Life is grand

It amazes me how fast time flies once school starts.  I get through the first week of school thinking "I'll update my blog next weekend," that weekend turns into the next weekend, that into the next, and pretty soon, BAM! Here we are, 10 weeks later, and the only reason I have time now is because I am home (as in Centerville home), for a wedding and since I am missing school I have a lot of time to kill.
But, back on subject, 10 weeks? REALLY?? No way. Midterms are over, and fall break just ended. Which means half of the semester is over. Which also means I should be halfway through learning the Tchaikovsky violin concerto except, oh, one little problem, I'm not. Stress.  That is all. It is the hardest thing I have ever had the pleasure of learning :P I mean, it's an awesome piece, don't get me wrong, I just, can't play it.  If someone could get me Hermione Granger's time turner that'd be fantastic.
That said, the semester has gone pretty smoothly so far.  Other than being sick this past week, I have been blessed with good health and energy to get through this half of the semester without freaking out too much (I say too much because, well, you know me).
 And, many significant things have happened since I last blogged!

First of all...I can hear the hallelujah chorus singing...I got a car!! She is a beaut. 2008 Toyota Corolla, her name is Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird) and oh my gosh I love her.







Second. Those of you who know me well know that I love to hike. You also know that I have done...pretty much every hike in Zion's national park except Angel's Landing. You also know that I have made many attempts to hike Angel's Landing within the last, oh, about 10 years, but every time a trip was planned it fell through. Well, this year, I have finally done it!! That's right...and it was pretty much the most amazing experience of my life! The only thing that could have made it better would have been to do it with my family, but even then, I went with some awesome people so it made it a great experience.  It was so beautiful but it was definitely a hard hike.

 Best friends, before the hike! I love her :)

You know, being wild animals!

That mountain behind us is Angel's Landing. And, we turned this grumpy girl's bad attitude around after we got to the top :)

The whole group made it to the top! From left to right: Dr. Abegg, Cassidy, Dallin (in front), Matt, Amanda, Kaitlyn, Kenzie, Olya (in front), me, and Ella. What a fun group of people!

The view is SPECTACULAR. I cried.

It was actually pretty intimidating to look at what we had to climb up.







Third...after 3 1/2 years of being broken, my laptop FINALLY got fixed! It was a very happy day in my life when I was able to do homework and blog and other internet festivities at my house again :)
And, last but not least, one of my favorite couples EVER is getting married tomorrow, KaCee and Spencer.  I couldn't be happier. Life is so good. As an added bonus, my dog is snoring at the foot of my bed.  The snoring part isn't really the bonus, more that I get to see my dog :)

So goes my life

So...the other day I was talking to a friend about school, boys, church, the usual.  Of course music and violin practicing came up and she asked how much I practice and then she asked me this question that sparked this post.

"How do you have such an awesome attention span?"

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  HA.

For those of you who know me well, you know that my attention span is, well, about something like this...

 

 

But really...it's true.  So anyway, it got me to thinking...what are the things I do to make a practice session productive and effective?  The answer definitely is NOT having a good attention span.  But here are the tips and tricks that I have found to be most effective for me personally.

 

*when it comes to practicing in general*

 

1. Make the practice space comfortable.  While this may seem like a waste of time to some, I cannot concentrate on my music as well when there are chairs, stands, and abandoned sheet music everywhere.  It is worth it to me to spend 3 minutes cleaning up a bit because my concentration is so much better. I also make sure I have a comfortable chair to sit in and that I have a sweater in case the AC is on full blast.  It may seem a little high maintenence but I am willing to do it if it will help me concentrate more!

 

2. Have materials accessible. I always make sure I have all the things I need right there on the stand or on a chair next to me. If I have to keep going back and forth from my locker I get easily distracted.  For me this includes rosin, music, metronome, pencils, headphones, water bottle, etc.

 

3. Take frequent breaks. Believe me when I say it is extremely productive to take breaks.  I don't mean get in your car and go out to eat breaks, I mean put down your instrument and take a swig of water, stand up in your practice room and stretch, or go get a quick drink from the drinking fountain.  Like, 1 or 2 minutes.  This helps me so much especially when I am drilling passages.  It gives the brain a second to process everything that has been drilled into it, and I find that I play the passage much better after stopping and thinking about something completely unrelated, just for a minute or two.  So those of you who have to be sitting there for the full however-many-hours-without-stopping-because-you-would-feel-guilty-if-you-even-blinked-during-your-practice-session, just try it, and tell me it doesn't help! That is why I usually don't mind when people pop in and say hi while I am practicing. 

