How are you doing right now ?

[Bob]

*Bob was also thinking mullet.*

[littletune]

I didn't know what mullet was and then I found it in Wikipedia  I guess that is kinda what I had  well except that I had long hair on the sides too, it was short just at the top of my head (and in the front)..... 

[m1469]

I guess that is kinda what I had  

Don't worry, I think that very many good people once endured a phase of mullet-hood.  It builds character  .

*imagines Bob with a mullet*

*imagines Beethoven with a mullet*

*imagines Mozart with a mullet-wig*

*imagines the piano with a mullet*

[pianowolfi]

Hee hee  

I think there must have been a mullet phase in my life too, I guess I was something like 8 years old...where did I put that photo? hmm...

[m1469]

Hee hee  

I think there must have been a mullet phase in my life too, I guess I was something like 8 years old...where did I put that photo? hmm...

I would love to see that 

[Bob]

Geez, I'd never have a mullet.  No way.

I didn't know what mullet was and then I found it in Wikipedia  I guess that is kinda what I had  well except that I had long hair on the sides too, it was short just at the top of my head (and in the front)..... 

A mullet is a type of skunk-like rat-beaver.  People skin them and wear the pelt on their head.  Or sometime they just let the creature sit on top of their head.

[Bob]

I'm ok... We'll see.  I just ate a hamburger made of meat that's four...no five days past the sell by date.  (No it's not exotic hamburger.)  Topped off with some cheese that was starting to mold.

[m1469]

Geez, I'd never have a mullet.  No way.

Aw, Bob, as my grandma always says "Don't be bashful!" And I say, embrace your mullet-hood!  I bet you would be adorable with a mullet  .

*Imagines Bob's posts with a mullet* awww ...  

I'm ok... We'll see.  I just ate a hamburger made of meat that's four...no five days past the sell by date.  (No it's not exotic hamburger.)  Topped off with some cheese that was starting to mold.

Actualamente, aged beef is supposed to be da kine.  As well, cheese with mold on it is bleu cheese!  So, I guess you're gourmet!

[Bob]

I think it just gave me a slight headache but I survived.  *Bob is happy with himself for not wasting a few bucks on spoiled meat.*

I'm an anti-mullite.  I'm against mullets.   Outlaw them or something. 

[m1469]

I'm kind of scared - I'm playing lots of diminished things and it's sounding kind of mean  .

[pianowolfi]

I'm kind of scared - I'm playing lots of diminished things and it's sounding kind of mean  .

hmmm...postypost?

[m1469]

hmmm...postypost?

- Maybe Sunday or so ... I'll be doing them a bit more.  It wasn't anything too musically exciting, though, just diminished arrangements that I got 'into'.

[Bob]

I'm in a moral dilemma.  I'm working ahead, thinking ahead to tomorrow.  I just can't decide on the front seat or back seat for various kicking it activities.  I can't take this kind of stress any longer.  It's unbearable.

[m1469]

I just can't decide on the front seat or back seat for various kicking it activities.

Bob, what does this mean?  And, are you joking around in the rest of your post or muy serioso?  Porque yo no sé.

[littletune]

Sooo sleepy!  This was a long and some days difficult week! But Now HOLIDAYS!!!  I should write bout a lot of things but i'm too sleepy now!  But I should go practice piano at least a little!!

I don't know what Bob is talking about either... and I don't know why I understand Spanish well I know it's just a few words but still... maybe cause it's a lot like French? 

Oh well whatever I'm half sleeping... I really want to know if I can wake up enough to go practice or maybe I can practice half sleeping. We'll see... 

[sunshine_keys]

eating chocolate kisses  

ETA: I thought it said "What are you doing right now?" muhahahahaha

[Bob]

Bob, what does this mean?  And, are you joking around in the rest of your post or muy serioso?  Porque yo no sé.

It's almost too late now.

Be warned. The following my scar your ears.  You WILL NOT remain unaffected by the following....

&ob=av3e

I did see Auto-tune or Melodyne had come down a little in price.

