I don't know what I'm going to write here, but I just felt the need to write something. Anything.
Anyway, the title of this post comes from the episode of How I Met Your Mother, Last Words, where Marshall and the gang are at his father's funeral where the theme is "last words." Marshall realises his father's last words to him were, "plane food is ass," before remembering it was actually an "odd racist" comment about Koreans, before realising it was actually, "Rent Crocodile Dundee 3, it totally stacks up." This episode is one great episode and man, I have to applaud Jason Segel on his acting in that scene in the snow where he is yelling at God, before hearing his dad's actual final words in the form of a voice message. Beautiful stuff.
Anyway, I never thought I'd like this show, let alone love it, let alone use it constantly to cheer me up nearly everyday. It's strange but whenever I'm in a cruddy mood or just feeling bored (at least one of those feelings comes basically everyday), I'll just put on some HIMYM and feel almost instantly happier. I don't know what it is, actually, about it. I guess I kinda like the group and wish I could be like them when I'm that kind of age. You know, a really fun group of friends who genuinely care about each other, amongst all the joking. I don't want to be exactly like them, but I hope I'll have a group of friends like that when I'm in the "working world."
I also wouldn't mind turning out a bit like Robin. Independent. I admire her independence. I also wish I had a best friend like Marshall, but let's not go into my never-ending love for that character.
So, I am supposed to be doing a "skeleton draft" for my last English assignment ever right now. I just don't know what to do. This assignment sucks, man. We had a "choice" between doing a written or oral assignment based on if our grades were lower for written or oral. My grades were basically exactly the same (I'm a straight A- student...) for both, so my teacher decided to make me do oral. This terrifies me. So, so, so much. You have no clue how freaked out I've been over this.
I've also found myself becoming even more, even though I wouldn't have thought this possible, emotionally attached to fictional characters and ships between fictional characters. I genuinely think I'm compensating for something that I feel is lacking in my own life. Whether I wish I were like these characters or I wish I knew people like them. I just don't know why I find myself loving fictional characters so much that I can actually feel it in my body.
I re-watched the last two episodes of Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! this weekend. That was totally smart of me... I don't remember exactly what it was, but I think I read a short review of the manga on Wikipedia that something negative towards Usui. For some reason, this made me read the TVTropes page and read about him and feel so, so, so compelled to read the manga just so I could read more about him. I wanted to cry and hug him and read about him and learn everything about him. And, not just cause he's possible the hottest anime character I know of.
What else has been going on in my life? I had my grade 7 flute exam on Thursday. I am not quite sure how it went and I keep trying not to think about it, because my thoughts are not very positive.
I had my two last competitions for band and we got a silver for both. It's when I really love band- when we are performing and competing. That's when you realise how much of a team it is. Everyone relies on each other and we all share the successes or failures together. I will genuinely miss band.
I'm building a bridge in Physics with a group of my friends. It's not going too well, but whatever. As long as the assignment that I write on it is good, it doesn't matter if the bridge fails or not.
I have four weeks left of school. I would tell you how that makes me feel, but I don't think I can explain it and I don't think I want to, seeing as though, for some reason, I have butterflies in my stomach, am feeling really weird and emotional and am listening to Adele and Someone Like You just came on. I cannot relate to any of her music, but it always makes me feel emotional anyway.
"Never mind, I'll find someone like you..."
"I won't let you close enough to hurt me. No, I won't rescue you to just desert me. I can't give you the heart you think you gave me. It's time to say goodbye to turning tables." I don't know if those lyrics are totes correct, but whatever. Good song.
I've grown my nails pretty long in the past two weeks or so, so I've really gotten in the habit of tapping them on the desk or the laptop. I've been doing it tonight but it's started to hurt... Huh.
I've given up on my Photos of the Week. I just can't do it. I have so many other things on my mind everyday that I don't even think about the photo until Friday night/Saturday night or Sunday nights. I then spend Sundays trying to find something to take a photo of that slightly resembled my week. I forget and finally get ready to upload something two weeks later, only to find that my computer is being a bully and won't let me upload it. I don't like it becoming this extra stress that is just being done because it "has to be done," that's not what it was for. So yeah. I admit defeat.
Tumblr's stuffing up on me now. Guess it's a sign to get off.
Anyway, guess I should get off here now. I mean, the Adele CD just finished. Another sign. Bye y'all and remember- plane food is ass.
Showing posts with label flute. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flute. Show all posts
Monday, 24 October 2011
Sunday, 31 July 2011
25th-31st July 2011
Friday, 29 July 2011
Come Up With Your Own Title, Guys.
So, I'm sitting in the state library listening to Paradise Oskar and eating dried apricots. Yes, I know, I'm awesome. You can now all bask in the glory of my randomness.
So, this morning in my flute ensemble rehearsal, I learnt several different, non-traditional flute techniques. These included jet whistles (cover the entire flute embouchure and blow really quickly and harshly. It's cool), "windy sounds" as my conductor called them (similar to jet whistles but you play a scale, or random notes while covering the embouchure), pizzicatos (making popping sounds with your lips into the flute, or doing a weird thrusting thing with your tongue) and tongue rams (covering the embouchure and actually pushing your tongue through it, kind of. It's sounds weirder and grosser than it is). Personally, I love these weird techniques. Last year we learnt some and I thought they were weird but now, I love them. My school music teacher and ex-flute teacher and I were briefly talking about some of them (none of the aforementioned ones, though. I was talking to her about the technique were you actually say "ch" or "sh" into your flute) and she told me I could argue, for my Music Extension assignment, if these kinds of things are really "playing the flute". I could tell by the way she said it that, she doesn't think it's proper flute playing. I disagree. I mean, everything changes over time. 200 years ago, no one would sit in state library on a laptop listening to music through earphones and blogging, but I am now. They way we talk and write has changed so much. Styles of music have changed so much, so why can't the way we play our instruments change?
I don't know why I chose to play the flute when I was 7 years old. It was probably because it was girly and pretty- the reason most girls start to learn, if they are young. Now, however, I don't like all those pretty, frilly, Classical/Baroque, "typical flute" songs. That's what flute is stereotyped to be. High notes, quick notes, pretty notes. I love the flute in the lowest octave. It can sound so beautiful played in the lower octave. It can sounds cool high too, but when I play it, it sounds... eughcky (My new word, guys!) . I love slow, minor, emotional low flute songs. I like fast, pretty ones too, but not predictable ones. I love those songs you listen to and you go, "Oooh! That's interesting..." because you heard something you didn't expect to hear.
Maybe that's why I like these weird flute techniques. I don't think they are anymore "valid" than traditional flute techniques or any less valid. I think they're all as good as each other, it's just different.
Anyway, as you can see, I'm not doing a very good job of doing my Maths assignment.
Have you ever gone to sleep in a TERRIBLE mood (like, almost crying yourself to sleep mood) and woken up the next morning totally happy? Like, you think about the night before and you feel totally indifferent towards it? I had one of these experiences. Not going to go into the details because, frankly, talking about a bad night will make me feel... bad... and I'm feeling fine right now. A little hungry, but fine.
"When I decide to come running like Lancelot and the sirens are singing, and the sirens are singing, that I am too late..."
Guys, can I have Paradise Oskar come running to me like Lancelot? *cough* Anyway...
I'M NEARLY OUT OF DRIED APRICOTS, GUYS! AH.
