welcome to a new year

Here we go: another year.

First, the most important news: I was accepted into the Photography program at NBCCD, and I can't wait to set foot in that studio again. My first class is the day after Labour Day, but I'm moving to F'ton a week from today which will give me a day to get my bearings before launching into a new year. And I am gonna rock this year!!!!!

I hope you guys have all had a great summer. I did. And I managed to cross off quite a few things on The List: the only things that didn't get done are violin lessons (that one was questionable anyway), transcribing The Hunters' Chorus, and making a collage (though it kind of got done when I created a work for a show/auction at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre, Inc.).

This summer I worked in one of the stores in St. Andrews. This was my first time working in retail and I'm proud to say that (drum-roll please) I now know how to operate a cash register. It's really not that difficult: if you can use a computer--even on an extremely basic level--you're more than capable of working a cash register. Tom said that it's because employers don't want to take the time to teach new people how to use one. Grr...

Earlier this summer Blogger changed the template editor. The templates that are available now are completely different from what was available previously and the whole thing is more customizable (if that's even a word). I can make my blog look exactly the way I want it to look. Or almost: the links and blogs lists are rather unreadable, but that's because I wanted the links in my posts to be readable (one colour for all the links in the blog).

I've finally started thinking about packing, and what and what not to pack. Like, this year I'm taking my CD player--there's no way I'm surviving another year listening to the MOO's horn section play the Hunters' Chorus on a pair of dinky computer speakers. Those guys deserve the best I can get. Same goes for the other music and musicians I listen to. Plus, I'll have room for it this year since the rooms I applied for (first and second choice) are bigger than the one I had last year which was basically a walk-in closet.

Reflections (the piece that I'm writing for solo violin) is almost done, but I'm such a perfectionist this time--so far this is the most complex and experimental piece I've ever done and I want it to be juuust right. But I will get it done. The last bit of work I did on it was working out the metronome settings. :-P

I only went to one PBSO concert this summer (I was expecting two: one in the spring and one this month, but the orchestra was taking part in the SummerKeys program), but about a week later I went to another concert--this one with Trond Saeverud (PBSO conductor, BSO concertmaster) and Greg Biss. This was my first chamber music concert in about three years, but I think that made it more special. Both guys are superb musicians (Greg was one half of one of my favourite chamber groups, the Biss-Brubaker Duo), but by the end of the concert Trond had become a favourite violinist (bringing it back up to seven). He's the second violinist from the BSO to become a favourite (Lynn was the first, as well as being my first favourite violinist, period).

I'm probably going to the Met's simulcast of Das Rheingold in October. I'll play it by homework level, but if I survive the third week (which is when the homework level peaks), I'll order tickets. The production is a new one--check out the trailer on the Met's website (set to the instrumental part of the Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre).

Here's to an awesome year!