchestra and adding to it with things like electric guitars and pipe organs. A couple of years ago I would have cringed if anyone had told me that electric guitars played with a symphony. Hans Zimmer changed my mind.
This is one of my favorite soundtracks, "The Kraken" by Hans Zimmer for Dead Man's Chest. I love the nuances that I as a music nerd can detect, like how the organ in the beginning is playing the theme with quiet stops, and then when the orchestra comes in to play the theme the organ explodes with sound with them. It's so cool!!
I secretly dream of maybe writing something as epic as this someday. Me, a composer of music... it would take along time, and lots of practice because when you write for a group that big you have to start thinking about what kind of a sound you want here, what chords you want there, what kind of drums the percussion need to beat on, and if you add other instruments (like guitars and organ) you have to start figuring out when they'll play, what other instruments will accompany them, what kinds of stops you want to use on the organ, etc etc etc. And I'm sure there's so much more to think about.
But man... if I could pull that off? It would be SO COOL!!! I totally want to try.
So while I'm learning and trying to figure it out, you can listen to the clip, and then, after you've been plastered to the wall with how amazing it is, you can go to Pandora and create a new station called "Hans Zimmer (composer)". Sometimes you'll have to thumbs-down the slower, lamer songs (no offense to Road to Perdition but... your songs generally aren't epic...) but for the most part... it's awesome.
Movie soundtracks. I'm in love. It's a good thing Husband Man loves them too. <sigh> I'm such a music nerd... it's so awesome.
So I went in for my first lesson this last Thursday.
I asked the Lord for help and that the spirit would be there, that I would know what should be said and not let my feelings control the conversation. As a result, it sort of ended in a different way than I thought it would, or maybe even wanted it to.
The lesson ran as it normally might, and to my surprise he was completely ok with trying to run the lesson in the way that I wanted. He didn't pull out solos, but helped me with one of my symphony pieces. He didn't insist that I do his warmup, but tried to mix it with the one that I like better.
At the end of the lesson, I asked him about an trumpet mouthpiece that I had that was good for jazz, but I don't play jazz. He said he might buy it from me. Then I mentioned to him that I was concerned about taking lessons, that I wouldn't have enough time to dedicate to practicing. I explained to him about my Monday and Wednesday schedules, and told him that maybe I wasn't dedicated enough to try and practice another hour on top of my 10 hour school day. He said he understood my situation, and with two-hour rehearsals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday he felt that since I was taking nonmajor lessons that as long as I put an hour in on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday then he would accept that.
I felt hugely relieved, and so grateful that he was willing to use the lessons for what I wanted and willing to be flexible with my practicing. There was one harsh moment, when I said that I had trouble remembering to practice on Saturday (it's Saturday, for pete's sake- who cares about school on Saturday??) and he told me that that concerned him and there was some growing up to do. I felt uncomfortable with that, but I didn't say anything. I don't feel it was a bad decision to let it slide. I guess in my mind, if it and other instances need to be addressed, then the opportunity will arise in due time.
I suppose I overreacted just a little, but I was really unhappy with how things turned out. I feel like I can manage what I've been given now, I think.
In other news, the new tv didn't fit in our old entertainment center. Husband Man was sad (it was like two inches too wide). It brought back horrible memories of dissembling that entertainment center and the desk at DI so that we could fit it in the Malibu. Fortunately this time we knew someone who had a truck, so a short trip to DI and a phone call helped us replace it.
We feel really lucky because this entertainment center is nicer than the other one. It's made out of real wood I think, not particle board, and I sort of like that it's bigger. Husband Man was also so excited about the tv that he ordered a few two dollar hdmi cables so that he could hook his laptop up to the tv. He was like a kid at Christmas all over again! It was so fun to watch him hook it all up!
We also discovered that my laptop has no hdmi slot, so my lappy can't hook up to the tv. The sound has also started to go on it- it has this stall noise it makes, and it's really annoying. We're starting to seriously consider getting rid of it and finding a new one somewhere... I don't think I can stand to watch it suffer Ok, I can stand to watch it suffer. I just don't think I can deal with its slow, painful death anymore. Anyone want a used laptop? Computer parts?