I watched episode 1 of The Glee Project yesterday, as requested by nath_alex01. It was pretty good, actually. I gave up on watching Glee around half way through this season. Actually, I missed an episode and therefore didn't watch the next one and then eventually I gave up. I wasn't liking it as much. It wasn't bad but it wasn't the great, funny, still heartwarming, different Glee I knew from season 1. I loved season 1 Glee. So much. I miss it. It was good. Thinking about that usually makes me depressed. Oh well. Back to The Glee Project. I choose favourites and least favourites pretty quickly. If any of you could be stuffed to look it up, or if you know it, I shall tell you my favourites and least favourites. I really like Ellis (she's 18 and looks like she's 10. I can relate. I like her weird humour and her voice is pretty cool), Marissa (She hasn't said much, but her voice is really good and different), Cameron (Firstly, he's kind of adorkable (stole that word off Gojo, I think) and I LOVE his voice. Love it), Damien (pretty cool voice, nothing spectacular, but I ADORE his Irish accent. I swear, I could listen to him for hours) and, strangely enough, Emily. I only like her because her stuck-up, flirtiness is funny. Anyway, once I've done a little bit of work here, I might watch episode 2. Just cause the preview showed Lindsay being bitchy towards Ellis. I like bitchy TV people and I like Ellis, so yeah.
I have GOT to stop eating. I'm not even sure if you're allowed to eat in here... Whoops...
There's this kinda weird couple here. I think they're Japanese. They are funny. N'aww.
... The guy keeps running away and laughing and she's all, "LOL." Well, not actually. She does literally LOL, she doesn't say it. Now she's running. In the opposite direction... As you do. And they've left their laptops and weird camera and container of gum on the little tables. Oh my gosh! She ran over to this window on the other side from where the guy ran, and she looked at and he walked past. They're now kinda talking through the window and laughing. They're leaving the window now. These two are strange...
Oh no! Paradise Oskar's album has finished. What should I listen to now?
The more I eat, the hungrier I get. Fml.
I don't think I can do any of my Maths assignment here. I need paper and pens and space. I'll do this at home. Now, I guess I'll do... Music or something. Better stop blogging then :)
So, this morning in my flute ensemble rehearsal, I learnt several different, non-traditional flute techniques. These included jet whistles (cover the entire flute embouchure and blow really quickly and harshly. It's cool), "windy sounds" as my conductor called them (similar to jet whistles but you play a scale, or random notes while covering the embouchure), pizzicatos (making popping sounds with your lips into the flute, or doing a weird thrusting thing with your tongue) and tongue rams (covering the embouchure and actually pushing your tongue through it, kind of. It's sounds weirder and grosser than it is). Personally, I love these weird techniques. Last year we learnt some and I thought they were weird but now, I love them. My school music teacher and ex-flute teacher and I were briefly talking about some of them (none of the aforementioned ones, though. I was talking to her about the technique were you actually say "ch" or "sh" into your flute) and she told me I could argue, for my Music Extension assignment, if these kinds of things are really "playing the flute". I could tell by the way she said it that, she doesn't think it's proper flute playing. I disagree. I mean, everything changes over time. 200 years ago, no one would sit in state library on a laptop listening to music through earphones and blogging, but I am now. They way we talk and write has changed so much. Styles of music have changed so much, so why can't the way we play our instruments change?
I don't know why I chose to play the flute when I was 7 years old. It was probably because it was girly and pretty- the reason most girls start to learn, if they are young. Now, however, I don't like all those pretty, frilly, Classical/Baroque, "typical flute" songs. That's what flute is stereotyped to be. High notes, quick notes, pretty notes. I love the flute in the lowest octave. It can sound so beautiful played in the lower octave. It can sounds cool high too, but when I play it, it sounds... eughcky (My new word, guys!) . I love slow, minor, emotional low flute songs. I like fast, pretty ones too, but not predictable ones. I love those songs you listen to and you go, "Oooh! That's interesting..." because you heard something you didn't expect to hear.
Maybe that's why I like these weird flute techniques. I don't think they are anymore "valid" than traditional flute techniques or any less valid. I think they're all as good as each other, it's just different.
Anyway, as you can see, I'm not doing a very good job of doing my Maths assignment.
Have you ever gone to sleep in a TERRIBLE mood (like, almost crying yourself to sleep mood) and woken up the next morning totally happy? Like, you think about the night before and you feel totally indifferent towards it? I had one of these experiences. Not going to go into the details because, frankly, talking about a bad night will make me feel... bad... and I'm feeling fine right now. A little hungry, but fine.
"When I decide to come running like Lancelot and the sirens are singing, and the sirens are singing, that I am too late..."
Guys, can I have Paradise Oskar come running to me like Lancelot? *cough* Anyway...
I'M NEARLY OUT OF DRIED APRICOTS, GUYS! AH.
I watched episode 1 of The Glee Project yesterday, as requested by nath_alex01. It was pretty good, actually. I gave up on watching Glee around half way through this season. Actually, I missed an episode and therefore didn't watch the next one and then eventually I gave up. I wasn't liking it as much. It wasn't bad but it wasn't the great, funny, still heartwarming, different Glee I knew from season 1. I loved season 1 Glee. So much. I miss it. It was good. Thinking about that usually makes me depressed. Oh well. Back to The Glee Project. I choose favourites and least favourites pretty quickly. If any of you could be stuffed to look it up, or if you know it, I shall tell you my favourites and least favourites. I really like Ellis (she's 18 and looks like she's 10. I can relate. I like her weird humour and her voice is pretty cool), Marissa (She hasn't said much, but her voice is really good and different), Cameron (Firstly, he's kind of adorkable (stole that word off Gojo, I think) and I LOVE his voice. Love it), Damien (pretty cool voice, nothing spectacular, but I ADORE his Irish accent. I swear, I could listen to him for hours) and, strangely enough, Emily. I only like her because her stuck-up, flirtiness is funny. Anyway, once I've done a little bit of work here, I might watch episode 2. Just cause the preview showed Lindsay being bitchy towards Ellis. I like bitchy TV people and I like Ellis, so yeah.
I have GOT to stop eating. I'm not even sure if you're allowed to eat in here... Whoops...
There's this kinda weird couple here. I think they're Japanese. They are funny. N'aww.
... The guy keeps running away and laughing and she's all, "LOL." Well, not actually. She does literally LOL, she doesn't say it. Now she's running. In the opposite direction... As you do. And they've left their laptops and weird camera and container of gum on the little tables. Oh my gosh! She ran over to this window on the other side from where the guy ran, and she looked at and he walked past. They're now kinda talking through the window and laughing. They're leaving the window now. These two are strange...
Oh no! Paradise Oskar's album has finished. What should I listen to now?
The more I eat, the hungrier I get. Fml.
I don't think I can do any of my Maths assignment here. I need paper and pens and space. I'll do this at home. Now, I guess I'll do... Music or something. Better stop blogging then :)
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
You Are A Filthy Computer Who Likes To Punch Lanterns
So, today was kinda lame. And, no, that does not mean it couldn't walk...
I mean, the first half of it was alright. I guess. Well, music was boring as always, English was kinda sucky because our teacher got PMSy, but it got better. Maths sucked because I received my fat ass assignment and I don't understand how to do it. At all. Music Extension was alright, apart from emotionalness with Phantomess, but it was decent. Physics sucked. Lunch sucked. Form sucked. My Physics/Maths/Year 12 Coordinator was ticking me off to no end... But I don't really want to go into that.
