Musical word finds.

Happy Friday, everyone! Not too much has happened in the past few days, but I’ll fill you in the best I can!

Tuesday ran pretty smoothly and didn’t feel as long as it normally does, so that’s a plus. I had a singing quiz in aural skills that I did alright on, and band didn’t feel excruciatingly long (hour and a half long on Tuesdays and Thursday vs. the MWF 50 minutes), which rocked. I was done with my 3-hour science lab about half an hour into it, so I went back to the room and hung out until horn studio at 5, which was also relaxed since the only people playing were the people going to a horn workshop in a different state this weekend…which I’m not. Easy day, Tuesday.

Wednesday was even better! I had a voice lab later in the night at which I was set to perform at, so I spent any free time I had during the day making sure I had my song completely memorized; I listened to it on repeat for more than an hour and a half or so, just to be safe. There also wasn’t any band on Wednesday (Thursday or Friday either), so I had an extra long time to eat. I also met with a new accompanist for the first time. The one I normally use had a baby not too long ago, so she’s still absent due to that, so I had to find a temporary replacement. I felt a bit guilty because I wasn’t able to give her the piano part until the day of the performance…it’s a HARD piano part. Before the performance, I came back to the room, sucked on some gummy worms, drank two cups of hot earl grey tea, and dressed up all fancy-shmancy (I had even shaved the night before!). I arrived at the music building a little early to have a runthrough with my accompanist, and then the two of us went to the room where the voice lab was supposed to be. Guess how many people showed up aside from my teacher, my accompanist, and myself? ONE! Not wanting to waste a performance, though, I sang my song for my two-person audience and did well; it was actually my first time to make it all the way through without any memory slips. The piano was still rough, but, like I said, it’s difficult and she had just gotten it a few hours before, so it’ll be better once she’s had some time to practice. I’m singing part of this song (“Sunset Boulevard”) for my Garland Summer Musicals audition on Saturday, but I’m singing the whole song at the big weekly voice recital next Thursday…I can’t wait!

Today was the easiest day of the week so far. I only had two classes, meaning I was done by noon! I went back to Sneed, grabbed a sandwich from Sam’s Place, and chilled in the room for a while. I also did my laundry for the first time since returning from spring break, and I played Halo: Reach on my XBox 360 for the first time in ages. It was nice to truly kick back and relax for the first time in a while. I went back to the school of music for the voice recital at 5, and then I came back to the room again and decided to get some work done on my science project that I started the other day. We have to design an experiment, collect data, and report our conclusions. I can’t give away any information because the experiment hasn’t even really started yet, but I have the whole thing completely set up and ready to go as soon as I have everyone I need participating. I’m really excited to see how it turns out!

At 8, I grabbed my Bible and walked down the street to the FBC for Paradigm, the weekly college worship service, and sat with my Tuesday Bible study group (forgot to mention that I went to Bible study on Tuesday night as well). It was a good service with some great music and a nice reminder of what Easter is about. I love that I’ve started to get more involved with my Bible and with others who believe in it…it’s a great group to be a part of!

Now, I’m about to hit the hay. I’m up a bit later than initially planned, but that’s what I get for working on my theory homework while watching How I Met Your Mother with Andrew…worth it! Time to pack a small bag for my trip home this weekend before going to sleep. Easy day tomorrow!

Goodnight!

Chad

That’s why he’s called “Dead Tom”.

Things have been kinda slow going around here. I reach the end of the day and just don’t feel like there’s enough for me to fill an entire post. I’m not saying I won’t try for daily posts, but don’t expect them.

After going to the Hunger Games midnight showing, I slept in Friday morning. I only had one class before 1pm, which was theory at 9, but we had just taken our midterm and there was no homework due, so I figured that sleeping through this once wouldn’t harm me. The only two classes I had on Friday were band and choir, so it was a pretty easy day. After choir was over, Andrew and I returned to the room and got down to business…we built a “fort” (consisting of hanging sheets on twine suspended across the room), unbunked our beds and laid them side by side, and we had a Star Wars marathon that lasted all weekend.

