Update

I doubt this post will be too long.

So I ended up getting third chair clarinet out of seven. I think it might be a delayed apology from the conductor, though, because last year when I was in string orchestra, he placed me in the very back though both he and I knew I didn't deserve that spot. The year before that, when we had a different conductor, I had been eighth chair (out of over 30 violins).

But now I'm playing bass clarinet, so I'm first chair! And last.

The blanket has grown tremendously. I'm still not halfway done, but I'm making good progress. I've been taking it to school and working on it during class (which, surprisingly, hasn't gotten me in trouble yet). I've been knitting during presentations, movies, after labs, at lunch, but not during lectures because I like taking extensive notes.

Physics homework calls. But to avoid a boring picture-less entry, here's this:

The portion of French that wore costumes.

I guess I might as well post my schedule, since I neglected to do so earlier.
1. Anatomy & Physiology
2. Physics
3. AP French IV
4. Wind Orchestra
- Lunch -
5. Honors English
6. Honors Pre-Calculus

Band, Football, and a String of Other Things

It's been a long time, I know. School has been overwhelming me. On the bright side, I went to our rival's home football game on Friday (they played another team; not us) and recorded videos. They're (almost) all posted here.

Homecoming drama and the works. I'll probably reuse the dress from last year (gasp!) because I spent some serious money on it and I'd rather not get a whole 'nother for only one night. Maybe I'll change my mind. Maybe. Maybe I won't even go at all. I'm considering it. Homecoming's only fun if you go with the right people, and I'm pretty sure that everyone else has made plans already and I'm not included. Oh well.

Highlights from the game?

The score never changed after this; the home team (Amador Valley High School) lost 28-3.

Band.

The only reason I'm actually looking forward to the coming weeks is band performing at football games and being able to record them.

I'm not in band this year either. My parents keep saying it'll take up too much time. But I was accidentally placed in Wind Orchestra instead of String Orchestra, so I'm in a really small band that's no fun because hardly any of my friends are there, and our String Orchestra has sixty members. Ah well.

I'm working on a school spirit scarf and that afghan I was supposed to make for the Ravelympics event Afghan Marathon (I ended up having too much summer homework that I didn't have enough time to finish it up, so it's an ongoing project). It's gorgeous, but I want to be able to use it soon. It's taking too long.

Freakish amounts of homework tonight. Better get working.

Back

I have missed you, dear blog, and very awesome blog readers.

Camp was very time-consuming, I must admit. Then I recovered from camp, then recorded our school marching band practice for the 2008 field show (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Phield Show). I'm still in the process of convincing my parents that I can handle band, as I have recently been invited to join our marching band even though most people have already learned the field show. Hopefully my dad will be convinced when I tell him that I got a 2300 on a practice SAT today (if you're out of the loop, a perfect would be 2400).

Gnarls Barkley's Crazy is pretty awesome. I'm currently listening to it.

Alright, now for some awesome camp pictures!

While I'm waiting for them to load, let me fill you in.

Saturday: Arrive & audition
Sunday: Dance
Monday: Indian Bowl (staff performances)
Tuesday: Dance
Wednesday: Skit Night
Thursday: Jazz Night! (4 hours of nonstop jazz)
Friday: Ensemble Night
Saturday: Special Dinner & Dance
Sunday: Final Concert.

Yay, pictures loaded!

We always stop at Memory Lane on the drive up to camp.

Two lovely girls from our "pentagon" groupie. They both go to the same school which happens to be our rival school. Our colors are blue and yellow, and theirs are purple and gold. :) I was thrilled to see them wearing our colors (though it was just the camp shirt), and they were, well, kind of awkward wearing our colors.

Pentagon! Front row: Kindle (braids + scarf) - violin & me - violin; Back row: Laura - clarinet, Suzy - trombone, & Maiya - clarinet (though she would make the perfect stereotypical flute)

The light shines out from Maiya's head.

We love this kid. To show our affection for him, me, Kindle, and Maiya decorated his hair with Fruity Cheerios. Doesn't it look so amazing?

