Final Reflections

Well... I guess this is it. 'It' being the end of the 2012 SSS class, which isn't all that big of an ending. I'll still see the people in the class, including the teachers. I'll probably even post random stuff on this blog from time to time. But it is an end, and ends deserve to go out with a bang. On that note...

Here's my final project! Yay!

So, here's my chance to actually explain this.

The pictures and clips in the first verse of the song (which I did not write) tell a little bit about who I was when I first came to Converse and what made me that person. First of all, music and creativity have always been important to me, as is represented by the form my project took. Music is my life, but my serious hobbies are recording and editing sound and film. All of the video in this first verse was taken when I was bored on a trip to Florida. The imagery of driving represents the journey I've taken and the road still ahead. The mountain-y and tree-ish pics are ones I've taken while hiking at home, so they represent my surroundings growing up. I've lived in one place all my life, and I think my 'habitat' has had a big impact on me. I'll always see Western NC as one of the most beautiful places in the world. So next there's some pictures of my house, then my cat. I can't say Stormy has been an extremely influential part of my life, but she is cute so I had to include her. Next are my parents, who have given me so much love and support. Then there are my two best friends. I wouldn't be the same person without them, and I was so afraid I would lose them and have to start from scratch in college.

The next verse shares some of my fears about college. I worried that I would be so far behind other students academically and especially in the area of vocal performance. I also worried that I wouldn't make friends because I have always been a sit-in-the-corner person when it comes to connecting with other people. However, this semester I learned that I had absolutely nothing to worry about. I have so many friends now, and I've made connections that go deeper than just 'buddies' or acquaintances. I also feel that not only am I holding my own in academics and music, I am blooming into something far more than I was in high school. (See the cool rose picture? I love my camera so much...)

The last verse is full of uncertainty, because I only have a vague idea of where I'm going in my future. I have no idea where I'll end up, but one thing this semester has taught me is that I am more adaptable than I thought and I'll be happy anywhere, be it big city or... stormy beach? (I'm not sure why I put that picture there. I guess it looked cool at the time.) Then there's some video of the Earth turning, completely devoid of symbolism but nice to look at. Then there are some pictures of a couple of grad schools I've briefly looked at, because I am at least 68.7% certain I'm getting a graduate degree right after Converse. After that... who knows? I never seriously thought about a performance career, but I've started to change my mind. I've always been interested in conducting (And isn't that a wonderful picture? Who wouldn't want to be like her?). And finally, there's a very shadowy picture of a family, because I know I want to start one eventually but that is a LONG way off.

Well, that's me. Some of me. A few bacon bits of me. It's been a great time and... I would say something inspirational and tear worthy, but my brain just can't quite find the energy. Besides, this isn't goodbye! I'll see all of you around! Except for that one poor soul who got here through a misguided Google search. I am sorry I did not know you better, poor soul, and now I must bid you farewell. For the rest of you, this just means you'll most likely stop reading my blog. Which means... I can talk about bacon all day long!

Bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon...

When I Grow Up...

...because I obviously haven't grown up yet. I think I'm still stuck with the mental state of an adolescent. Otherwise why would I randomly start sobbing on a perfectly happy, unstressful day? And why would I be so obsessed with bacon?

When I finally get those pesky hormones under some semblance of control (and when I finish school and other important things like that), I would like to have a career. I'm not entirely sure what kind of career yet (not "railroad hobo" is a good start), but I'm 99.99% sure it's going to have something to do with music. The .01% is just in case I somehow end up in some boring, well-paid job like advertising or management. No offense to anyone in advertising or management or any other boring, well-paid jobs out there.

For the purposes of this blog, let's assume that my dream career is teaching music at a college or university. Geographically, I would like to be doing my careering someplace with mountains. That's really the only requirement, although Colorado, Northern California, and my home state North Carolina are pretty high up on the preference list. Economically, I would like to be stinkin' rich. However, this probably isn't going to happen with a career in music, so I'll settle for "able to buy bacon at least once a week". My dream for my place socially is a little complicated. I would like to be well-known and respected by others in my field (i.e other musicians), but I don't want to be anywhere close to famous. I have nightmares about being a *gulp* celebrity. So don't be listening for me on the radio.

In order to reach this nebulous sort of goal/dream/end-of-the-rainbow thing, I am currently clawing my way through the dark pit called "college"*. I know I must do this, just as I know I must continue my musical studies in order to have a career solely in music, and I must not let the devil named Joe Dunn hook his politics major claws into me and drag me into the dark, terrifying underworld**. In the future, I imagine I will need to subject myself to even more dark pit-ness by going to graduate school. I will also definitely need to be on the lookout for any nice/important/RICH patrons I can connect with, because one does not start a successful musical career on one's own.

On that rather sobering note, I think I'll go eat some bacon.


*Actually, college isn't that bad. It's just the weekend after my first ever mid-term week, and I'm a wee bit stressed out.