Two friends of mine were really bugging me at lunch and, later, in Physics today. They seem to not get when to stop making ignorant comments. They seem to have an attitude that says, "Well I don't care about x, so I guess no one else does. Oh wait, x is really important to you? Oh well," and they just sit there mocking stuff and only caring about themselves despite the fact that you are really stressed out and annoyed and close to a breakdown and sitting at the lunch table holding back tears. They really don't seem to get that this senior formal and all the work I (and a couple of others) am putting into it is really important to me and is really stressing me out, despite the fact that they don't even want to go. This happened again in Physics, but with only one of the friends. After some... interesting comments from my teacher, I got kinda upset, annoyed and stressed again. My friend brought up his lack of caringness (look, I couldn't think of the word I wanted... Do not judge me). I started zoning out, in an attempt to ignore him or let him know I was upset and I was trying to hold back some tears again, cause that's always fun. Anyway, I THINK he might have caught on. I'm not sure... but I think he saw me looking at my face, which I'm sure didn't look too great right then, and then started cracking some lame jokes that made me laugh. It was probably my imagination of my unwarranted hope, but he MIGHT have been attempting to kind of cheer me up. A little. Maybe. Probably not, but saying this makes me kinda less mad at him.
There is this bit of plastic, or whatever, sticking up on the side of my laptop and it's kinda annoying but I don't want to try and take it off because I'll break my laptop.
Anyway, school sucks. Why? Because I don't hate it, yet I do. I get sick of the work and the stress and sometimes, I just want to be away from everyone. But when I think about next year, I wish I never had to leave school. I am TERRIFIED of next year. I don't want to have to be around new people and deal with new people and talk to new people. I love my group of friends and we are all going different places and I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm doing. People say, "At uni, do what you love and what you're good at." I'm not particularly good at anything. I'm 'pretty good' or 'alright' or 'not bad' at my subjects at school, but when I do well, it's because I do the work. It's not because I have talent in that area; I just do the work I'm supposed to do. So, that leaves me with "do what you love." But, what do I love? Oh wait, nothing. I don't have a passion for anything. I like music and Physics and English but I don't have a passion. They don't give me any ambition. I'm thinking of studying Psychology at uni next year. Why? Well, I'm not good at it, as I've never studied it before. I don't have a passion for it either. I just think it's really interesting and I have some weird fascination with mental illness. I look at careers I could get after uni and none of them interest me. I don't want to be an actual Psychologist and nothing else interests me. Maybe I'll figure it out when I'm studying. Maybe I'll realise, "This is what I want to do with my life," or something like that. But for now, having no idea, no ambition, no passion and no dream SUCKS.
Seems that having dinner put me in a better mood. For now.
... Wait. No, scratch that. My stomach's kinda hurting now. Oh, wonderful.
I have to go to a rehearsal for my school's spectacular tomorrow. Fml, guys. Then, it's Thursday. I hate Thursdays. But, it's my mum's birthday on Thursday. We haven't bought her a present yet. We have to get it tomorrow afternoon/evening, so I hope my dad can get off work early...
I'm feeling sick now. Great. As if I needed another excuse not to do instrumental practice.
I'm bored and I don't want to do school work. I'm not in a much better mood but I don't feel like going on an I-Can-Haz-Issues rant right now, either. What do y'all think I should do?
I SHOULD do my English homework but I don't want to. I SHOULD do my music assignments, but I don't want to. Well, actually, that wouldn't be an awful idea. I definitely should do some of my Maths assignment, and I just might... MIGHT.
Boredom, procrastination, lack of motivation and seriously watering eyes and plaguing me right now. I don't even know what is up with my eyes. STOP WATERING.
You know what? I'm going to stop being a lazy bum and do something school related.
... It's going to be hard to do school work when my eyes won't stop watering!
And my stomach feels like it literally moved inside of me. I call it Stomach Turbulence.
Did some flute practice. I like my pieces. Except one. I hate it. I can't play it. It's weird and doesn't make sense and feels so random. I do not like it and cannot play it and it's awful. I can't get the timing right because it's in freaking 2 and I can't play in 2 and I shall murder this piece. It will be the death of me.
It's Day 2 of Week 3 of this term and, as of today, I am already feeling mega-uber-super-duper-freaking-STRESSED. I do not deal with stress well, as I have learnt this year and this is the biggest term of all. I am not going to do well, I warn you all now. I need to get my grades up and I need to just tell people this when I'm at school. I need to stop chatting away and then feeling annoyed at them after class. If I talk and don't work/listen, it's my fault. I think I just need to say, "Hey, guys, could you be a bit more quiet, I need to work. Thanks," and just do my work. I'm going to try this, because I know I need to.
Ffffffssss--- OK, off to look at my Maths assignment.
[I got this title of a random phrase generator. It has some seriously funky background music that has put me in a better mood for like, 5 minutes]
I mean, the first half of it was alright. I guess. Well, music was boring as always, English was kinda sucky because our teacher got PMSy, but it got better. Maths sucked because I received my fat ass assignment and I don't understand how to do it. At all. Music Extension was alright, apart from emotionalness with Phantomess, but it was decent. Physics sucked. Lunch sucked. Form sucked. My Physics/Maths/Year 12 Coordinator was ticking me off to no end... But I don't really want to go into that.
Two friends of mine were really bugging me at lunch and, later, in Physics today. They seem to not get when to stop making ignorant comments. They seem to have an attitude that says, "Well I don't care about x, so I guess no one else does. Oh wait, x is really important to you? Oh well," and they just sit there mocking stuff and only caring about themselves despite the fact that you are really stressed out and annoyed and close to a breakdown and sitting at the lunch table holding back tears. They really don't seem to get that this senior formal and all the work I (and a couple of others) am putting into it is really important to me and is really stressing me out, despite the fact that they don't even want to go. This happened again in Physics, but with only one of the friends. After some... interesting comments from my teacher, I got kinda upset, annoyed and stressed again. My friend brought up his lack of caringness (look, I couldn't think of the word I wanted... Do not judge me). I started zoning out, in an attempt to ignore him or let him know I was upset and I was trying to hold back some tears again, cause that's always fun. Anyway, I THINK he might have caught on. I'm not sure... but I think he saw me looking at my face, which I'm sure didn't look too great right then, and then started cracking some lame jokes that made me laugh. It was probably my imagination of my unwarranted hope, but he MIGHT have been attempting to kind of cheer me up. A little. Maybe. Probably not, but saying this makes me kinda less mad at him.
There is this bit of plastic, or whatever, sticking up on the side of my laptop and it's kinda annoying but I don't want to try and take it off because I'll break my laptop.
Anyway, school sucks. Why? Because I don't hate it, yet I do. I get sick of the work and the stress and sometimes, I just want to be away from everyone. But when I think about next year, I wish I never had to leave school. I am TERRIFIED of next year. I don't want to have to be around new people and deal with new people and talk to new people. I love my group of friends and we are all going different places and I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm doing. People say, "At uni, do what you love and what you're good at." I'm not particularly good at anything. I'm 'pretty good' or 'alright' or 'not bad' at my subjects at school, but when I do well, it's because I do the work. It's not because I have talent in that area; I just do the work I'm supposed to do. So, that leaves me with "do what you love." But, what do I love? Oh wait, nothing. I don't have a passion for anything. I like music and Physics and English but I don't have a passion. They don't give me any ambition. I'm thinking of studying Psychology at uni next year. Why? Well, I'm not good at it, as I've never studied it before. I don't have a passion for it either. I just think it's really interesting and I have some weird fascination with mental illness. I look at careers I could get after uni and none of them interest me. I don't want to be an actual Psychologist and nothing else interests me. Maybe I'll figure it out when I'm studying. Maybe I'll realise, "This is what I want to do with my life," or something like that. But for now, having no idea, no ambition, no passion and no dream SUCKS.
Seems that having dinner put me in a better mood. For now.
... Wait. No, scratch that. My stomach's kinda hurting now. Oh, wonderful.
I have to go to a rehearsal for my school's spectacular tomorrow. Fml, guys. Then, it's Thursday. I hate Thursdays. But, it's my mum's birthday on Thursday. We haven't bought her a present yet. We have to get it tomorrow afternoon/evening, so I hope my dad can get off work early...