So those are the highlights of camp. Oh yes, there's also Choptox. :)

It's kind of a long story, but here's the gist: Skit night rolls around (Wednesday) and we decide to do a reality TV show based upon our cabin. We have 27 girls in our cabin (we're the largest, but we're divided into 3 rooms). Since it's band camp, we have stereotypes of each instrument (i.e. strings are really brainy, flutes are preppy, trumpets think they're the best, etc.). As a commercial break, these two (HILARIOUS!) girls go on stage, one of whom has a trombone. She buzzes feebly and hardly makes a sound. The other girl says, "Lips too small to buzz that trombone? Then try Choptox!" And then we have another girl, dressed as the amazing Andy Martin goes on stage and endorses Choptox. Andy was actually there at the performance, and we were told later by one of the people with him that he was dying of laughter.

By the way, Andy Martin is seriously AMAZING. I feel so privileged to have met him and told him that I'm his biggest fan. I look terrible in this picture, but I'm overjoyed that I got it:


This man is seriously amazing. I'm so lucky to have met him. And I'm seriously practicing violin so I can be in his jazz band next year at camp (he instructs the top jazz band of the camp) and be one of those rare jazz violinists. Oh yes. His daughter looks just like him too. :) It's pretty awesome. His son doesn't look as much like him as his daughter does. And, get this, her name's Andreina. Her brother's name is Andres, so it's like a whole family of Andys!

One more quick thing: after the full orchestra performed Akademische Festoverture (Brahms), we got a standing ovation. We were the only group to get one. :) We've got skills.

The Final Word:
+ "You're too good not to be heard." -Vince Gomez

Found a Friend in the Business

I left my backpack in Mom's car and she's on an inspection. So I can't do homework until she comes home.

I'm obsessed with Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss" and "With You". Mostly "With You".

Today was band's last day for a week. A whole week. They're heading up to Canada tomorrow morning. Since I have nothing better to do and since I adore band, here's the itinerary my friend dropped off for me [my notes are in brackets]:

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
4:45 AM: Arrive at school
5:00 AM: Buses depart for Los Angeles [the port is in Los Angeles]
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Arrive San Pedro, check in for cuise, board Sapphire Princess
2:00 PM: Welcome aboard meeting in Club Fusion for all students and parents
3:00 PM: Compulsory guest muster drill [I've tried, but I can't understand this]
4:00 PM: Sapphire Princess sails for Vancouver, Canada
5:45 PM: Dinner in Vivaldi Dining Room - casual dress, no shorts, blue jeans, or T-shirts
7:00 PM: Dinner ends, enjoy the ship and entertainment
11:00 PM: Lights out

Thursday, May 15, 2008
Please refer to the daily Princess Patter for information on ship activities, food service, and entertainment options.
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Performance/clinic in Princess Theater - Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble Perform
3:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Band Awards (Senior Banquet) in Club Fusion - formal attire, drinks and hors d'oeuvres served
5:45 PM - 7:00 PM: Formal dinner in Vivaldi Dining Room
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Student only dance party in Skywalkers - please stay in formal attire for the entire evening!
11:00 PM: Lights out

Friday, May 16, 2008
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Jazz Band performance in Princess Theater Mike Vax and Bill Hill - clinicians
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: CLINIC OF ALL BANDS & SEMINAR - HISTORY OF MUSIC - JAZZ APPRECIATION - MIKE VAX AND BILL HILL - Princess Theater
4:00 PM - 5:15 PM: Student only karoke party in Skywalkers
5:30 PM: Group photo - open deck area by pool
5:45 PM - 7:00 PM: Dinner in Vivaldi Dining Room - casual dress, no shorts, blud jeans, or T-shirts

