August 2005

August 28, 2005 17:24

The college orchestra started last week. We're working on Beethoven's fifth right now. Its a really great group of people (most of the same people from pops). I'm playing in the first violin section (which makes me happy).

Also, tomorrow, I'm starting choir again (after a year long break). That should be fun, but I'm really nervous... (I don't know the conductor or anyone in the group...)

Thats all for now...

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August 18, 2005 16:37

Well we got our orch seats, and if you don't know how our teacher is doing seating this year, it looks like I moved from the front of the firsts to the back of the seconds (which is really annoying). But this year our teacher is seating the outside seats first (1st chair, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 3rd, 5th, 2nd, 4th and so on - plus we have a third violin section this year) So really, I only moved back 3 seats (from 3rd overall *2 chair first violin* to 6th *5th chair second violin*)

Sometime in the next few weeks we will have the opertunity to challenge for different seats. And I don't know where I want to challenge - I'm thinking of 3rd chair first violin (3rd overall, also my best friend's chair and I don't know if I would like to challenge her...) or 2nd chair first violin -my old seat- (7th overall, it would actually mean moving back a chair, and I don't know if I want to do that...)
Sigh, orchestra's confusing....
Also at school, I'm a TA for the orchestra conductor during one of his other classes, so I have been filing parts in the music library - which is actually really fun.

Now on to homework...

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August 17, 2005 20:49

The near death of too many violins.

Today (really the past few weeks) was really sad. My regular violin has been out of use for about 2 weeks now, because the humidity has been high enough that the pegs won't move at all. So, today when I was going to try to bring it back into tune, I discovered that the glue at the neck joint and saddle had dissolved, there was no longer any glue, so the neck collapsed... everything seems like it will be ok (no cracks, thank goodness!!!) but it will be a little while before I can use that violin again.

So then, I went to go practice on the violin that I am borrowing from a friend, only to find that it sounded really weird... It sounded like a really old recording that was being projected under water... not a good sound. I only hope that something horrible doesn't happen to it over night. I keep imagining that I'll open the case tomorrow in orchestra only to find that the neck had broken on that one too, or the bridge.soundpost had fallen,, or just something bad...

Still wanting to practice, I went to play my old violin (something I'd been avoiding because its currently tuned - low to high - E B E E for a piece I was working on) but when I went to bring that one up to the regular tuning, I found that there was no way that those pegs were going to move (darn humidity).

Determined to practice, I got out my electric, and (surprise, surprise) it is in tune and works fine. If only I could play that in orchestra tomorrow (the first day of actual rehearsal).

Sigh...

And to think the drama would end there... something strange is also happening with the paino, it doesn't sound right - and I blame everything on the weather.

However, I just finished rebuilding a cello, and I actually have someone who wants to buy it... Also, my conductor from 9th grade hired me to repair another cello. Very exciting.

Also, I highly recomend the movie Ladies in Lavender, its really a good story, with good acting, and good music.

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August 7, 2005 18:05

Today's concert was AMAZING!!! It was so much better than the first one... Here are some highlights:

-Got there early, warmed up, people were really chatty back stage...
-Fanfare for the Common Man
-it sounded great, the percussion had been having some problems with this piece, but appearently is worked out
-Sorcerer's Apprentice
-this also sounded better
-there were some problems keeping the orchestra together, but we ended at the same time
-I really love the contra-bassoon solo, its really hard not to laugh, especially when all the other strings are trying not to laugh...
-Phantom of the Opera
-This was by far (in my opinion) the best piece we played
-Christanna's (our vocalist) costume was beautiful!
-The fog machine behind Darrell (the man who sang as the Phantom) was really neat, a fun effect
-We got a standing ovation, which is always fun
-Harry Potter and the Prisioner of Azkaban
-To introduce the piece, the MC did several magic tricks (he was trying to make the tuba fly
*First they flew a baton into the fly space above the stage
*Then they flew a violin into the fly space
*Then the MC's wand exploded (the sparks smelled bad...)
-It went pretty well, but it wasn't our greatest piece...
-Intermission
-Intermission was fun, some of us were talking about fingerboard colors, and bridges...
-Fanfare for the Common Cold
-This piece is so good (for a brass piece...grin)
-It is one of the few good uses for trombones
-Satchmo! a Tribute to Louis Armstrong
-sounded good, and the audience liked it (which of course is what matters...)
-Send in the Clowns
-Darrell conducted this piece, and Christanna sang
-Smooth as performed by Santana
-I didn't really like this piece, but it was fun
-Gloria Estefan's Greatest Hits
-Christanna did a really nice job on the vocals
-And again, the audience liked it
-Encore: Stars and Stripes Forever
-This was really fun, and sounded great
-The second violin part is kinda trickey, because the entire piece is just quarter note chords, but they are on the off beat, so when the audience starts clapping along, its hard to count...
-Towards the middle, they shot off confetti cannons, and that was REALLY distracting (I got lost...), but it was fun
-After the confetti, the baton that went flying before Harry Potter, came down above our conductor's head, and was conducting.....

Anyway, it was a really fun concert, and a great way to end the season.

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August 6, 2005 17:04

Well, today was the last rehearsal for POPS, and our concert is tomorrow. Rehearsal today went well, actually the past five weeks have been great. Today they were adding some special tech things (Fog machine for Phantom, flying violin for Harry Potter, colored lights, ...) Today only about a third of the firsts were able to come, and all but one of them were late... but oh well.

Then, on Monday the high school starte. And, the orchestra has doubled..... (I'm not yet sure if thats a good thing...). And then on the 23rd, the college orchestra starts.

Thats all for now~

By the way, how do you keep feeling in your fingers if its freezing in the concert hall?

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More entries: September 2005 • July 2005