Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Anticipation Setting In...
Man, I'm totally on the "Accidentally In Love" binge. It'll be hard to wait like 2 or 3 weeks before we start it...
Monday, March 27, 2006
Invincible: part deux
So, I didn't win the 649.
I didn't even get 1 number right.
I get something for that, don't I?
I didn't even get 1 number right.
I get something for that, don't I?
"Accidentally In Love"
Alrighty. I got home from school, and decided to just chill and listen to some music. Pulled out Counting Crows - Accidentally In Love (from Shrek 2), and started to, as one would expect a person who enjoys singing to do, sing along.
After the song played through, I dug through my music, and found my arrangement for it. So I sang the song again, this time the Alto part. Then the Tenor part. Then the Soprano part. Then the Bass part.
Holy crap. This is going to be SOOOOO good. The parts are hard. Even though I arranged it (it was like 4-5 months ago), I still stumbled as would a second run of sight-reading.
But damn. As I went through it, I was amazed by the intricate rhythm involved in some passages, and can already hear the interplay of the parts. It can get to be pretty grand when 4 main parts, +1 extra part, + solo, + some split parts are all happening, but I feel those times are offset by the periods of quiet interludes. This will totally be a song that you need to listen to it a few times to get hear all the parts...
Oh, MAN! This is gonna be so good. We likely won't start this for a few weeks (want to nail down Sweet Surrender and go through California Dreamin' first), but when we get to AIL, this will be absolutely fantastic.
*anticipate and salivate*
After the song played through, I dug through my music, and found my arrangement for it. So I sang the song again, this time the Alto part. Then the Tenor part. Then the Soprano part. Then the Bass part.
Holy crap. This is going to be SOOOOO good. The parts are hard. Even though I arranged it (it was like 4-5 months ago), I still stumbled as would a second run of sight-reading.
But damn. As I went through it, I was amazed by the intricate rhythm involved in some passages, and can already hear the interplay of the parts. It can get to be pretty grand when 4 main parts, +1 extra part, + solo, + some split parts are all happening, but I feel those times are offset by the periods of quiet interludes. This will totally be a song that you need to listen to it a few times to get hear all the parts...
Oh, MAN! This is gonna be so good. We likely won't start this for a few weeks (want to nail down Sweet Surrender and go through California Dreamin' first), but when we get to AIL, this will be absolutely fantastic.
*anticipate and salivate*
Friday, March 24, 2006
Episode 3: A New Hope
So, choir again. I was looking forward to it all week, since I felt we made some really strong progress last week.
So I got there, and I had a strange feeling. The traffic was poor, and Tim Horton's was packed as if they were handing out free booze down in East Hastings. However, I was underterred in my resolve to get the Timbits necessary to ensure a strong start to the choir, and waited.
So I got there at about 2:40, a tad on the late side (choir starts at 2:45), and the place was deserted. Yes, I know that part of this effect stemmed from the lack of risers, but something didn't feel right. One of the tenors came to me, and was unsure whether he was going to stay. As well, a soprano had a paper due on Monday, and needs the time to devote to school work today. And augmented by the rather slow trickling in of the rest of the group (eg. only 6 others were there), I was rather worried about the future of this project.
The tenor apprarently has pretty busy weekends with work. I can tell he wasn't totally sure, and that he kinda wanted to stay, but just wasn't fully committed to the time necessary after school. He felt like he would let the choir down, and may screw the choir over. I was slightly on the same note (unsure about the choir's future), but, ultimately, the decision was his. I'm not a fan on guilt tripping and whatnot, and I'm determined to treat everyone here as adults: they make their own decisions, and they need to evaluate the choices they make.
Anyway, I also found that one of the basses wasn't fully committed to this, in the sense that he never fully signed up. The future was looking bleak indeed.
Eventually, I gathered everyone around. It was 2:53pm. I had to lay it out. I can feel the "storming" stage (organizational behaviour talk) kicking in.
"Alrighty. I need to know what's going on. This choir is something that we are all a part of, and we are a team; each one of us is just as important as the next, and we need to be here in order to make this work. We are all spending 2 hours a week to do this, and I'm wondering what your thoughts are. Ultimately, if this choir were to work, I think it's only fair that for 2 hours after school on Friday, the choir is your top priority. Is this a fair expectation?"
