The joys and terrors of Jazz Improv

I think I have done a silly thing. I have decided to sign up for another class next semester: Small Jazz Ensemble. It is basically jazz...and improvising, (cue scary music now, please). I am actually really looking forward to it, but it kinda freaks me out because I suck at improv, and usually have no desire whatsoever to do it. I must be on some kind of mind-altering drugs.

Other than that, there's nothing much going on. I went to a really good play last week, and it made me miss my yearly trips to the Ashland Shakespeare festival so much. The mother-daughter book club I was in would go to Ashland twice a year and go see between 3-6 plays each time we went. The acting company there is killer and I want to go right now. Anyone interested in a trip in May??

OSF 2008 Season

OSF 2007/2008 Multimedia
(This includes video highlights of the 2007 season!!!!!)

I should be napping...

So, as I was flipping through radio stations on my way home, I found one that had a church sermon on it. Curious as to what this church/pastor was saying I stopped and listened to the station for about 10 in that ten minutes, the program was broken up into these sections:

• 2 minutes of sermon (it was at the end)
• 5 minutes or more of telling listeners their name, address, phone number, website, PO Box number, how to find their church in Vancouver, how to give, telling people that they should really give, reminding listeners of their phone number, name, address, website, how to give, and so on. (they made sure to end with "thank you for your prayers and gifts, you have made it possible")
• 3 minutes of commercials, (the two that stuck in my mind were: one that told women how they could looked SO MUCH better by using a face cream to make wrinkles "vanish" in twelve hours. The other one was from a pro-life clinic that is open right next to an abortion clinic - they needed $69,000 to keep their clinic open for two days a week, so that young girls can have the chance to save their baby's life. But if they didn't get enough money "soon" then they would have to close their doors.)

So, let me get this straight...out of a ten minute segment of this station, I got 2 minutes of God's word, and 8 minutes of getting money??? (remember, people pay to advertise)

What is wrong with this picture???

Brand New Radio

Movie of the Week

This week's movie of the week is The Dish. It is an absolutely captivating movie about the big dish in Australia, and how they broadcasted the first lunar landing. At one point they lose the signal of the spacecraft, and at other times they are playing cricket on the dish itself. It puts this tiny town in Australia on the map...even though the dish is and was in the middle of a sheep paddock. Please go see this movie if you haven't...you won't regret it!

And that's the news of lake woebegon.

So, I am experiencing a magnificent three day weekend as I type this. I'm lounging in bed and doing absolutely nothing productive. Doesn't that sound nice?? It is. I spent a couple days in Eugene, which was fun. I haven't been there in a long time, and it was great to see my old stomping grounds, (I lived in Eugene for 10 years).

Right now I'm getting ready (more mentally than actually going and doing something about it) to go to the coast! Even though it's supposed to be raining today, I think it's going to be so much fun. The best part is that there's not really a plan, it's just a trip, which is the best kind!!

Other than that I'm a pretty boring person and nothing has been going on. Just craziness at school, and I had my first ever voice lesson yesterday with the most amazing gal ever! I've never had a voice lesson before, and she is a great teacher. It does mean, though that now I'm taking more lessons, which just adds to my busy schedule. But you know what? I really don't mind!

...and also...

I'm employed!! Yayayayayayayayay!!!

...and...

I'm officially UNEMPLOYED!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!

Back by poplular demand!

So there haven't been any posts in a while, but it's just because I've been superbusy (yes, one word). In addition to taking a butt-load of credits, I've been trying to work 30 hours a week, start up a pep band (I had help from my friend David, though), not to fail any of my classes, take new private music lessons, sleep, grok the meaning of life, keep up on my netflix movies...goodness! I get tired just writing that list!

I have to say, though that pep band has been amazing. It has really validated my belief that I want to be a band teacher, something I'd been wondering about for a while now. There is nothing better than getting up in front of a band, and have them play music that I've picked out, where I've studied the score and know how I want the band to sound. I'd been worried that I didn't really want to be a band teacher because it's what I've always wanted to be. I know that seems somewhat paradoxical, but because it's what I've always wanted to do I don't have a plan B if I didn't like conducting. I'm so glad to know now that I love it!!!

Because I've been so busy I made the decision to quit my job. It is the best decision I've made this school year. I'm going to miss it a lot, but I just can't do everything, you know? Hopefully I'll be back for Christmas and next summer or something, but who knows. I feel so dang relieved to not be going to work anymore. That sounds horrible, but it's totally true. Oh well.

I hope this will satisfy all you curious minds out there, I was getting complaints that I never update my blog anymore...but it was from people who know what's going on in my life. I guess they aren't sick of hearing about me yet.