I'm feeling sick now. Great. As if I needed another excuse not to do instrumental practice.
I'm bored and I don't want to do school work. I'm not in a much better mood but I don't feel like going on an I-Can-Haz-Issues rant right now, either. What do y'all think I should do?
I SHOULD do my English homework but I don't want to. I SHOULD do my music assignments, but I don't want to. Well, actually, that wouldn't be an awful idea. I definitely should do some of my Maths assignment, and I just might... MIGHT.
Boredom, procrastination, lack of motivation and seriously watering eyes and plaguing me right now. I don't even know what is up with my eyes. STOP WATERING.
You know what? I'm going to stop being a lazy bum and do something school related.
... It's going to be hard to do school work when my eyes won't stop watering!
And my stomach feels like it literally moved inside of me. I call it Stomach Turbulence.
Did some flute practice. I like my pieces. Except one. I hate it. I can't play it. It's weird and doesn't make sense and feels so random. I do not like it and cannot play it and it's awful. I can't get the timing right because it's in freaking 2 and I can't play in 2 and I shall murder this piece. It will be the death of me.
It's Day 2 of Week 3 of this term and, as of today, I am already feeling mega-uber-super-duper-freaking-STRESSED. I do not deal with stress well, as I have learnt this year and this is the biggest term of all. I am not going to do well, I warn you all now. I need to get my grades up and I need to just tell people this when I'm at school. I need to stop chatting away and then feeling annoyed at them after class. If I talk and don't work/listen, it's my fault. I think I just need to say, "Hey, guys, could you be a bit more quiet, I need to work. Thanks," and just do my work. I'm going to try this, because I know I need to.
Ffffffssss--- OK, off to look at my Maths assignment.
[I got this title of a random phrase generator. It has some seriously funky background music that has put me in a better mood for like, 5 minutes]
Monday, 11 July 2011
4th-10th July 2011
Friday, 24 June 2011
Aulophobia - Fear Of Flutes.
So, when preparing for instrumental exams, I have a theory. There is always that ONE song that you hate. You'll hate it because, whether or not it is technically more difficult than the others, it's hardest for you to play. You'll hate it because, it may not be hard, you just hate the song itself, whether you can play it well or not. You'll hate it because it has caused you the most grief leading up to the exam for these reasons.
I am currently preparing for two exams this year- my grade 5 tenor saxophone and grade 7 flute. I have previously done 3 exams and all of these have proven my theory.
My first proper instrumental exam was my grade 4 flute last year. My hated song: Comic Song. It was the last song I learnt out of the three and, even though it looks very simple, it, for some reason, caused me a lot of grief to play. I look back at it now and want to cringe, because it looks so simple, but it was my worst then. And besides, it was a pretty lame song, anyway.
My next exam was my grade 3 saxophone. My hated song was called Plaza De Toros. Now, I don't know why, I just never liked it. I didn't find it fun and I didn't like the sound of it. My instrumental teacher loved it, however. I'm pretty sure I got a pretty good mark for it, regardless.
The next exam was my grade 5 flute, towards the end of last year. This is what I think about when thinking of my theory. My hated piece was Handel's 8th Sonata in F Major, Movement 2, Allegro. This piece was the death of me. I detested it. Now, actually, it's a pretty nice piece and I don't hate the piece itself. I just hated playing it. I, and the other girl in my flute group, had great difficulty playing this song. It made instrumental lessons dreadful as we would stuff up almost constantly and our teacher would get frustrated and yell, almost constantly. We would go through our scales and other pieces and then she would groan and say, "Now, get out the Handel...." and the other girl and I would internally panic a bit. It was awful. Come to think of it, it took me awhile to like another grade 5 piece of mine called Rumbah. I did like it in the end though, and actually enjoyed playing it. Basically, the preparation for that exam was awful, but the result at the end was good.
Now, I am supposed to be doing my grade 5 saxophone at the end of August and there is an obvious hated song. It is called Saxsequential. I actually kinda like the piece, it's fun and lively, which is a contrast from my two other pieces, which are quite emotional. I cannot play it though. The articulation, the dynamics, the swung rhythms (actually, I find that quite easy), the random accidentals, the entire second half of the song. My other pieces are fine. One is quite good, the other can be good if I play my top notes well. My scales are fine and I'm sure it won't take too long for me to get the hang of the aural tests again. It's just this song. If anything lets me down in this exam, it'll be this song. I've been practicing it this morning and playing it through slowly. It's strange, but with this piece, sometimes I'll play it at home and it'll suck. I'll freak out in my lesson, play it, and it'll be fine, even good. Then, I'll play it at home and it'll be pretty good. I'll turn up to my lesson and it'll be terrible. It makes no sense. Ugh.
For my flute exam, it's harder to choose, as I don't have all my pieces yet. I have a feeling it will be my study, though, called Boiling Point. I don't like it, already. And, again, my instrumental teacher loves it. It feels... weird to me. It's interesting and unusual and it doesn't look very difficult. It's not really difficult, but for some reason, I find it hard. I cannot play it well at all.
Oh well. I'm pretty sure blogging about the pieces I can't play isn't going to help me play them any better.
Guys, my computer's sound isn't working. I was trying to watch the TVTropes video of the week, but I couldn't hear anything. When I press the volume buttons, I could hear the sound it makes to tell you you've turned it up, but no videos are making sound. How am I supposed to check the rhythm in a section of my sax piece and then laugh at the TVTropes video and ship the main guy and girl together (they have total BST, guys. Cannot wait till they do that trope) when my sound isn't working?!?
Also, there is ONE chapter of a manga I'm downloading that won't work. ONE CHAPTER. Sigh. All of the others work fine. Why is this one different? Hm? It's in a different format to the 17 chapters before it. Why would you do that? The chapter after it works fine too. So dumb. Gosh. I guess I'll download all the other chapters and read that one online, even though I hate reading manga online.
I am currently preparing for two exams this year- my grade 5 tenor saxophone and grade 7 flute. I have previously done 3 exams and all of these have proven my theory.
My first proper instrumental exam was my grade 4 flute last year. My hated song: Comic Song. It was the last song I learnt out of the three and, even though it looks very simple, it, for some reason, caused me a lot of grief to play. I look back at it now and want to cringe, because it looks so simple, but it was my worst then. And besides, it was a pretty lame song, anyway.
My next exam was my grade 3 saxophone. My hated song was called Plaza De Toros. Now, I don't know why, I just never liked it. I didn't find it fun and I didn't like the sound of it. My instrumental teacher loved it, however. I'm pretty sure I got a pretty good mark for it, regardless.
The next exam was my grade 5 flute, towards the end of last year. This is what I think about when thinking of my theory. My hated piece was Handel's 8th Sonata in F Major, Movement 2, Allegro. This piece was the death of me. I detested it. Now, actually, it's a pretty nice piece and I don't hate the piece itself. I just hated playing it. I, and the other girl in my flute group, had great difficulty playing this song. It made instrumental lessons dreadful as we would stuff up almost constantly and our teacher would get frustrated and yell, almost constantly. We would go through our scales and other pieces and then she would groan and say, "Now, get out the Handel...." and the other girl and I would internally panic a bit. It was awful. Come to think of it, it took me awhile to like another grade 5 piece of mine called Rumbah. I did like it in the end though, and actually enjoyed playing it. Basically, the preparation for that exam was awful, but the result at the end was good.