This feels very reminiscent of my time with the Acoustix, where people showed up late, skipped, etc. Yes, we were all working, etc., but as you go through life, you start needing to prioritize. And that's what was said. The Acoustix, for 2 hours on Monday, needed to prioritize that time ahead of everything else that's under your control. And work is important, but is 2 hours really going to make a difference? If so, so be it. Otherwise, you need to be here.
So this is pretty much the same discourse as half a year ago.
"Anything under your control, homework, hanging out, etc., if possible, needs to be lowered in priority. Yes, homework is important, but will these 2 hours make that much of a difference? If so, I'm not going to stop you; school should come first. But in the end, I'm asking: can you all prioritize these 2 hours on Fridays?"
I got the commitment I want from the 6 people that were going to stay (so the bass, tenor were out, and the soprano would miss this rehearsal, which is fair). I was somewhat uncertain whether we can go on, but the other still missing people (1 soprano, 1 alto, and 1 alto turned tenor) weren't here. The rest of the group vouched that they can catch up quickly, so we proceeded.
Ran warm-ups, and it was okay. A melancholy note to start on, but a new light is ahead. I have their word. Partway through warm-ups, the rest of them showed up, and I gave them the same spiel.
We have a game, folks.
Ran Sweet Surrender. Sounded pretty good. The bridge needed work, but that's the part that we spent the least time on. We are almost at the tweaking stage. All the fundamentals were nailed down, and memorization and polish will come later.
The light at the end of a tunnel is indeed the other side, and not some guy with a flashlight.
By 4pm, (so about 45 minutes of work on the song itself), we sounded good. I got Carrie to sing the solo so the rest of them know what it would sound like, and we were rolling!
Played California Dreamin' (finally got a copy of our concert from way back), and started on it. Decent progress. I learned from the last time I taught this piece, to skip the first 4 barts till later. And we learned pretty much up to the bridge in the rest of the time (it's not a hard song).
It feels good to get this going. The storming stage was earlier than anticipated, and lasted much shorter than it could've gone. We are fully at the norming stage.
A New Hope is upon us.
So I got there, and I had a strange feeling. The traffic was poor, and Tim Horton's was packed as if they were handing out free booze down in East Hastings. However, I was underterred in my resolve to get the Timbits necessary to ensure a strong start to the choir, and waited.
So I got there at about 2:40, a tad on the late side (choir starts at 2:45), and the place was deserted. Yes, I know that part of this effect stemmed from the lack of risers, but something didn't feel right. One of the tenors came to me, and was unsure whether he was going to stay. As well, a soprano had a paper due on Monday, and needs the time to devote to school work today. And augmented by the rather slow trickling in of the rest of the group (eg. only 6 others were there), I was rather worried about the future of this project.
The tenor apprarently has pretty busy weekends with work. I can tell he wasn't totally sure, and that he kinda wanted to stay, but just wasn't fully committed to the time necessary after school. He felt like he would let the choir down, and may screw the choir over. I was slightly on the same note (unsure about the choir's future), but, ultimately, the decision was his. I'm not a fan on guilt tripping and whatnot, and I'm determined to treat everyone here as adults: they make their own decisions, and they need to evaluate the choices they make.
Anyway, I also found that one of the basses wasn't fully committed to this, in the sense that he never fully signed up. The future was looking bleak indeed.
Eventually, I gathered everyone around. It was 2:53pm. I had to lay it out. I can feel the "storming" stage (organizational behaviour talk) kicking in.
"Alrighty. I need to know what's going on. This choir is something that we are all a part of, and we are a team; each one of us is just as important as the next, and we need to be here in order to make this work. We are all spending 2 hours a week to do this, and I'm wondering what your thoughts are. Ultimately, if this choir were to work, I think it's only fair that for 2 hours after school on Friday, the choir is your top priority. Is this a fair expectation?"
This feels very reminiscent of my time with the Acoustix, where people showed up late, skipped, etc. Yes, we were all working, etc., but as you go through life, you start needing to prioritize. And that's what was said. The Acoustix, for 2 hours on Monday, needed to prioritize that time ahead of everything else that's under your control. And work is important, but is 2 hours really going to make a difference? If so, so be it. Otherwise, you need to be here.