**Actually, Dr. Dunn isn't that... never mind, yes he is.

Advice From a Bacon-Eater

The topic this week required us to write a speech as if we were Juniors giving advice to our little sister class. I admit that I cheated a little bit. I simply traveled into the future, listened to myself give advice to a class full of Freshmen, wrote it down, and then posted it as this week's blog. Genius, if I do say so myself. Wait, is that plagiarism if they're ideas I haven't thought of yet? Oh well.

Hello, you tiny minions...I mean bright, young little sisters. I have been brought in to speak to you because I am an expert. An expert on what? No questions, please! I'm sure that now you are in college, your cute little brains are overloading on all the new experiences you're... experiencing. Don't worry, mine did too. My first few weeks at Converse I did things like forget to do homework, forget to get up in the morning, forget to go to class, forget I even had a class... and you know what? It turned out okay. I just had to make myself not stop trying even though I was completely mortified that I had overslept two hours for the second time (Don't look at me like that, I was sick). You know the key to not oversleeping, and not getting sick? Sleep when you're supposed to, no matter how attractive the new episode of Whatever Tv Show Kids Watch These Days is. And don't start watching an awesome new series right before something important like a test or a recital. It doesn't end well.

Do you know what's just as important as sleep? Don't raise your hand, it was a rhetorical question. It's practice, and not just practicing so your lesson teacher won't yell at you. You need to practice your musicianship skills, like hearing different intervals and reading rhythms. If you don't, you will have no idea what's happening in class. Also, if you take piano, practice that too! I don't care how good you are at reading music, there isn't enough time in class to get all the way through an entire unit before it's your turn to play for Dr. Weeks.

Well, there's everything I learned from my mistakes laid out for you so you can ignore me, make the same mistakes, and then try to teach your future Littles how to avoid self-inflicted suffering their Freshman year. But I suppose part of learning is figuring it out for yourself.

P.S: Bacon is good.

My Love/Hate Relationship With Sleep

Don't you ever look at your clock at midnight and wish there were about five extra hours in the day? No? It's just me? Oh well.

The fact that I am frequently awake at midnight testifies to my biggest problem with time management: I am not very successful at sleep scheduling, or sleeping in general. I don't really understand why I have this problem, because I adore sleep. Sleep is good. But sleep is more appealing to me in the morning, it seems. However, with 8:30 classes every weekday, sleep in the mornings just isn't working out for me. But no matter how many times I wake up in the morning groggily cursing my too active mind and campus-wide wi-fi, I can't keep myself from clicking on "one last YouTube video". It's as if I enjoy intentionally torturing myself.

Procrastination is also a huge problem for me. I am really very lazy. You haven't seen the full effects of my laziness yet, because I'm still riding the "first few weeks of school" high where I feel I am the master of all homework and nothing will ever stand in the way between me and my A plus! This is a lovely effect that falls upon me every new school year, but it's already fading (note the time this was posted).

I really haven't found an effective way to deal with my self-imposed insomnia; the call of the electronic world is too strong. I have found ways to semi-deal with procrastination (I say semi because they definitely aren't working for this particular assignment). Fortunately for me, most of my homework consists of worksheets or work that can be done on my computer. This means I can find a lovely place to sit outside and work, which usually increases my productivity. Or I just get distracted by a butterfly and a really itchy bug bite. Sometimes, if I have work to do on the computer, I can fool myself into thinking that because I'm doing something with technology, I'm having fun (this works particularly well with MacGamut). These are (obviously) not fool-proof methods for dealing with my time management problems, and I'm always on the look out for advice (especially for the sleeping thing).

If I get really desperate, I eat some bacon. Just had to throw that in there.

Week One Topic: Converse and me (and Bacon)

Before I begin the actual assigned topic, I have something very important to say to everyone: I like bacon. A lot.

Bacon is manna from heaven, the mythical ambrosia of the Greek gods, and the answer to life and the universe. Bacon is good. (Actually, I'm not that obsessed with bacon. I just wanted to justify the title of this blog.) Now on to the stuff I was actually supposed to write.

Why I Came to College

I decided to come to college because it opens up so many doors that would otherwise be impassable. Nowadays not many doors exist that can be unlocked with just a high school diploma. Not that it's impossible to do something amazing without going to college, and I have to utmost respect for people who do. There's just a lot more out there for people with college degrees. Besides, where else could I go to learn about music all day, every day?

Why I Chose Converse

I first heard about Converse through my voice teacher, who is an alumna. I was looking specifically for a college with a music program that was respected but not gigantic, and Converse fit the bill. I visited the campus and I fell in love with its friendly, intimate atmosphere. Throw in a considerable amount of scholarship money and I was hooked.

Why I Chose Music

I never considered doing anything other than music in college. Music is my passion, and I love the idea of being completely immersed in its study and practice. I don't think I could stand having a career that had nothing to do with music.

Muppets and Banjos

I would be a bacon eating banjo playing muppet, and my banjo would be a banjo of bacon. But then I would eat my bacon banjo, and I would be a bacon banjo eating muppet without my banjo made of bacon. And then I would be sad.