A post concerning the insanity of planning a trip to NYC

I realize it's a strange title, and most of you probably clicked on this because you have heard bits and pieces, and are dying to hear the whole story...or at least the reason I'm going to NYC in the first place. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

So, starting a year or so ago, I started being very driven in my goal of going to graduate school in music performance on horn. With that in mind, I looked to some of my awesome professors to give me advice what I needed to do. One of the pieces of advice I was given was to go take lessons with as many people as I could, mostly to get myself out there, hear different opinions about my playing, and also to help me make the decision where I wanted to go for grad school. I filed this information away, knowing that I might need it eventually, but knowing that at the time, I couldn't afford to do something crazy like fly across the country just for a lesson or two.

Well, fast-forward to this summer. I'm in full grad-school-preparation mode now, and having basically done that sort of whirlwind trip once this summer (look back a couple posts if you haven't heard about my trip to Daytona Beach, FL), and also being a little more financially capable this year with my job at the Bucks, I decided it was time to go for it. Let me tell you, coordinating lessons with four professional horn players nearly two months out is a logistical nightmare. It's also very nerve-wracking if you've never done something like that before. I was positively scared silly at the prospect of hitting the "send" button on the emails. James actually had to talk me into it for a couple of them.

So, after finally hitting send, I got to start the waiting process. The first horn teacher got back to me that evening, which was really exciting! The second reply came two days later...and then I got to wait for another two weeks. Now, because I was aiming to get lessons with all four, I couldn't really confirm with the first two until I had heard from the last two. I also happened to know that one of those who hadn't replied was out of the country, and had limited internet access. I hate waiting, and practically jumped every time my phone buzzed that I had an email. Meanwhile, the time to buy plane tickets came up, and I leaped when I saw I could get round trip tickets from Seattle to NYC for only $330. Unfortunately, I still didn't know when those lessons would be, so I decided to go for the widest window I could manage: leaving Seattle Monday morning, and then returning from NYC on Saturday evening.

After two weeks with no replies, I decided to send another email, just in case they had missed the original one. It turns out to be a good thing I did...both of them had missed the original one somehow. So, now all four lessons were set up...or at least I had an idea when they wanted to meet. All of them apparently are available on the same three days. Another fun aspect to this was the fact that one of the professors isn't in NYC at all, but teaches at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.

I honestly can't give you a more detailed description of my schedule than this yet since we're still hashing things out. I do know that I'm heading up to ESM Thursday morning, and returning to NYC Friday morning. Thankfully, I can crash on a friend of a friend's floor for the night I'm up there. My wallet is thankful too! I'm happy to report that I now have all the big stuff booked and ready to go: hostel, plane tickets, and the general idea of a schedule. Plus! I get to see the NYP (New York Philharmonic) in their opening concert of the 2012-2013 season...Rite of Spring! So totally psyched!

~~~~

A midst the insanity of planning this trip, I also became an aunt this week! Actually...last night :) I'm a little sad that I'm not able to fly down and meet her because the ridiculous amount of money I'll be spending this year, but they might come up to my senior recital in May. Can't wait :)

Until next time!

~(Auntie) Allie

DIY Wall Decals

I've now done this three times in two years...I really wanted one of those cool wall decals, but either I didn't have the money, or the selection just wasn't what I was looking for. So, being an inspired and rather crafty college student (and with the introduction to such things by my college roommate, Chloe), I discovered the art of making my own wall decals out of black duct tape.

My very first "decal"

Now before you start freaking out about putting duct tape on the wall, don't worry! We're not sticking it straight to the wall. We'll be using paper to back the sticky part of the duct tape, which leaves you free to use whatever adhesive you want. This is great for those apartments where you're afraid to stick things to the wall that may not come off, or you want to limit holes in the walls. I will warn you, both of my really large decals are held up using a few staples in addition to the adhesive, just to help make sure they really stay.

So, here we go! Step one in this process is to figure out what your image is. Now, my first two decals were more of a general "idea" of what I wanted. I wanted a branch, so I just sort of drew it. The second one was a full out tree, so I got a general idea (I used a rubber stamp I found at a craft store), blew up the image as large as I wanted, and came up with my own variation on the original image.