So this is pretty much the same discourse as half a year ago.
"Anything under your control, homework, hanging out, etc., if possible, needs to be lowered in priority. Yes, homework is important, but will these 2 hours make that much of a difference? If so, I'm not going to stop you; school should come first. But in the end, I'm asking: can you all prioritize these 2 hours on Fridays?"
I got the commitment I want from the 6 people that were going to stay (so the bass, tenor were out, and the soprano would miss this rehearsal, which is fair). I was somewhat uncertain whether we can go on, but the other still missing people (1 soprano, 1 alto, and 1 alto turned tenor) weren't here. The rest of the group vouched that they can catch up quickly, so we proceeded.
Ran warm-ups, and it was okay. A melancholy note to start on, but a new light is ahead. I have their word. Partway through warm-ups, the rest of them showed up, and I gave them the same spiel.
We have a game, folks.
Ran Sweet Surrender. Sounded pretty good. The bridge needed work, but that's the part that we spent the least time on. We are almost at the tweaking stage. All the fundamentals were nailed down, and memorization and polish will come later.
The light at the end of a tunnel is indeed the other side, and not some guy with a flashlight.
By 4pm, (so about 45 minutes of work on the song itself), we sounded good. I got Carrie to sing the solo so the rest of them know what it would sound like, and we were rolling!
Played California Dreamin' (finally got a copy of our concert from way back), and started on it. Decent progress. I learned from the last time I taught this piece, to skip the first 4 barts till later. And we learned pretty much up to the bridge in the rest of the time (it's not a hard song).
It feels good to get this going. The storming stage was earlier than anticipated, and lasted much shorter than it could've gone. We are fully at the norming stage.
A New Hope is upon us.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Yes, I am
Further evidence of my invincible-ness of yesterday:
I walked in the middle of the street, wearing nothing but socks.
Needless to say, no cars touched me.
Then I bought a scratch and win.
Indubitably, I won.
I then proceeded to press. I used my winnings ($2) to buy 647. I invested in the following numbers:
And today, it rained. My invincibility shone through once again, because I didn't wash my car yesterday.
I walked in the middle of the street, wearing nothing but socks.
Needless to say, no cars touched me.
Then I bought a scratch and win.
Indubitably, I won.
I then proceeded to press. I used my winnings ($2) to buy 647. I invested in the following numbers:
- 6 (of course),
- 18 (my birthday),
- and a bunch of prime numbers, because prime numbers are invincible
Like attracts like, remember.
And today, it rained. My invincibility shone through once again, because I didn't wash my car yesterday.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Invincible
Today, I went to school, and the sun was shining. My car's a bit on the dirty side, and I think it would be a good day to wash the car.
I got to school, and the parking lot seemed full. However, I found a spot.
Spot number 6, my lucky number.
And that's when it hit me.
I am invincible.
It's just one of those days, where I feel invincible, that I cannot fail, that I can do no wrong, that I will win at any, and everything.
I should buy some Tim Horton's.
I got to school, and the parking lot seemed full. However, I found a spot.
Spot number 6, my lucky number.
And that's when it hit me.
I am invincible.
It's just one of those days, where I feel invincible, that I cannot fail, that I can do no wrong, that I will win at any, and everything.
I should buy some Tim Horton's.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
More callbacks?
Alrighty. I'm a little late on the update, but I'm here nonetheless.
So... This past Friday was Spring break (for the highschool), so this is really an entry for the Friday before that, Friday March 10th.
So I got there at a decent hour, at 2:15pm, and no one, I mean, NO ONE was there, not even teachers. I soon found out that it was multicultural week, and everyone was at an assembly.
Eventually, people started to turn up. I also found out that a tenor and an alto can no longer make it due to conflicts, so my numbers are down. And whenever a guy is down, that's bad news.
Time ticked away, and eventually Carrie. I learned more about what this whole multicultural week was about, and, seeing how it was Friday before spring break, she figured not many would show up. I hope she was wrong, since I really wanted to get this thing going.
