"You will NOT get your vegetables until you eat your ice cream!!" --Great Wolf Lodge commercial



Saturday, July 24, 2010

After Music Camp

Wow. I'll just put it out there--music camp was WAAAAYYY better than last year, by far. I ended up making 3 times as many friends and getting a boyfriend (we'll get to that part later), and I loved ALL of the music rather than half of it. These are the pieces the Blue Junior Band (the one I was in) played:


  1. "Prelude and Fugue in B Flat Major" by Johann Sebastian Bach

  2. "March of the Irish Guard" (I only know who the Prelude and Fugue was by, the others I forget.)

  3. "Shenandoah Valley," and

  4. "Jefferson County Overture"

I started out with a second trumpet/cornet part, but then my brass instructor (not the conductor) bumped me up to the First Trumpet part!! There were only 3 of us doing those parts, and the rest were Second and Third parts. Yippee (; Unfortunately, the first trumpets weren't at the front section of the band, like a traditional set-up would be. We were at the back, where the Percussionists were. Nothing against them or anything, but generally first trumpets/cornets are at the front.

At first during rehearsals (which we had 3 times a day, 1 hour each), I thought they were too hard and boring. Probably due to the fact that I was lacking practice since April (sweat, sweat). . .so that meant my note range went down. If you're musical and play a Treble Clef instrument, you'll know what I mean when I used to be able to play a high G and it went down to a high E. But, as we rehearsed, sometime in the middle of the week, I could reach back up to at least an F, which is a major improvement, seeing how normally it would take me a month to build that back up.

I ended up having the same Musicianship teacher as last year, so it was just as boring. However, unlike last year, I paid more attention and we played a Jeopardy game yesterday to remember what we learned. My team was called, "That Team." I know--very original (; By the way, Musicianship class is basically about the history and theory of music, composers, and culture. Sounds boring, but some of it is pretty cool. Did you know that a Balalaika is a Russian version of a triangular acoustic guitar? Look it up! See, I learned something. . . gosh, I am such a band geek!! And orchestra students are called "Ork Dorks," since band people are called "Band Geeks."

My roommate was pretty awesome. I was friends with her last year, so it was a funny coincidence that she became my roommate ^o^ Remember the family friends I told you about in the previous post that were staying with us? Well, my roommate and I hung out with my then-un-boyfriend, who was part of that family, and his roommate. It's a lot of trouble to NOT mention specific names in this blog, and it'll only confuse me if I give them fake names. So I will refer to my boyfriend as "H" (without the quotes), his roommate as "K", my roommate as "L", and my sister as "A". (phew) That's easier! Anyway, we wandered around campus during free time and/or went to Tate St. (a street near campus we were allowed to shop on within the boundaries) and met up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

After lunch one day, L had to go to an orchestra private lesson early, so me, H, and K were all goofing around outside the Caf entrance. I had my trusty little ipod nano with me, so I took videos of them acting crazy and K sliding down the rails and burning his butt and walking around holding it (you had to be there!!). It was pretty much 100 degrees outside, so of course the rails were searing hot and K didn't stop and think XD

On Monday night, H called me an hour before lights out at 11:00. He asked me to be his girlfriend. I was like, "Are you for real? Or are you just testing your limits?" Because sometimes he doesn't mean what he says, or doesn't think things through enough. However, during that moment, I was holding my breath. He said he wasn't serious. I asked him again and he said "Maaaayybe. . . ." Then H finally said, "Yes, I mean it." I had to call him back later because I needed to check in with my councelors so they knew I was there, and then I said yes. I mean, H and I have know each other for a few years now, and he's my best guy friend. He still is. And always will be. I had liked H before he came down, and I was praying to God that something would happen. It was a miracle that H became my boyfriend ^__^ Unfortunately, he left today to go back up to Pennsylvania :'( We're going to try a long-distance relationship. . . .