My tree! That's our couch that seats three people comfortably, so about 7-8 feet wide!

It helps if your image is one color for this type of project, or that you're willing to make it more of an outline of the original image. For this tutorial, I'll be using my latest project: The Doors of Durin (which most people probably know as the entrance to the Mines of Moria from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring).

The original image (care of tolkiengateway.net)

I started by tracing the original drawing from my roommate's copy of the book. I wanted to make sure that it was pretty accurate, though we left the scripting until later to be done freehand. Here's what I came up with:

After tracing the basic parts of the original image, we measured our drawing to discover that it was something like 3 1/2" wide and 4 1/2" tall. I drew a grid using 1/8" markings, giving us a grid 27 wide, 37 tall. (Please note, if you're free-handing your drawing, you really don't have to do this step. We just wanted to make sure our proportions were picture-perfect!) We then did some conversions, figuring that because the wall we were putting it on was about 7 1/2 feet tall, 1/8" = 2 1/2".

My lovely roommate measuring out our grid on the giant piece of paper we made! (See the little drawing? That's the original...)

For our paper, we used one of those kids drawing art pads of paper you can get at any large chain store (like Walmart, Fred Meyer, etc.). We used the largest size, 22" x 16", so we could have the most paper with the least number of pages. We taped them together roughly. As long as they're secured together enough not to move around a whole lot, the duct tape will do the solid securing. 

TIP: Try to overlap your paper as little as possible. When it comes to the part where you trace your design, you want to be able to see the bled-through ink, which you can't when there are two pieces of paper (or tape!). 

Starting to draw one of the trees over the grid. Those holes are from the handles (downside of this kind of paper), which we just backed with some more paper so we wouldn't have holes.

I drew the design starting from the bottom while my lovely roommate continued drawing out the grid. By tag-teaming that part of the procedure, I think we helped reduce some time. I would be sure to draw your design in pencil, even though it's hard to see, because you will make mistakes! I sure did...

TIP: Roll up your paper as you go, especially if your picture is large. No one will see the creases in the paper because it will all be covered with duct tape!

Two steps in one! Make sure to outline your drawing in sharpie, then cover with duct tape!

Next step: outlining the drawing in sharpie. I specify using sharpie because it bleeds through to the other side of the paper, which is the side you'll be cutting out from. You need it to bleed through so you can see, even though the black duct tape. This also will make it clear how accurate your drawing is. As soon as you feel comfortable with your drawing (and have made sure you can see the ink on the other side), cover it with the duct tape! 

TIP: Try to keep there from being too much overlap on your duct tape. The thicker it is, the heavier your art will be, and the harder to cut through it will be. 

Once your drawing is totally covered in duct tape, flip it over, and start the job of cutting it out! This is actually really fun, but be careful of those overlapping lines! We accidentally cut off one of our little branches...fortunately a nice easy fix, but it still got our hearts pounding for a second when we realized! Scissors are a big help when doing a long haul of duct taping...all that tape ripping starts to really rub your fingers raw after a while. Another tip: if your drawing has lots of little details (which I do caution against doing...little details mean lots of extra time!), purchase an Xacto knife.

All cut out! My roommate did all of the Elvish scripting...so patient!

Now comes the group effort! Invite everyone over for putting it up on the wall, especially if it's big. It took just my roommate and I to put up and secure the pillars/trees section on the wall, but it also took both of our boyfriends to help get the arches up, and then we had some family members come over to help with the Elvish script. 

TIP: For the most part, permanent double stick tape is very effective in holding the decals up, but for really large pieces, I do recommend using a few place staples to help hold it up. Poster tape also works well, but is not invisible like double-stick tape. 

Ready for the final product?!

Welcome to our apartment! Quite a statement, and it gives our geekier friends a chance to show off by saying the password :)

Also, though this is very time-intensive, I've found wall decals that are similar in size to my tree cost around $200 (or more!). Buying the supplies to make this wall arch cost about $30, including three rolls of black duct tape, the pad of paper, and an x-acto knife. 

A Nice Big Summer Update!

Wow! So much has happened in the last month and a half, I don't even really know where to start. I believe I left off at the end of last school year (mid June) talking about the opportunity to study in Switzerland, and the fact that I would be heading to a camp in Florida to meet the professor of horn at that school in Switzerland.

