The Final Push

Every night for the past week, I've looked up at the gold medal above my bed and thought 'Another one like that. Exactly like that, but with the year 2010 engraved instead of 2009.' 

This year we knew it was going to be hard to get a gold medal at marching band finals. For one, you had to get an overall 5 stars to get gold, instead of last years scoring which was only on a scale of 1-4.

For another, my band director took a huge risk in the music we played this year, in that it was well off of the beaten track of marching band music.

It was the most complex show he'd ever written, and the longest too.

But we also had a great band.

And we kept improving throughout the season earning 3's, and then 4's, but even at our show last weekend, there were still no fives. In would take a truly incredible show to earn a gold medal for the 6th straight year, and uphold our reputation as the best band in the state.

So what did we do? We worked HARD. We'd been working ourselves for the whole season, of course, but this was the final week, our last chance of the season to make it perfect. And so we rose to the occasion with great practices, intense marching, visual additions, and music modifications, and by the end we had only two questions.

Would we be able to pull it off on Saturday?

And what would the judges think?

Yesterday morning dawned sunny and freezing cold, with a temperature of only 33ºF. Brrr! We were at the school at 8am for formal pictures and then we had our final practice. Practice was very good- but cold! I was ever thankful for my plastic mouthpiece, but my trumpet was like ice, and was almost impossible to get sound out of at the beginning! The whole band was extremely thankful of the hand warmer that our *awesome* music boosters passed out.

Practice was soon over though, and we all had a yummy baked potato lunch up at the school before getting on the buses. The bus ride was fun as everyone was really pumped up for the big show and there was a lot of throwing stuff... *sigh* I think I got hit in the head by about three or four packets of mini pretzels.....

The ride was only an hour, and soon we made it to the host school! We got to watch about four or five bands perform before heading back to our area which was nice, except that there weren't any seats left and we had to stand. :P

Finally, it was time to perform. The walkway heading to the band's entrance to the field was lined with pumpkins carved with music notes, "5 Stahs" (the chief judge has a heavy accent and it's become quite popular with all the bands) , and other marching band stuff. It was cool. 

Our performance was AMAZING. Really, all the things we had worked all season to fix, were fixed, and it all came together perfectly. And it paid off too. We were all shaking during retreat when they announced our scores, and we couldn't believe it when we got 5 stars (or 'stahs') in every caption! It was nearly impossible to just stand there after without showing any emotion like we had to do.

So we got our gold medals, we upheld our reputation and had a totally awesome 2010 season.

That's just totally cool.

 Yesterday's (freezing cold practice)

 Headed for the show! (Equipment trailer)

 We trumpets can be.....silly sometimes.

 But we can be serious too.....if need be.

Show! I <3 AstroTurf SO MUCH.

Retreat and awards.....GOLD MEDAL BAND!!! WOOT!

(disclaimer- photos taken by our music boosters)

Sweet Seven Hundred

I think the title pretty much sums it right up, don't you? Sweet, sweet post seven hundred. But of course, you DO know what this means, don't you? I've been hinting it for quite a while:

Copy this code to your website to display this banner!
<a href="http://www.mybannermaker.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/nLgY9.jpg" alt='Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!' border=0 /></a><br>

That's right! A fantastic contest with an even more awesome prize. Trust me, you DON'T want to miss out. 

So what's the contest all about? Well, as you can see from above, it's a photography contest, and the rules are quite simple. (It will be laid out in a similar way to how the 100 Followers Writing Contest)

Basic Facts:

•You may submit TWO photos (edited and watermarked is fine)

• Photos should follow the theme (The Essence of the Season)

• Deadline is in two weeks (November 12) I'm making this contest a little longer then usual because of all the people (including myself) doing NaNoWriMo.

• Pictures should have a description

• Images will be judged on a points scale by two judges

Process:

It's easy.

1. Find one to two photos of your that you think capture "The Essence of the Season" and work well with the points system.

2. Post the pictures on your blog, and then leave the link with your entry in a comment of this post.

3. Wait to see if I've dropped a comment  on your blog asking you to please come and visit- You've probably just won!

Points:

Theme- 40 points

Artistry- 30 points

Description- 10 points

Have Posted about Contest- 5 points

Follow Treble Clef- 5 points

Have Treble Clef's Button- 5 points

Have Contest Button- 5 points

TOTAL: 100 points

*For the last four things please post in a comment the link to your post and whether you have the buttons*

You must do everything to get full points!

And finally, the PRIZES!

EVERYONE who enters will receive a participation award.