*Bob wonders if having idiots dancing around on the sides of a piano would help draw people into a classical piano recital.*  Probably the wrong kind of people.  They'd eat popcorn in the audience.  And loudly eat it.  If you posted an ad for it.... For an idiot.... If anyone responded they might just be a good candidate.

I don't want to know how much money that song made.

[pianoplayjl]

Pretty good.

[hastur]

Good day today, well, if you exclude that the laundry machine hogged my clothes for two hours (what kind of laundry machine takes two hours to finish? Seriously!). Family invited me to an early birthday dinner (since they would be travelling during my birthday). Was pretty sweet, had a half kilo steak, was yummy! The steak sauce made it even better...

Also got to do some serious piano practising today, even recorded some of it.

Now I'm back home and watching a performance Boris Berezovsky did back in 2002, he plays the whole set of Liszt's transcendental etudes. He always gets me so inspired to play the piano..

[m1469]

Sounds like a nice day!  Happy Birthday ... soon!


I'm doing reasonably well right now.  Today's rehearsal was a little long but I have a BIG relief after having gotten through Suor Angelica for the first time by memory.  I was behind with that one and had a really unfortunate rehearsal with it two weeks ago ... and so I'm *SO* relieved to feel like I've got that under my belt now.  Now, time to work the staging in for both. 

I am pretty sleepy, though, in a "I can finally let my guard down just a little" kind of way.  phwew.

[hastur]

Sounds like a nice day!  Happy Birthday ... soon!

It really was, and thank you!

I'm doing reasonably well right now.  Today's rehearsal was a little long but I have a BIG relief after having gotten through Suor Angelica for the first time by memory.  I was behind with that one and had a really unfortunate rehearsal with it two weeks ago ... and so I'm *SO* relieved to feel like I've got that under my belt now.  Now, time to work the staging in for both.  

I am pretty sleepy, though, in a "I can finally let my guard down just a little" kind of way.  phwew.

Glad to hear your rehearsal went so well! I'm sure you'll make it, you always seem to manage to somehow. 

[m1469]

I'm sure you'll make it, you always seem to manage to somehow.  

Thanks for the vote of confidence!  I'm not going to turn it away .  But, I do feel a little like my preparation for both the auditions for the program I'm currently doing, as well as the learning process of the material for it, are similar to the mystique of baby Jesus being born ...   ... it's a miracle and nobody really knows how it all came together   (as a side note, that does not accurately reflect my own spiritual beliefs  ).  

As of yesterday, I've got some singing "gigs" throughout the year and into next summer (at least it seems), which means I'm going to have to be even more organized so I don't get into that place of feeling torn between piano and singing ... on top of teaching.  But, getting these two duets under my belt in this time is a *major* thing for me, as singing gigs in the future will include these (so, not learning new stuff, just riding on what I've learned now), and for the competition in January, I'll be able to work the needed learning for those arias in over the next couple of months, instead of feeling like I've got to get it all learned in 2 weeks - and therefore completely taking me over and me resisting, etc..

[littletune]

Ahhh I had such a great piano practicing day today!!! Just great great great!!     

[littletune]

Be warned. The following my scar your ears.  You WILL NOT remain unaffected by the following....

&ob=av3e

I did see Auto-tune or Melodyne had come down a little in price.

*Bob wonders if having idiots dancing around on the sides of a piano would help draw people into a classical piano recital.*  Probably the wrong kind of people.  They'd eat popcorn in the audience.  And loudly eat it.  If you posted an ad for it.... For an idiot.... If anyone responded they might just be a good candidate.

I don't want to know how much money that song made.

Yes that is really bad and stupid...  but do you know that she's only 14? (13 in the video)... I mean it must be really bad that you're just a kid and the whole world hates you and says really bad things about you!! I would feel soooo bad!!!

[m1469]

Yes that is really bad and stupid...  :- but do you know that she's only 14? (13 in the video)... I mean it must be really bad that you're just a kid and the whole world hates you and says really bad things about you!! I would feel soooo bad!!!

