I'm not dead yet!

Hello everyone, long time, no see type! Life's been pretty crazy since I last left you, but I had a moment now so I thought that I'd sit down and type out a little post here, about halfway through my break to let you all know what I've been up to.

My first semester of high school ended on Monday! (it was pushed forward a day because of a snow day) I studied like crazy for my midterms and was very happy to get high scores on all of them, and end up with high honors- all A's - for the quarter! Woot! Glad that's over....that stressor is gone. I was extremely pleased with my final project for history. These cute little warriors I told you about previously. Here are some quick pictures I took on photobooth:

Heehee. I love these guys. They're totally going up on a shelf in my room. 

Of course the biggest thing going one is LES MIS. And let me tell you, it is so awesomeincredibleepicintensecoolbestthingever. Being in the pit is just so cool, playing along to these great singers, in just about the best show ever. 

i

t

j

u

s

t

m

a

k

e

s

m

e

s

o

h

a

p

p

y

*bounces off walls in excitement* I cannot believe our first show of six is next Friday evening- a meer week from today! Thankfully I have no worries that we'll be completely prepared. EEEP!!!! SO REALLY REALLY HYPER AND EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!

Another thing is that in one month from today......I turn 15! :) 

So there's a little update for now- see you in another coule of weeks!

Treble Clef Turns TWO!

WOOT!!! Let's PARTY!

Once, a 7th grader who called herself 'Spottedstar' on the internet, sat down and created a blog which she named 'Cornet Crazie In Action'.

Two years later, the same girl, now called 'Sally', sits down at her laptop and writes another post on her beloved blog, Treble Clef.

With 136 followers,

And almost 6000 readers from 60+ countries around the world,

And 741 great posts,

This little blog has come a long way in the past few years. 

And so....we're going to have some fun!

First, I'd love it if you would fill out this form here (this isn't the fun part):

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&pli=1&formkey=dEJRbWV0eHdBV09KN09vbVdoNTAyQVE6MQ#gid=0

Now, recently, Laurea at Center Stage reached a big post mark and she did something called a 'Q&A Giveaway' where readers asked her questions and it was very funny to read her answers! I'm going to do something like this- so that you guys can find out anything you want about me and my blog. Every question will get an award for its special qualities. For example, here are some funny ones I asked Laurea:

When shopping for jeans, you choose:
•super skinny
•skinny
•boot
•carpenter
•straight
•flare
In
•Dark wash
•Medium wash
•Light wash
That are
•Ripped
•Semi-ripped
•Normal
•Bedazzled

Suppose you are required to take one math class and one science class during your upcoming school year. You choose:
•AP (Advanced Placement)
•Honors
•CP (College Prep)
For
•Geometry
•Algebra
•Trig
•Calculus
•Statistics
And
•AP
•Honors
•CP
For
•Earth Science
•Chemistry
•Biology
•Marine Biology
•Physics
•Anatomy and Physiology  

It's Friday night and you really want to go somewhere, but your parents say NO WAY! Who are you going with, what are you doing, and how will you sneak out? 

(those are just some examples)

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

Now this next one is going to be REALLY fun!

I'm going to host a really awesome contest!

This is going to be a writing AND photo contest.

What does it have to be about?

Tie winter in...and you're all set.

Write a story...and capture a photo to go with it, post it along with my button and leave the link in a comment on this post and you're entered!

Copy this code to your website to display this banner!
<a href="http://www.thecornetcrazie.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/r5PMV.jpg" alt='Create your own banner at mybannermaker.com!' border=0 /></a><br><a href="http://www.mybannermaker.com/">Make your own banner at MyBannerMaker.com!</a>

So enter these great contests- they all end on Valentine's Day, February 14 in one month. And as you recall I now leave you for a month to focus on my midterms and Les Mis rehearsals. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREBLE CLEF AND I'LL SEE YOU IN A MONTH!

Firework

You know, I always thought that Katy Perry had a good voice. But, I never found her lyrics to be very good. Hot 'n Cold was OK if you got past the one swear at the beginning, but I never liked California Gurls or Teenage Dream. Just didn't like the lyrics. And then a couple weeks ago I was listening to the radio in the car when this song came on.