3rd and 2nd place will get their own special awards

And the grand prize is a Robin Nest's Deluxe Package provided by Robin Blogs!
Valued at $35 this COMPLETE blog makeover includes:

1 background paper (scrolling or stable)

1 header

1 blog button

1 post divider (includes signature)

1 sidebar divider

1 "Older Posts" image
1 favicon

Custom size and layout of columns and post body

Up to 7 sidebar titles

Up to 7 framed sidebar photos

1 horizontal menu (underneath header)

 

And that's it! Please enter soon!

happy friday :)

it's friday.

friday

friday

FRIDAY

friday

friday

FRIDAY

friday

friday

FRIDAY

friday

friday

FRIDAY

friday

friday

FRIDAY!!!!!!

<3

Nearing The End

There's something about being out on a field for four hours or ever more in either 102º weather at the end of August, giving up your last week of summer, and then freezing to death in the throes of October nights that really pulls a group of people together. Which is why when I get to this part of the year, I have mixed emotions. I'm happy because the end of marching band frees up my Saturdays and some weeknights and I feel light it's just less stressful. But it's sad too. The group that you perform with in the marching band that year will never be the same again, because all the seniors are leaving at the end of the year. And right now, we're about to reach that end. Tonight's our final full ensemble practice, tomorrow marks our last sectional, and Saturday? Finals. Tonight's all about perfecting. Modifying, perfecting, fixing, perfecting, cutting, perfecting. It's all for Saturday, it's all for pride, reputation, and that new gold medal. It's thrilling. Here are a few pictures from last Saturday's practice and show for you to enjoy :)

Doodles

OK. Confession of Cornet Crazie. I have an ailment called SDD. In fact, many of you may have SDD too, you just don't realize it. What it SDD then, you may ask? Well, it's nothing more than Severe Doodle Disorder, meaning that you doodle all the time, everywhere, on everything. Sound familiar to anyone? 

Every school year I start off by saying 'This is the year I'm going to keep my papers and binders and hands free of my doodles and everything will be neat and tidy.' And guess what? IT NEVER HAPPENS. I seem to be drawn to the pencil or pen or whatever and to just, well, doodle. It's pretty crazy.

So today I thought I'd show you pictures of a small fraction of my doodlings during school in the past few weeks.

Lovely Tag from Shelley

Shelley, at her blog Being Shelley, has tagged me! Thanks! (Shelley will be a featured blogger on here in a few weeks)

1) If you were stranded on an island and you could only order take out once, what restaurant would you order from? Ohhh. I probably would order on of the awesome foot-long veggie delight from Subway. Yum!

2) If you had a backstage pass to meet any band/singer in the world, who it be? ADAM YOUNG. There is no question. <3 Owl City <3

3) What was your favorite TV show when you were three? Favorite TV show? I have no idea.

4) Pick a song that describes you or the situation you're in as of right now. Umm. Hmm. Maybe...oh I don't know...

5) Post a picture of your favorite shoes : )I don't have a picture, but my favorite shoes are my lovely Converse All-Stars (who doesn't love them to death?) They are the awesome gray, purple and black plaid. <3


6) If you could create a new word to put in the dictionary, what would it be? Shelpy, which means, I like you. Let's see. How about fantabulus? Meaning AWESOME.

7) Are you a rush, rush, rush kinda person, or do you stop and smell the roses? I can be both at times. Like at school when I have to get to my next class, I rush, rush, rush. But on walks and hikes I like to stop and smell the roses! As a person, I try to be the stop and smell the roses type.
Most often? RUSH RUSH RUSH.

(8.Would you rather share a bedroom with an elk, or with someone who is constantly screaming in their sleep?  The elk. Probably quieter :P
 
9.What is your ideal job (mother, doctor, teacher, missionary, etc)? As I have mention *several* times before, I want to continue my life with music and become a band director.
 
10.Would you rather watch nothing but a show called "The Purple Ponies to the Rescue" for the rest of your life, or nothing but horror shows? Purple Ponies......Elránia and I were watching Titanic (a great movie) and I couldn't even bear to watch the heart pounding race from the water at the end. 
 
11. What's your favorite school subject? Ummmmm. Band. Duh. Though I LOVE my honors biology class this year too :)

12.Would you rather live in a normal house, but with bricks for a bed, or live on a really neat playground with a normal bed? A playground! 
 
13 .Describe an embarrassing experience. I'm not sure I want to answer this....

14.Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings? LoTR!!!!!!!!!!!

15.What is your favorite music? I like a variety of music. My favorite pieces? Listen to my playlist.

16) If you could go back in time, and meet your past-self, would you want to meet your 10 year old self, 5 year old self, or 2 year old self? Well, I can remember being 10 quite well, and I remember a lot from being 5 but hardly anything from age 2 so I guess that.

17) If you could go anywhere in the world for only an hour, where would you go? *sigh* my traveling is gonna take a whole lot longer then that, sorry.

18) If you found a small purple lizard, what would you name it? Heliotrope. Heehee.

