A Kotzschmar Concert

Oh I just LOVE a good concert!

In Portland at the auditorium at City Hall there is the huge and beautiful organ called the Kotzschmar Organ and every Tuesday night in the summer a guest organist comes and plays a concert, and I got to go and see the one last night with my grandmother!

A man by the name of James (Jimmie) Jones was the organist, he was quite young and was VERY good, but the really neat thing was that a woman named Anita Cirba played along on many of the pieces on trumpet.

See the appeal this holds for me now?

Anyway, the concert was INCREDIBLE.

The organist was so so great and was very animated in his playing, which made him fun to watch. It was especially fun to see him glissando the really low pedal notes that are played with the feet. 

This is him:

The trumpet player, Anita, was simply fabulous. She had beautiful tone quality and was just so nice to listen to. She played trumpet, fluglehorn, and piccolo trumpet, and I especially enjoyed listening to her play the fluglehorn. One of the cool things too was that she played a couple of pieces from the balcony instead of the stage which created a very cool effect.

This is her:

They had a great program too. Some Mendelssohn, Holst and Durufle, along with more contemporary composers. I really liked on of the pieces 'Tea and Trumpets' which featured very 'punny' title such as 'Trumpet Mandatory' instead of the usual trumpet voluntary. I knew some of the music too like Hovhaness' 'Prayer of Saint Gregory' and Durufle's theme from his 'Veni Creator'. I was so excited when they started to play the Holst piece though because it turned out to be the ballad from 'Jupiter' from 'The Planets'. 

Of course, our marching band did the planets two years ago and the Jupiter ballad was my favorite part of the whole show.

It was very nice on organ and trumpet too...

All in all it was a fantastic concert and I would love to see them perform again sometime!

It's raining here today, but that's OK. Good for reading books and doing homework and stuff like that :)

G is for Gig

G is for Gig

Well....concert would be a more accurate term for what I'm going to talk about but that starts with a C and I needed a word that started with G and this was the best I came up with. Yeah it's slang, yeah it's not grammatically correct, but it just so happens to be the best word for the topic of this post. Hmph.

What in the world is a gig? You may ask this question. Dictionary.com seems to have several different meanings for the word 'gig', and the definition I wanted was.....at the bottom. Welcome to my life...

Anyway,

gig4

noun, verb, gigged, gig·ging. Slang .

–noun

1.

a single professional engagement, usually of short duration, as of jazz or rock musicians.

2.

any job, especially one of short or uncertain duration: a teaching gig out west somewhere.

–verb (used without object)

3.

to work as a musician, especially in a single engagement: He gigged with some of the biggest names in the business. 

Today, as you may have guessed, we had a little concert, or, as we may as well call it, a gig. It was a judged affair and went very very well. In our clinic/critique afterwards the judge basically just told us we were awesome, he didn't have anything to work on with us. That was pretty cool, I guess they really thought we were good. We'll just have to see what our final score came out to be.

Our pieces were called Deer Path Dances, Country Wildflowers and Sky Dance. Sky Dance was by far my favorite. It was really high and big and bold and fast and plain AWESOME. Totally cool.

Now just time to prepare for our Pops Concert at the end of May. I know we're playing a medley of Elton John stuff, a piece called Music for a Darkened Theater which is like a medley of songs from action/thriller/horror movies, and a third tune that may or may not be a concert band arrangement of Owl City's Fireflies! I know my band director bought the chart and the score earlier this year and he was thinking of doing it for this upcoming concert and I'm really hoping that he will. I would so love to play that song in band...

You want amazing? I'll give you AMAZING.

Last night was just.....incredible. (Incroyable!) In case you did not know, it was my final band concert and I couldn't have hoped for it to be any better. Conducting the band was ohsomuchfun, although it was strange having my back to the audience- but I think that the jazz band played that song (Green Onions) the best that they'd ever played it. Was fun :)

The 8th grade band also wanted to do something special for Mrs Barry at the end of the concert so yesterday morning I made a giant card and throughout the day me and Bella and Liam were able to have everyone sign it with a little note and then before the last song me, Bella, Liam and Jakob presented it to her with an 'elaborate and awesome' boquet of flowers and some chocolate. She was really happy and everything was great.

