Assess my Resolutions from Jan. 1st

June 9, 2013 at 1:27 PM

It's about halfway into the year. Now would be a good time to access those New Year's resolutions I made back in January. I can read over each one and check out how I'm doing. Let's see what happens!

1. Practice violin at least an hour per day (or six hours per week, getting a day off). If this is too hard during the school year, then shoot for half an hour per day.
-This is not going quite as well as I'd hoped. Part of the reason is that I practice in phases - some weeks, I'm really into just practicing like crazy (or I have to for an audition or performance like those in February, March, or April); other weeks are more relaxed (like last week when summer began, but hopefully that will change soon when Summer Orchestra and private lessons start up again!). I do still try to at least play stuff from my random binder of stuff, although I do have things I can practice, so... maybe I'll take those out a few times this next week. Oh, and I certainly will be doing practice when it comes to recording the score for my movie! :)

2. Learn and record some new songs on Garageband with an all-violin orchestra.
-Hmm... I've recorded some songs, but that haven't really been 'all-violin'. And I will be doing some recording for the film score, as I just mentioned. I don't know about 'all-violin' music; maybe I can write some pieces and try recording them out sometime.

3. Compose a movie soundtrack. (This will most likely be done in the summer.)
-Well, I can tell you, I've been working hard on my soundtrack! (And in the summer, too, although the majority so far has been late-May...) I have been slowing down lately, though... There's only so much music I can accurately write before I see the screen. After a while, I get stuck, like I am, now, although I do have a lot of music written down for use. Hopefully we will start filming relatively soon, and I can, after editing the clips down, figure out more to do with the music. I'll also be more motivated to do it once I see my characters on-screen, and feeling like I'm telling their story in a way I truly enjoy and will use in the future!

4. Upload more classical music violin performances to YouTube; I've barely any.
-Um... I guess I have? But yes, I do want to upload more violin videos to YouTube. The last violin one I've uploaded was just back on March 28, 2013, so... yeah. I have uploaded a couple classical pieces, but maybe soon I can record a piece my teacher helped me finish up before the break, and others I feel like recording. Recently I've been in the movie music mode, so I haven't been listening to as much classical music... If that doesn't change over the summer, and I just listen to Williams and Shore and such (to get me in the mood for my film score), then... that will probably have to change come September!

5. Continue work on Symphony No. 1: Mvt. II! (And just compose more in general!)
-Does writing the seven-minute finale to this symphony count? I haven't been inspired to doing either of the middle two movements, and certainly won't be in the near future. Perhaps come September, after the excitement of my movie soundtrack (ugh, noticing a theme?), I can write a bit for that. We'll see... For the composing more bit, yes, I have definitely been doing a ton of stuff! A lot of small projects, a few larger ones, and I will be continuing to compose (and hopefully play my compositions on my violin!) for not just this summer, or this year, but most definitely for the rest of my life. :)

Okay! That took a while. I think my goals are actually going pretty well! I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical writing those down back in January, but I really think I can pull them off, as I have been doing. Maybe in December I'll do a full-year assessment... Then, in January 2014, I'll have a whole NEW list of resolutions... yikes. I wonder how I'll think up that list... Oh, well. I'm not going to think it up now... Anyways, thanks for reading, as always!

Oh, and, by the way, if you're curious to see how my soundtrack is put together (maybe that will spark for both me and you once the film's complete and online), I will be posting a long entry of a little journal I've been keeping on a Word document every day I work on the score. In it, I describe everything I did on that day, and any progress I've made from last time. So far it only has two entries, but that will change! I'm not even going to tell you why. I think you already know. I've repeated it at least a dozen times! :)

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