Playing on the Boardwalk at Daytona Beach with our horn quartet!

Amazingly, everything came together so I could go. It was a bit tight, I honestly am still paying off those plane tickets, but it was so worth it to go! I got to have a one-on-one lesson with David Johnson (professor of horn at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana, and founder of the American Horn Quartet) and got to know a bunch of really awesome horn players. It also was a big boost for my playing for a couple reasons: 1) I really was not very good in comparison to everyone around me, so I spent the week kicking my own butt to get all caught up, and 2) I got to spend a week playing side by side with professional horn players, listening to some amazing tone quality. I could definitely tell a difference in my playing when I got back here, and I just in general feel much better about my playing because despite the fact that I'm behind where I should be for my age and year in college, there's a lot of hope that I'll not only catch up, but maybe even do better than expected! I definitely appreciated getting shoved into being a small fish in a big pond, rather than the big fish in a little pond. I also got to play side-by-side with a student who is going into his sophomore year at Eastman School of Music...one of the schools I'm considering for graduate school. It was definitely eye-opening to see what a difference going to a music school makes.

Evening concert at a local church. Playing a Disney medley in this picture.

 I definitely enjoyed my time there, and it was so worth it, but the story doesn't end with my flight home. First of all, said horn player from Eastman and I are still talking a lot, and have figured out an awesome trick of using the Voice Memo tool on our iPhones to send each other recordings of our playing, so that we can get almost instantaneous feedback. (Much better than dragging some unsuspecting musician into my practice room to get feedback lol) Also, David emailed me a few days after camp to inform me that he would be interested in having me study with him in Switzerland for grad school! So, unofficially, I've been accepted there! 


A few other cool things have happened recently for me as well. I've been getting a lot more hours at Starbucks since I got back, which means I can start saving up for my new horn, finally (or really, for plane tickets to fly out to grad school auditions...but you know. Same difference, right?). The weather is GORGEOUS in Seattle right now. I'm outside in the sun as I'm writing this...and I've never been happier. The vitamin D does wonders! And, also super cool, I've been invited to join a local horn quartet of recent graduates that all live in the Seattle area. First rehearsal is next Saturday, and I've never felt so...cool. Honestly. That, and they found out about me because my private teacher recommended me! There's hope I may just make it in this crazy business!


On a completely different note, my participation in the Tour de Fleece definitely didn't happen as much as I hoped. Going to muggy Florida killed any inspiration I may have had to spin because there is nothing worse than dealing with wool when your hands keep getting sweaty :P I'll keep working on my yarn though, now that I'm home.


The Olympics start soon, and therefore my next big project begins! What used to be the "Ravelympics" (google Ravelympics if you're curious) is now the "Ravellenic Games" and I'm still participating. I'm doing what's called the "modular relay"...my goal? Knit 100 hexipuffs over the course of the Olympics. Goodness. I'm hopeful though, and I am really excited to see some more big progress on my quilt :)


I'm so happy to be home, to feel driven and inspired again, and to have fallen in love with horn all over again. Life is beautiful, and I'm so glad I have so much of summer left! Just over one month down, two months to go!


~Allie

Summer!!!

It has finally arrived! That's right, after a long weekend of playing seemingly endless processionals and sappy music, I can finally say that my summer break has come. I look forward to putting my brain to rest for a little bit and just concentrating on making money and practicing.

After everything that was the craziness of finals, and how much time I took off from practicing/playing horn (translation: WAY too much...), I'm finally starting to feel super into doing it again. I enjoyed having a couple days spent baking and spinning, but I'm all ready to re-prioritize.

Not long before graduation, I got to say goodbye to one of my good friends before he went off and graduated on me. As we hugged, he gave me one last verbal kick in the pants by reminding me to work hard, and that he had faith in me and my ability. It's hard to realize that next year I'm starting this journey towards being a professional musician by myself...not that I'm totally alone, but now that I'm facing my senior year of my undergrad, I can't let myself lose steam. I got told a lot this year that this was the first time that my professors and fellow musicians really saw me buckle down and do what needed to be done, and I have to keep motivated so that I don't lose that over the summer.