There is a bill that Congress is trying to pass that would severely limit the material that is posted and found across the internet.
This bill could literally mean the end of many sites, including Pinterest and Youtube. Watching movie clips, tv shows, music videos, anything will not be possible on the internet if this bill passes.
Go to Wikipedia to see one of the many websites that have shut down to protest and spread awareness about this bill. Wikipedia also has a tool that is supposed to help you contact your local congressman to protest about this bill.
Don't just pass this one by, people. If you like the internet the way it is... you need to help take a stand against this bill.
(Although, can we really call it winter? I'm not complaining too much because I haven't felt like I was going to freeze to death walking to campus, but at the same time I feel badly for the farmers because of the lack of snow/cold....)
This semester has started off rough. I originally signed up for 15 credits, which was completely manageable this year because two of my classes are gen-eds. I was willing to take 16, which meant adding one ensemble, but I wasn't sure what my trumpet professor was thinking. I finally went in on the first day of the semester and asked to talk to him for a few minutes. He welcomed me into his office and we sat down and chatted. I expressed my concern that I hadn't played in a while, and he said there was room in the ensembles if I wanted to play. I also said that if I chose to work on lessons, I wanted to possibly work on orchestral excerpts. In response to that, he suggested that he felt I didn't trust him as an instructor. To be honest, I sort of don't... After all, he was the one who suggested things like getting tons of trumpets and equipment now even if it means going into debt-- to me, who is blessedly NOT in debt with school payments, that is not a wise decision.
Anyways, I went back the next day to play for him. I told him that I didn't want to take lessons, I had decided not to. When I finished the audition he said, "I think I'm going to put you in Symphony Orchestra." I was pretty excited! I never thought I was going to be in that again! Yay!
"I'm also going to put you in Chamber Brass." What? Um... but... ok...
"And I'm going to insist that you do lessons so that we can work on your orchestral sound." Orchestral sound? I've played in a symphony orchestra for four semesters. I think I'm starting to get that you don't play Beethoven the same way you play Mahler...
In ten minutes I went from 15 manageable credits, to 16 manageable credits, to 17 ok credits, to 18 I'm-going-to-die credits. Symphony Orchestra=great. Chamber Brass=all right. Lessons=No go. He requires 6 hours of practice a week for non-major lessons.
I'm going to tell you right now that after going to class back-to-back from 7:45 to 4:30 or 5:30 on Monday and Wednesday means those days are not an option for practice. I don't care if he accuses me of not being dedicated. I'm not. That's why I'm not a performance major.
It sort of feels like he's trying to push against the LDS cultural norm, trying to keep me from resigning myself to "just being a wife and a mother." I respect that. But I feel like I know what's best for me, not him. And I know I'm not the only woman in the studio who is experiencing the same pressure.
So I've decided to confront him, and politely decline taking lessons. I don't even care if I lose the $200 they've already charged me out of my account. I was supposed to go talk to him at my first lesson last Thursday, but he's been sick and hasn't shown up since last Wednesday. I honestly just can't do lessons if it means dedicating another six hours of my week, and it seems like every time I go into his office, whether it's for a lesson or to talk, there's tension and sort of this neutral tolerance in the air... I can't deal with that for a semester.
So the apprehension of speaking to him about it is driving me insane. I've been trying to incorporate the Lord and the spirit into this, trying to think about it in a rational mind and not go all crazy upset. I've shed too many tears of frustration and upset-ness to just let this go... I'm hoping that both of us can deal with the impending conversation fairly and with open minds and hearts, and that if nothing else, we at least leave not hating each other, even if we can't make each other understand our side or point of view.
And I'm hoping that I don't back out at the last second, or get trampled by his reasoning. I need to have a life... I can't have another semester like last fall. I need to stand up for myself... I need to do what's best for me (for once in my life). Wish me luck...
This is a super late post, but I found pictures on my camera from New Year's!
We had sparkling pink catawba and sparkling cold duck. I liked the catawba better- cold duck is a little bitter.