Concert band was just.......phenomanal. For the people who had solos- they were extremely good!!

So that was it! My final 8th grade concert *sob*. Well, in other news:

1. Grades
    closed yesterday so I don't have to do ANY MORE WORK in middle school
2. We get our high school schedules today!!!!
3. We get our yearbooks today and get to sign them during last period.

Craziest Week Ever- Tuesday (Afternoon)

My, how the days pass by quickly! Yesterday went all according to plan, (YAY! screams the dominant perfectionist side of me) and my trumpet is looking especially nice and pretty after its wash :) Today was good too with the 5th grade step-up day and stuff. I was glad to have a chance to practice my conducting in front of an audience before the real concert. It went fine. Today was also my LAST jazz practice and my LAST full band rehearsal. Double sadness.*cries like a baby* (jk on the last part- but it was kinda sad) We're sounding really good and I'm so crazy excited for the concert :) So yep. Week's going by fast-- but at least it's fun!

Chorus + Band + Piano Accompanist + AMAZING song = ...

It equals a bunch of speechless people at the end of the school day today. Last week I posted the lyrics to the song "When You Believe" and we're doing it as the last song of the final concert with the full chorus the 8th grade band and piano accompaniment. We had our first full practice this afternoon during study hall. We all expected it to snowball. It was incredible. I'm actually singing on this song due to the fact that I'm the strongest alto in the whole chorus so yeah, that's why I'm singing and not playing. But seriously. There was so much music in the room. It was so big. So beautiful. So much pure power. There's work to be done in the next week of course, but it's going to be so great as our last song- just thought I'd post about it. Sorry it wasn't explained there. You really have to experience it :)

My life is CRAZY!!!

Insane. Crazy. Whatever you wanna call it- that's my life. This will be a kinda random post about what's happened since my last post.

The first two days of spirit week have gone well! Tomorrow is 'grade color day' and the eighth graders have to wear gray and purple. Blah.....boring colors.

So this morning when I woke up (at 5:30 as usual) I rolled out of bed when I wasn't really awake yet- and I slammed my head on my doorframe. Just lovely. And painful.

Science class is driving me INSANE. He treats us like we're 3rd graders. I mean, honestly! We're in 8th grade, we shouldn't be watching Bill Bye movies all the time!

In math class our final big grade is our toothpick bridge project. My friend Liam and I are a team and we began building our supports today. We've got a really strong design :)

Band sounded really good today especially our LoTR medley. And I got a solo in chorus! I'm so excited for the concert- it's in exactly ONE WEEK!!!!!!

On a relative topic, after band I had to figure out some logistics of the song I'm conducting (solos, background parts, cuing, etc.) with Mrs Barry and I think I've got it down now; which is good. Conducting at a concert is gonna be fuuuuuuunnnnn.

And I filmed for my French skit today, and I went to a trumpet lesson, and I did some homework and now I'm eating dinner. Good night to you all. 

Daybook: 5/22

Date...May 22

Starting time...10:44 AM

Mood...happy :)

Outside my window...Mostly cloudy- but warm!

I'm thinking...that I need a snack

I'm reading...Mein Kampf (very challenging read)

I'm listening to...the silence....and my playlist

I'm wearing...rolled up jean and a red t-shirt

Yesterday, I...went to school....

I'm excited for...Memorial Day parades next weekend

I'm sad because...only 4 more full band rehearsals and 7 sectionals left

I'm hungry for...some key lime pie yogurt

The song stuck inside my head is...A Whole New World

I want...our concert to be amazing

I love...our music for the final concert

I loathe...key signatures with 6 sharps

This week, my goal is...to have a good final marching practice

Did I meet last week's goal?...why yes!

Ending time...10:51 AM

It CANNOT be!