 

4. Have a plan, have a goal. For me, I try to make my practice plan as detailed as possible.  Usually it looks something like this:

10 min scales

10 min Schradieck

20 min sight reading

etc etc

Sometimes, when I know the exact time I am going to practice I do the same thing only with the specific times

4:00-4:15 sight reading

etc etc

 

When it comes to goals, I like to have long term goals and short term goals, as well as a goal for the specific practice session

Right now it would be something like this

Long term: learn the Tchaikovsky violin concerto for my senior recital in spring 2013

Short term: have Bach memorized by studio class in two weeks

For the session: have section "B" up to speed by end of session

...or something like that.

 

5. Ask questions. On everything. Literally. Self explanitory.  Can't tell you how many times I have been confused by a bowing or a fingering or a phrase or something and I just go and knock on my teacher's door or write it down or shoot my teacher a text asking the questions.  One thing I have learned is do not assume that you are doing it right.  Unless you are 100% sure, then ask.  If you can't ask at that moment, mark the spot and then ask later.  It is so much better to just skip it and get it right the first time!  I have learned this the hard way a few too many times! Taking a few minutes to do that beats having to re-learn the passage because you did it differently than the teacher would like...

6.  You absolutely HAVE to have patience. 

7. Have specific motivators. Of course, the biggest motivation is to get the piece learned or the technique mastered, but sometimes that seems so far off that the motivation is sometimes lacking.  So, going along with the goal setting, I always find something to motivate myself that is more short term.  Usually it is having the music ready for my next lesson, but even smaller than that I will tell someone that I want to play an excerpt for them in an hour, and that motivates me to get it polished so that I don't embarrass myself :).  Those are just what works best for me.  I have heard of people self rewarding themselves, like if they reach their goal they get to go out to ice cream, but it just depends on the person I guess! ( I would go out for ice cream anyway ) 

 

I am going to have to do a violin specific practice post later because this one is getting toooo long, but there ya go.  And so goes my life...now I need to get off this computer and go practice some more!

A few random thoughts

I am a scardy cat.

Yesterday morning there was someone out to get me!

First, there was a HUGE thunderstorm around 2 am. Now, don't get me wrong, I usually love when it storms, I find it exciting, and I absolutely love the rain. HOWEVER, In my bedroom alone in the dark I found it kind of hard not to panic as the thunder shook my blinds, because I am scared of the dark. Believe me when I say that if I didn't have a lamp right next to the bed you can bet I would be doing the running and jumping stunt. The rain against the windows was very relaxing though, thank goodness for that.

So then I got to work. We have to scan a little card to get into the building after hours and about 6 inches from the scanner was the biggest spider (out of captivity, I have seen a tarantula in a cage before...) I had ever seen in my life, and that is not an exaggeration!! It was HUGE. A good two inches all around at least. I am terrified of spiders. When I got to that spot, it was about 5 minutes to 6, and I spend about 3 minutes debating whether death was worth it because I knew that the second I tried to beep the card the spider was going to leap at me and attack my face. I decided it wasn't worth it. So instead I ran back down the stairwell, and entered the building from the opposite end. The result was that I clocked in 3 minutes late, but I think that my life is worth it!

I am an old lady.

Believe it or not, it is getting harder and harder for me to stay up late. I don't know how this is happening, is the universe shifting? Are the stars aligning? Did I just see a pig fly across the sky? It is true! I, or any member of my family I am sure, did not think this to be possible. Mind you, waking up in the morning is still the worst thing ever, but after about 10 minutes of being awake I am actually pretty alert. I believe in miracles...

I need a car.

Self explanitory.

For the beauty...

I am overwhelmed. 

Yesterday, I was listening to the Tchaikovsky violin concerto performed by Joshua Bell and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and I could physically feel the power and beauty of the piece in my chest.  It was very overwhelming to know that something as simple as turning on the radio in the car, on the way to dinner, could have that affect on me.  I feel very grateful that regardless of what is going on around me, I can turn to this companion and I can feel this peace and happiness almost anytime, anywhere.

Everyone has different opinions on classical music.  Sadly, the majority of humans consider it boring, tedius, long winded, etc.  I feel so blessed that it touches me the way it does, and that I understand it in the way that I do because it has been a significant part of my life, and is a huge consolation whenever I need it most.  It is so accessible, so moving, so emotional, and so beautiful. I fully understand that different people have different opinions, but I also believe that no matter what, there are works out there somewhere that have the potential to touch each and every person in the same way that I was touched yesterday and so many times before.
I believe that people are scared of classical music, I really do.  Classical music has the potency to make one feel very vulnerable, it may surface emotions that aren't expected or wanted, or maybe it is just the media barrier that is unnerving.  Whatever the case may be, there is definitely a barrier between the individual and the music, and I can tell you, the music is not the thing creating the barrier. 

