So, I'm putting up a player in this blog post. Because? Well, to inform you all about my wonderful videos up to today. :)
Happy Viewing!!!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
I. Am. Such. A. Dork.
Literally. I found a spelling error in the band handbook the director handed out the other day. The spelling error talked about like unifoms or something and it said that girls' shoes should have little or no "heal". I'm fairly sure they meant 'heel' but, still. I could spell check better than them anyday! It sounded like the were trying to make footwear get better or over an illness or something. Stupid teachers never practice what they preach. I seriously need to take their job!
If you haven't heard the expression that someone "never practices what they preach", it basically means that, they don't do the things they tell other people to do. So, say a teacher teaches good spelling, then they go right back and spell a high "heel" with an A. A freakin' A!!!!!!! Do people not know how confusing that can make a sentence!?!?!? I mean, really! At that point why bother sending out the message at all. Some people, I swear... ugh.
Right, so, I just finished band camp hell. 12 hours of band for 5 days straight. It really wasn't as bad as I had expected. Sure, I still can't do back-up marching in a 6 to 5 step size, but I'm getting better. I'm playing a little better, and I feel more motivated. Honestly, all through last year, I kind of hated playing my trumpet (I prefer the piano and guitar MUCH more). Well, not hate, but I just, didn't enjoy it as much as I should've.
I'd say the worst part about band camp was having to keep my trumpet up though trillions of exercises. I think at one point I stopped playing in addition to breathing. (Not exactly a brilliant idea.) I know it's not NEARLY as heavy as a marching baritone, and probably at 20th of what a Sousaphone weighs, but it still hurt. Suprisingly it wasn't my arms that did the breaking. For some reason, my back is bearing the strain. Right in the center of my back, I get this spasm of pain that comes with an unnerving and startling numbness. Like, hold it for up for five minutes and lose feeling in my back, AND risk toppling over because I can't feel the part of my body that's bearing the weight of my horn. I don't really believe this is a good thing, but uh, well, I really don't feel like breaking down in front of people with instruments 20 times the size of mine who manage to hold it up perfectly fine. I'm sure it's just a temporary thing (I hope!).
I really don't feel like having to quit because of my back. I don't think I could bear letting down this year's miniscule trumpet section. As it is, 50% of us are freshman. At that, the total is TEN trumpets. This number should stand at around 25. But, no. 10. And, I'm feeling that once the class of '09 is gone, we freshman are going to be bearing the brunt. Most of the band comes from one middle school (Pioneer). As it is, 6th graders are being put in 8th grade band because there aren't enough 8th grade trumpeteers. This means, a puny trumpet line for my entire high school experience. Is it just me, or does that kind of suck?
At any rate, I'm not quitting. Music is something that I consider a blessing in my life. Without it, I'm sure I'd go mad. (Not quite literally, but alarmingly close.) I love it too much. I remember being seven and buying my first guitar at Wal-Mart, (rest assured, it was crappy) with my grandma's birthday money. I didn't know a thing about the guitar, not how to tune it, or even how to play it. I had no clue how it worked, but I loved it. It wasn't till I was 11 that I actually took lessons. It was only for a few months, and I didn't get much out of it, but I got enough to know how to tune it, and a few chords. With the help of the internet, I'm fairly good at it. (My sister thinks I suck though. Figures, right?)
Piano started at age 11 as well. 6th grade was a turning point. You know? First introduction into the musical world. (I got my first iPod that year too. A pink mini that I lost a year and a 1/2 later at JC Penney.) I didn't want to play piano, digging up that aversion to lessons I thought I should have from what I'd seen though movies and TV. After one lesson, I loved it. I got it too. It was, not easy, but, I understood. I had a fairly comprehensive understanding of sheet music, and it just wasn't that hard for me to pick up. Sure, it took a while before I figured out you could actually MOVE your fingers from the standard CDEFG, thumb, index, middle, ring, pinky. Shocking right? Who knew when playing the piano your hands MOVED! :) But hey, I was beginning. But after not too long, I was well, amazingly good for a recent learner. I progressed at an advanced rate. After three years of playing, I can find sheet music online and play it fairly well. Unless it's like 6/8 time or something else that always succeeds in furrowing my brow.
Why am I rambling about my love for music? Well, I must say it feels good to get tings off my mind. To release my thoughts so to speak. It's time to give my brain free rein and release my thoughts through a keyboard. Though I doubt that anyone is likely to read this, EVER, I'm glad it's being put down. You never know. Perhaps my kids will one day want to know exactly what I was thinking when I was fourteen. Well, at least what I was willing to record online anyway. :-P
I think despite sleeping till noon, then napping again from 4pm-7pm, I just might need some sleep. I'm going to be SO screwed up when school starts. No way am I going to be able to get up at 5:30 a.m. I hope I have an elective first hour so my brain has time to dehibernate and remain fully conscious.