And the lyrics were so GOOD. Really inspring. And when I turned up the volume I recognized the voice, and I thought "Wow. That's Katy Perry. With these awesome song lyrics."

You probably know what song I'm talking about.

It's Firework.

 Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting throught the wind
Wanting to start again?

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that tehre's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
 Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em goin "Oh, oh, oh!"

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Such. Perfect. Lyrics.
So many good ideas.
Be yourself. Let your colors shine out. Don't be afraid. Let people know who you really are. Shine YOUR light. Bad things are going to happen (like hurricanes) but good things can follow (rainbows). Capture everyone's attention with your light, and brighten the room with your cheerful presence as a firework lights up the sky on the Fourth of July. You're your own person, an original, AND YOU CANNOT BE REPLACED.

So.

Ignite your light.


AND LET IT SHINE.

SnowDays

SNOW•DAY (n) 

1. A day you get out of school because of excessive amounts of snow.

Ex: I was really happy because today was a snowday.

As mentioned previously, we get a lot of snow up here (usually) during the winter. Just happens to be one of the perks of living here. (Although SHOVELING the snow is not an added bonus.)

Unfortunately, these past couple of years, though we've had good snow, it's come at un-opportune time.

On weekends,

Vacations,

During the day,

During the night....but stopping well before dawn....

We haven't had our share of good 'ole snow days, lately. 

I used to hate snow days. Now I love them.

Something about them makes you want to squeal with excitement and act like a little kid again.

Which is fun...I mean, when you have a snow day, you just HAVE to follow:

The Snow Day List

1. Squeal with excitement when you wake up and see lots of snow on the ground, and realize your parents turned you alarm clock off 'cause there's no school.

2. Don't go back to sleep but run around the house a couple times.

3. Eat breakfast slowly while playing video games with your brother.

4. After getting mad at your brother for always beating you, take your time and read the comics.

5. Beg and plead your parents to let you have a friend over- they always relent in the end.

6. When said friend is over, challenge your brother and his friend to some sort of competition whether it be on the Wii or a ping-pong challenge, etc.

7. Declare you will most certainly win, if you do, rub it in his face, if you don't, stick your tongue out at him. 

8. Eat something warm and yummy for lunch, like mac'n'cheese. 

9. Make popcorn for you and your friend and go upstairs to watch a movie.

10. After the movie, go downstairs and go outside to play. Say that your brother and his friend are welcome to join you, but hope that they won't.

11. Go outside and pelt each other with snowballs.

12. When your brother and his friend finally DO follow you outside, say your cold and go back inside. You don't want to have your face continuously pushed into a snowbank.

13. Make hot chocolate, and drink it quickly before your friend has to go home.

14. After she leaves go upstairs and blog about your awesome day so far.

15. Your shirt's still wet from outside so you take a warm shower and your mom yells at you for using up too much hot water.

16. Curl up by the fireplace with a good book, something that never gets tiring. Like Harry Potter.

17. Eat a nice warming dinner, preferably your favorite soup. 

18. Play games like Apples to Apples with your family.

19. When your parents say it's time for bed because you've had a busy day and you have school tomorrow, complain.

20. Go to bed and wish for tomorrow to be a snow day so you can do it all over again.

Yep :)

  

 

Bitten

A little while ago my dear friend Hannah Marie did a post on her blog called 'Bitten By The Acting Bug' where she talked about how she's found acting to be so awesome for her after doing A Christmas Carol and how she wants to do so much more stuff with theater.

Well, something similar has happened for me.

I haven't been bitten by the acting bug,

but it has to do with theater.

I've been bitten by the pit band bug.

I'd always wanted to be a part of the musical at the high school, and as I got more and more involved with band, pit band seemed like the perfect place for me in the show.

And I was even happier when I learned I was the only freshman who made the band....

Playing lead trumpet. That was big.

And then we started rehearsals...and it was so amazing. Being the only one on my part. Playing this totally awesome music. Putting bits and pieces of it with the cast on Saturday...

And having it sound like the soundtrack.

It's such a big responsibility and it's a TON of work. 

But, like marching band, it's so so so worth all of it.

What can I say? I've been BITTEN.

