Music

A whole new page?!

Yes, child, a whole new page just for music. Though I already have a section on the main page with weekly music recs, it simply isn't enough. This shall be a sanctuary for even more music reccomendations, yappings about artists and composers, my experience in/with music, and even more. In the near future I will have a space for YOU, dear reader, to submit your own song recs because ⋆˙⟡ community bonding ✧˖°. For those of you who do play an instrument, have you practiced today. Should you have practiced today? Will you practice today? Why- ok I think you get it now.

What I'm currently working on

(Disclaimer: most of this is just me flexing, which was not my original intent. Sorry. ok.) Because spring is youth symphony audition season, that is exactly what I've been doing for the past three-ish months on viola. I already turned in one youth symphony audition in march, but won't hear back until some time in june. That ys is the best (arguably) the best group in the state, one of the best in the country, (and my audition was scrapped together last minute...) so my chances of making it into the top two groups withing the organization are Slim. I'm now focusing on another audition for the 2nd best orchestra in the state *gulp* and the auditions are at the end of may. For it I'm playing: Mvmt 2. of William Walton's viola concerto and Kol Nidrei by Max Bruch. And scales. All. Of. The. Scales. The stakes are high, guys. My chances of actually making it into the top ensemble are also slim, but that's okay. If not, I'll likely be in the 2nd to the top one. (So maybe 4th best ensemble in the Illinois?? I dunno. Again, arguably.)

I'm also in my school's top orchestra (as a sophomore heh) which is usually lightwork but I switched to playing violin there to make it more challenging for myself. I'm playing first violin for the second concert in a row which makes it even better right now. We're preparing for the last concert of the year (already!) and the set is crazy good this time. Probably my favorite set of pieces I've ever played in school orchestra. We're doing: Danzón No.2 by Márquez, Test Drive from How to Train Your Dragon, an arrangemnet of Masquerade Waltz by Khachaturian, and the (UNARRANGED) 4th movement of Berlioz's symphonie fantastique (which has been pretty difficult for us as a group, and me- I won't lie.)(Holyyy ego bro calm down.)

My CDs

Due to AI and big corporations and stuff, I've been trying to buy CDs secondhand rather than rely on phone music apps (spotify). They're usually a lot cheaper ($1!!) and you might find things that you wouldn't normally listen to otherwise. It's been a nice way for me to find orchestral pieces and such that I'd never heard before getting the CD. I wish I had a record player as well, but those tend to cost more and I don't feel like spending money on that when my family and I already have manyy CDs. Some of these CDs I did, in fact, steal from my parents but it's ok.

What I have been listening to as of late

• Sibelius Complete Symphonies, Symphonies 2 & 5
• Walton: Symphony No. 2, Viola Concerto, and Johannesburg Festival Overture
• Smetana: "The Moldau" and Dvorák stuff
• Brahms' Symphony 4 and Variations on a theme by Haydn
• Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov
• yankee hotel foxtrot by wilco
• rockin' the suburbs by Ben Folds

Life in music

It's kind of crazy how all of my closest friends are in either band, orchestra, or choir. I love you, music people. This summer I'm going back to music camp, the same one I went to last year. There's nothing quite like playing your instrument all day until you feel like you could fall asleep in the middle of rehersal. Speaking of which, shout out to All-State (the music conference, not insurance,) for making me insanely tired. I had a great time though. Peoria. I will add onto this later.

If I knew how to make and layer sound for videos, I would definetly do my own covers of pieces on violin and viola. I want to post something with me player (even if just on tumblr,) eventually. Mostly to find other musicians out there.

Random Facts from my Brain

This section of the page is brought to you by my occasional wikipedia excursions.

Stravinsky (Russian 20th century composer) married his first cousin and had to go to another town to be officially wed because it was illegal where he lived (reasonably so...) and later had a super long afair with an american lady once they moved to the U.S. Him and his wousin (wife-cousin) also had 4 kids. Yikes. But ya know he wrote a ton of good stuff like The Firebird and Rite of Spring and stuff so. Oh well he's dead anyway.

Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony was premiered nine days before his death. He was said to have died from cholera after drinking contaiminated water, but by his time, people knew to properly boil water to make it safe to drink. Because of this, many think that his death was not as straight forward as it may seem. The symphony itself is extremely emotional and is called "Pathétique" (as in very passionate, not pityful,) almost as if he knew he was dying. (Though it is said that the symphony was for his nephew who he was "deeply fond of"- in love with- gross I know. what's up with all the incest guys.) Some speculate that he actually died from arsenic poisoning, as it has similar symptoms to cholera, as a way of suicide, or if the Russian government wanted to eliminate him because he was a homosexual.

Are you feeling lost?

Take the train home.

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