Ok.  I just watched it.  I feel like an entire thread should be dedicated to why this is so bad, but that would be giving it yet even MORE attention than it's apparently already received  .

I have to say, maybe there's a small chance it would hurt her feelings to have people saying bad things (I didn't read the comments, but I could imagine what some people *might* say if they aren't from the same kind of community as she is), but she apparently hasn't taken the video down out of shame, and something tells me that she doesn't exactly come from the land of giving a concern about what the peasants of the world might think ... in fact, we are all the more peasanty in her world if we can't comprehend the greatness of this video, I'm thinkin'  :-.

But, seriously, why does this have so many views?  :-

[m1469]

omg ... why am I watching more videos from her ??  


*tears hair out*

Please, is this what kids are watching?  This is really not good.

*watches another* 

[littletune]

Ok.  I just watched it.  I feel like an entire thread should be dedicated to why this is so bad, but that would be giving it yet even MORE attention than it's apparently already received  .

I have to say, maybe there's a small chance it would hurt her feelings to have people saying bad things (I didn't read the comments, but I could imagine what some people *might* say if they aren't from the same kind of community as she is), but she apparently hasn't taken the video down out of shame, and something tells me that she doesn't exactly come from the land of giving a concern about what the peasants of the world might think ... in fact, we are all the more peasanty in her world if we can't comprehend the greatness of this video, I'm thinkin'  .

But, seriously, why does this have so many views?  

Well I guess some people really don't care so much about what other people think   and I don't think that would be a bad thing if someone told real reasons why it's so bad.... I just think it's bad when people are saying bad things just to be mean... like how ugly she is and that she should die or somethings like that...
Oh I think people really like watching how bad someone is and then making fun of them that's why it has so many views I think.

[littletune]

omg ... why am I watching more videos from her ??  


*tears hair out*

Please, is this what kids are watching?  This is really not good.

*watches another* 

  Does she have more videos? I only now this one and her new song " My moment". 

[m1469]

Well I guess some people really don't care so much about what other people think  :- and I don't think that would be a bad thing if someone told real reasons why it's so bad.... I just think it's bad when people are saying bad things just to be mean... like how ugly she is and that she should die or somethings like that...
Oh I think people really like watching how bad someone is and then making fun of them that's why it has so many views I think.

What do you think is good about it?  What do you think teenagers think is good about it?  What do you think it communicates to the world about art?  About the United States?  People?  Her very self?  Do you think she even knows what she's communicating?  

I can't even explain how many things I think are really not good about it.  And, I don't understand why it's considered the ultimate character trait to not care about what other people think.  Seriously, maybe I'm going through a major perspective change and others could say things about me, and that would be something to deal with, but I'm at a place in my life of really thinking about what kinds of role models (and lives) kids have.  Do you think this is a good role model for people your age and younger?  Maybe you do, and I would even understand why, because that's exactly how she's portrayed and part of my "beef" with it is that kids don't even know any better if this is what they're given as "popular" and "artistic" and what it means to be confident and bold about who you are deep inside (does she even have a clue about that?)!  From my perspective it's a little sad.

As far as I can tell, there is no personal message about what she's given to the world which speaks louder than all of the messages she's giving without even meaning to.  If nothing else, I'd say that's my biggest problem with it.

[littletune]

Oh I don't think there's anything good about it! Maybe people think it's good that everyone can get a chance to become famous or something I don't know... cause some people really care about just being famous I think. And I don't think that's art at all!... more like entertainment I guess or something. Maybe she is comunicating: I can be famous no matter what!  cause the other song from her is "My moment" and I think it's about her being famous even though people are saying she would be nothing. which is really stupid of course but some people only care about that.
That's like when I was in preschool and first grades in school I was in a lot of school plays... and I really LOVED practicing, but all the other kids hated it... so when teachers would say: ok now let's go practice! all the kids were like: ohhhhhh nooooooooooo.... we practiced enough already! and I was like: Ohhh yes yes yes!!!!! let's go practice let's go practice!!!  but just in my head cause I didn't want to show others that I loved practicing so much cause everyone else hated it so much... and I could never understand why they hated it so much... I mean like they wanted to be in a play but didn't want to practice...  I never understood that! So I guess people just want to be famous or on a stage and want people to watch them and listen to them but they don't want to practice or do anything about it. 