Into The Future Once Again

It seems odd to me that we sign up for our classes for next year in January, with a half of the year still left, but that's what we do. And once again, it's forced me to think about the classes I want to take in the remaining years of high school before going on to college. Right now, I want to focus on music and science classes because I really like science and I intend on pursuing music after high school. And I gotta say....I like the looks of what my projected courses look like...

Freshman Year (Actual)

Class	Honors Biology	Study Hall/Offlab	Concert Band	Honors English (9)	Honors World History	French II	Phys. Ed.	Honors Math II
Pass/Fail
Credits

Total Credits So Far: (projected) 7

Sophomore Year (Projected)

Class	Honors Chemistry	Wind Ensemble	Offlab/ Concert Band	American Traditions (H?)	Honors English (10)	French III	Honors Math III	Health (.5) Real Life (.5)
Pass/Fail
Credits

Total Credits So Far: (projected) 15

Junior Year (Projected)

Class	AP Chemistry	Wind Ensemble	Offlab/ Concert Band	American History (H?)	Honors English (11)	French IV	AP Algebra	Music Theory
Pass/Fail
Credits

Total Credits So Far: (projected) 23

Senior Year (Projected)

Class	Wind Ensemble	Concert Band	Marine Biology (H?)	Anatomy and Physiology (H?)	French V	Honors English (12)	AP Music Theory	Chorus
Pass/Fail
Credits

Total Number Of Credits: (projected) 31

We need 24 credits to graduate and so looks like I'll be tracking well! Obviously, as I go along I'll fill in the charts and change things I need to change, but I hope that this schedule will work for me. 

Also.....An exciting announcement....

LUCY IS AMAZING.

I just love my friend Lucy. We always have the best time together. I love her so much and someday ew're going to live in a nursing home with 32 hypoallergenic cats.

Hello Lucy. You hacked my blogger account again, didn't you?
But.....I'll let it pass because it's your birthday.

I love hanging out with Lucy. She's so funny and....um.....energetic doesn't really begin to explain it. Anyway, it's her birthday (She's 14 now) and I've had the great pleasure of spending it with her. We've had lots of fun eating pizza, going on facebook, watching Harry Potter....etc.

So I'd just like to take the time and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Hiya!

Hi! This is Lucy here, from Low Brass! I'm here to talk about MY awesome life, because you usually only hear about Sally's. My life, I must admit, is not as interesting as Sally's, but I do SOME cool things. Like I'm in the marching band with Sally, which is pretty boss. It was my first year in marching band, and I was one of the few (but powerful!) eighth graders. I thought it was a very good experience and I can't wait to do it again next year! And the year after...

So I swim on a pretty competitive swim team. And my swim coach decided that she wants me swimming the 1000 free at our State Championship in March which is a HUGE mistake because I can't keep track of all those laps. It's 10 football fields! Crazy. I'm pretty much a backstroker, which in't even my favorite stroke. Oh well.

So I bet you all know how Sally is lead trumpet in the Les Miserables pit band at our high school. Well, I'm not in the band, nor am I acting. But I have the VERY important role of audience member....
Well, I love Les Mis. It's a great story, and the songs are excellent! Now, I can't sing at all. But I'm not tone deaf, I just sound like some sort of dying chicken robot when I sing so I only do it around Sally (and then she kicks me, but let's not get into the details). But that doesn't stop me from knowing all the words to about every song from Les Miserables. One of my favorites is I Dreamed a Dream. It sounds really nice and rich on the trombone, my main instrument. I also play tuba.

So,this is all for today, folks, and I really hope you'll visit my blog! I love followers!

Simple Can Be Awesome

In history class, we're learning about ancient Greece, which makes me happy because mythology is a component of that and I LOVE Greek mythology. ^_^

Anyway, we've got this project, and my task was to build a model of a Spartan and Athenian warrior. I thought- fun! I love building models and stuff. 

But do you know how hard it is to think up materials to use to build sufficient people? I thought and thought and thought about what to use...and finally decided, why not go simple?

So while everyone else brought expensive modeling clay and building blocks and thick foam boards, etc. I walked in with:

And you know what? In class today I made a killer (no pun intended) Spartan warrior and on Friday I'll make my Athenian. (Can't wait to get pictures!) So really...the simple things can be quite awesome indeed...

i'm a tuba failure

So...confession.

