a change of pace
Sorry I've been absent recently. I was going to write a few days ago, but my cat finally gave up after being sick for a while and that put a damper on things.
The mad musicking in my life is finally over. I miss it. having finally gotten through my hell week of seven concerts it feels really wierd not to be rehearsing for anything. On the plus side, I got so used to doing stuff, particularly on my trumpet, that I have just continued practicing. This may not seem like anything, but I am one of those students that for 13 years has never practiced willingly. I love the instrument. I hate practicing it. My parents have coaxed, threatened and bribed me, but I have never done it on my own. Three weeks ago, with my solo looming, I took my trumpet home and blew for about 2 1/2 hours. I have never had a more fun afternoon. Now I am averaging an hour and a half to two hours every day and loving it. What's really weird is that neither of my parents are aware of it because I do it in the afternoons before they get home from work. (I know what a trumpet sounds like in a small house). How ironic is that? they used to beg me to do my measly 5 hours a week. Now I'm doing 14 and they don't even know it. Probably a good thing too. If they did, they would encourage me, and I would never be able to stand for that. Also probably a good thing that I'm not taking too many massively academic classes right now.
Speaking of music and academics, If any of you have some time on your hands and the desire to read somenthing that is moderately long, but also (I flatter myself) moderately entertaining, you can go to your umich emails. I sent a paper I wrote for my world lit course that started out as a parody of Dante's inferno and ended up as a major rant about musicians. Be prepared for some major cynicism.
In other news, Cornell found my SAT scores! Whew. For a while there, I wasn't even considered an applicant because my stuff wasn't complete. I don't know how some of you can survive applying to your 16 million colleges (Samyu!). I sweating bullets over here with two, one of which has already accepted me with a 15 grand annual scholarship (olaf). On a related note, I assume you all have been recieving those offers from places that are garunteeing guranteeing gaurintying screw it PROMISING you a full ride plus stipend simply for being a national merit finalist. Am I the only one that is not too jazzed about going to a school that would do this? I mean it's like; You're offering to give me the equivalent of 50 grand solely on the basis of two three hour tests and a 500 word essay? Don't you even want to meet me first? I may be odd, but I somehow don't relish spending four years of my life at a place like that.
Of course there is always the military. My mom went to a week long workshop the marines put on for counselers to teach them about the USMC and came back completely gung ho. She was telling me "If you could, I think you would do very well with the MC" (I can't because of a medical condition. some of you may remember the scar on my stomach) Now don't get me wrong, I'm no Vietnam peacenik flower child. I may not agree with Iraq, but I do acknowledge that there is a need and use for a well trained military. Given that however, I definitely think that there is the person who would make a good soldier, and there is the person who wouldn't. I am of the latter group. Let me tell you. If you want to have an interesting conversation with your parents try discussing your prospects in the military.
Anyway, I'm fighting a cold right now, so I'm going to sign off and go to bed early.
A word about my top 5. before any feminists want to castrate me for my top 2 (which I am currently listening to) I highly suggest you go dig it out and listen. Then go get the clean version. I can garuntee (damn that word!) that you will never laugh harder.
Top 5 right now
1) Get low -- lil john
2) Get low (edited version) -- lil john
3) track 4 off of a random disc of Japanese techno a friend gave me
4) Anything done by james morrison (the trumpeter)
5)the soundtrack to a random geico commercial
miss you all
-bern
posted by berno at 10:50 PM
10 Comments:
3,6,9 damn she fine!
It still inspires wild dance parties in my dorm. Somehow I just can't bring myself to be offended by it.
8:19 AM, March 06, 2006
I'm with you 100% on the military, Bern. My dad once suggested I think about doing one of those agreements where the military pays all your college tuition and you serve for a few years (a pretty good deal by most accounts), but I just don't think the army would work for me. But my sister read an article about West Point and quite liked the idea of going there at one point. Definitely an interesting question.
11:27 AM, March 06, 2006
I'm really freaked out that I have to register for selective service this summer. Not that the draft is likely to come back, but still scary.
2:23 PM, March 06, 2006
congrats on the st. olaf scholarship! My orchestra had a St. Olaf recent grad subing, and he was phenomenal, much better than the regular band teacher, and nearly as good as our usual orchestra director who's been doing it for years and has a PhD. It's a pretty cool school from what I hear. I'll be visiting Northfield in April to see Carleton. Good luck with cornell.
3:33 PM, March 06, 2006
Congrats bern, but I might have to differ in the above opinions. I really dislike anything and everything to do with the military. I think it's the dehumanizing/unthinking cog aspect, but everyone is of course entitled to his own opinions. But it's no matter, because you'll be off setting the curve at Cornell in not time.
5:21 PM, March 06, 2006
also, please excuse the overload of corny formatting in this post. I am still learning how to use this blog thing and as you might of noticed, I just discovered the italics button. looking back over I would have guessed it was keyed in by a fourth grader.
darn
now I'm depressed
-b
12:48 AM, March 07, 2006
And I just realized how much commenting on your own post is a little like quoting yourself. remember that discussion?
darn
now I'm really depressed
-b
12:50 AM, March 07, 2006
There was a time in eighth grade when I wanted to join the military. I recovered.
3:11 PM, March 07, 2006
Hey, don't feel bad Bern - I still don't know how to use the italics button. :)
3:47 PM, March 07, 2006
hey, sorry about the cat. =[
But yea, I barely survived my application process too. Especially since I'm still an international student, but because I live here, it creates complications, and most colleges don't specify what to do for ppl like me. ick.
By the way, I just took the TOEFL and got my results back, and would ya believe it - I'm in the 95 percentile. 5% DID BETTER THAN MEEE!!!! Should I laugh, or should I cry is the question. I mean...no, I'm not even going to try. But in my defense I would like to say that I didn't prepare at all, this test was abs. required only by 2 colleges, and I was the first to finish in the room. =]
Alritee. ta ta
~Samyukta
4:01 PM, March 07, 2006
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