No I don't think it's a good role model at all!! cause it's all just about being famous and nothing else!

[m1469]

Well, I don't know if it's all about being famous.  I mean, maybe for her it is, and maybe that's what "being a singer" means to her; if you're famous = you're a singer  .

Right now I haven't got answers, just major stirrings and I find myself feeling easily thoughtful about many things that go on.  But, it's just strange to juxtapose the scenes of this young lady in her "dressing room" (which was a house) and countless shoes and outfits and her singing about the big decision on whether to sit in the front or the back of the convertible hot-rod with her possie, to the way some of the students I teach at the school tomorrow smell.  It blows my mind.

I'm also extremely tired, haven't been sleeping, and starting to feel a bit stressed   - aside from that, so maybe my perspective is extra sensitive at the moment  .

[pianowolfi]

Oh yeah, I see that's the famous Rebecca Black?

Oh yeah well at some point I will maybe have have to teach exactly this song as a "piano cover" to one of my students...for a while she (in all probability it will be a girl) will play it, practice it more or less. Maybe I will scold her for not practicing it enough or maybe I'll get angry because she ignores every half note for the umpteenth time. And, maybe at some point we'll progress...and maybe at some point she will play Comptine by Tiersen and then Für Elise, and then maybe...something like Chopin Nocturne c sharp minor...maybe...maybe not...we never know

[m1469]

Oh yeah well at some point I will maybe have have to teach exactly this song as a "piano cover" to one of my students...for a while she (in all probability it will be a girl) will play it, practice it more or less. Maybe I will scold her for not practicing it enough or maybe I'll get angry because she ignores every half note for the umpteenth time. And, maybe at some point we'll progress...and maybe at some point she will play Comptine by Tiersen and then Für Elise, and then maybe...something like Chopin Nocturne c sharp minor...maybe...maybe not...we never know

*tries to remain calm*

NOT OK    

No, no, this is NOT OK.  *puts foot WAY down*


No, this has to stop.  Do you think Rebecca Black ever played a Chopin Nocturne?!  I wonder who her own role models were?  GEEZ.  This is NOT GOOD.  It feels like an emergency.  This is not right that this dictates what is being taught in music studios - I 'get' why, but NO, NO, NO!  I 'get' the reasoning, but it didn't work for Rebecca ... or for Brittney Spears, or Jessica Simpson, or Hannah Montana ... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh ....  *goes completely nuts*

Seriously.  Something has to change.  


*Inverts the World for Awhile* 

[m1469]

phwewwww ...

Just gave a sneak preview of the Madame Butterfly scene to a local (and quite wealthy) Manor, from which there are a number of benefactors for the Opera program being run.  I was a little nervous because yesterday was our very first run-through with blocking and actual props and music and off-book all together - and today we performed for potential donors to this program ... no pressure, haha.  We just had to help prove to them why there needs to be another Opera Program around here (yes, the people we sat with were actually asking that) ... and why they would like to give over their life's savings to it, that's all  .  Anyway, I think it went pretty well and I'm looking forward to next weekend when the performances will be.  So far, I'm still planning to post videos .  That will be strange and fun, because it will kind of be as though people here, who I've been friends with for years, will get to actually see and hear me performing vocally.  I'm a little shy about it, and it's possible I'll chicken out ... but for now I'm still planning to post and it seems like it will be fun .  There's only one more week of 7 hours of actual rehearsal time each week, and of thinking about this music in the same way.  It feels like it's been a lifetime  .

Cheers!

[littletune]

I need another holiday!!!  i'm tired from this week! But I did really good on my math test... so that's great!!    wel... but at the end of November I have another one!!!

m1469 I hope you'll post something!!! 

