Summer

If a Mainer asked me what it was like where I was from, the answer would always be, "hot."  I already miss that 65-degree weather!

I'm glad some of my friends are making the best of my extended stay at home.  We've already decided to go tubing via their dad's boat, go camping (the highlight being smores and fireside music),  make a music video, and cook a 5-course (at least!) dinner for our parents.  I suppose there will be time for other things, too. 

Right now, unfortunately, I'm having to experience the life of a graduate: I now have a LOT more chores to do...

Look what I did:

Yes, its all my voice!  I've had fun with a few 3-4 four part harmony pieces so that Mom's choir could hear how the music is supposed to sound a few weeks before we get a chance to practice it with each other.  Keep a lookout for like videos from me.  (The picture is one I took of the Sister Servant's statue.)

Two Truths Tuesday

1. I saw a Mayfield truck on the side of the road with two dead deer beside it. Who knew where milk came from?

2. The horses used in The Lord of the Rings, the most prominent breed of horse in New Zealand, were mostly all Percherons.

3. You can use ripped MP3s through iTunes provided that your music is not copyrighted.

(sorry about the technical difficulties. Blogger has changed its way of being able to post pictures. I guess they'll work it out and I'll learn more when I'm on the pc. I'm still trying to get used to Apple.)

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*Yawn*

I don't have anything productive to do, or anything worth saying.  I just watched an interview of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, and Jonathan Frakes.  It was hilarious.

Speaking of hilarious things, I partially fell off the risers that we use for Band practice.  The percussionists have the highest level in the back.  I was unharmed after falling nearly three feet.  Thankfully, my fall was halted by the rim of a tenor drum and a small stair-step.  I immediately resumed my post, only with a considerably flushed face, and criticized my "student" who was nearest me for not steadying me when he clearly watched me fall backwards off the risers.  (You see, I help teach the percussionists in beginning band because there are six of them.  *yikes!*)  His only comment was, "At least you didn't knock over the drum."  He was a big help. :) Then, the worst part was when the mothers who remained in the practice room  laughed outrageously at me.  They sit at the same level as us, on the opposite side of the room, and had a good view of my mishap.  It was very embarrassing. 

Piano

Look closely.  They are not attached. 

I dropped a paper clip down the piano all the way to the sound board.  *oops* 

Mr. Piano Guy fixed it as well as the sticking key. 

Two Truths Answer

Wow!  We haven't had two differing answers in a while.  Let's see who has won...

1.  I am not entering a piano competition.  Yay for Haus Frau!  I am trying to learn the Hungarian Rhapsody No. II, but I know I'll not have it down by the end of the month.  I'll be lucky if I can learn it by my senior recital!  It's at least sixteen pages... 

2.  I have been watching the new Jane Eyre.  Sorry, Bernadette!  the problem is that it comes in two DVDs from Netflix, so I've been waiting two days to find out how it ends!  It should come in today's mail.  The movie is much more gothic and serious.  Big Bro said that it's very close to the feel of the book.  It's just the lighting and shadows and sounds that make it scary... 

3.  Fr. George does want me to cantor for Mass every week because he trusts me and likes my voice.  But, as we told him, I can't be the only person who knows what to do in the case that I get sick or something.  And, other people in the choir should have an opportunity to cantor. 

Two Truths Tuesday



1.  I'm entering a piano competition on the 30th.  I'm not sure whether I'll be able to tackle the Hungarian Rhapsody by Lizst in time...

2.  I'm on my fourth Jane Eyre.  This one was made in 2006 and is quite frightening in places. It's a good thing that I already know the story...

3.  After singing the Responsory again last Sunday, our pastor asked Mama if I could be the permament cantor at the basilica!

Two Truths Tuesday





Lawrence Chamberlain,
by Jeff Daniels 

  

1.  I've watched Gods and Generals and am in the middle of the movie Gettysburg.  I just finished the Civil War chapter of American History and thought it was rushed and confusing.  So, we've been watching the movies, which have helped a lot.  And, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is my new hero.  I think he becomes my new hero every time I see the movie.

2.  We shot off our own fireworks last night!  They couldn't be too big in the neighborhood, but it was still a lot of fun.  We did not have noisemakers 'cause none of my family likes them.  It's established that Mr. B. is afraid of the 4th of July.  :)

3.  I sang the Responsory Psalm for Sunday's Mass from the Lectern.  Quite and amazing feat, for me.  This is the person who would cry if pressured to play piano in front of ten people.  And she stood up in front of about 300 people at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul to sing!  I am proud of her. 

Two Truths Tuesday: Answer

The first thing to remember about my Two Truths Tueday is that I'm not very good at lying.  So, I take an event and then "omit certain truths"...

1.  Is the lie.  Even Fidelio had a hard time figuring this one out.  Our dryer broke, not our washer.  And, it broke over the weekend of the 18th.  So, more than ten days without a dyer can really pile up your clothes.  You can be sure the new ones are being liberally used.  :)

2.  The bull story is definately true.  (I just wish I knew the ending...) 

3.  Alas, though number 3 is true, it was not to last.  I had to do a lot of "bopping on the head" this morning so he could give me time to get up without his biting me.  He's highly impatient, especially at 3:45 am...