Saturday, May 17, 2008
7:00 AM: Breakfast
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Disembark the Sapphire Princess in Vancouver, Canada
10:30 AM: Vancouver City sightseeing tour
1:30 PM: Check in for ferry
2:00 PM: BC ferry to Schwartz Bay
3:15 PM: Arrive Schwartz Bay, transfer by bus to hotel
4:00 PM: Check into Victoria Marriott Hotel
5:00 PM: Jazz Band performs at Causeway near Milestone's Restaurant
6:00 PM: Concert ends with dinner on your own
10:00 PM: All students in their own hotel rooms
10:30 PM: Lights out

Sunday, May 18, 2008
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Depart hotel for tour of Butchart Gardens
11:15 AM: Boxed lunch provided, board buses for return to hotel
12:15 PM: Return to rooms, prepare for performance
2:00 PM: All American Band Show and Contest - FULL UNIFORM [field show]
4:00 PM: Show ends at Parliament Building
5:00 PM: Dinner on your own in Victoria
10:00 PM: All students in their own hotel rooms
10:30 PM: Lights out

Monday, May 19, 2008
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
7:15 AM: Depart for parade line up
8:00 AM: All bands in formation - we are #3 in parade
9:30 AM: Victoria Day Parade steps off
10:30 AM: Load trucks and buses for return to Vancouver
11:30 AM: Depart Victoria for ferry to Vancouver from Schwartz Bay
12:30 PM: Check-in for BC ferry
1:00 PM: BC ferry departs for Vancouver
3:30 PM: Arrive at Vancouver airport and begin checking in for flights to San Francisco.
6:40 PM: United #564 scheduled to depart - arrival SFO is 8:51 PM
7:45 PM: Alaska #714 scheduled to depart - arrival SFO is 10:14 PM
8:00 PM: Air Canada #534 scheduled to depart - arrival SFO is 10:15

In a nutshell, we bus down, cruise up, and fly back down. One of my friends in band is really consciencious about her grades and knows that she will have a ton of work to do when she returns. Her solution? Don't bus down or cruise up. She will just fly up on either Friday night or Saturday morning and meet band there. She flies back with band on Monday night. Though she will miss the entire cruise, I really admire her for making the sacriffice for her grades. AP testing is on Thursday for World History, and she does not want to make it up on the Wednesday after she returns. She has to take major tests on Tuesday and then she has an in-class essay on Friday, so she will be bombarded already. So she'll stay here with me and just miss school on Monday. My band geeks are going to call me at least three times a day. :) It's wonderful!

Today in orchestra, the conductor said something about how we were progressing on a certain song. He said we sounded better than his band. Because he is not the official band director (he's just the assistant band director), all the good bands (like Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble) don't go to him. He gets the... kind of reject bands (Concert Band (aka Symphonic Band) and Jazz B; Jazz A is the official Jazz Band and Jazz B is the other one for people who didn't make Jazz A). So when he made this comment, my friend whipped around to me, and yelled, "HAH! WE SOUND BETTER!" fully knowing my love for band. And of course, I shouted back at her, "YEAH, WELL IT'S CONCERT BAND! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?" Then I turned to face the conductor and he was looking at me a bit suspiciously. Oops. I totally dissed his band right there. Oh well. He'll be gone until Tuesday with band, so I guess it's okay.

There was a sign in the quad last week that said "LEI'S 4 GRADUATION". I wanted so badly to take a picture of it and upload it to the English Fail blog, but I never got around to bringing my camera to school. I'm sure there will be other signs with apostrophe misuse anyway.

Ah yes. I found a friend today. This is what this post is supposed to be about, but I digressed. She's at What She Said. I know her from camp. Band camp, of course! She's a flautist.

The backpack has returned. Time for math homework.

Peace Treaty Scarf Update

I saw band this morning! I asked my P.E. teacher if he would let me go early (half an hour early; I have P.E. during A period and marching band is also during A period), and he finally relented. He's a cool guy.

I've decided to change the Peace Treaty Scarf. I have this nifty olive green yarn (Red Heart's Super Soft or something like that; it was for birthday gifts) I got for $2.49. Though it may not last very long, it's really soft and it looks more manly than the ivory I was using before. Our orchestra conductor might like that better. Ah yes - it will also be knit instead of crochet. I'm using the "Men's Cashmere Scarf" pattern from this book. I really like the pattern.

