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6/6/2018 0 Comments May UpdateThis month, writing music was a drag. But I’m proud to say that I learned something from it, and I think I know how to approach composer’s block in the future. If you’re curious to know how I did it, read until the end to find out!
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5/4/2018 0 Comments April UpdateHey, friends!
April felt like it just breezed by! And then... it ended pretty unexpectedly. Lately things have been falling in place quite nicely. I've stepped out of my comfort zone in a lot of areas and had opportunities I thought were too good to be true. And I've done things I thought I was too lazy to ever actually do. Overall, this month went very well. So far I've kept up on my goal to read my Bible (nearly) every day, and I've composed four pieces every month so far. My big goal this month was to perform a piece I composed called Disonancia. It's a percussion ensemble piece for seven players, and when I showed the comp professor at my college audition, he challenged me to get it performed. In March I asked some students at the college I was taking band at if they could help, and after I performed Night Before Chaos, they were very enthusiastic about my work. But then one of them made me aware that this time was very, very busy for the students of the percussion studio. So she told me to put it off until the next month. I agreed that it would be better, since I was planning Space Day at that point. Then, after Space Day was over, I started texting everyone again, asking when we could rehearse. But I got the same message - We're too busy. Wait a few weeks. So I did. I scheduled a time for us to meet. Let's not forget to mention that I made the mistake of not signing up for the recital class (because, AGAIN, I needed to check that everyone would be able to make it), so instead I decided to just record it the same night rather than performing in front of a live audience. Everyone had had the music for a few months at that point, so they should know it well enough. Then one girl let me know that she had to work. Oh, well, her part isn't that hard. I give it to someone else. Oops, conflict with another club. I'll schedule it to be earlier in the day. It was Friday, the day of our meeting, two months after the first one. I sent out a message reminding everyone that I'd see them at 4:30! But what one of the musicians replied struck me hard. Either that day or the day before, one of the teachers passed away. Needless to say, all the percussion studio was an emotional mess. This was last week. I felt horrible. I finally got the idea that maybe this isn't what God wanted for me right now. Whatever the reason, He was allowing things to come in my way to prevent Disonancia from being performed. I've let go of that dream for now. If I find another opportunity this summer, I'll certainly pray about it and try again. And now - on to the art! 4/1/2018 2 Comments March Update
Third - in April, I'll begin a new project - getting Disonancia performed. If you're not familiar with it, it's a percussion ensemble piece that I finished composing last year, and I consider it the first significant achievement in my composing career. I'll be holding rehearsals with some people from a local college (where I take band class) for the first few weeks of April, and then have it performed sometime in late April. I'll be seeking out help, obviously, and your prayers as I go forward in this are greatly appreciated!!
Now on to art-related updates! 3/3/2018 2 Comments February Update
1/30/2018 2 Comments January Update1/7/2018 4 Comments December Update and 2017 RecapHey! It’s time for a recap on December and on all of 2017! ArtI experimented a little bit this month with realism and the markers I received for Christmas (and the two Copics I bought myself as a treat >u<), but not at the same time. In realism, I drew a cat using a reference from The Big Book Of Cats, a huge collection of really nice cat photos. I’ve had it since I was very young, and it’s a well-loved book. I also drew and painted a self-portrait from a picture I took December 2016. I was tired of smiles and frowns, so I picked a silly one! UpdateI’ve been around. Mostly dawdling on the internet and in real life, postponing a whole mess of things. As you may know, I have several creative outlets, and writing is just one of them, but it usually doesn’t take the forefront of my mind.
I still want to post some writing here. I have many, many topics on my mind that I would love to write essays, short stories or poetry on. For now, I should probably give a formal update. This is my final year of high school. It just so happens that I’m graduating a semester early (thanks to CCP courses), so the end is only a few weeks away for me. After that, I plan to get a job (looking at a music store!) and continue music courses at a college nearby. I have been accepted to a small Christian university only a few hours from home. I plan to major in music composition beginning Fall 2018. During the spring and summer, one would hope that I’d have enough time to pursue my passions (music, writing, drawing), but there’s not much reason for me to believe that unless something changes real soon. My habits are procrastination and laziness, and over the years, they’ve grown deep, deep roots. Yet I always manage to create something. No matter how busy I’ve gotten, I end up doodling in my notes, or singing made-up lyrics as I drive to school, or hearing a concept, thinking—“Now THAT would make an awesome story!” True, usually none of these end up becoming a full-blown piece, but I just can’t get away from it. It’s a big part of who I am. So—on I go. My plan is to write, update, ramble on anything I create for the next few months. Poetry. Music. Art. Stories. Essays. Can I just start now? I know it’s getting to be a long post, but I’ve done so much lately. I’ll share what I’ve done in the past month. |