So, before you come to conclusions, go listen to some.  Just, type in well known classical music or something into Google.  Or, simply listen to this, and then try to tell me that it does not in some way touch you, move you, or just plain sound nice.  Let yourself go, let the music take over for a few minutes, and hopefully you will understand what I am talking about. What I feel when I hear this really is an amazing thing, and I wish everyone could experience it!

This is Barber's "Adagio for Strings"

God Bless America!

Before I write another word, I just have to say two things.  Yes, I realize today's date, and yes, I realize that the actual 4th of July was a week ago. 

That said, last week was a very significant week! It was the week of my favorite holiday! Independence Day.  I don't know what it is, the fireworks, the parades, the red, white, and blue, the barbecues, maybe an accumulation of all of the above.  All I know is that I love it. I love the energy, I love the celebrations, and I love that for that one day, our nation comes together and celebrates the one thing we all have in common, our freedom.  

And, mine didn't turn out to be a total dud like I thought it was going to be.

You see, the sad tale of my pathetic 4's of July for the past two years goes something like this...

2010: I wasn't even in the COUNTRY! I was in Canada at a music camp. Which, don't get me wrong, was an awesome experience.  But that particular day was kind of a let down. Obviously, no celebrating was to be seen, since, well, we weren't in the US.  We even rehearsed "Oh Canada" that day, oh the irony.  The good news is that Tara and I wrote "Go USA" on the sand on the beach, and the fact that I got to go to the beach ALMOST made up for the missing of the holiday.

2011: This year was a bit better, I was at least in America this time! I was in NC at another music camp, and because there was music to learn and rehearsing to be done, there wasn't much celebration during the day.  I did lay out on the dock at the "lake" (pond) and We went into town that night to watch fireworks, so the whole day didn't go to waste.  

2012, how I thought it would go: sit at home and mope about how my family was in Fillmore without me and pretty much feel sorry for myself all day.

2012 how it REALLY went: woke up early. Not usually a good thing, but because it was a holiday there was something in the air, and I was wide awake.  Plus, the only time the weather is nice these days is at freaking 6 am. ANYWAY, so we got to go to a free breakfast, that was yummy.  The first thing I was super unhappy about was the parade, or lack thereof.  Let's just say Centerville/Fillmore's parades are 163% more exciting, sorry Southern Utah.  One thing you could definitely improve upon.

So anyway, after that I went home, and napped.  NAPPED. On the fourth of July.  I know. Sin.  But then, Keith, bless his heart, rescued me and we went to Babylon, and spent the afternoon swimming.  It was delightful!  The off roading required to get to and from there wasn't all that bad either.  Not to mention the scenery :)  

For dinner, two of my favorite twins, Matt and Kenzie came over for a "barbecue" with Heidi and me.  We had pasta salad, baked beans, watermelon, KFC, homemade lemonade, and of course birthday cake.  That was the highlight. I kind of loved the feeling of family I had at that time. Thanks guys, for  being my family for the day when I was missing mine so much :)

And to top off the day, I went and saw Aladdin at Tuacahn. We brought the birthday cake from dinner to share with the pit and it was fun to see everyone.  It was also fun to actually see the show instead of hear it (I am a sub for the pit) and afterwards they did fireworks.  That was the coolest.  They played "Proud to be an American" and with the music playing and the fireworks echoing off the canyon walls it made for a very emotional few minutes.

So...although I would have loved to be in Fillmore swimming and playing hide and seek with the family and grandparents and doing whatever other shenanigans they did, the day was still pretty alright. :)

The beautiful scenery on the way to Babylon.  This is why I love St. George

(Babylon is a river in St. George, just to clear up any confusion)

More scenery.  Just amazing.  "For the beauty of the earth..."

Babylon.  So fun, so refreshing, so happy :)

Birthday cake!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

SHOES SHOES SHOES

Ok ok I know I do this a lot, blog post overload.  BUT, I have so much to catch up on!  Aaaannnddd...I haven't posted anything about day to day tips and tricks in a long time.  If you recall, or don't recall, quite a few blog posts back I created what I like to call "humble living."  It is basically things I have learned living on my own that help save money and time.
So here's one for ya.
Last week, I bought a pair of black concert shoes to replace the nasty ones that I currently own.  They are dark, black, clean, soft, and amazing.  As I was about to throw out my old ones, I saw a basket of dirty laundry sitting there and thought to myself, "hmmmmm....I wonder...."  and in the old shoes went in with the next load.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I don't know if this is something people already know, and I am just behind on the times, or what, but let me tell you, I am soooo glad I discovered what I discovered.  The shoes are perfect.  They are like new! They literally look like I just bought them from the store!
They are just cloth flats, I think they are made of felt or something similar but basically what I am saying is that before you go out and waste money on a new replacement pair of shoes, first try washing them in the washer. Genius.  Now, for me obviously this time it isn't a big deal, I will never complain about having an extra pair of shoes, but if I ever think a pair of shoes is a goner, I am definitely going to try this first, as it could save me a few bucks in the future. Thank you, thank you.