My goal is to be back up to three hours a day by July. That gives me about 2 weeks, and then one week of maintaining it before I head to Florida for the horn camp where I'm meeting my (hopefully) private teacher for grad school. Not only is this goal practical (has anyone else ever been to a music camp where you aren't expected to play several hours each day?), but it reminds me that this is a really big opportunity, and I don't want to blow it. If I treat this like my grad school audition, I hope that it will help me to keep from getting complacent.

It's crazy to think about how much being a musician is both being an artist and an athlete. At least being a brass player is. I took a week off, and suddenly it feels like my abilities are back to being those of a 6th grader. You don't think about it at the time, but after taking the days off, you do feel like kicking yourself for being so dumb and not taking care of those muscles. *sigh* Someone remind me I said this the next time that school has become overwhelming and I'm deciding to take the day off of practicing for a little more homework time. So not worth it.

On a happier note, I am very proud to announce that I baked my very first pie this afternoon! I haven't taste tested it, but it smells amazing. :D

The Beginning of the End

It's getting to be that time. I have an album of pictures on facebook with the same title, all of pictures taken in my last days of high school, and yet again, I'm getting ready to think about lasts.

I've registered for fall quarter for the last time.
This will be the last time I play for Ivy Cutting and Commencement.
The orchestra concert was the last time I got to play with some of my favorite seniors.

And it's not even my senior year yet. Nope, that starts in about...24 hours (unless you say that the last class has to graduate first, and in that case, that will be in about 4 days). So many people close to me moving into the next stages of their lives. I'm so happy for them, and so very selfish about my loss. There are a very small handful of people that I won't let get away though, and have made the goal to interact with them fairly often, because they're too good of friends to let go.

Meanwhile, the weather has decided to make me forget that summer is coming. Yup, thanks Seattle, but I didn't forget where I lived. (For those of you not here right now, it's dark, grey, and pouring...and it's June.) I've had two lattes today, one to get going this morning, and one this afternoon because it was cold (and because I was meeting with a friend to get coffee...welcome to Seattle!).

We're in the final push to the end of classes. I have just a bit more writing to do, and I'm done. About three or four hours of work stand between me and being done with my junior year. When I surface again, I'll have more to say, I'm sure :)

~Allie

Self-reflection

I've been pondering...what is the purpose of my blog? There are the simple answers to that question: to give me an outlet to talk to a wider audience about my views, to update my friends and family into my life, or to share projects and ideas with others. The funny thing is, I'm not sure it matters as much to me what the purpose of my blog is as much as how much can/will/do I update it? See, there are those who have lots to say, and so they update daily (or even more often in some cases). There are people who practically never use their blogs. I lean towards that side, unfortunately, but now that I've reevaluated my schedule for this summer, I think it's time for me to step up and use it more frequently.

So, what is my schedule like for this summer? Okay, honestly, I have no real solid idea either. If I worked both of my jobs with the hours I would like, I'd be putting in about 50 hours a week. I might get a day off once in a while. I'll be exhausted, and it will take all my willpower to even think about practicing my horn when I get home in the afternoon/evening. I'll be able to afford the cost of living, plus save up to buy my new horn. Maybe even go to my horn camp in July (though there are a few bumps on the road to that one still). But after all that, I'll break even. I'll have a roof over my head, food in my stomach, a shiny new instrument to play, and practically nothing in savings. I think the new horn is worth it, though. And way better to buy it basically with cash than to take out a loan on it, or use a credit card. (Dear science friends, you know how I teased you with how your textbooks each quarter cost over $500, while I used the same book for theory for two years? I think this is where it all evens out. :P)

I'm ready for the summer to come. I had two papers due today, which the knowledge of is overwhelming in and of itself, not to mention the actual process of writing said papers. With them complete, I'm only 5 journals entries, a research proposal, and a final exam away from being done. Oh, plus Ivy Cutting and Commencement. *internally kicks self for being required to do post-finals concerts* Also, I got all of the music ready for our final two performances, with relatively few hitches. And I got a free massage! You can say it was a productive day, but it was also incredibly draining.