Forever hoping no one will ever read this blog unless they have no clue who I am,
emily. :) *yawn*
If you haven't heard the expression that someone "never practices what they preach", it basically means that, they don't do the things they tell other people to do. So, say a teacher teaches good spelling, then they go right back and spell a high "heel" with an A. A freakin' A!!!!!!! Do people not know how confusing that can make a sentence!?!?!? I mean, really! At that point why bother sending out the message at all. Some people, I swear... ugh.
Right, so, I just finished band camp hell. 12 hours of band for 5 days straight. It really wasn't as bad as I had expected. Sure, I still can't do back-up marching in a 6 to 5 step size, but I'm getting better. I'm playing a little better, and I feel more motivated. Honestly, all through last year, I kind of hated playing my trumpet (I prefer the piano and guitar MUCH more). Well, not hate, but I just, didn't enjoy it as much as I should've.
I'd say the worst part about band camp was having to keep my trumpet up though trillions of exercises. I think at one point I stopped playing in addition to breathing. (Not exactly a brilliant idea.) I know it's not NEARLY as heavy as a marching baritone, and probably at 20th of what a Sousaphone weighs, but it still hurt. Suprisingly it wasn't my arms that did the breaking. For some reason, my back is bearing the strain. Right in the center of my back, I get this spasm of pain that comes with an unnerving and startling numbness. Like, hold it for up for five minutes and lose feeling in my back, AND risk toppling over because I can't feel the part of my body that's bearing the weight of my horn. I don't really believe this is a good thing, but uh, well, I really don't feel like breaking down in front of people with instruments 20 times the size of mine who manage to hold it up perfectly fine. I'm sure it's just a temporary thing (I hope!).
I really don't feel like having to quit because of my back. I don't think I could bear letting down this year's miniscule trumpet section. As it is, 50% of us are freshman. At that, the total is TEN trumpets. This number should stand at around 25. But, no. 10. And, I'm feeling that once the class of '09 is gone, we freshman are going to be bearing the brunt. Most of the band comes from one middle school (Pioneer). As it is, 6th graders are being put in 8th grade band because there aren't enough 8th grade trumpeteers. This means, a puny trumpet line for my entire high school experience. Is it just me, or does that kind of suck?
At any rate, I'm not quitting. Music is something that I consider a blessing in my life. Without it, I'm sure I'd go mad. (Not quite literally, but alarmingly close.) I love it too much. I remember being seven and buying my first guitar at Wal-Mart, (rest assured, it was crappy) with my grandma's birthday money. I didn't know a thing about the guitar, not how to tune it, or even how to play it. I had no clue how it worked, but I loved it. It wasn't till I was 11 that I actually took lessons. It was only for a few months, and I didn't get much out of it, but I got enough to know how to tune it, and a few chords. With the help of the internet, I'm fairly good at it. (My sister thinks I suck though. Figures, right?)
Piano started at age 11 as well. 6th grade was a turning point. You know? First introduction into the musical world. (I got my first iPod that year too. A pink mini that I lost a year and a 1/2 later at JC Penney.) I didn't want to play piano, digging up that aversion to lessons I thought I should have from what I'd seen though movies and TV. After one lesson, I loved it. I got it too. It was, not easy, but, I understood. I had a fairly comprehensive understanding of sheet music, and it just wasn't that hard for me to pick up. Sure, it took a while before I figured out you could actually MOVE your fingers from the standard CDEFG, thumb, index, middle, ring, pinky. Shocking right? Who knew when playing the piano your hands MOVED! :) But hey, I was beginning. But after not too long, I was well, amazingly good for a recent learner. I progressed at an advanced rate. After three years of playing, I can find sheet music online and play it fairly well. Unless it's like 6/8 time or something else that always succeeds in furrowing my brow.
Why am I rambling about my love for music? Well, I must say it feels good to get tings off my mind. To release my thoughts so to speak. It's time to give my brain free rein and release my thoughts through a keyboard. Though I doubt that anyone is likely to read this, EVER, I'm glad it's being put down. You never know. Perhaps my kids will one day want to know exactly what I was thinking when I was fourteen. Well, at least what I was willing to record online anyway. :-P
I think despite sleeping till noon, then napping again from 4pm-7pm, I just might need some sleep. I'm going to be SO screwed up when school starts. No way am I going to be able to get up at 5:30 a.m. I hope I have an elective first hour so my brain has time to dehibernate and remain fully conscious.
Forever hoping no one will ever read this blog unless they have no clue who I am,
emily. :) *yawn*
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