We had to do an in-class essay on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and finishd it today. I ended up getting so involved in the essay that I wrote over five pages (double-spaced). We wrote about a theme in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and I chose something about stereotypes. I think I did well; probably an A. It's Regular English (as opposed to Honors) and I was in Honors last year, plus the fact that I've never gotten lower than an A- on any essay this year, so I think I'm a pretty fair judge.

We had a math test today on probability. Hopefully an A. I don't think it will be lower than a B. I studied pretty hard and knew pretty much everything that was on the test.

I've been making an off-white little clutch for my mom for this Sunday. I don't think it will be ready in time. Maybe next week or the week afterwards. The body is finished, but I have to felt it and sew it together. Belated Mother's Day gift, it looks like.

Friend's youth group is tonight. Fun fun fun.

Jazz Auditions are Over

And I know I didn't make it. What's frustrating is not the fact that I didn't do well on my audtion, but that I have no way of knowing if I have a back-up (Chamber). The list wasn't posted today either because the teacher wasn't there. AHH! So tomorrow, I will be really anxious to find out if I made it. I don't know when Jazz members will be posted, but I don't think I made it, so I guess it shouldn't really matter. The audition went something like this:

"Play the piece you prepared"
Played.
"Play a G Major scale."
Played two octaves.
"Now, play a g harmonic minor scale."
"...Well, I don't know my minor scales.
"You don't know your minor scales? How about melodic minor?
"Um... not those either."
"Play a g melodic minor scale. Lower the 3rd, raise the 6th and 7th."
Had some difficulty, but finally got it.
"Alright. Do you know any blues scales?"
"Um... no."
"Hmmm. Okay. Well, play for me an F Major scale."
Played without a problem.
"Now Ab (A flat) Major"
Played.
"Perfect. Okay then, that's it."

And that was all. I'm so ashamed of myself. I call myself a musician yet I can't really play my minor scales. How pathetic. He didn't tell me that I hadn't made it, but I'm sure that I won't be enrolled in Jazz Band next year. If no Chamber either, it looks like dreadful Computer Science for the next two years.

Peace Treaty Scarf for the orchestra conductor (not the same as the band director; the band director auditioned me today):

It's a Woven Stitch from Betty Barnden's Crochet Stitch Bible. I think it will work.

Help!

I need somebody.

I'm having serious second thoughts about auditioning for Chamber Choir. My audition is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23. Four days from today, and I still don't know what I'm going to sing. Not only is the first time I've auditioned my voice before, I'm worried that Chamber Choir will conflict with Orchestra. This year, they have been during the same period, so my friend (who is an AMAZING singer) really wanted to sing and still play violin in Orchestra, but was forced to choose. You can't have two classes for one period. He was disappointed, but I'm sure he is now happy with his choice. If that same thing happens next year, I'll be in trouble. If I just happen to do an amazing audition and make Chamber, I may have to refuse the spot and take Orchestra that period instead (I have more of an allegiance to violin than to singing). And that wouldn't be nice. I figure that I'll have to schedule an emergency meeting with my counselor to find out what periods Orchestra and Chamber will be next year.

So if I don't audition for Chamber, I still have an open class (and I'm NOT taking something pointless like Comp Sci [Computer Science]). I'm taking History over the summer, plus I'm taking A period for a 7-period-long day with 4 major classes (Physics, English, Math, and AP French). Two of those "extra" periods are filled with Marching Band and Orchestra, but there's still another extra period for... JAZZ BAND! I spoke with the band director yesterday at lunch about if he wanted a violin in Jazz Band. He was kind of surprised, but said he would like to have one. (I brought first chair clarinet with me, and he just kind of stood there.) I told him that I would be in Marching Band as well, and he asked me if I played an instrument. I said clarinet, and also said that first chair clarinet (who was standing right next to me) was tutoring me. I think he liked the idea. I asked when he would like me to audition, and he said that auditions were being held during the first week of May, and that I could come in either Tuesday or Wednesday (of that first week of May) after 3:30. Pretty much everything is riding on this audition.