19) Would you rather be santa claus for a week, or the tooth fairy? Santa, oh yeah. No yucky teeth for me!

20) What is the one stuffed animal you own that you wish you could have as a pet? So I had this awesome alligator stuffed animal that had a puppet mouth (I recall using it to bite my very mean bus driver one year actually...) And her name was Baby Gator, although she was sometimes Princess too. Anyway, it was my favorite stuffed animal and it would be cool to have this little gator roaming the house.

21) If you were a famous fashion designer, what type of clothes would you design? No idea. I don't plan for that to be my career anyway.

22) If you could decorate any building on this planet, which one would you choose? What would it look like after you left your mark? Decorate? It would be the brightest colored, crazy random thing you've even seen.



And I tag: All followers

Random Post {by a rather random girl}

Sometimes I feel as if there are just so many things going on in my life that it's hard to make a separate post for each of them! So I've condensed it to this one, longer, much more random one.

What I'm Reading:

A few days ago I started reading this great book called Deadline by Chris Crutcher.

I'm not done with it yet, (even though I'm dying to find out what ends up happening) but I already love it! Highly recommended.

Next I'm starting Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (which is kind of an oxymoron...) which is by the same author as the book Elsewhere, so it should be a good read.

What I'm Writing:

Well, I'm gearing up for NaNoWriMo, which amazingly, starts in only nine days! Eeeep!

I have the basic ideas down for Troubled Waters, and pretty much have the characters figured out, so as long as I'm not loaded down with homework every night, I should be fine. I think. I hope.

I did attempt some cover art though and I'm pleased to show you the result:

So How's School?

School is....ehh. The past couple of days I've had (no joke) 3(+) hours of bio homework. Each day, and that's not even mentioning all of my other classes. AHHHH! Band's been fun, except for the fact that our teacher has only worked on this one (really boring) song for the past five rehearsals. In English we're reading A Midsummer's Night Dream (and Elránia is envious), In French it's pretty boring because we're re-learning everything we know, and in World History we're studying Neanderthals and the Stone Age. The worst parts? Gym class we're playing football. (Yes, FOOTBALL) and in math we are working on geometric proofs. Really, my life would be a whole lot better if geometric proofs just left.

Other Activities:

Well, there are only a few days left of marching band! *sob* last years the season seemed to go on forever and then this year the time simply flew by. *sniff* We still have two shows left though, one tomorrow, and then the following Saturday is finals. Really exciting! Because marching band takes up so much time I haven't been able to hang out with my non-marching band friends much, so I'm really happy that I'm able to go hang out with Elránia tonight :)

My Plans Regarding The Next Few Days:

Today: School, math test *cue scary music*, and hanging out at Elránia's

Tomorrow: Marching band show!!!! (Plus we're playing at the home football game!)

Sunday: Church, and the big pile of...h...o.....m....e...w....o....r....k I'm going to be handed today and not have time to do until Sunday. Yay.

Featured Blogger: Olive Tree

Hello dear readers! Today I'd like to welcome my very good friend, Olive Tree, to Treble Clef.

What is your blogger name and why?
I'm called Olive Tree because that's what my real name, Olivia, means. A branch from an olive tree traditionally means peace, so it also means that in a roundabout way.
Plus, there are a LOT of Olivias in the world! I had thought for a while about going by plain ole Olivia but I decided I'd be just one of many.

What is the title of your blog and why?
My blog is called {of} HorseFeathers. It was originally called "Life of the Olive", then went through a stage of being "Peace, Love, and Chocolate" before I finally settled on HorseFeathers. Unfortunately the URL "horsefeathers.blogspot.com" was already taken, so I added the "of".
The expression "horsefeathers!" means "what nonsense!". Yet certain breeds of draft horses have fine fur around their hooves called "feathering". So I take it to mean that even what seems impossible or crazy can happen. :)

Are you a cat person or a dog person?
I'm a cat person, but I don't mind dogs as long as they're well-behaved and don't go around eating nasty stuff then licking me. My family has had Siamese cats as long as I can remember, and at the moment we have a seal-point, Daisy (age 5, with the personality of a troll until you start petting her) and a lavender-point, Willa (just over 1 year old and still very much a kitten).
Someday, though, I'd like a Great Dane. Or an Irish Setter. I love those dogs. :)

Describe your dream future life.
Oooh, okay, I have this all planned out.
So my life could take a few different paths....
PATH 1. I get a "big break" in my acting or modeling, become famous, make a lot of money. There's my career. Eventually, I find a nice husband, settle down far from civilization, and write novels.
PATH 2. I become a bestselling author early in life, become famous, make a lot of money. Eventually, I find a nice husband, settle down far from civilization, and write like the dickens.
PATH 3 (my most likely). I go to college for photojournalism and work for something like National Geographic, with lots of travel opportunities, photography as a career, and reasonable pay. Eventually, I find a nice husband, settle down far from civilization, and write novels.
Noticing a pattern here? Hahah. I don't expect a big break in anything, nor for any of my paths to be 100% accurate (as the saying goes, "man proposes and God disposes"), but that's my dream life, so hey.