Luckily, devotion from the singers were high, and everyone showed up (except for the aforementioned, as well as a couple of them who have told me in advance), and an unexpected callback also.
So off we went. Callbacks were, coincidentally, 1 of each part.
Since I only had the callback tenor, I moved an alto down (and I might have to do this permanently, depending on the soloists for the songs). I did the usual warm-ups (I'll save the "one" warm-up for our first officla group practice), and off we went, t0o re-learn the song for the new folks.
I can sense boredom from the people who were there before, but if they knew the significance of needing more people, they may see the plight that the group could've been in: only 2 confirmed basses, and 1 tenor. So these callback guys had better be good.
And off we went, learning the song. More Sweet Surrender. More lyrical counter-melody for the sopranos (albeit a tad on the boring side). More rhythm for the alto. The tenors had the hardest time, since they had no one that knew the piece (remember, I pulled an alto down, and the other was a callback). Bass-wise, it wasn't too bad, since the callback came prepared, and also another bass was there.
Ultimately, after about an hour and fifteen of teaching, we actually learned the rest of the song (I'm crossing my fingers for how this sounds when I see them again this Friday...).
The most impressive thing about all this: the 3 sopranos sounded ANGELIC. No other way to put it. I don't think I've ever heard 3 sopranos blend this well. It was quite ridiculous, since their voices rang as if one person, one entity.
At the end, we had brief quartet, and I evaluated them. I'll of course disclose the results privately.
Anyway, with 3 strong sopranos, I'm trying to figure out how to juggle the 4th soprano who couldn't make it today. I may end up with some shuffling, pending soloist (audition this Friday). I hate to have someone relearn a piece just to accommodate, but we're still starting out, and hopefully they won't mind too much.
(wow, this is a pretty boring entry. Ah well).
On a side note, I got a copy of my old group (Acoustix)'s recorded concert with the Baud Boys. I clipped out our version of California Dreamin', so if anyone wants to hear it, it's here:
http://rapidshare.de/files/15954551/Acoustix_-_California_Dreamin.mp3.html
So... This past Friday was Spring break (for the highschool), so this is really an entry for the Friday before that, Friday March 10th.
So I got there at a decent hour, at 2:15pm, and no one, I mean, NO ONE was there, not even teachers. I soon found out that it was multicultural week, and everyone was at an assembly.
Eventually, people started to turn up. I also found out that a tenor and an alto can no longer make it due to conflicts, so my numbers are down. And whenever a guy is down, that's bad news.
Time ticked away, and eventually Carrie. I learned more about what this whole multicultural week was about, and, seeing how it was Friday before spring break, she figured not many would show up. I hope she was wrong, since I really wanted to get this thing going.
Luckily, devotion from the singers were high, and everyone showed up (except for the aforementioned, as well as a couple of them who have told me in advance), and an unexpected callback also.
So off we went. Callbacks were, coincidentally, 1 of each part.
Since I only had the callback tenor, I moved an alto down (and I might have to do this permanently, depending on the soloists for the songs). I did the usual warm-ups (I'll save the "one" warm-up for our first officla group practice), and off we went, t0o re-learn the song for the new folks.
I can sense boredom from the people who were there before, but if they knew the significance of needing more people, they may see the plight that the group could've been in: only 2 confirmed basses, and 1 tenor. So these callback guys had better be good.
And off we went, learning the song. More Sweet Surrender. More lyrical counter-melody for the sopranos (albeit a tad on the boring side). More rhythm for the alto. The tenors had the hardest time, since they had no one that knew the piece (remember, I pulled an alto down, and the other was a callback). Bass-wise, it wasn't too bad, since the callback came prepared, and also another bass was there.
Ultimately, after about an hour and fifteen of teaching, we actually learned the rest of the song (I'm crossing my fingers for how this sounds when I see them again this Friday...).
The most impressive thing about all this: the 3 sopranos sounded ANGELIC. No other way to put it. I don't think I've ever heard 3 sopranos blend this well. It was quite ridiculous, since their voices rang as if one person, one entity.
At the end, we had brief quartet, and I evaluated them. I'll of course disclose the results privately.