The picture above pretty much captures the feeling at the end of vacation. Hence, the title of this post. Because 'NOOOOOO IT CANNOT BE!!!' Is pretty much how I'm feeling about going back to school. (even though we *do* have tomorrow off as well) Sigh...I was just getting used to sleeping in and not getting up at 5:30 every morning-- lol. However, I'm on the home stretch now! In fact, 3 people in my family are. My mom, bwk, will be graduating from massage therapy school at the end of May, my brother, XanFan, is graduating 5th grade (moving out of elementary school, into junior high/middle school) on June 15 and I of course will be graduating 8th grade on June 14 and moving on to high school next year. Which ultimately means a lot of things (probably for all of us) 1. We don't have much new material to cover 2. We have lots of review 3. WE'LL PROBABLY BE HAVING GIANT TESTS AT THE BEGINNING ON JUNE. I don't mind the first two, but I could do without the third :) Anyhoo, that's where I'll be in these next two months or so: Studying, doing fun 8th grade stuff (like 8th grade dance, class trip to the lake, outdoor classes, section leaders for Memorial Day Parade, etc) and of course, feverishly preparing for the final concert- on June 9. It's going to be a great concert; I can just feel it. I'll be playing trumpet, cornet, trombone, mallets, singing in the chorus, and conducting a piece, so I've got LOTS to prepare for! Of course, I love it all so it's more pleasure and less work really :)

Ramblings

Hi everyone! I'm just gonna do some basic updating as I don't have anything specific to post about.

(1. NEW FEATURE!!!! Check out the announcements box up top. I'll be putting updates up there pretty regularly.

(2. FREEBIES!!! I've made some headers I'd like to give to people who want them; unfortunately they're not uploading to blogger even though they are JPEGs. Odd. Anyway, if you want one e-mail me at trebleclefblog@gmail.com
THESE ARE THE DESIGNS AVAILABLE:

Happy Easter: Flowered Cross (2 or 3 column)

Happy Easter: Cute Egg-Hunt Rabbit (2 or 3 column)

Good Friday/Holy Saturday Cross: Waiting For The Risen Lord (3 column ONLY)

And on the same subject of headers....I'm celebrating the start of my final term by giving everybody who wants them a FREE HEADER!!!! E-mail or comment!

Tonight I'm off to our chorus concert, which should be fun, I think. =D

Good band rehearsals today, we have this one piece (a medley) where I switch between cornet and trumpet. Trumpet, cornet, trumpet, cornet. I'm really excited because I haven't played cornet in concert band since I got my trumpet and I've actually really missed it. :'( Anyway, I think that's all.

BYE AND DON'T DROWN IN THE DOWN POUR WE'RE STILL HAVING! :)

Concert

Wow. Things are rushing by so fast. The concert last night just flew by! I had just gotten used to the fact that it was coming this week and BOOM! it was over. Overall we did quite well. The trumpets in the jazz band were stuck in a rather painful balancing situation which unfortunately made us think more about not toppling over backwards, than our music. But I think we still sounded pretty good. And 8th grade band went well too, and Elránia and Bella did really well on the clarinet and flute solos at the beginning of Enchanted! Only 27 sectionals, and 17 full band rehearsals to go until the next, and final concert....

Fun Tag From Elránia

Sorry about not posting yesterday. I had TONS of homework, plus getting my instruments into tip-top shape for the concert tonight!





1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I'd really love to go somewhere like France or Greece. Greece especially because of all the cool mythology.

2. Why did you start blogging?

 Olive Tree and I set up a warriors one, SunClan, back at the end of 6th grade. I thought it was kinda fun, but would be a lot more fun if I did it about my life instead. So I created Treble Clef, which back then was Cornet Crazie In Action.

3. What is your ambition? 

To become a band director so I can teach others my passion. Our world doesn't have enough music; if we had more would it be a better place?

4. How many siblings do you have?

One younger brother

5. What is your favorite subject in school?

Band, LOL, but I love my French class as well!

6. What is your favorite Bible verse?

I don't have one

7. What is one of your hobbies?

Stamping and embossing notecards and envelopes

8. If someone handed a five dollar bill to you, what would you do with it?

Ummm, it's never happened so I have no idea.

9. If your siblings came up to you with their math book and asked you for help, you'd say:

"Yeah, whatever."

10. If you could have one of these following abilities, what would it be?

a. singing

b. sewing

c. skateboarding

d. song writing

e. guitar playing

f. swimming

g. writing

h. riding a bike 

I'd like to become a better songwriter

I tag: Anyone

March Concert

I totally forgot to mention this, but our March concert is this Wednesday and I got to design the program cover! It's above, but as you can see I've done a couple of editing things to it. I blacked out the name of my school and my name at the bottom but everything in red is just to help me explain. Let me tell you how I did this wonderful picture.