The order of our Star Wars marathon was a little strange, but I really enjoyed it. We started with IV: A New Hope and V: The Empire Strikes Back, but then we jumped back to the prequel trilogy with I, II, and III before going forward to VI. What’s the reasoning behind this crazy order, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you! Think about it: at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke finds out that Darth Vader is his father, right? Well FLASHBACK TO VADER’S ORIGINS! We watch the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and his decent into the Dark Side of the Force before skipping forward to Return of the Jedi. At this point, we are familiar with Luke and how he came to be a Jedi, Darth Vader and how he came to be a Sith Lord, and how Darth Sidious came into power as well. I really enjoyed the order…you should try it out for yourself! I had been aching for a full Star Wars marathon for a LONG time, so it was nice to get it done this weekend.

Admittedly, our marathon was slow-going; we only made it halfway through A New Hope on Friday night before Andrew fell asleep, so on Saturday we started back with finishing IV before moving on to V and I. On Sunday we watched the final three, completing our marathon! Luckily, the only homework I had all weekend was a theory worksheet, which took no time after we had finished our marathon. This weekend was the definition of a “lazy weekend”.

Today was pretty simple. Classes went normally, and I made my first attempt at playing the flute, which went really well! We didn’t do much aside from just make a sound, but I did that without any issues at all. I didn’t have any piano today, and I had a makeup voice lesson at 4, so I had a full hour to practice my voice stuff before I had to meet up with my voice lesson teacher. Also during this hour, I made a call to Garland Summer Musicals and set up an audition time for this weekend! I’m really excited for the opportunity to be a part of a show during the summer close to home…who knows, I might even have a shot at a decent role! Here’s hoping, but I won’t hope too high; I don’t want to be disappointed if I don’t get a part. No big deal!

Despite my lazy weekend, I crashed in the room after my voice lesson, napping for a few hours. When Andrew got back from work, I ate a small dinner while we watched How I Met Your Mother on Netflix, and now, after having re-situated our room into its normal setting, we’re watching Muppet Treasure Island before bed.

The rest of the week is pretty relaxed. Tomorrow is a long school day, but I also have bible study to look forward to in the evening. I have a voice lab to sing at on Wednesday. I’ll be singing “Sunset Boulevard”…I’m excited! Thursday is when things start getting relaxed, and I also have Paradigm to attend that evening. And then I’ll be heading home on Friday for my Saturday GSM audition! I’m excited!

Anyway, that’s all for now! The movie is finishing up and I’m ready for bed. Goodnight!

Chad

May the odds…

…be ever in your favor. The Hunger Games was excellent! I don’t feel like sleeping just yet.

Andrew and I got to the theater around 10ish. I had picked up our tickets a while earlier, so all we had to do was get in line, which was out the door by that point. Funnily enough, we bumped into Kate and her boyfriend and decided to stick with the two of them in line. We eventually made it inside, but we didn’t make it into the theater where we’d be watching until about 11:40 or so.

The film was the best book-to-screen adaptation I’ve ever seen. Yes, better than Harry Potter even!

(spoiler-free review)
Having read the book just over two weeks ago, the story was still fresh on my mind, so believe me when I say they left out VERY little. The changes that were made were minimal, but they always made sense. The scenes that were added fit in perfectly with the rest of the film, and they even helped to further expand things that were in the book. I loved that we saw outside of the arena throughout the film as it gave the audience a sense of exactly what was going on in the “real world”. Everyone was perfectly cast; I really have no complaints at all.

The music was also fantastic. The score was composed by James Newton Howard, and, since the soundtrack hasn’t yet been released, I made sure to listen to what was happening in the background with the music as much as I could. Everything was beautiful.

I wish I could be more vocal about this, but 1) I’m tired and 2) there’s really not all that much to say. I read advance reviews that said that the film acts as a supplement to the book, adding to the source material what could only be done in the cinema, and I completely agree. I can’t wait to see how the adaptations of the next two books turn out!

Anyway, that’s pretty much it. I suppose I should get SOME sleep…even though I don’t really start class until 1 in the afternoon tomorrow. Woohoo!

Goodnight!

Chad

P.S. – This film is being paired with the Woman in Black at the drive-in theater starting today (Friday). I’ll definitely be hitting that up!