Other than that... I wrote a song!  It's not very good yet, but it's fun.  I watched a version of Jane Eyre last night that was directed by Zeffirelli.  It was very good up to half-way through.  They comepletely changed the character, or rather the introduction of the character, St. John Rivers, drastically condensed the novel from the point of the wedding, and presented Jane with a shocking lack of passion.  It was a beautiful movie, but it was not equal to the novel.  The BBC version with Timothy Dalton is the best, IMHO.

Update

I noticed that I have not posted in forever.  So, here's a quick update:

Big bro is graduated.

Still working on American Literature Test.

Band concert was last night (went great!  I got to play Freedom on the piano for a flutist who played the fife part.)

As far as we know, Mr. B has not had another seizure.

Now!  I going to try to start a "Two Truths Tuesday" post.  There are going to be three things that have happened over the last week, and you have to pick the "lie".  Here goes!

V and I were the only ones brave enough to dare the freezing cold water of the broken heated pool. 

I shared a red bull with Big Bro on at 10:00 pm on the trip back.

I played ping pong, soccer, and pool with V while everyone else went to the graduation Mass. 

Which do you think is the lie?

Really Quickly...

I just have a second.  I finished Algebra II for the year!!  A 93 final with only three more classes to go!

 Oo-rah!

Oh, and the piano recital went remarkably well.  I might consider putting it on youtube...

Big Bro is in town! Well, he was in town.

So, we had Big Bro over for a little over 24 hours.  Just enough time to get his hair cut, eat five meals, and make a speech at six Masses.  Oh, yes, he also added a new car game to our wide collection.  His purpose was to raise money for our seminarians.  Did you know that it costs an average of $40,000 to send a man to seminary per year!  It is incredible.  And, by the way, he graduates from college seminary this May!

I also sang the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria for a wedding.  The bride and groom were 65-year-old classmates who had never been married before!  It was such a beautiful wedding! And, Mama and I did very well on the music.  I let that b flat ring in the church until a dove went soaring through it and took flight to Heaven!  (Or, at least that is what my voice teacher told me to feel like...)

A Long Day...

Ugh.  Thursdays are such long days.  First, I have to get up extra early to get my required classwork done (and, to top that, I spent the morning on an English essay).  Then, I have to scramble to collect all of my piano music, voice music, and percussion music (which also requires occasional homework such as the "who is playing what" list). 

We are always either ten minutes early or ten minutes late for piano lesson.  Fortunately, on some rare days, such as today, we make my lesson on the o'clock.  After forty-five minutes of our intended thirty minute lesson is spent in outrageous laughter at innocent jokes (mostly consisting of memories of my dear Fidelio's lesson days...), we have about fifteen minutes of piano-playing. 

Then, we find some convenient place for a healthy lunch and book it to band lesson so that I can be there forty-five minutes early.  At that point, I scramble to get all the beginning band and advanced band percussion instruments together and size them for each of the percussionists' heights (Which is difficult considering that the twelve-year-old boys grow a few inches each week).  Then, it is pretty easy, despite having to figure out who is playing what, if each person has the right music, what instruments need to be put next to each other, which mallets are the right ones, whether the drums are on or not, who I need to catch if they fall off the back of the stage, and so on...

Eventually, the forty-hour-long band rehearsal ends and we scramble to get all the percussion equipment put away without dropping the wind chimes.  Usually that process includes the cleaning of the entire band room.  (Those inconsiderate wind players!)   

I then have to run to the parking lot and hop in my free taxi (that is, I pay with my hardwork; nothing is free) to drive to my voice lesson, across town.  After twenty minutes of my intended thirty minute lesson is taken up with the adults' talking, I have a fifteen minute lesson and somehow create an unatural (that is, "how can that sound come out of me," unatural) sound that delights my teacher.

I go home feelling exultant and much relieved only to be greeted with a very hungry cat.  Oh, yes, Mr. Benedict has been officially put on a diet.  I do not know what other chores may lie ahead of me, but I am hoping to get a little computer-playing time in...  Maybe.

"Oh well...  I still have Jesus," as a priest once said.

Piano Lesson

I just taught my first real piano lesson, complete with voice lesson.  Wait!  Stop and reverse that.  It started out when my dearest Fidelio requested that I step in for a minute and help her voice students warm up while she checked on V.   That "step in" turned into about 2 hours of voice/piano teaching.  It felt like a year!

After the first two lessons Fidelio says, "I'm exhausted.  Do you want to teach my students?"  Not knowing that the first two lessons were with the only mature kids of the day, I felt quite prepared for the task ahead and steadfastly walked (or shall I say, swaggered, as only Americans know how) to my doom. 

I love children, but I can't help feeling relieved that I don't have to take some home with me.  With each student I gained a new respect for my parents and all parents who steadfastly take on the responsibility of raising a child.  I will treasure the experience!

For now, Fidelio gave me at least a 30 minute break, at the end of which I do not know if I will be once again subject to a very tiring Ash Wednesday penance...