Now, I am supposed to be doing my grade 5 saxophone at the end of August and there is an obvious hated song. It is called Saxsequential. I actually kinda like the piece, it's fun and lively, which is a contrast from my two other pieces, which are quite emotional. I cannot play it though. The articulation, the dynamics, the swung rhythms (actually, I find that quite easy), the random accidentals, the entire second half of the song. My other pieces are fine. One is quite good, the other can be good if I play my top notes well. My scales are fine and I'm sure it won't take too long for me to get the hang of the aural tests again. It's just this song. If anything lets me down in this exam, it'll be this song. I've been practicing it this morning and playing it through slowly. It's strange, but with this piece, sometimes I'll play it at home and it'll suck. I'll freak out in my lesson, play it, and it'll be fine, even good. Then, I'll play it at home and it'll be pretty good. I'll turn up to my lesson and it'll be terrible. It makes no sense. Ugh.
For my flute exam, it's harder to choose, as I don't have all my pieces yet. I have a feeling it will be my study, though, called Boiling Point. I don't like it, already. And, again, my instrumental teacher loves it. It feels... weird to me. It's interesting and unusual and it doesn't look very difficult. It's not really difficult, but for some reason, I find it hard. I cannot play it well at all.
Oh well. I'm pretty sure blogging about the pieces I can't play isn't going to help me play them any better.
Guys, my computer's sound isn't working. I was trying to watch the TVTropes video of the week, but I couldn't hear anything. When I press the volume buttons, I could hear the sound it makes to tell you you've turned it up, but no videos are making sound. How am I supposed to check the rhythm in a section of my sax piece and then laugh at the TVTropes video and ship the main guy and girl together (they have total BST, guys. Cannot wait till they do that trope) when my sound isn't working?!?
Also, there is ONE chapter of a manga I'm downloading that won't work. ONE CHAPTER. Sigh. All of the others work fine. Why is this one different? Hm? It's in a different format to the 17 chapters before it. Why would you do that? The chapter after it works fine too. So dumb. Gosh. I guess I'll download all the other chapters and read that one online, even though I hate reading manga online.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
30th-5th May/June 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
Conversation of Mass
Chillin' in the State Library again. Googling "conservation of mass" or as Albino says, "conversation of mass."
So, I had my last Flute Ensemble rehearsal before our concert about half an hour ago. Last night I freaked out. Literally. We have this really hard piece called Whirpool. It's fast, full of triplets and many, many accidentals. There was one particular line I could not play and she told off my section last week for playing it VERY wrong. Last night I played it like, 50 times (in between being on the internet and watching episode 8 of AnoHana (we'll get to that later)) and could OCCASIONALLY play it right and at the correct-ish tempo. I was tearing my hair out. Almost literally. Anyway, after dinner and going to Maccas for desert (love Friday nights with my parents. Both brothers go to youth groups and we usually go get Maccas desert in between. Mmm) I practiced some more and at about 9pm, I had a breakdown. Serious. It was not pretty. Crying, shaking, blubbering mess just freaking out about today and next week's concert. My mum was trying to calm me down saying, "It's OK. All you can do is keep practicing. It'll be fine. Your concert was great last year, just ask your conductors questions," etc. It was... interesting. I realised then how much I worry bout little things. See, I'm not so worried about the actual concert. Whatever. If I stuff up (and I WILL) it's OK. I am freaking out about where I'll store my saxophone during my flute concert, where I'll get changed in between concerts, if I'll get lost in between and stupid little thing like that. Those things will be fine, but that's what freaks me out the most. It's so dumb. You see, I freak out about these things in the week/s leading up to the event, but it's always fine when it actually happens. For example, my Flute Ensemble rehearsal, which the thought of made me a blubbering mess, went well. It was actually quite good. Thank God. Literally. I was standing there at the end internally going, "THANK YOU, GOD!!" Because I'd been praying last night that He would help me stay calm and just do my best today. I would do a religious rant on how much my praying has changed over the last year thanks to one particular song, but that could take hours and I'm supposed to be starting my second Physics assignment...
BUT, I want to talk about Ano Hana. I watched episode 8 last night. It was wonderful. Truly wonderful. I will try not to give away any spoilers but it made me want to cry. Twice. I nearly did. Twice. It's such an emotional show and I am so glad I found it because I was really looking for a tearjerker kind of show. This show's going to make it into my Top 3 Animes for sure. So far, my all-time favourites are Fruits Basket and Kaichou wa Maid-Sama and I am almost certain this will be in this group once it's done. Well, it's already up there and it's only up to episode 8. I am so addicted :) I'm going to watch episode 1 of Durarara!! tonight, hopefully.
So, I had my last Flute Ensemble rehearsal before our concert about half an hour ago. Last night I freaked out. Literally. We have this really hard piece called Whirpool. It's fast, full of triplets and many, many accidentals. There was one particular line I could not play and she told off my section last week for playing it VERY wrong. Last night I played it like, 50 times (in between being on the internet and watching episode 8 of AnoHana (we'll get to that later)) and could OCCASIONALLY play it right and at the correct-ish tempo. I was tearing my hair out. Almost literally. Anyway, after dinner and going to Maccas for desert (love Friday nights with my parents. Both brothers go to youth groups and we usually go get Maccas desert in between. Mmm) I practiced some more and at about 9pm, I had a breakdown. Serious. It was not pretty. Crying, shaking, blubbering mess just freaking out about today and next week's concert. My mum was trying to calm me down saying, "It's OK. All you can do is keep practicing. It'll be fine. Your concert was great last year, just ask your conductors questions," etc. It was... interesting. I realised then how much I worry bout little things. See, I'm not so worried about the actual concert. Whatever. If I stuff up (and I WILL) it's OK. I am freaking out about where I'll store my saxophone during my flute concert, where I'll get changed in between concerts, if I'll get lost in between and stupid little thing like that. Those things will be fine, but that's what freaks me out the most. It's so dumb. You see, I freak out about these things in the week/s leading up to the event, but it's always fine when it actually happens. For example, my Flute Ensemble rehearsal, which the thought of made me a blubbering mess, went well. It was actually quite good. Thank God. Literally. I was standing there at the end internally going, "THANK YOU, GOD!!" Because I'd been praying last night that He would help me stay calm and just do my best today. I would do a religious rant on how much my praying has changed over the last year thanks to one particular song, but that could take hours and I'm supposed to be starting my second Physics assignment...
BUT, I want to talk about Ano Hana. I watched episode 8 last night. It was wonderful. Truly wonderful. I will try not to give away any spoilers but it made me want to cry. Twice. I nearly did. Twice. It's such an emotional show and I am so glad I found it because I was really looking for a tearjerker kind of show. This show's going to make it into my Top 3 Animes for sure. So far, my all-time favourites are Fruits Basket and Kaichou wa Maid-Sama and I am almost certain this will be in this group once it's done. Well, it's already up there and it's only up to episode 8. I am so addicted :) I'm going to watch episode 1 of Durarara!! tonight, hopefully.
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| N'awws. |
So, basically I have several ships and one-sided ships in this show. In my opinion Tsuruko (far left above) should be in love with Yukiatsu (second from left above). Yukiatsu should, however, be in love with Menma (chick next to him). Menma should not really be in love with anyone. Jintan (guy next to Menma) should have a thing for either girl next to him, but I don't really mind if he isn't in love with either. Anaru (next to Jintan) should be, and is, in love with Jintan. Poppo (on the end) shouldn't be in love with anyone. He's just the comic relief. So, in my ideal shipping world, everyone would end up being depressed over unrequited love? Hm. Depressing. But, weirdly enough, that's how I'd like it. I can't see any of them being couples.
I'll be off now. I need to put more tags in my blog to get more views, guys. My most tagged things are Fruits Basket and Relient K. Not surprising at all.
That weird moment when you think you've seen your Music Teacher walk past. It wasn't her. All is right with the world.