A happy song.

I am now the proud owner of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Muppets on Blu-Ray! I’m so excited.

Today was a long day…I had to be up at the music building by 7 for a makeup listening quiz in music history, and I didn’t get to leave until about 3. Thankfully, I didn’t have piano today, so, while I started my day an hour earlier than normal, I was finished an hour earlier. Though today was Nap Day, I didn’t nap right after we got back to the room. Instead, Andrew and I watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Andrew hadn’t seen it before, and he really liked it, and I liked it just as much as I did the first time. It’s so good!

From there, I went to rehearsal for a play with a cast that largely consisted of people from the play I was in earlier this semester. The director of the play was also in the cast, and he asked me if I’d like a small part in this show, and I accepted. It’s nothing that takes me onstage or requires me to learn any lines, so it’s nothing to stress over. It’s actually a pretty funny gig.

When I left that, I picked up Andrew, and the two of us ate dinner at Chipotle. From there, he went to his church meeting while I took a short nap. I woke when he returned, at which point we put on The Muppets! Staying up just a bit later tonight (not because of the short nap, I assure you) because the next two days should be pretty easy peasy.

That being said, it’s time for bed. Goodnight!

Chad

P.S. – Hunger Games midnight premiere tomorrow!

Shwoop

I’m back! I’ve been absent from here for longer than I had initially planned, but I should be back to a normal posting schedule.

Brief recap of spring break: I stayed at home the whole time and loved it. I FINALLY got my ingrown toenail removed at the foot doctor, which has been a huge relief. The surgery didn’t hurt at all, and I haven’t had any pain in my toe since…praise the Lord! It was great being with my family too. My cat laid in my bed every night…I’m gonna miss them all.

Now, I’m back in Lubbock, getting back in the swing of things. I did the homework that I had missed while out of town with Court Jesters before spring break, all while watching How I Met Your Mother on Netflix Instant with Andrew. I started it with my family over the break, and now we’re all the way through season 1. It’s so funny! I love it.

This week consists of: bible study tomorrow, play rehearsal Wednesday (I’m making a small appearance in a friend’s play on Friday night…nothing special, really), Paradigm (worship service) and the Hunger Games midnight premiere (I read the trilogy and loved it!) on Thursday, and then the play that I’ll have a “cameo” in on Friday. Tomorrow, both the Muppets and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo come out, so I’ll be buying those tomorrow!

I’d love to give you a longer post, but for now I’m just going to say goodnight. I’m ready for sleep. Goodnight!

Chad

Aaaeeeeyah!

I got to bed at a decent time last night (meaning NOT 5am or later), so that’s good. I was still pretty tired all day, which was expected, but I made sure to not take a nap so that I would fall asleep at an even better time tonight!

Nothing too special happened today. I suffered through my classes (they weren’t really that bad), staying late after piano to get my final clarinet recordings done on my clarinet. The week after spring break, I’ll be switching to flute! Kinda glad about that…the clarinet was nice and all, but I’m looking forward to having fewer things to worry about (i.e. reeds, embouchure, etc.). I also finished Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover today! I read throughout my lunch break and then finished it after I had done my homework for tomorrow. I learned a lot from it, and I certainly plan on applying what I learned to my life so that I can avoid debt at all costs and go through life without worrying about money at all.

Now that I’ve finished the Dave Ramsey book, I plan on reading Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy. This series has gotten a lot of hype lately since the movie based on the first book comes out in a few weeks, so I’m eager to get started. The whole trilogy only cost me $20 on my Kindle!

Anyway, Andrew and I watched Jackie Chan Adventures on Netflix for a while before winding things down; it’s already after midnight, but I NEED to take a shower, and I also need to pack all of my things for the rest of the week with CJs (we leave tomorrow night!) and for spring break as well. Speaking of the CJs trip: don’t expect posts while I’m in Kansas. I’ll be sure to update you all when I’m home and relaxing during spring break, but I probably won’t post until then.

Anyway, ta-ta! Goodnight! See you all on spring break!

Chad

One does not simply…

Sorry for my absence! …this weekend’s sleeping schedule was severely out of whack, but no worries: I’m about to get in bed.