Tomorrow promises to be a better day. Proctoring an exam for my aural skills kids at 8:30, getting some practicing done, then work from 1:30 til about 4:30 (I keep getting done with training early...hard to get training that is only really is going through the motions of being a barista, while also staying out of the way of those actually making drinks, and trying to soak in as much information as possible so hopefully I won't crash and burn on Saturday), plus a concert (SPU orchestra!) at 7:30. Did I mention my professor lost my music? Yup, I didn't, he actually lost it for me. At least he can't be mad at me :P But that's on my to-do list too...print out new music. Thank God for pieces that are public domain.

On a more reflective note, I think I'm realizing that I've grown more cynical of not only myself, or of life, but also of those all around me. I'll make a confession right here and now (which will hopefully give background for this discussion): I've had a few drinks while at college, and I'm still not 21.
Okay, so most of you guys are probably rolling your eyes and sighing at me. Mom and Dad, sorry...but I promise I did it very responsibly! Anyway, the point is, I'm realizing that it's just not that fun and interesting for me. I think when I do turn 21, I'll go to a bar or a nice restaurant, enjoy flashing my ID and ordering a drink, but the actual drinking part isn't really fun. I'm too tiny and metabolize everything too fast for me to really have even one drink without getting tipsy, and because of that fact, the couple of times I have had drinks with friends, they seem to only be interested in the hilarity of how lightweight I am when it comes to alcohol. I'm not super amused by it any more. Plus, I don't like how I feel when I have alcohol in my system. It's like being unmedicated for my ADHD, I feel out of control, with no real understanding of how I'm acting or coming across to others.

So, my grand conclusion to that whole big paragraph? I'm over the idea of the fun of alcohol. And in a lot of ways, I'm glad I learned it before I turned 21, because then I didn't have the danger of being out and about and buying a lot of liquor. Maybe it's because I'm not a big party animal, and I've never liked huge gatherings of people, so the "fun" of drinking parties is lost on me. I don't have to try drugs to know that I want nothing to do with them, and even though I've tried alcohol, I think I'm never going to be the type to get drunk on purpose, or drink past my limit. And here soon, I will be 21, and I'll be going out with good, close friends whom I trust very much to take care of me (and not in the get-me-drunk-off-my-rear sort of way).

And now, my friends, I shall bid you adieu until the next big thought or two come into my mind...or the next random occurrence that you should all share in happens.

~Allie

A gigantic life update

That's right, it's life-update time! It's been a crazy quarter. I mean, most quarters I have seem pretty crazy, but this one has been busier than usual.

Reason #1: I'm actually taking a bunch of credits of classes.
I decided that this would be a great quarter to take two general education classes, on top of my music ones, so I'm actually hauling what most people call a normal number of credits. 17, I believe. Unfortunately, upper division gen eds have a tendency to kick your butt when it comes to homework. If I'm not in a class, practicing, or sleeping, I tend to be reading for these two classes (Modern East Asian History and Christian Theology, if you were curious). Or, at least I was until the sun came out to play again. Being in Seattle makes you appreciate the sun more, but it also makes you want to do nothing but be outside when the weather is not only sunny, but also around 75. I find this kills any motivation for doing homework faster than an ant can find a crumb in your kitchen.

Reason #2: I had my junior recital in the middle of the quarter.
May 7th, to be exact. It was amazing, and went wonderfully, and I was really happy. But it was quite the time sucker for a while. Lots of rehearsing and practicing and more practicing, plus mock performances...it ruled supreme in my life for quite a bit leading up to it. I'm happy to have it over, but I really can't wait until my senior recital next year. It's going to be awesome!

Reason #3: I started a new job.

This has been fairly recent, in fact I only started working there last week, but I'm now a barista at Starbucks! I have one picture of me with my apron and everything on, but I look super sleepy, so I'll pass on sharing it for now. None the less, it's taken away some time as well. I love it, and I definitely think it's the coolest work environment I've been in...maybe ever.

So, there you have it. That's where I've been. Racing around like a crazy person, hoping to God I remember to buy groceries so I can eat, and finishing off my third (oh gosh, yes, my third) year of college. I can't believe that this is my last graduation I'll be playing at. Well...strike that. I am RELIEVED this is the last graduation I'll play at. Trying to start my job early makes it really obvious to me that I'm stuck doing school-related things long after I would be done. But, on the other hand, I already have two summer jobs lined up, I just hope that I can juggle my schedules decently. 