When my band director first asked me, my first question was: What's the theme? She answered "I don't know, most of the pieces are pretty imaginative" So I went from there. When I first thought of 'imagine' I thought sky. So that's what I did. Each of the larger clouds focuses on one of the pieces that the particular band is doing. I labeled them above. 

Why do my post all seem to be before 6 in the morning?

:P................ I just realized that almost every weekday my posts are before or just after 6 o'clock in the morning. Eeks. That's a lot of early posts. I guess it's just due to the fact that I have other things to do when I get home. Homework, reading, writing, IM-ing. (No I sadly can't IM people while on blogger because my blogger gmail is different than my personal one)

Things I know are happening today:

The principal at the high school is coming over to talk to us. ALREADY! We'll get to know what classes we can take and so forth and I'll certainly post about my prospects after school! I'm glad this is happening during Social Studies and maybe a bit of Science, 'cause I am fed up with that Murder in Mississippi stuff.

2nd concert review. Did our chorus one yesterday, band one scheduled for today. :P Only part of band I really don't like. Didn't mind them so much at the beginning but this is my 7th band one and I'm getting sick of answering the same questions after EVERY concert. Seriously. It gets on my nerves.

Training jazz this morning. Oh how I LOVE those 45 minutes before school on Fridays. Always one of the best parts of the week. So what if I'm one of 2 8th graders there? So what if the wind players are just learning jazz and some new notes? So what if I'm way too good to be in it? I don't care. I'm in performance for the challenge. I'm in training because it's fun and I can just go around and play basically anything in the rhythm section that I want. It's wicked fun.....

Good concert

Good concert last night. Wasn't stellar but everything was OK. I think I did pretty well, any mistakes that I made were very minor, but I think I played it best yesterday in sectional. Oh well, it was fun and the chorus sounded FANTASTIC! (like, for once) We got a new chorus teacher this year and she is AWESOME! So I felt really ready to sing our three songs memorized.

On another note, I FINALLY finished this huge project that we've been working on since before Thanksgiving for LA. It's a culture research project (Don't ask me why we didn't do it in Social Studies!) on a country. I picked Belize, and it was fun because I went there in 5th grade. Anyway we had to do 5 pages of research on different topics: flag, food and entertainment, the people, geography, and landmarks. We then combined them into a loooong essay, or research paper if you prefer. Finally (in 3 days!) we had to do a poster with all the information. I finished it last night and had A LOT of fun with it. (I always do on posters!) I think my teacher is going to be kinda surprised when she she's that I took up all the space on my poster, and that there are NO printed images on it except for a black and white map that I colored in. Yes, I drew the flag freehand without looking at a picture. Same for the Mayan ruin Xunantunich and everything else. Anyway, I present it today and I am happy because I love getting up in front of the class and talking.

Wow that was a long post! Have a good day everybody!

It's Concert Day!!!!!!

Well, the big day has finally arrived! I remember looking back on last year's holiday concert and thinking 'next year is going to be really sad.' Because tonight is my FINAL, yes FINAL, holiday concert with my current band director. :'( So sad. High school concerts for the next 4 years but they won't compare. Anyhoo....We are doing very well despite our director being out for a week so that's really good of course. Plus I've figured out what is a highly complex plan to keep my trumpet and trombone completely safe when I don't need them. Like for chorus. Hmmmmm. maybe I should wrap this up and have some breakfast. It's almost time for school, LOL.

Concert coming up!

Wow! I can't believe that our first concert of the year is in 2 weeks! Yep. The 16th. I'm really excited, but of course, I'm like that before every concert. Just ask my friends. I actually don't know what we are going to be playing for jazz band in the concert (uh-oh) but *hopefully* we'll find out tomorrow. The 8th grade band is playing some cool pieces too. Marching Song (which is a lot cooler then the name implies) Rhythm Machine and Sleigh Ride. So so so excited! And as an added bonus- we got our honors band music!!! Yay! It's looks really hard, but REALLY fun. Trumpet lesson soon, gotta go work on Trumpet's Secret!