Life is good :)

So, after living in St. George for 3 years, and after going through 4 jobs in St. George, and after feeling like I am so totally financially and emotionally unstable in St. George because no job would work with my insane, unreasonable music major schedule, I am freed! 

I loooove my new job.  I picked my own hours, the pay is awesome, and it's the same schedule every week! No more worrying about when I work next, no more finding out until the day before that I work, and no more conflicts with concerts, performances, FHE, church, etc.

As long as DSC doesn't schedule any 5 am concerts, I'm good! 

Also, it is so hard to explain my job, so if you're curious about what exactly it is, 

click here -->  www.sorenson.com to see what it's all about! 

In other news, here are the other good things going on in  my life.

I have started the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. It is a love-hate relationship. 

I joined a women's barbershop quartet. It is in very beginning stages but so far it has been fun.

Happy weddings this summer! Two cousins, and a billion friends. I am very happy for them all :)

I am the violin sub for Tuacahn Amphitheater, I have only once so far but it is going to be a good experience!

That's all for now folks, stay tuned for more rants and raves :)

It's not what it seems!

 Man I have missed writing.  Sometimes the creative outlet of playing the violin just isn't quite enough.  Plus, this blog post has been a looooong time coming.

So, once upon a time I discovered something about Chapstick. It's not what it seems, it's not what it seems!! (10 points to those who get the movie reference).  Now that I have you all confused, let us begin.  Chapstick.  We all call lip balm Chapstick right? Right.  But, much to your (maybe) surprise, not all Chapstick is, in fact, Chapstick.  Now, you are very confused. And, you are probably wondering, "why is she capitalizing the word 'Chapstick' when it is not at the beginning of a sentence?"  I will tell you.  It is because "Chapstick" is a proper noun.  That's right! "Chapstick" is actually a brand name, and we have been calling every type of lip balm "Chapstick" whether it actually is "Chapstick" or not! In fact, I checked my purse.  Nope. Out of the 3 lip balms that I have in there, not one of them is, in fact, "Chapstick!"

Now, I am not at all mad, not bugged, not uptight, not even an inkling passionate about this whole thing AT ALL. I was simply curious to see if there were other products out there whose real names have been so neglected, and there ARE!! Here is the list that I have compiled. 

Chapstick

  Crockpot

    Kleenex

      Q-Tip

        Band-Aid

           Zip-Lock

           Sharpie

        Jacuzzi

      Frisbee

    LazyBoy

  Levi

Pam

It's a stupid subject really, and a complete waste of time, but it's a topic that has always been in the back of my mind, bursting to be blogged...and for the past few months (or years) I would randomly discover another item to add to the list and I would just get so excited...I just had to share. So there you go! 

Yes. I'm bored. Sue me.

Aaaannndddd...let me know if you think of any other items to add to the list.

(Someone should probably give me some blog topics, or there will be other blog posts like this...let's not make this keyboard suffer anymore than it already has) :-/

Thanks for the five minutes of your life that you will never get back :)

Really, I apologize.  I promise this won't happen again.

Wow. Seriously. Why didn't I just delete this?

Ok. I am spazzing out. That is enough diet coke for one night.

:D

I've got an Idea (spoken with a British accent of course)

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles? Yes, it is true, I haven't blogged in 6 months. 6 MONTHS! Are you kidding me? I am the biggest slacker.  But, there is an explaination for that! The tragic tale of the broken laptop lives on. Many a moment were spent yearning for something to type upon, so that I could fulfill my blogging needs, but alas. The broken laptop won!
BUT, after a time (six months to be exact), I have prevaild! For I have defeated the laptop, cracked the system, avoided the hoops, dodged the bullet, etc etc.  Ok so I just got a job, but it just so happens to be the perfect job for my dilemma because I have access to a computer and a fair amount of spare time and so it begins! I am back in the blogging world.

WOW.

So...I really don't have any desire to update you (whoever you are) on a whole six months of my life...so naturally I will just pretend that those months didn't happen, on here at least, and just talk about the usual.  Music music music!
Hmmm....I have a proposition.  I have been thinking for a long time about starting a music blog, where friends and family and whoever can post about basically anything related to music. Of course, I would moniter before posts are posted to ensure that posts are appropriate and what not. But basically a place where people can share songs, share thoughts, ask questions, etc etc.  The possibilities are endless! Or could be, I am still trying to figure out how it would work. Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes once it's up and running. Hopefully it is successful.  I think it has a lot of potential because I know of a lot of people who like sharing things but have nowhere to share them, and this way, even if someone doesn't have a blog of their own, they will be able to on here! Plus for the less informed it could be a great place to ask questions or just become more informed about music :)