This graduation is definitely hitting closer to home than the last two have. I've been closer to a lot of the people in the class of 2012 than I was with previous classes, and I'll be sad to see them go. I actually panic a little because there are people who I've considered friends at college that I may never see again, and that makes me sad. I hope to stay in contact with a few of them (more than just the occasional happy birthday on facebook), but I'm still a little unsure how to do that without being bothersome. I'll figure it out, I suppose.

The timeline my life is mostly following feels like it's always speeding up. I know everyone says that life just seems to keep rushing away from you, but suddenly I'm making plans for graduate school, and saving money like a boss (haha) to buy things like a new horn and a trip to Florida before I'm completely out on my own and paying for everything. (A side note, the trip to Florida is in fact an educational thing. It's my trial run with the guy who hopefully will be my professor in grad school, just without the cost of a plane ticket to Switzerland :D) It's also meant a lot of deep discussions with James about where we are and where we're going. 

Relationships are personal things, and I like thinking that mine is fairly private. Thank James for that, all you people who barf at signs of affection...he's the one with all the common sense for those kinds of things. (haha) But none the less, not very long ago we reached our 2 1/2 year mark, and I was kind of flabbergasted. It's not a bad thing; I'm not unhappy or anything. Mostly it's just crazy to think of how long we've been together. I also get teased occasionally about how when we finally get engaged, everyone's just going to sigh "Finally" rather than be surprised. Sorry guys, it's going to be a while yet.

 That's one hard realization about how life is going along. With him taking an extra year to graduate (though a BS in computer science is worth it), and I'm going straight on to grad school, it just doesn't seem practical to start a marriage any time soon. And it's okay. We're very young, have a lot of life yet to live, and have time to spare before making a huge decision like that. It's a good thing, in a lot of ways, because it gives time for him to live truly out on his own and check out the real world without another human being to support, and it gives me time to make sure that music is what I want to do, and explore some of the world without worrying about being completely settled. 

That doesn't make it easy. (And for those of my friends who have read this rant and for some reason have stuck with me for this long on this blog, skip to whatever next part is coming that isn't related to our relationship :D) It is hard seeing other people start dating, get engaged, get married, etc. while he and I are still dating. But just reminding myself that we're doing what we see is best for us and our lives helps to reassure me when the green monster of jealousy is running rampant. We'll see how I'm doing this time next year when ring-by-spring-itis has really kicked in. I am a little sheltered, considering James and I are the only dating couple in our group of friends, it seems. Most everyone else is single. Thank you, guys, for putting up with us!

Okay, so back to the point. I'm alive! My dad started chatting with me on facebook this morning and commented how he and Mom hadn't heard from me in a while. I'm still here, really...at least I'm trying to be. 

A couple other random facts that have popped up since I last posted...I learned how to crochet. Really, I learned how to do a double chain, but it's perfect for what I need. I've been knitting this awesome blanket called the Beekeeper's Quilt for a long while (since last July) and finally decided to give myself that extra push to get really working on it again, I would start joining it together. 

So, each of the hexagons I've been knitting individually out of different yarns for a while. I embroidered on some of them (I spy with my little eye...a mushroom, a piano, a sheep, a bluebird and a swan!) and decided to make them the center of the "flowers" with coordinating other hexis as the "petals." Then in between the hexis is where the crocheting comes in...double chaining for days!!! It makes for a more flexible blanket than I would have gotten (I've been whip stitching the hexis together for maximum strength) before, and it makes up for the fact that they just aren't all the same exact size. I really like the effect the black yarn makes too. It sort of looks stained-glass-like and makes each individual flower stand out. Unfortunately, after joining about 100, I realized that my variety in what hexis were left was very limited. So...back to the knitting I go! ~180 hexis down, and I have no idea how many left to go. On the up side, people have given me tons of compliments on the one big joined section of the blanket thus far. 

So there you have it, that's a look into my life for the last few months. Hopefully once school gets out I'll have lots more adventures to share with everyone, probably full of fascinating interactions with customers. 

~Allie