I have the compulsion to look at the Ano Hana TVTropes page... Oh dear...
Friday, 27 May 2011
Not Happy, Jan!
Yo, blogger peeps. Totes chilling in the State Library now. Opening my Physics assignment. Due on Tuesday. Whoop. -_- I thought I would share with you much randomness.
So, walking into the library about 5 minutes ago, I saw a man sitting alone and the first thing I thought was, "He looks British. If he starts talking and doesn't have a kinda posh English accent, I'll be very surprised." How does someone look British. I do not know. Unfortunately, he didn't just start randomly talking like a crazy person, so I couldn't test my theory.
I also saw a man who looked like he didn't have a face. He looked like an... Auton (I believe that's what they're called) from Doctor Who. Basically, walking mannequin alien dudes. Yeah, I freaked out a little then he raised his head and funnily enough, he had a face. He's a human being. Not an alien from Doctor Who. Hallelujah for that.
I had a slightly embarassing time in my Flute Ensemble rehearsal this morning. 4 people in my part have to play a high D-flat. Worst note on the flute. Awful. We were so out-of-tune because I was SUPER SHARP. We spent awhile trying to rectify that sharpness and failed. I adjusted everything that could be adjusted and was still sharp. So, she got me to play the fingering for low D-flat/C-sharp and overblow, to try and play a harmonic. Yeah, I had to play a note 2 octaves above the one I was fingering. Fun. I got one octave. Then 3 octaves. Mmm. I fluctuated between playing a bit low and too high. Finally I got it and held it (every other time I got it, it was for about 2 seconds) and we tuned that with another guy. It was flat. F my life. So, after all that, we decided that one guy in our section will play that note and the rest of us won't.
Gotta write an abstract for my Physics. It's annoying. We've got to do an abstract, introduction AND background information. So far, my abstract and intro are VERY similar. And all of these "How To Write An Abstract" websites aren't really helping...
"Abstracts have always served the function of "selling" your work." So, I've got to try and sell my Physics assignment. I am completely sure no one would want to buy this. Really. Who in the right mind would pay money to read a year 12 analyse the physics in the Tower of Terror in about 2000 words? Not me, that's for sure.
123 words, guys. Big enough abstract. Sure. Wait, no, I'll facebook some of my Physics bros to see what they have. Even though the one who will have the best abstract won't reply to me, I'm sure. Grr.
Sent a message to like, 5 guys. One of them's bound to answer. I just hope they don't answer with, "i haven't done mine yet. i dunno how to. lol" I'll facepalm if that happens.
My posture here is hurting my back. Ouchies. Actually, it's my neck. Actually, it's the back of my neck.
What are you talking about? Constantly correcting myself and blogging about the pain in my neck is not weak form of procrastination.
My teacher told me to make my introduction sound interesting. It was boring. Pretty sure that reflects the rest of my assignment.
Well, I see Phantomess coming towards me. So long, dudes.
So, walking into the library about 5 minutes ago, I saw a man sitting alone and the first thing I thought was, "He looks British. If he starts talking and doesn't have a kinda posh English accent, I'll be very surprised." How does someone look British. I do not know. Unfortunately, he didn't just start randomly talking like a crazy person, so I couldn't test my theory.
I also saw a man who looked like he didn't have a face. He looked like an... Auton (I believe that's what they're called) from Doctor Who. Basically, walking mannequin alien dudes. Yeah, I freaked out a little then he raised his head and funnily enough, he had a face. He's a human being. Not an alien from Doctor Who. Hallelujah for that.
I had a slightly embarassing time in my Flute Ensemble rehearsal this morning. 4 people in my part have to play a high D-flat. Worst note on the flute. Awful. We were so out-of-tune because I was SUPER SHARP. We spent awhile trying to rectify that sharpness and failed. I adjusted everything that could be adjusted and was still sharp. So, she got me to play the fingering for low D-flat/C-sharp and overblow, to try and play a harmonic. Yeah, I had to play a note 2 octaves above the one I was fingering. Fun. I got one octave. Then 3 octaves. Mmm. I fluctuated between playing a bit low and too high. Finally I got it and held it (every other time I got it, it was for about 2 seconds) and we tuned that with another guy. It was flat. F my life. So, after all that, we decided that one guy in our section will play that note and the rest of us won't.
Gotta write an abstract for my Physics. It's annoying. We've got to do an abstract, introduction AND background information. So far, my abstract and intro are VERY similar. And all of these "How To Write An Abstract" websites aren't really helping...
"Abstracts have always served the function of "selling" your work." So, I've got to try and sell my Physics assignment. I am completely sure no one would want to buy this. Really. Who in the right mind would pay money to read a year 12 analyse the physics in the Tower of Terror in about 2000 words? Not me, that's for sure.
123 words, guys. Big enough abstract. Sure. Wait, no, I'll facebook some of my Physics bros to see what they have. Even though the one who will have the best abstract won't reply to me, I'm sure. Grr.
Sent a message to like, 5 guys. One of them's bound to answer. I just hope they don't answer with, "i haven't done mine yet. i dunno how to. lol" I'll facepalm if that happens.
My posture here is hurting my back. Ouchies. Actually, it's my neck. Actually, it's the back of my neck.
What are you talking about? Constantly correcting myself and blogging about the pain in my neck is not weak form of procrastination.
My teacher told me to make my introduction sound interesting. It was boring. Pretty sure that reflects the rest of my assignment.
Well, I see Phantomess coming towards me. So long, dudes.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
And Now We Yell In Fortissimo…
So, I just had a weird emotional moment before doing some flute practice. It was pretty weird and cheesy and unexpected and nostalgic and completely out-of-the-blue but I have finally realised some things.
Beware, what I say next may sound excessively lame and cheesy and just WEIRD. You have been warned.
Anywho, so, I'm setting up my flute and cleaning it (Yeah. I clean before I play, because I couldn't be stuffed to clean it after band this morning) and something (I can't remember what) made me feel some weird connection with this metal stick that makes music. I started thinking of it as my friend, in a way. I realised that it's actually pretty special to me. I mean, I talk to it. I'm always apologising to it when I don't take care of it or when I get angry at it when I can't play. Just like I talk to many inanimate objects.
But I realised I don't ever really blame my instrument when I suck at playing. I always know it's me. I've never hated the flute. I have hated playing the flute and I have hated my lack of talent and the pressure that comes with playing the flute, but I've always loved the flute. I think it's a beautiful instrument that makes beautiful music. I often feel as though I am shaming it.
I really do personify my flute. That's what I realised this afternoon, sitting on the floor cleaning the body joint.
I also realised I really don't want to give up music after school. I may have lost some of my passion, but I'm still a muso at heart. I still love music jokes and I love sitting up the back of my music class knowing everything the teacher's saying because it's easy and I've learnt it all through instrumental.
I don't mind band. Well, not the junior one I'm in, that one sucks. But my other band, in which I am first flute and the section leader of the flutes, is alright. I mean, it's pretty cool playing with so many other people and different instruments and, when I think about it, I think I've learnt a lot about being an instrumentalist from being in bands.
I like a lot of things about being a muso and an instrumentalist and, in a moment before playing my flute this afternoon, I realised just how different my life could be if I give it up entirely, as I had planned. Well, I hadn't planned to give it up ENTIRELY. I was planning on keeping my flute, hoping to buy or hire a tenor saxophone eventually and just play them for fun when I feel like it. This still could make my life SO different.
I don't want to give it up. Before tonight, I had pretty much decided that I was going to study a Bachelor of Arts next year, majoring in Psychology and Spanish because I realised how interested I am in both of those and how I have loved both for years. I could major in music, but I'd have to compromise one of those. I don't want to. I love the idea of doing Psychology and Spanish. I really want to and I was so happy with that plan, but now I'm not so sure.