I don't think I'll be auditioning for Chamber after(especially if it is during Orchestra's period), so Jazz Band is my only hope to fill that extra class. If I don't make Jazz Band, I'm finished. My dad will force me to take comp sci and I'll be stuck in a class I totally hate. ...No pressure.

Busy Busy Busy

It was cold today. It was supposed to be 85 degrees, but it only got to 79. 79! I can't wait until it really starts heating up. And I don't mean 80-degree-weather. I mean the super hot 105.

I really want to make this bag, but I don't have any yarn in that color and my parents won't buy me more until I've used up the stuff from ImagiKnit. The bag is so adorable, that whenever I have to bring my lunch to schools in emergencies (such as having to talk to a teacher during lunch and not being able to get lunch in time to eat, or maybe having to PERFORM, LIKE TOMORROW, during lunch and not getting a chance to buy lunch), I just dream of having a cute little bag like that I get to carry around to my classes. My friends know I have a strange (to them) obsession with band and knitting, so whenever I have some kind of scarf, hat, or other cool accessory, at least one of them always says, "Let me guess. You made that, right?" They're pretty much the greatest.

Speaking of the performance, we were notified today in class that small ensembles have to perform tomorrow. We're sort of a "warm-up" to choir. An opening group, I suppose, although not exactly. Three groups are all that are going to perform. We just play as people attening the choir thing walk through the hallway. We are stationed in the hallway. And that's about it. It's weird; the choir concert is in the middle of the day (during school). Oh well.

Tomorrow, I get to see my orchestra buddy from camp! She goes to another high school we're competing against in the track meet. I have yet to race her, and as we run the same events, that's pretty pathetic. She was in Mexico last year, and this year, I'm not in track.

Today, my band geeks (yes, my; I do own them) called me an idiosyncrasy. Well, mainly one in particular. I got mad at him because not only was he using a big word, it was a vocabulary word from last week that I will probably be tested on on Friday. I looked at him, dropped my stuff right there, and rummaged through my backpack, searching for my vocabulary packet. I found out that it means a characteristic habit or mannerism, but it my case, apparently it's more "peculiar" than "characteristic". (He thinks I have issues because I love band so much. Silly boy.)

If I ever start seriously selling what I knit, I think I'll start donating 5% or so to the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra. They're amazing, and I think it's really cool that they try to support kids that live in slums by putting a trumpet or a cello in their hands instead of a gun or a knife, as would normally occur.

Lots of homework tonight. Better get to it.

Second of April Two Thousand Eight

No auditions today. What a let-down. Maybe they just won't take place at all. Monterey is completely out of the picture now. And maybe even the next jazz festival. Oh well. So much for that.

Super-huge district concert is tonight. Every orchestra in the district will be present. Great. Another chance to show how ridiculous we sound. Most middle schools are better than us. Oh well. I might get to knit a bit, so it's not a total waste I suppose. But I told my mom not to come; it's a waste of her life. She promptly acknowledged it and we didn't speak further about it. I guess one plus is that I get to wear the same black dress I wore to Max Loh's thing at the theatre. YAY and he hugged me that night too! Did I mention that before? Well, if I've mentioned it or not, he did. And I was super happy. And I still am, knowing that he was the last one to hug me. Oh yes. How embarassing: I'm situated at the back of the orchestra. Normally I'm around fourth chair, but now I'm around thirtieth. During auditions at the beginning of the schoolyear, I was the only one who memorized the circle of fifths and did arpeggios for all major scales. But according to the conductor, I "sounded scratchy". Okay, so I didn't have enough rosin on my bow because I had forgotten mine at home. Yeah big deal. Seriously, I thought placing was in terms of skill-level. And he said he'd do another seating test for second semester. There hasn't been one. It doesn't help that he's a horn guy too (never been in a string orchestra, can't play a string instrument, but can play almost every brass instrument). He's made for band, not for orchestra. It's his first year here. Oh well.

Back to homework.