Husband Man chugged a half a glass of cold duck. He didn't like it. And we played Family Feud! It was way fun!
We had Husband Man's sister try each sparkling drink to see which one she liked best. She had no clue why we were doing it- and no opinion! She liked them both. Husband Man got new pajama pants and, as you can see, he really likes them.What a goober!
I haven't posted in forever because I'm having a rough start to my semester. ...a really, really rough start. I'll post about it later- I'm hoping to resolve a couple problems first.
A few days before every semester the population of our college town doubles triples and everyone (mostly single college students) starts moving into their places of residence. Because our school has three semesters, this means that this happens three times a year. Because most students only go to school here for two of those three semesters, this also means that there is roughly the same amount of people moving in every semester.
And because this madness happens all at once, our poor little college town turns into a huge black hole for about three-four days.
Trying to think ahead of the impending doom, Husband Man and I trekked to around town today, trying to get everything done in one fell swoop and thinking that the majority of students would move in tomorrow.
We were wrong. So horribly wrong.
At first, we thought that we really had succeeded. The bookstore on campus wasn't nearly as crazy as it has been in the past. And Albertsons was kind of ok too. However...
Walmart was PACKED. It was disgusting. I wanted to tear my hair out over things like waiting for a woman who was waiting for her daughter to make up her mind whether she wanted spaghettios or not so that they could move so that I could have spaghettios. (And spaghettios were only the third thing I went to pick up.) I stood in one of their fridges trying to find a carton of eggs that weren't broken. I had to dodge and weave around people to get anywhere, and cut people off if I wanted to get in another aisle. On top of all the millions of people milling around our not-supersized Walmart (which I DON'T understand), there was stuff EVERYWHERE, because we all know that every single college student in this town has to have a plastic 3-drawer thingy-whatever in their room, and four ladels, and every kind of chips available with corresponding salsa. And a shower curtain. Or six. Plus there was a huge stand for football necessities, which was completely unnecessary and just created a roadblock for people trying to buy frozen food.
On top of it all, the DI was closed, and our teachers still weren't on campus. So even though we planned ahead, and tried our hardest, we still have to leave the house AGAIN. Also, even though the roads aren't horrible, there are still crazy drivers out. They don't watch for pedestrians, and they have a hard time watching for other cars. Black hole, I'm telling you!!
Every semester I want to just hole up in my apartment and distance myself from the mayhem... but it just doesn't matter. There's no way you can ever plan this in advance. You have no choice. You are stuck trying to avoid injury, mental and emotional trauma, and certain doom before your semester even begins.
I have to learn to write '2012' instead of '2011'.
I really want to do my homework when it's scheduled... and not wait until the night before. I want to stay on top of my studies, and try hard to actually remember everything I'm trying to learn. (And it would be nice if I could figure out what I want to do with my studies, since right now I'm considering not taking any ensembles this semester... That means no trumpet playing for a semester. Wait... gaaah!)
I really want to continue to do my visiting teaching again this year. I was really good about doing it by the end of '11. My new goal is to read my scriptures every morning/day. I know this will draw me closer to Christ and my Heavenly Father.
I really want to get a lot of progress done on my novels. It doesn't matter to me which one gets worked on at this point; I just want to get as much possible down as I can.(Go here to read more)
I really hope Husband Man gets the internship he wants for the summer. It would be a great opportunity for him, and I want him to have as much experience as possible so he can get a great job he likes!
I really want to get the rest of our wedding pictures printed somewhere so we can fill the empty frames on our walls... And put up a picture of the temple and of Christ, to go along with the Proclamation to the Family and the beautiful cross-stitch we were given.
I really want to do something fun when I turn 21. I'll be in school, but I'm going to make time to party it up. (The LDS way, of course.)
I want to try to cook more and be more proactive with our meals. I'm horrible when it comes to feeding Husband Man... "I could make something ... or we could just have corn dogs again. Or mac and cheese. Or canned soup. Or go out..."
I want to love Husband Man even more than I do now. (That one should be easy!)