The music major in the Bachelor of Arts looks SO boring and no careers in music have ever really interested me. I know I could do Psychology and Music and get into Music Therapy.. But that doesn't interest me.
I got really nostalgic holding my flute. I realised I had been through a lot with this little instrument. I mean, I have only owned my own flute since June last year, but still. I have played this instrument since grade 4, when I was only 8 years old. Dang, I have grown up and changed a LOT since then and so has my playing and my attitude towards playing.
My current flute has been with me since the day I did my first exam, last year. I did my grade 4 exam and we went to the shop downstairs from the examination room and my mum bought me a flute. I was so excited. I immediately texted my teacher to tell her. It has been through Band Camp with me, many performances, my grade 5 flute exam and most recently, has been through The Instrumental Recession of 2010/2011.
Now, I'm particularly emotional lately and whatnot. So, like, I cried. Yep. That's right. I was sitting there on my floor, surrounded by flute cleaning equipment, holding my flute crying. Only for a little bit. Then I got up and played. My practice went pretty well, too.
I really need to consider my options. How can I fit Psychology, Music and Spanish into my life? That's what I need to work out...
Beware, what I say next may sound excessively lame and cheesy and just WEIRD. You have been warned.
Anywho, so, I'm setting up my flute and cleaning it (Yeah. I clean before I play, because I couldn't be stuffed to clean it after band this morning) and something (I can't remember what) made me feel some weird connection with this metal stick that makes music. I started thinking of it as my friend, in a way. I realised that it's actually pretty special to me. I mean, I talk to it. I'm always apologising to it when I don't take care of it or when I get angry at it when I can't play. Just like I talk to many inanimate objects.
But I realised I don't ever really blame my instrument when I suck at playing. I always know it's me. I've never hated the flute. I have hated playing the flute and I have hated my lack of talent and the pressure that comes with playing the flute, but I've always loved the flute. I think it's a beautiful instrument that makes beautiful music. I often feel as though I am shaming it.
I really do personify my flute. That's what I realised this afternoon, sitting on the floor cleaning the body joint.
I also realised I really don't want to give up music after school. I may have lost some of my passion, but I'm still a muso at heart. I still love music jokes and I love sitting up the back of my music class knowing everything the teacher's saying because it's easy and I've learnt it all through instrumental.
I don't mind band. Well, not the junior one I'm in, that one sucks. But my other band, in which I am first flute and the section leader of the flutes, is alright. I mean, it's pretty cool playing with so many other people and different instruments and, when I think about it, I think I've learnt a lot about being an instrumentalist from being in bands.
I like a lot of things about being a muso and an instrumentalist and, in a moment before playing my flute this afternoon, I realised just how different my life could be if I give it up entirely, as I had planned. Well, I hadn't planned to give it up ENTIRELY. I was planning on keeping my flute, hoping to buy or hire a tenor saxophone eventually and just play them for fun when I feel like it. This still could make my life SO different.
I don't want to give it up. Before tonight, I had pretty much decided that I was going to study a Bachelor of Arts next year, majoring in Psychology and Spanish because I realised how interested I am in both of those and how I have loved both for years. I could major in music, but I'd have to compromise one of those. I don't want to. I love the idea of doing Psychology and Spanish. I really want to and I was so happy with that plan, but now I'm not so sure.
The music major in the Bachelor of Arts looks SO boring and no careers in music have ever really interested me. I know I could do Psychology and Music and get into Music Therapy.. But that doesn't interest me.
I got really nostalgic holding my flute. I realised I had been through a lot with this little instrument. I mean, I have only owned my own flute since June last year, but still. I have played this instrument since grade 4, when I was only 8 years old. Dang, I have grown up and changed a LOT since then and so has my playing and my attitude towards playing.
My current flute has been with me since the day I did my first exam, last year. I did my grade 4 exam and we went to the shop downstairs from the examination room and my mum bought me a flute. I was so excited. I immediately texted my teacher to tell her. It has been through Band Camp with me, many performances, my grade 5 flute exam and most recently, has been through The Instrumental Recession of 2010/2011.
Now, I'm particularly emotional lately and whatnot. So, like, I cried. Yep. That's right. I was sitting there on my floor, surrounded by flute cleaning equipment, holding my flute crying. Only for a little bit. Then I got up and played. My practice went pretty well, too.
I really need to consider my options. How can I fit Psychology, Music and Spanish into my life? That's what I need to work out...
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| SCARY FLAUTIST. |
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| Talented artist, man. |
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
我玩长笛
That apparently, according to my good friend, Google Translate, means, "I play the flute," and drawing back on my Chinese-learning history, I think that is correct. Anyway, yes, I do play the flute. It would be pretty pointless to put that as the title if it were a lie. And, to lie in Chinese too! I would not go that far...
When I started attending my current school, back in grade 3, you had to learn violin. You were allowed to choose a different instrument, or quit instrumental altogether (I think...) in grade 4. So, yes, I only had to learn violin for one year. Thank goodness! Now, when played well, the violin really can be a beautiful instrument, but truly, I hated it. I practiced approximately 5 minutes a week, never got better and never wanted to. Truly hated it. I don't really know what compelled me to choose the flute when the time came in grade 4; it was probably because it was girly and pretty. If I hadn't chosen it then, and were starting a brand new instrument now, based on my current personality, I would not choose flute. I'd be all, "Ew. Girly, pretty and high. Um, no" and I'd choose something like Bass Clarinet, maybe saxophone (though I never had an interest in playing sax until about a year and a half ago, but we'll get to that later) or something a little more unusual. But who cares what I'd choose now? I chose flute then and I am so glad I did. I may not like the fact that the mot common flute pieces are pretty and make you picture birds and the fact that a lot of girls like to play flute, but I really do love it.
I've been watching this new anime over the past 2 weeks or so. It is called La Corda D'Oro. It is about a school where the students are divided into being either General-Ed Students, or Music Students. There is a yearly competition called the concours where about 6 Music Students are chosen to be a part of a competition. They have 4 Selections, where they must perform a piece, in front of a large crowd and judges, fitting into the chosen theme. In this anime, one girl was chosen from the Gen-Ed department and everyone (including her, no- especially her) was all, "LOLWHAT." She didn't even play an instrument. Then, a fairy turned up in front of her and was all, "Hey. This dude saved my life a LONG time ago and I promised I'd bless his school with the gift of music. So, like, here's this magic violin. Anyone can play it. Take and play it and be a part of the concours." She's all, " 0_0", but eventually, she gets into it and gets pretty dang good and learns to really love the violin. Now sure, she encounters issues along the way, like breaking the strings of the violin because of her impatient feelings (Oh, did I neglect to mention that you only really make a good sound with this magic violin if you have warm, positive, music-loving feelings in your heart? Yeah, cheesy, but kinda nice at times) and stuff. Oh, and every guy in the concours-except maybe one, but I can't tell- falls in love with her. You really would think none of them had ever met girls before, but whatever. Anyway, this anime is really good and has been the only thing inspiring me to practice my instruments at all these holidays.
I became pretty serious about my music a few years ago. I considered quitting flute because they had made it a rule that, if you played an instrument, you had to be in the band, and I did NOT want to be in the band. My fun-loving, laid-back, completely un-strict flute teacher left and was replaced with a still fun-loving but less laid-back teacher. She pushed me to actually try and get better, which none of my teachers really had before (especially not the one before, who'd just laugh if I hardly practiced and would smile if I stuffed up). My teacher now does not laugh if you stuff up and would want to kill me if I practiced as little as I used to. But it's good, because she made me actually love my instrument and like playing it. This was year 9, when I became a muso :)
In year 10, I was definitely a muso and towards the end of the year, auditioned for the Flute Ensemble at the local Conservatorium (calling it my "local conservatorium" makes it sound as common as a convenience store, haha) and got in. I also came to really like band. And, in Term 4 that year, I started playing the Tenor Sax. Mainly because I wanted to play something else because a lot of my friends were. Stupid reason, but I'm glad I made that choice.
