Sunday, July 17, 2005

I'm back from USD music camp
USD seriously rocked my socks off this year! It's so much more fun without my "friends" there...

First of all, my schedule was an absolute nightmare. (in a fun way) I made concert band (1st chair) jazz band (2nd chair in the top band) and honor band (2nd chair). I also was in choir, show choir, and one of six alto's picked for honor choir. So I would wake up at 6:45, go halfway across campus for breakfast at 7:30, and then have sax warmups at 8:00. Then from 8 A.M. til 10 P.M. I was rehearsing, with only two half-hour breaks for lunch and dinner. Honor choir met during lunch, which is why I had the short breaks. But I still loved it!

I sightread a bunch of duets with Dr. Kocher (the sax professor) and read some solo's too...he remembered me from 2 years ago and he said I've improved about 300% since then (yea) and he said my improv was really coming along.

But I got most of my compliments on the vocal side. First of all, I had lessons with Professor Mitchell. He came to our school once, but I didn't recognize him because he cut his hair and shaved his goatee. He was great though-he helped me with breath support and getting a warmer vowel by opening my throat. Also...I got rid of my head bob! Appearently it was blocking my air flow...and it looked stupid. I jumped on a trampoline while I sang-Prof. Mitchell said I looked sleepy, which was true, because I had been running late that morning and didn't finish my usual sugar-with-a-side-of-coffee drink.

Anyway, that's not the best part. We did this awesome Moses Hogan piece for choir, and Mr. Southwick (director) said we could copy it. So I went up after rehersal while he was talking to Dr. Harding (College's head of music and honor choir director) to ask where a copy machine was, and all of the sudden Southwick points at me and says "And I could take her home with me stick her in my choir, and she'd be one of the leaders." before I could even say thanks, Harding says "only if I can have her when she gets to college" I was pretty dumbfounded. The next day in honor choir, Harding was asking a bunch of theory questions, chord structures and such, and I was answering them all, and he all the sudden looks at me and says "do you play piano?" I nod. "You should come to my theory classes and teach those kids a lesson or two, most of them still can't answer those questions."

Now of course, I'm not stupid, I know their being really nice so I'll come to college there, but frankly, I still like the compliments. And if I did go to a college around here, It'd be USD. SDSU was way too serious for my taste, and they don't have a proper sax professor-Dr. Cooly teaches saxs, oboes and bassons.

But I don't think I'll be content at USD either. I could draw you a complete map of that fine arts department. I want somewhere new, I want to have new experiences with new people. Whatever...

I made a lot of really good acquaintances at camp. I call them that just because I'll probably never see them again.(well, except for Chris, but thats another story...) I just don't like to keep in contact with camp buddies, because when you really start getting to know some of these people, they can drive you nuts. Wtih Chris it was the exact opposite actually. I met him at NW honor band tryouts last year and thought he was a stuck up ass. Then I found out he was first chair in honor band, and I just about shot myself. Then I got to know him better, and it turns out he's pretty cool. My roomate rocked too-her name was Sara, and we had so much in common-both mezzosopranos, both did solo's in choir, both hang out with a bunch of guys, both had self esteem issues-she was the best roomate I could ask for.

Anyway, I'm tired. After the concert on friday, I went home and basically went into a 24 hour coma. Now I'm awake, but I still want my coffee/sugar thing. Oh well, tis life.

~hey if you made it through this whole post without falling asleep, give yourself a one-handed round of applause. Uh huh, that's what I thought ;)~

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