No School!

The fact that I don't have to worry about anymore tests or assignments is an incredible feeling.  But, I still am getting ready to be a musician in the real world.  I am practicing Bartok Romanian Folk Dances arranged for viola and I am practicing Bach's Cello Suites arranged for viola.  Bartok shows virtuosity and I am working on becoming a professional musician.  Bach is essential in the music world, because the suites are the standard literature for auditions and recitals.  My goal is to learn all six suites, by the time I graduate college.  Some movements are harder than others and take more time to learn, but I am determined.  I am also determined to learn Walton's Viola Concerto.  Unfortunately, the viola literature is smaller than the cello and violin's.  There aren't many options to choose from in the viola world.  But, I have played around with some violin literature and laugh at myself everytime I play the reknown works.  But, more works for viola are being composed as I write this.  I can't wait to see the new compositions for viola in the future. 

My last day of High School

Yesterday, was my last day of high school.  It went by very quickly.  Each year goes by faster and faster.  It's scary.  It was surely an interesting day with firecrackers and frogs.  I will never forget my last day of high school.  Despite the chaos, lots of my great friends signed my yearbook and they wrote a lot of compliments.   It will feel weird not to eat lunch in the music hallway with them.  They are the greatest friends anybody can ever ask for.   I also learned how to use to new Brita filter in my school yesterday, ironically on the last day.  It was great after being outside in the heat for an hour how refreshing the water tasted.  It was clean and cold just as the description said on it.  I also took my last test ever in my district.  It was the greatest feeling!  Then I had the senior countdown.  It was great to hear all my fellow seniors outside, while I was in the library.  It meant it was my turn to count down the last ten seconds of high school.   My fellow seniors and I were all excited to spend the last seconds together, the way we started.  But, I feel I'm missing something everytime I think about high school such as: an assignment, homework, textbook, or a test.   Luckily, I remind myself I am completely done being a high school student.  But, the best is yet to come.  I have graduation and prom.  I am looking forward for both.   

Memorial Day Weekend

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while.  Hope everybody has been enjoying the 4 day weekend.  All the students in the Freshman Orchestra have presented their stories, including myself.  I thought it would be fair to write my own story and present it to the class with my own matching sound effects.  Everybody seemed to enjoy it.  Right now I am continuing to work with them by playing bass.  Playing bass is pretty fun with 7 bassists.  It never gets boring. 

The first thing I did during break was actually on thursday night.  The youth orchestra I play with played at Alice Tully Hall.  I thought it was a great concert.  We played with assurance and a lot of musicality.  I myself had a lot of laughs with all of my friends.  There should be a review in the times in a couple of days about the concert.  I am confident there was a good review.  Well that's all I got for today.
Happy Memorial Day

Story Time Continued

The Freshman Orchestra made some pretty great stories.  As a surprise I thought it was fair to share the story I made up on my own with matching sound effects.  Surprisingly, they all liked the story.  They all made stories within less than a week.  The biggest challenge is teaching students who are only three years younger than me, but it's a lot of fun too.  Everyday is a new adventure with them.  All of the chaos makes me laugh after the class is over I just can't stop laughing as I'm writing about it. 

Story Time

The Freshman Orchestra is ready for some stories. They are going to be making up some stories in groups using their instruments. They are going to learn certain embellishments to use in their stories. I've made a list of a bunch of embellishments for the students to use. I've been looking forward to this project for a semester now. I can't wait believe this will start tomorrow

Telephone Livin On a Prayer!

The Freshman Orchestra sightread the arrangements of Telephone and Livin On a Prayer for String Orchestra.  I have to admitt I could not stop laughing.  Everybody got so excited when they played these classic pop tunes, especially the bassists.  They went a little overboard by rushing and playing so forte.  Three bassists and I laughed so hard, that I thought our laughs were louder than the rest of the orchestra playing.  We had a great time!   It was a great way to end my stressful week of 5 tests.  Good ole bassists. 

Music as a Universal Language

Yesterday, I realized music isn't necessarily a universal language.   Yes, everybody around the world has music in their culture.  But, your ear can cringe at sounds you have never heard before.  Yesterday, on Itunes I listened to some Classical Indian music, both (Northern and Southern).  At first I thought it was odd and I asked myself: "This is classical music?  Surprisingly the same country can have different music in two different regions as well.  Northern Indian Classical music is completely different from Southern Indian Classical Music.   But as I kept listening to it I heard embellishments from the Classical European music I play.  Indians probably cringe at European music, because their ears aren't use to the sounds.  I have started to research the different types of classical music all around the world and not just the typical European music I listen to.  Today I heard some samples of Chinese Classical music and enjoyed it.