How long have you been on blogger?
I started blogging about 5 years ago on my family's site, but didn't get onto Blogger until perhaps 3 years ago. I didn't start seriously blogging until February 2009 (or was it 2008? I can't remember). In about March of 2010 I quit blogging (I am impulsive, okay?) but returned in June 2010. In the past 4 months my readers have come from all over the globe, and HorseFeathers has achieved over 270 Followers. Thanks, everyone!

Do you have any pets?
Ohhh yes. Want the full list?
2 cats (aforementioned Willa and Daisy)
1 leopard gecko (Salvatoré the Stupid)
1 betta fish (Kosuke the Brave...ish)
10 laying hens (Olympia, Phoebe, Fatima, Lillith, Ophelia, Hildegarde, Helga, Susan, Roxanne, and Astrid)
and anywhere from 10-50 feeder crickets for Salvatoré, but I suppose they don't really count, do they, since they get eaten.

Do you have any siblings?
Alas, no.

What is your dream vacation?
Europe! Gosh, I love Europe (the continent, not the political assembly thingy). I've been to Norway when I was young but that's it. I want to go to England and Spain and Scotland and Germany (is that still Europe?) and Ireland and France and everywhere in between.
With camera in hand, of course. ;)

What is the quote that speaks to you the most?
"For beautiful eyes, see the good in others. For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness. And for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."
Beauty advice from my role model, Audrey Hepburn. :)

What are your favorite song lyrics?
Hahah, I have a whole post on that here... Let me see... I have so many. How about this one:
One minute I held the key  /  Next the walls were closed on me  /  And I discovered that my castles stand  /  Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand  -  Viva La Vida, Coldplay
Depressing, yes... thought-provoking, yes... inspirational, yes... cheerful, not really.


Of these, which describes you best: Musician, writer, athlete, photographer, scholar, or artist?
I'm gonna cheat and say both writer AND photographer. :)

What faith do you practice (if any) ?
Congregational Christian.
I love hopping around to friends' churches too, it's great to see how other churches practice.

What are some of your favorite foods?
Hmmm... I love sushi, I love chocolate, I love ice cream, I love tomatoes, I love toffee, I love tea... I better stop there, lol, or this is gonna be one long post.

How are you educated?
Public school (an AMAZING school system though), but for 3rd and 4th grade I was homeschooled.

What are your favorite subjects in school?
I love my Theatre Arts class and my English Honors class. I can't wait to take my Creative Writing and Digital Photography courses, too! *grins*

If you had a sibling, would you want it be a boy or a girl? Older or younger?
I'd like a girl, a tad older than I. Right now, I only have my mom, and it makes me sad.


You mentioned you like to hop around to different friends churches- what have they been like?
Great fun! I love YOUR church, Cornet, because everyone's so happy. My church is a little more somber, but we have some pretty roof-raising moments too.


Why were you homeschooled in 3rd and 4th grade?
My parents and I spent two years in the Caribbean, living aboard our little 39-foot sailboat. It was obviously not a great time to have public school, lol. (Though I did attend a Bahamian public school for a week... I couldn't understand a word they were saying because their accents were so strong, though! I remember they were very interested in me because my under-wrist skin is so pale you could see the blue veins under it. It was a bit of a surreal experience.)


When will you get to take those creative writing and photography classes?
Right now I'm just a wee freshman (9th grade in a K-12 scale for our out-of-America readers), but I should be able to take those classes next year and/or the year after.


Anything else you'd like to tell everybody?
Be yourself! I've struggled with this in my life and finally found that it's okay to be the person God shaped you to be. I hope that through HorseFeathers I can inspire other people to be the same.

 

Thanks so much Olive Tree! It was a pleasure featuring you!

We have many more features coming up shortly, which I'm sure you will enjoy, and if YOU are interested in being featured here, simply email me at trebleclefblog@gmail.com

*Special Notice* 

We are exTREMEly close to post #700, meaning a fantabulous contest, with the most amazing prize which you will absolutely LOVE! Stay tuned!

Pikniking

I usually prefer to use photoshop to edit my photos, but to have a little fun I decided to use Piknik. Milo's Lane showed us kinda how to use it at Olive Tree's birthday party, and so I took an already edited picture and played with it in a million different ways. *I* had a lot of fun with it, and I think some of the results are pretty funny.

Beginning with the original....

And edited!

 Which ones do you like best?