My love for my music has most certainly dwindled over the past year. Doing 3 exams last year gave me so much pressure, especially the last one- my grade 5 flute exam. I just wanted to be good and not have to put in so much work. I still do. But it doesn't work that way, unfortunately. At the end of last year, I would DREAD going to my flute lessons because I would get yelled at if it wasn't good enough and compared to the other flautist in my group. Actually, she always has compared the two of us because we both play flute and saxophone and are at similar levels. I don't want to be her competition though, because we get along quite well, but whatever.
This year, I just have had no motivation. My lessons worry me and somewhat, scare me, because I feel I'm never as good as my teacher wants me to be. Band has become less fun because, as section leader of the flute section, and one of the oldest, and therefore leaders, of the band, there is a lot of pressure to get it right and I don't, most of the time. I go home and never want to practice. If I do practice, I'll stuff up and get depressed because it's not good enough. It's never good enough. Even if my teacher says it's good, it's not always good enough for me.
I've learnt something though, over the past few months or so. I don't want my music to become a hassle and a chore. Sometimes I just go, "You know what? I really feel like playing my flute," and I'll get it out and play for half-an-hour and feel good. If I don't feel like it, however, I won't play for long, I'll get frustrated, angry, pull my hair out and cry, because it's not good enough. Then I won't practice. Then I'll get worse. So I won't practice. It's a vicious cycle. I don't want it to become like that at all. I want to love playing the flute.
I like tenor saxophone too, but I don't love it. I don't know why, but it doesn't give me as much joy. It also doesn't give me as much stress, since it's my second instrument. I like it and I want to be better, but I don't have the wish to get better as much as I do with flute.
Watching La Corda D'Oro has made me want to be so good at flute but again, I still don't want to practice. I want to just be able to pick it up and play it and play really beautiful music. But I can't yet. Maybe someday, after I've finished school, after I've finished the pressure of exams with school, when I am able to play without any pressure at all, I will be able to pick up my flute and just play and do this beautiful instrument justice. I hope so.
When I started attending my current school, back in grade 3, you had to learn violin. You were allowed to choose a different instrument, or quit instrumental altogether (I think...) in grade 4. So, yes, I only had to learn violin for one year. Thank goodness! Now, when played well, the violin really can be a beautiful instrument, but truly, I hated it. I practiced approximately 5 minutes a week, never got better and never wanted to. Truly hated it. I don't really know what compelled me to choose the flute when the time came in grade 4; it was probably because it was girly and pretty. If I hadn't chosen it then, and were starting a brand new instrument now, based on my current personality, I would not choose flute. I'd be all, "Ew. Girly, pretty and high. Um, no" and I'd choose something like Bass Clarinet, maybe saxophone (though I never had an interest in playing sax until about a year and a half ago, but we'll get to that later) or something a little more unusual. But who cares what I'd choose now? I chose flute then and I am so glad I did. I may not like the fact that the mot common flute pieces are pretty and make you picture birds and the fact that a lot of girls like to play flute, but I really do love it.
I've been watching this new anime over the past 2 weeks or so. It is called La Corda D'Oro. It is about a school where the students are divided into being either General-Ed Students, or Music Students. There is a yearly competition called the concours where about 6 Music Students are chosen to be a part of a competition. They have 4 Selections, where they must perform a piece, in front of a large crowd and judges, fitting into the chosen theme. In this anime, one girl was chosen from the Gen-Ed department and everyone (including her, no- especially her) was all, "LOLWHAT." She didn't even play an instrument. Then, a fairy turned up in front of her and was all, "Hey. This dude saved my life a LONG time ago and I promised I'd bless his school with the gift of music. So, like, here's this magic violin. Anyone can play it. Take and play it and be a part of the concours." She's all, " 0_0", but eventually, she gets into it and gets pretty dang good and learns to really love the violin. Now sure, she encounters issues along the way, like breaking the strings of the violin because of her impatient feelings (Oh, did I neglect to mention that you only really make a good sound with this magic violin if you have warm, positive, music-loving feelings in your heart? Yeah, cheesy, but kinda nice at times) and stuff. Oh, and every guy in the concours-except maybe one, but I can't tell- falls in love with her. You really would think none of them had ever met girls before, but whatever. Anyway, this anime is really good and has been the only thing inspiring me to practice my instruments at all these holidays.
I became pretty serious about my music a few years ago. I considered quitting flute because they had made it a rule that, if you played an instrument, you had to be in the band, and I did NOT want to be in the band. My fun-loving, laid-back, completely un-strict flute teacher left and was replaced with a still fun-loving but less laid-back teacher. She pushed me to actually try and get better, which none of my teachers really had before (especially not the one before, who'd just laugh if I hardly practiced and would smile if I stuffed up). My teacher now does not laugh if you stuff up and would want to kill me if I practiced as little as I used to. But it's good, because she made me actually love my instrument and like playing it. This was year 9, when I became a muso :)
In year 10, I was definitely a muso and towards the end of the year, auditioned for the Flute Ensemble at the local Conservatorium (calling it my "local conservatorium" makes it sound as common as a convenience store, haha) and got in. I also came to really like band. And, in Term 4 that year, I started playing the Tenor Sax. Mainly because I wanted to play something else because a lot of my friends were. Stupid reason, but I'm glad I made that choice.
My love for my music has most certainly dwindled over the past year. Doing 3 exams last year gave me so much pressure, especially the last one- my grade 5 flute exam. I just wanted to be good and not have to put in so much work. I still do. But it doesn't work that way, unfortunately. At the end of last year, I would DREAD going to my flute lessons because I would get yelled at if it wasn't good enough and compared to the other flautist in my group. Actually, she always has compared the two of us because we both play flute and saxophone and are at similar levels. I don't want to be her competition though, because we get along quite well, but whatever.
This year, I just have had no motivation. My lessons worry me and somewhat, scare me, because I feel I'm never as good as my teacher wants me to be. Band has become less fun because, as section leader of the flute section, and one of the oldest, and therefore leaders, of the band, there is a lot of pressure to get it right and I don't, most of the time. I go home and never want to practice. If I do practice, I'll stuff up and get depressed because it's not good enough. It's never good enough. Even if my teacher says it's good, it's not always good enough for me.
I've learnt something though, over the past few months or so. I don't want my music to become a hassle and a chore. Sometimes I just go, "You know what? I really feel like playing my flute," and I'll get it out and play for half-an-hour and feel good. If I don't feel like it, however, I won't play for long, I'll get frustrated, angry, pull my hair out and cry, because it's not good enough. Then I won't practice. Then I'll get worse. So I won't practice. It's a vicious cycle. I don't want it to become like that at all. I want to love playing the flute.
I like tenor saxophone too, but I don't love it. I don't know why, but it doesn't give me as much joy. It also doesn't give me as much stress, since it's my second instrument. I like it and I want to be better, but I don't have the wish to get better as much as I do with flute.
Watching La Corda D'Oro has made me want to be so good at flute but again, I still don't want to practice. I want to just be able to pick it up and play it and play really beautiful music. But I can't yet. Maybe someday, after I've finished school, after I've finished the pressure of exams with school, when I am able to play without any pressure at all, I will be able to pick up my flute and just play and do this beautiful instrument justice. I hope so.
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| Isn't it pretty? :) |
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