Anyway, with 3 strong sopranos, I'm trying to figure out how to juggle the 4th soprano who couldn't make it today. I may end up with some shuffling, pending soloist (audition this Friday). I hate to have someone relearn a piece just to accommodate, but we're still starting out, and hopefully they won't mind too much.
(wow, this is a pretty boring entry. Ah well).
On a side note, I got a copy of my old group (Acoustix)'s recorded concert with the Baud Boys. I clipped out our version of California Dreamin', so if anyone wants to hear it, it's here:
http://rapidshare.de/files/15954551/Acoustix_-_California_Dreamin.mp3.html
Friday, March 03, 2006
The start of something
Yeah, I was a tad nervous. Nervous in that, well, I'm really in charge here, with people whom I barely knew. I guess I knew the siblings of 2 of them, and apart from the auditions, that was it. That's all I knew. Furthermore, it wasn't like down in Seattle, where we were a group of peers; I was in charge. It's been a while since I ran a music group, but it's all there still.
Sweet Surrender. That's the focus of the day. I introduced myself some more, got to know them (I remembered all their names anyway, but always good to do introductions), and started warm-ups. I was missing a couple of people due to sickness (I'm sure I got sick from doing auditions, but it's worth it), and off we went.
Did some basic warm-ups, and did the 12345678 7 5 4 2 -> resolve warmup, which I particulalrly like. Then on to a sample of the songs we're doing:
- Sweet Surrender (+ midi)
- Stacy's Mom
- California Dreamin'
- Accidentally in Love
Some good responses, some blahs. Ah well.
Then we tackled the pieces. It was slower going than I anticipated, and perhaps it's what my expectations of a first run should go. It took a while to get going, and I'm going to guess that this is quite different from the other stuff they've done, since it's very... rhythm and background based, unlike regular choral music, which meshes in a different way.
After a bit, we got the main phrase going. The sopranos were very strong, and I pulled a couple to the Alto side. I ended up with an army of altos, vs. 3 sopranos. And the S's are still stronger than any other group. Blending will come. Blending will come.
Next thing we knew, it was 4pm. Finally got a a long enough stretch of music, so we took a break.
After the break, I informed them that, as callbacks, I need to see how well they can hold a part, especially with the deluge of altos; I need to make cuts, unfortunately. If I had more time remaining till the end of the year, mebbe I can take them all and work on them. Right now, I can only afford the well established singers. Potential, even very strong potential, isn't my game plan at this stage; I need the MJ's out there, not the rookies (LBJ aside, of course).
Even though we spent longer than I expected on about 24 bars (I guess we were a new group, and it was the first rehearsal. And, pop songs just repeat endlessly anyway, so the rest should fall into place more easily come next Friday), the time was well spent. Went on to octets, then quartets. And you know what? They started sounding better in smaller groups. Sure, they know the stuff fairly well by now (and they need to, in order to do 4/8-tets), but they know that there's fewer people singing, each of their individual contributions are that much more important. And they sang out. Well.
After octets, we all sang what we knew, the 24 or so bars, and I piped in on Vocal Percussion (VP). And, it's the start of something.
At the end of the day, it will be tough to make cuts. But I'm pretty sure I'll need to, for balance sake.
Indeed, it's the start of something.
Sweet Surrender. That's the focus of the day. I introduced myself some more, got to know them (I remembered all their names anyway, but always good to do introductions), and started warm-ups. I was missing a couple of people due to sickness (I'm sure I got sick from doing auditions, but it's worth it), and off we went.
Did some basic warm-ups, and did the 12345678 7 5 4 2 -> resolve warmup, which I particulalrly like. Then on to a sample of the songs we're doing:
- Sweet Surrender (+ midi)
- Stacy's Mom
- California Dreamin'
- Accidentally in Love
Some good responses, some blahs. Ah well.
Then we tackled the pieces. It was slower going than I anticipated, and perhaps it's what my expectations of a first run should go. It took a while to get going, and I'm going to guess that this is quite different from the other stuff they've done, since it's very... rhythm and background based, unlike regular choral music, which meshes in a different way.
After a bit, we got the main phrase going. The sopranos were very strong, and I pulled a couple to the Alto side. I ended up with an army of altos, vs. 3 sopranos. And the S's are still stronger than any other group. Blending will come. Blending will come.