[pianoplayjl]

I need another holiday!!!  i'm tired from this week! But I did really good on my math test... so that's great!!    wel... but at the end of November I have another one!!!

m1469 I hope you'll post something!!! 

Same here. I have another in a few days and that is the harder one. I did the easier test and that was !@#$ easy I could've got at least 90% and I haven't even been doing any homework. Glad to hear it, littletune.

[littletune]

Same here. I have another in a few days and that is the harder one. I did the easier test and that was !@#$ easy I could've got at least 90% and I haven't even been doing any homework. Glad to hear it, littletune.

Thanks! Good luck for your next test. My next test will be a lot harder too. 

[m1469]

Dress Rehearsal last night and our first show is today at 3pm.  Phweewww, it's a bit exhausting all of it, especially considering all other things and getting not enough sleep (consistently).  I thought I would be able to practice piano much more today, but I feel myself transitioning into vocal performance mode and that makes it really a lot tougher to take in sound in the same ways.  Today we are performing at the Manor and it is a closed performance for just the residents, tomorrow is the "big" public performance in a different Theater. 

Maybe I'll be able to focus on piano a little more once I go through my scenes, warm up vocally a bit, get everything together to take to the Manor, and get my makeup on.  Tomorrow I will be done!!

[m1469]

Oh man ... where am I?  


I feel a little disoriented!  I was traveling a bit today and on my way home I had fantasies of going home and getting straight into bed, just because I "could" ... but instead I'm just relishing in the silence and getting some things checked off my list that have been floating in some other dimension on hold for awhile.  phweewww ... last night's concert went OK - many people thought I did very well, but I messed one phrase up in Suor Angelica, and that was actually fairly deeply disappointing for me, mainly because I haven't been sure if I should still post that scene or not now.  My duet partner really wants it to still go up, and I can see her point because she did well (and everything else for me went fine) and it's her scene, too, not just mine ... haha ... I didn't break character and the music went on with almost nobody knowing anything, but still ... I knew, and I woke up at 3am this morning with a sinking feeling in my guts about it.

I couldn't figure out exactly why I was so upset because even though messing up like that is not a normal occurance for me with singing, I didn't think I would let things bother me *that* much when it comes to singing itself.  But I dug a little bit to try to figure out why it bothered me so much, and I realized that I really wanted to post both scenes here, but also that I don't get another chance while knowing I can do better (didn't have the same problem in the performance (or dress rehearsal) the days before).  I'll probably for sure put Madame up, but I had visualized in my head that it was going to look professional and it doesn't.  I guess I have a good imagination because I saw in my head an entire set and all these particulars about the scene that aren't there in real life, and apparently what I see in my imagination is not what is visible on camera  :-.  No rehearsal tonight, though, and I "hardly know what to do with myself" ... well, I've got tons to do, but that was fun to say anyway!


*drags herself around*

[m1469]

I've listened to Suor Angelica again and it's currently uploading to YouTube.  My voice is different there ... it has this quality to it that Madama music didn't bring out, or else it's related to the emotion, which wouldn't surprise me, either.  I'm currently picking out an English aria for the competition .

[m1469]

*Looking for a new German aria ...*

I'm looking at Wagner and I'm considering Dich, theure Halle from "Tannhauser" ... but I remember Wolfi making a Wagner suggestion, too, which I will look at again .

*marches forward*

[littletune]

Well I'm sad.  ... but yes oh well.... 

[littletune]

I know noone asked but I'll write about why I'm sad anyway. (if you don't want to know then don't read).