I pride myself on being able to learn instruments fast and easily.

Perfecting is another matter, I'm talking basics here although there are some instruments I'm quite good at. (I'd say I'm best at trumpet family, trombone and mallet percussion)

Cornet, trumpet, these are my main instruments. This is what I try to always be perfecting. I'm good with trumpet family.

In the middle of my 7th grade year we got XanFan's trombone. Because trombones are way cool, I of course wanted to try it out. And I was hooked. 

So I promptly learned it and was ready for all the 8th grade trombone music thrown at me in 8th grade.

In 8th grade in one of the jazz bands I ended up learning a LOT of percussion stuff. I had previous piano experience, and by the end of the year I could do mallet stuff really well as well as auxiliary percussion and a tad of set.

Also in 8th grade I decided that it was about time for me to learn a woodwind. So I started clarinet. And after the first couple tedious days, things came quickly.

 

That's all I learned officially. But I've played my friend Anna's mellophone several times and that's been easy and Lucy had an old flute lying around which I promptly picked up, played, looked up a fingering chart online and immediately began teaching myself to play flute.

But today, XanFan brought home the tuba he's been learning. And he played it for a while and then he said 'Sally, do you wanna try?' 

So I did.

And it was an epic failure. Could barely get sound out of the monstrosity.

And that is why you are not go to see me playing tuba anytime soon....

But tuba....beware.

One day.

I SHALL CONQUER YOU!!!!!

Oh Dreaded Tomorrow

Of course, every vacation must end. Every slice of freedom much come to it's finale. Every relaxing moment must come to its conclusion.
Thus, after every break we go back to school.
Do I hate school? I must admit, the answer is usually no. I like seeing my friends every day and laughing around the lunch table. I like having Isabella and Hannah Marie in most of my classes and being able to hang out and make class more enjoyable.
My classes themselves, well, most of them are ok, I guess. I like bio, band is usually good, I have fun in history, and geometry is starting to grow on me.
I like only having each class every other day.
I love working in the pit band for the musical, being part of a very small, and vital group of musicians.
I like jazz band  after school, though I miss those early jazz band practices of middle school.

School itself...it's not all bad.

But those were the pros, here are the cons.
Some of my classes are just awful. My English teacher thinks we're 3rd graders and treats us as such.
Gym is torture- apparently my gym teacher doesn't realize how rough freshman boys are.
And French- previously a favorite class of mine- is drop-dead boring.
And at home there are the many long nights SLAVING over my books. Typing lab reports. Researching ancient civilizations. Proof after proof after proof in geometry. Grammar worksheets for English and French. Frantically practicing trumpet for several things. (Though...I rather enjoy that last task)
Homework. The thing every student loathes. (And add on study time for our upcoming midterms too!) You've got a lot of homework and late nights on your hands.

So really? Why do I dread tomorrow? It's not the school day itself. That shouldn't be too bad. It's that daily task of working late into the night on extra schoolwork.

Homework. That's the reason I dread the end of vacation.

A Little Warning

Hello dear readers, and happy 2011! I'm sure it's going to be another great year of blogging! However, it seems as if the beginning of the year may be short of posts. Unfortunately.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I made the pit band for our school's musical, Les Miserablés. Practices were intense before vacation, and now, with school starting up again I've got pit Monday, Wednesday, Friday for three hours and so that takes up a lot of time. By the twenty-first, the pit has rehearsal every night from 5-9 with the performers and obviously that's a huge time commitment up until the days of our six shows.

That being said, I'm really going to have to not be on blogger during this time, just as I'm barely going to be on facebook. I need to work extremely hard on my music for pit, I'm lead trumpet and have a crucial part and have to play it well. I also have upcoming midterms to study for plus all my regular homework and activities to do. Therefore, I'm going to stay on blogger until JANUARY 15, which is my blogoversary and Treble Clef's 2nd birthday, and I couldn't miss that! Part of the blogoversary will be a contest and that contest is just going to go on while I'm on break. I will be gone starting January 16 and I should return on Valentine's Day, February 14. So, almost a month I guess.

But don't worry, I'll be here a few more days, just wanted to give you all a head's up :)