Atlas

So I realize it's been forever since my last posting. Like almost 2 years. I apologize to anyone who has been offended by my absence, but I am going to go ahead and write this entry as if no time has passed at all. (Brief update after puppy pictures.)

So, Steve and I got a dog!

His name is Atlas. He's a 3.5-month old Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. (Come again?) Yes, that's right. An Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. The opportunity to give this cutie a good home kind of feel into our laps, and we'd been talking about getting a pup for quite some time. He's very smart, and really mellow most of the time, unless he sees a potential playmate (or so he thinks), then all bets are off. He's pretty gigantic already, but he will probably be over 100 pounds when he's full grown. We put a lot of time into teaching him good manners while we can still control him. We love him to pieces!!

School is quite the doozy this semester with organic chemistry, physics, and genetics/molecular bio, plus shadowing and volunteering as much as possible, work, and the LA Bach Festival. Yeah, maybe not the best time to get a puppy. I honestly wouldn't be able to handle it if Steve weren't such an awesome and responsible person.

Anyway, I will try to keep this updated as much as possible here on out. No promises, though. :)

(Steve graduated with his Master's Degree from CalArts last Spring; I graduated from CSULB in the fall of 2009, after which I started at CSU Fullerton in a post-baccalaureate premedical program. We live in Lakewood for the time being, until I get accepted into an awesome medical school and we move there. We have an awesome life.)

Hell Week/Mariachi Madness

So this week is hell week. For me, anyway. The week between Winterfest (my last one...sniff!) and juries. You can tell it's jury week when you're walking through the music department and the entire orchestra is standing outside their practice rooms running through their repertoire. Which is what I should be doing, I think to myself. Instead I'm running around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to get things done before tomorrow.

Tomorrow is epitome of hell week (aside from my jury, anyway). I have three huge projects and a presentation due, none of which are entirely completed as of this posting. Here I am, too, procrastinating even longer.

I fell in love with ethnomusicological fieldwork last night. For one of my projects, I got to interview several members of a mariachi ensemble out of Orange, CA. They brought out their instruments and stuck around past closing to serenade me! They told me about how long they'd been involved with mariachi, and a couple of them gave me some recordings of their other ensembles. They invited me to sing a few songs with them, too. I don't think non-musicians can do this kind of thing. I was able to communicate openly with these guys because I speak their language (well, broken Spanish, but I'm talking about music here).
Needless to say, I can't wait to do more fieldwork. I really believe understanding what we all have in common musically is the key to understanding our underlying cultural simiarities.

Well, so much for blogging over Summer!

Things got moving so quickly that I rarely had time to document anything, aside from taking pictures (which you can see on facebook!).

So, okay, Fall!

It's Fall; it's my favorite time of year! I'm completely overwhelmed with school, choir, professional singing, work, and grad school applications and I can't believe I'm still walking upright.

This weekend is the finale concert of the 75th annual Bach Festival in Los Angeles, and I'm singing the Mass in B minor with a professional choir and orchestra. It's a remarkable work, but I can't wait for it to be over (and to get the check...). Rehearsals have been grueling and I didn't really anticipate this much of a commitment. They have, however, given me an opportunity to see and smooch Steven a couple times a week, which has made the whole experience worthwhile.

I'm putting together my graduate school applications to UCLA and UC Santa Barbara for a Master's in Ethnomusicology, and Southwestern Law School. My plan had been to apply to more law schools, but a recent series of events and considerations have helped me to change my mind. I've really grown accustomed to the academic lifestyle, and I could really see myself permanently teaching, researching, learning, and publishing. It might not land me a house in Malibu and a Mercedes in the driveway, but those things become less and less important to me every day. Also, I'm young, and the thought of being stuck in a corporate law firm at 23 makes me want to barf.

I'm hoping to score some gleaming letters of recommendation from some of my more high-profile professors, and working on a personal statement that leaves the admissions representatives no choice but to admit me (and grant me some scholarships).

So that's that, I suppose. For now, anyway.

Another blog??

Yes, it's true... I've started another one! I'm hoping the independence of this one from Myspace and Facebook will be its saving grace.

The idea behind this one, though, is that it will keep family and friends updated on my goings-on and be a happy haven for lots of fun pictures I take. My life seems to get more and more exciting, and I'm left with less and less time to tell my loved ones about it. Ideally, this will let those who care about me come and get an idea of what I've been up to at their leisure. Also, Steve and I have been talking a lot about keeping a journal, and this seems like as good a time as any to start recording the exciting events that make up my life.

This summer in particular looks pretty promising. Semester 6 (of 8... we're nearing the end of this chapter, folks) finished two weeks ago and I've already been keeping myself busy. I'm currently taking my last theory/composition class that deals with styles and techniques of composers in the 20th and 21st centuries. The summer version of this class offers not only a much shorter version than its semester counterpart (it's only three weeks long), but the professor is much more reasonable and enjoyable than the other guy, and she brings food every day. Plus, a few of my friends are taking it too, making it all the more fun. I'm currently working on a 12-tone piece which practically writes itself.

As soon as this class is through, Steve and I leave along with our CSULB choir buddies for a two-week tour of Italy! We get to sing private concerts in the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and some other great venues throughout the country. I've been to Europe before, but not Italy, so I'm really excited. Steve's never been to Europe and I can't wait to share this experience with him.

After Italy, I'm working as a counselor for the second year in a row at Arrowbear Music Camp. I get to work with high school singers and jazz musicians, and it's a very special experience for me since I attended this camp in high school! I'm counseling with some dear friends from CSULB, and my high school choir director. I love the experience there; being surrounded by music, friends, and nature is something I truly look forward to every year.

Then, Steve's family is taking me with them on their trip to San Francisco! I haven't been since fifth grade, and all I really remember from that trip is Alcatraz and smelly seals at pier whatever-it-is. Needless to say, I'm very excited and can't wait.

That will pretty much bring summer to a close before I start back at work on campus in late July. I'll be sure to write more detailed accounts of all that along the way.