Andrew left for Mesquite for the weekend on Friday, leaving me alone in the room until this afternoon. I decided to take a nap that evening, starting at 5:30. I didn’t wake up until 11:30! At this point, I gathered my laundry and got that in the washer since I obviously wasn’t going to bed any time soon! Back in the room, I watched the second half of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which was awesome! I’m so glad to have finally seen them all! The trilogy is definitely on my list of favorites. After that was over, I watched a documentary on Netflix called Being Elmo, which tells the story of how Kevin Clash came to be the puppeteer (or, rather, “Muppeteer”) and voice for Elmo. It was great! When I had finished my laundry and put it away in my closet, it was about 5am, so I went to sleep.

I set alarms for early afternoon so that I wouldn’t be late for the free Court Jesters meal at 2 before the game, and I woke up to them…but I turned off the alarms and fell back asleep, waking up at 2:05. I texted the other horn players set to show up to see if they had gotten to the United Spirit Arena yet since my car was across campus and I wouldn’t make it in time for the official 2:30 call. Luckily, one of them was able to pick me up and get us both there on time. The game itself was a bit disappointing; we were creamed by the Missouri team. I suppose it was expected, though. It was the last season game that CJs play at!

By the time the game was over, it had been more than 24 hours since I had eaten since I had been sleeping so much and I had missed the free lunch. This all pointed to Chipotle! I ate up and made it back to the room at about 6:30 or so. I originally planned to just change shirts and go to the library to work on a research project I had for music history, but I suddenly remembered that I had started arranging a song for horn ensemble, so I pulled out my staff paper, opened Finale, and proceeded to spend 6 hours arranging “Adagio for TRON” from the TRON: Legacy soundtrack. I really like the way it turned out, though I still have a couple of kinks to work out. After putting that aside, I finally got to my music history assignment, which I had mostly finished by the time I went to sleep at 5:30 (told you my sleep schedule was messed up this weekend).

Since I had gone to bed so late, I didn’t even bother trying to go to church because, even if I HAD managed to wake myself up on time, I would have been too tired to pay attention and might have even dozed off during service. Not cool. Instead, I set alarms on both my iPhone AND my iPad to wake up by 12:30 so that I would be on time for a Goin’ Band leadership meeting at 1. I woke up with plenty of time to spare, eating a Cutie for “breakfast” before heading off to the music building. At this meeting, we narrowed down themes for a student-selected show from 5 nominees to 3 nominees…I’d share what the final three would be, but I don’t know if I’m supposed to just yet. Now that the leadership team has narrowed the choices down to these final three, the rest of the Goin’ Band members will vote on which one they want to perform next season. Pretty cool! I’ll make sure to post what is decided on as soon as I know!

It wasn’t too long after the meeting that Andrew arrived back in town, and the two of us decided to go to Cici’s for lunch…I hadn’t been since November, just before Thanksgiving break (weekends are my chance to relax my food choices just a bit), so it was delicious! The two of us came back to the room, and, while I messed around on the computer for a while, Andrew napped before his meeting at 7:30. When he left for that, I brought out my music history assignment and finished that up, turning it in online, and then I pulled out my music theory homework and did that. I was done with all homework due tomorrow before 9:30 tonight! I drove my car from the visitor parking behind the hall back to the parking garage and walked back, where I have since been messing around on my computer a bit more.

This week should be excellent! Tomorrow is a normal day, minus the fact that I need to get all of my stuff ready to take home for spring break so that I can take it over to Conner’s house for safekeeping until I return from my trip to Kansas with Court Jesters this week. Tuesday night, after my second band concert of the semester, a select group of CJs is riding the bus all night to the Big XII basketball tournament in Kansas for the rest of the week. Since we may not get back until Saturday, I asked Conner if I could keep the stuff that I’ll be taking home for spring break at his house since I don’t know if I’ll be able to get into Sneed on Saturday/Sunday. Looking forward to this trip and to spring break right after! I haven’t been home in such a long time, so I can’t wait to see my family!

Anyway, it’s time for sleep; I need to get my sleep schedule back on track so I don’t sleep through any classes tomorrow! Goodnight!

Chad