So it's about the music school doggie... when I came to see him on Wednesday he was gone!  I mean his doggy house and everything where he was! and I don't know why... I mean I'm afraid what if something happened to him, but it's also possible that they are moving... I mean the people who have him are in the same house as our music school was... and my music theory teacher said that our music school had to move because they (the people who own the house, because my music school was only renting half of it) sold the house. But i thought that maybe they only sold the part where my music school was, because the doggy was still there and everything... but maybe they sold the whole house and are moving somewhere else. And of course I'm hoping that that's what it is and that there is nothing wrong with the doggy!!! But even if it's that I'm still sad because I don't know where they are moving so I guess that means I would never see the doggy   
I was thinkng about what I could do to find out and on Thurseday I went there again... but there was noone there and I was kinda afraid to leave a note or something. But I remembered that they had a lot of cars parked there (now there was only one) and on the cars there was a name of a company (or whatever it is) - and I looked for it on the internet and it's for taking care of people's gardens and trees and things like that (and it's also for emloying people who can't get jobs that easy, because of disabilities)... and on the internet there was still the old address writen everywhere, except in one link there was a different address, so I thought maybe that could be where they're moving.... but I don't know... I'm afraid to hope to much so I wouldn't get so sad again... and also they have their email everywhere.... I was thinking if I wrote to them and asked them about the doggy....... but I'm afraid that I would be too sad if noone answered and specially if they said something bad happened... so I don't know what to do...  I'm afraid to write to them, but I'm also so sad when I think I would never see him again...   

Other things... I'm tired! I had math today (on Saturday!!)  and I should be practicing and doing a lot of things but i'm too tired and I have a math test again on Monday! and I also broke my mp3 today when my school backpack fell on the floor. 
And I wasn't eating enough during the week so today I was sooo hungry and I ate sooo much my stomach hurts. 

[birba]

  
But you should only be sad if something awful happened to him and to me it sounds like he's just moved.  Let go of it!  You're going to learn that we can't control life and lots of things take care of themselves without our intervention.  Think positive about it!  That dog's got loads of personal power.

I live in the country and there's a mouse in my house.  it's been here for several months now.  It's not a rat.  It's a country mouse.  ONe of those cute ones that smile at you and stops you from laying out traps.  I wouldn't mind it living here, but I'm afraid he's going to start doing damage to things like electric lines.  He eats nothing that you would expect a mouse to eat.  But he leaves microscopic turds - so he's getting by on something.  And I don't know how he does it, but he can climb counters, desks, bookshelves, etc.  At the moment he's come upstairs and has decided to sleep in my room.  I finally found an "ecological" trap -  I've baited it with some provolone but as of yet he hasn't fallen for it.  It's just my luck I'm dealing with a street-wise dude.

[ethure]

 

 It's a country mouse.  ONe of those cute ones that smile at you and stops you from laying out traps. At the moment he's come upstairs and has decided to sleep in my room.  I finally found an "ecological" trap -  I've baited it with some provolone but as of yet he hasn't fallen for it.  It's just my luck I'm dealing with a street-wise dude.

how lovely this is!!

[birba]

So far nothing.  Yet.  I found a tiny turd in a drawer with my shirts.  Right in the middle of a white capri pullover.  He's challenging me.  In the meantime, the provolone is putrefying inside the trap.  He's a clever one, he is.  But this isn't over.

[pianoplayjl]

I've experienced rat episodes in my house. We bought 2 different mouse traps and put food in it but the rat was too fast for the trap's mechanism to react to the mouse.
I recently did my piano exams. It went alright. The thing is that I passed. Therefore, I'm free and have nothing to worry about anymore. Before the exam I was as nervous as hell but during the practice session in a practice room I calmed down a bit. Then came the exam and I waited 15 minutes before being ushered into the room. I barely composed myself. Took me a long time to settle down. The pieces went alright, the ear tests weren't that bad, general knowledge was good, sight reading was ok but the bit that cost me alot of marks were the scales. I stumbled virtually every 2nd scale and it sucked.

P.s 1000th post

JL

[birba]

Nothing.  Maybe I should refresh the bait.  Mice do eat cheese, right?  Maybe he's died of starvation.

[pianoplayjl]

Better alive than dead. If dead the rat will emit some extremely bad odour and only compound the situation. That's what happened in my house. Maybe try something instead of cheese and see what happens. Buy different mouse traps.

JL

[m1469]

*trying to stop interrupting everything else (practicing) and instead obsessively looking for my birth certificate*