Since H was in the Red Junior Band and K and I were in the Blue Junior Band, we couldn't see each others' concerts. L was in the orchestra, so we couldn't see hers anyway. H, A, and C, A's roommate/friend who also came down to visit, were all in Aycock Auditorium, while K and I were stuck in Taylor Theatre. I must admit, we did really well. And my lips didn't give out halfway through a high whole note like it did in rehearsals!! Everyone was on tempo, played most of the right dynamics, and, oddly enough, I never heard a woodwind crack or squeak on a note. This has been the highlight of my summer.

Now, I must survive a heartbreak and prepare myself for marching band camp this week, and Saturday is my 14th birthday. Please continue to comment, and thanks for reading this super-long post!! Been working on it for an hour. . . . by the way, I put the Tang orange juice picture back up, since my stupid background decided it wanted to abort my blog T__T Meanwhile, I am searching for a cool enough background with a black blank so my font can be white.

Red Beans and Ricely Yours (that's how Louis Armstrong signed off all his letters),

<><><>Kristen

Sunday, July 18, 2010

UNCG Summer Music Camp

Today, I am off to music camp, hence the title. I went last year; unfortunately, my MOM put me in the beginner band because apparently there were more people my age there. I was supposed to be in Junior Band. So this year, I am! If you're a musical person, you would love this camp. It's not just for band people; it includes chorus and orchestra. You are given a schedule according to when your lessons are and when you have meal breaks and free time. So basically, in between classes, I get to hang out with my new friends and walk around limited areas in the campus. And the dining hall is huge!! There's a buffet, so it's pretty much all you can eat XD Last year, I got two soft served ice cream cones every lunch and dinner ^o^

I can't wait to see what my roommate will be like--last year, she was pretty nice, didn't cause any trouble. Hopefully my new one will be like that too. I want to mingle as much as possible, not be in an all girls group. Guys can be nice too. By the way, we have family friends who came down here all the way from Pennsylvania last night! They have a 16 year old daughter, who is rooming with my big sister. Then they have a son my age, who I obviously can't room with, but still hang out. Then there's his little bro, who is 6. He'll be playing with my little sister while I'm away with everyone else.

Off the subject of music camp, I was at the beach last week. It was so cool, and the house was amazing (dude, it had an elevator!! XD XD XD). We celebrated birthdays for my aunt, uncle, and me on Tuesday. I don't want to brag, but let's just say I was given an amazing flat iron that is the most sought out and coveted. The InStyler. I was thinking, "Holy crap!! Did my aunt just give me that?! I didn't even ask for it! Who am I kidding, this thing is fantastic." I'm telling you, it's uber-amazing and works like magic on your hair. On Thursday, I woke up at 6:55 am with a mysterious fever. It was weird because I normally wake up around 10:30 or so. I was having cold spells and headaches the whole day, but that night, the fever broke. I still had a mini headache the next morning, but now I'm healed. (shouts heavenward) Thankyou God for this wonderful immune system!!

Okey-dokey, I'm off to eat lunch and watch Phineas and Ferb with everyone else. After that, we're all on the road to music camp!! ^_^

Au Revoir,
<><><>Kristen

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Independence Day

This month is going to be fabulous for me! Yesterday, of course, was Independence Day. There's this corny joke that I learned: "Is there a 4th of July in England?" You're supposed to say, "Yes; there's also a 3rd, 2nd, and so on." TEEHEE I love it!! ^o^ Check out this so cute picture of Hello Kitty:

Don't you love it?! Right now I'm in PENNSYLVANIA with my best friend, *Bubby!! XD XD XD XD Remember how I mentioned in some of my previous posts my summer plans to go up in July? Well, that long-awaited day has finally arrived!! I may not be posting for QUITE awhile; it depends when I can find time between each vacation. Bubby, say hi! "HI EVERY1!!!! IT IS SOOOOO AWSM THAT KRISPY IS UP IN PA!!!!!!! we get 2 go 2 kennywood 2moro which will b soooooooo much fun right krispy?" YES, it will!! Totally cannot wait. In case you're wondering, Krispy is her nickname for me. *Bubby is mine for hers. Hope you can read her text talk X3 Gotta go play some Mario Kart on the Wii!!


Peace out,


<><><>Kristen