Next thing we knew, it was 4pm. Finally got a a long enough stretch of music, so we took a break.
After the break, I informed them that, as callbacks, I need to see how well they can hold a part, especially with the deluge of altos; I need to make cuts, unfortunately. If I had more time remaining till the end of the year, mebbe I can take them all and work on them. Right now, I can only afford the well established singers. Potential, even very strong potential, isn't my game plan at this stage; I need the MJ's out there, not the rookies (LBJ aside, of course).
Even though we spent longer than I expected on about 24 bars (I guess we were a new group, and it was the first rehearsal. And, pop songs just repeat endlessly anyway, so the rest should fall into place more easily come next Friday), the time was well spent. Went on to octets, then quartets. And you know what? They started sounding better in smaller groups. Sure, they know the stuff fairly well by now (and they need to, in order to do 4/8-tets), but they know that there's fewer people singing, each of their individual contributions are that much more important. And they sang out. Well.
After octets, we all sang what we knew, the 24 or so bars, and I piped in on Vocal Percussion (VP). And, it's the start of something.
At the end of the day, it will be tough to make cuts. But I'm pretty sure I'll need to, for balance sake.
Indeed, it's the start of something.
One step at a time...
So, with that, I knew I can do it, as long as I get enough men to hold up the strong women voices.
As would the Cruise in Mission: Impossible, I gathered my resources, thought about the pieces, got permission to use my old choir's music, and made flyers. I've forgotten the time when the world ran on posters and flyers. It seems so... simple. Wouldn't it be nice if the world's problems can be solved by posters? Anyway, I was ready to roll.
Come Monday, I came back, armed with a head of hope, and, of course, posters. I popped in, pasted up the posters, and at the end of Chamber Choir, I quickly played my spiel: a CD of a cappella stuff, starting with The Impression That I Get by MMB, and pointed them to audition sign up sheets. I had my hook.
I came back the next day, bright and early for Junior/Gr. 8 Choir, and made the same spiel. I had sign-ups.
Back again on Wednesday, this time to do auditions. Only 3 people. That's fine. I was not deterred.
Thursday, back again, since I only had morning class. I even had 2 midterms the same day. I didn't care (well, I did my job with them, but I was focused ont the choir). I came with a vengeance. Auditioned people, and things were... going. It was a bit rough in that I wasn't sure if I would get enough men OR women in terms of quality mixed with quantity... Then came Friday, and it was finally looking up. But I still wasn't sure if I'd have enough. I decided to extend auditions for 2 more days.
And that leads us to beginning of this week. I heard from some people, I heard from some more. I even made the first cuts. I was on a roll! I just want to make sure I had enough strong male voices...
And, after a week's worth of intrepidation and anticipation, the first rehearsal/callbacks came, today.
As would the Cruise in Mission: Impossible, I gathered my resources, thought about the pieces, got permission to use my old choir's music, and made flyers. I've forgotten the time when the world ran on posters and flyers. It seems so... simple. Wouldn't it be nice if the world's problems can be solved by posters? Anyway, I was ready to roll.
Come Monday, I came back, armed with a head of hope, and, of course, posters. I popped in, pasted up the posters, and at the end of Chamber Choir, I quickly played my spiel: a CD of a cappella stuff, starting with The Impression That I Get by MMB, and pointed them to audition sign up sheets. I had my hook.
I came back the next day, bright and early for Junior/Gr. 8 Choir, and made the same spiel. I had sign-ups.
Back again on Wednesday, this time to do auditions. Only 3 people. That's fine. I was not deterred.
Thursday, back again, since I only had morning class. I even had 2 midterms the same day. I didn't care (well, I did my job with them, but I was focused ont the choir). I came with a vengeance. Auditioned people, and things were... going. It was a bit rough in that I wasn't sure if I would get enough men OR women in terms of quality mixed with quantity... Then came Friday, and it was finally looking up. But I still wasn't sure if I'd have enough. I decided to extend auditions for 2 more days.
And that leads us to beginning of this week. I heard from some people, I heard from some more. I even made the first cuts. I was on a roll! I just want to make sure I had enough strong male voices...
