I must first start off this blog by giving kudos to Karen who will most definately be reading this and who also just made my night a little better by only charging me for a 'Tall' Chai Latte when I ordered a 'Grande' and then actually making me a 'Venti' in the end. Sneaky little girl! xxxx
It's Tuesday night and I'm at work. I've actually been pretty productive this evening with some homework, necessary letter writing, and necessary emailing. These 5 hours always seem to go by slowly for the most part and I find that working at night is much more agreeable to me getting my work done rather than when I work during the day here. It's always much quieter and there aren't a ton of people coming in - unless it's finals or mid-terms season. Two years in a row I've worked with some fun girls on Tuesday nights. Last year it was Stephanie - who always distracted me with her online puzzles and very interesting stories about her work in Peru. This year it's Caroline. She and I both have a crush on this very very very handsome Scottish professor who will pop in on Tuesday evenings. He'll walk in, I'll look at him and say "Hi", he'll leave our presence, we'll giggle A LOT and then Caroline will proclaim that she "hates me" because I say "hi" to him. It happens the same way every week. Well...I guess... it's only funny to us - but we just saw him and I had to write about it! :-)
I haven't actually "blog" blogged about anything in a while. I got older in the past week. I guess we're always getting older - but my number actually changed. It was a good day. Bree, bless her, got up at my hour of the morning and greeted me at my bedroom door with fruit, chocolate covered cherries and a danish with a candle in it. She also wrote on all the bathroom mirrors and then left cookies in my coat pocket. Thanks Bree! I had to work and then had a lesson and then Karen took me out to lunch for a quick sandwich as I had a meeting. I spent the afternoon lying on the couch, chatting with friends from home and then headed off to work from 5-10. Blech! But... when I arrived home I had a little party of Bree, Karen and Ashley awaiting me as well as beautiful flowers, cake, and prezzies. :-)
Classes are going well. This semester I am taking the new Experiential Education Program which is reqiured of all Conservatory students. Last Thursday evening my group (Bree, Michelle, and myself) was asked to come and present our group project for the EEP to the Board of Trustees. We had dinner and then had to go up front, almost in a "panel" type setting give some background of ourselves as individuals and then a description of our project - how we came up with the idea, what we expected to teach others and learn from it ourselves. Everyone really loved it and we got tons of questions as well as some good points that were brought up to think about. I know... I know... I haven't really fully explained what exactly the EEP is all about or what our group project is. However, I've rambled on far too much already in this blog and will save all of that info for another day. It's exciting though! Stay tuned.
I don't know if I've said it before - but I really really like my Schumann Song Cycle class. Schumann lieder are a new favorite for me I think. I'm sorry to all you Schubert fans out there - but I just find Schumann Lieder so much more deep, daring, original, interesting and beautiful to sing. Am I going to be shot for saying that? I suppose I'm entitled to my own opinion.
I'll leave with a text by Eichendorff and set to music by Schumann in his Liederkreis Op. 39. It's probably one of Schumann's most beautiful songs and I got to sing it acouple weeks ago. It's amazingly beautiful but deceptively difficult!

Mondnacht

Es war, als hätt' der Himmel,
Die Erde still geküßt,
Daß sie im Blütenschimmer
Von ihm nur träumen müßt.

Die Luft ging durch die Felder,
Die Ähren wogten sacht,
Es rauschten leis die Wälder,
So sternklar war die Nacht.

Und meine Seele spannte
Weit ihre Flügel aus,
Flog durch die stillen Lande,
Als flöge sie nach Haus.


It was as if the sky
Had quietly kissed the earth,
So that in a shower of blossoms
She must only dream of him.

The breeze wafted through the fields,
The ears of corn waved gently,
The forests rustled faintly,
So sparkling clear was the night.

And my soul stretched
its wings out far,
Flew through the still lands,
as if it were flying home.