And, after a week's worth of intrepidation and anticipation, the first rehearsal/callbacks came, today.
Start from the Start
I've been thinking about doing this for a couple of months now, ever since I came back to Van. I had pretty a few main ideas after I came back, and they were:
1 - Live up in Whistler for a couple of months, bum out, board, and bartend
2 - Just bartend
3 - Take pre-req courses for a change of pace
4 - Prepare for the MCAT
5 - Start an A Cappella choir at my alma mater, MRSS
And, after 1 not working out, and being on stride for 3 and 4, I found that I had enough time left to do 5. And by enough time, I both mean enough free time and enough time to put together a few songs for hopefully MRSS's end of year performance.
So, a few weeks ago, I got my act together, and hit up Ridge. And, boy has it ever changed. It's like running into an old friend, who, while you used to be best of friends, but has since drifted apart, and now found that the friend has replaced a few vital organs, has had extensive cosmetic surgery, and, luckily, is still friendly. Yeah, that's my metaphor, and I'm sticking with it. Met the new music department on an apparently late Friday afternoon (and by "late", I mean 3:45pm... Used to be the normal end of school time for us pre 3rd millenium folks, but now has become an hour past such end of the week), and the choral teacher (also dept. head) is super friendly. Found out that we also went to the same university (and along with the band teacher, too).
Anyway, we caught up as would the meeting of me and the significant other of the above said friend would: some reminiscing of times past, although we've never met; talk of changes to the friend, mainly comparing my old images with the current state; and naturally, the topic of common interest that all three of us, friend, significant other of friend, and myself all share, and that is of course music. Chatted a bit, with Carrie being very friendly, and invited me to check out the her chamber choir come Monday (this was, oh, Feb. 10). With that, I threw in my other main focus: starting an a cappella choir. We tossed some ideas back and forth, and I had enough to get my mind started.
I came and checked out the choir come Monday. Wow. It was very impressive. For a group with about a 2:1 girl to guy ratio, the guys held up well, and the sound was full. I sang with them, and it was fun. It's been a while since I've sung.
At the end, asked if would anyone be interested if I started something new? Something more pop-song involved? I got some interested replies.
I had enough info. It is time.
1 - Live up in Whistler for a couple of months, bum out, board, and bartend
2 - Just bartend
3 - Take pre-req courses for a change of pace
4 - Prepare for the MCAT
5 - Start an A Cappella choir at my alma mater, MRSS
And, after 1 not working out, and being on stride for 3 and 4, I found that I had enough time left to do 5. And by enough time, I both mean enough free time and enough time to put together a few songs for hopefully MRSS's end of year performance.
So, a few weeks ago, I got my act together, and hit up Ridge. And, boy has it ever changed. It's like running into an old friend, who, while you used to be best of friends, but has since drifted apart, and now found that the friend has replaced a few vital organs, has had extensive cosmetic surgery, and, luckily, is still friendly. Yeah, that's my metaphor, and I'm sticking with it. Met the new music department on an apparently late Friday afternoon (and by "late", I mean 3:45pm... Used to be the normal end of school time for us pre 3rd millenium folks, but now has become an hour past such end of the week), and the choral teacher (also dept. head) is super friendly. Found out that we also went to the same university (and along with the band teacher, too).
Anyway, we caught up as would the meeting of me and the significant other of the above said friend would: some reminiscing of times past, although we've never met; talk of changes to the friend, mainly comparing my old images with the current state; and naturally, the topic of common interest that all three of us, friend, significant other of friend, and myself all share, and that is of course music. Chatted a bit, with Carrie being very friendly, and invited me to check out the her chamber choir come Monday (this was, oh, Feb. 10). With that, I threw in my other main focus: starting an a cappella choir. We tossed some ideas back and forth, and I had enough to get my mind started.
I came and checked out the choir come Monday. Wow. It was very impressive. For a group with about a 2:1 girl to guy ratio, the guys held up well, and the sound was full. I sang with them, and it was fun. It's been a while since I've sung.
At the end, asked if would anyone be interested if I started something new? Something more pop-song involved? I got some interested replies.
I had enough info. It is time.
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