school. still fun? of course, what else would it be?

so i am getting quite busy now. i am still only taking fourteen credits, but as i'm sure most if not all of my music friends can attest, it turns out to be closer to 20 (without the actual number showing up either on your transcript or (thankfully) the tuition bill.) however, the time spent on school things is quite disproportionate to what you get credit for.

anyways, i haven't been able to do some of the things i want, or maybe, need to do (sorry Sherwood. i'll get your computer sent out this weekend! i promise.)

so what have i been doing? well i have a choir concert in a week and 3 days. the music we have had in our hands roughly 3 weeks. also, i am composing a string quartet for class. i had a good chunk composed and ready for show and tell. when i ran it by the prof, she encouraged me to re-write with a more modern style. because i am a great fan of all things romantic (i.e. Sibelius, Chopin, Brahms) and not such a big fan of some contemporaries (i.e. Crumb, Messian) i have a much harder time composing in the style.

maybe its not that i'm not a fan, but that i've never taken the time to learn/appreciate that style. right this second i Bartok's 4th string quartet playing and it sounds so foreign to me. non-diatonic just isn't colse to my soul...yet.

it definately isn't the Portland Rep. Singers (that one's for you Buck...where are you?)

so yeah...other than that, just trying to stay on top of homework and everything else. taking a class called cartoon music which is very, very fun and quite enlightening as far as arranging music in that style. it is really crazy and quick paced, i wouldn't mind trying to tackle something like that once or twice!

i will be back in North Dakota / Minnesota over the summer (June 17 - Sept 16) building railroads again (unfortunately for Ruth and myself, but very good for our savings account.) so if any of my compadres are going to be around, and i'm on one of my weekend breaks, lets break some bread or drive downtown with Kelly Clarkson blaring! bocce ball, i don't know, whatever comes up. tattoos? sure, why not?

how's everyone else out there doing?

SNOW DAY. YAY!

Today it snowed in the Portland area. most schools closed right away. mine didn't, however, i decided that i would rather be safe than sorry.
so i drove Ruth to work passing several stalled cars, and city buses (including my own) that were sideways in the road. i'm glad i decided not to go. when i got back home i saw that PSU cancelled their school today too.

what to do, what to do. homework. i have a piano quiz tomorrow, and i am having an abnormal amount of fun composing my string quartet. in 2 weeks we are supposed to have at least 15 measures. i think i can do that. i have 41 so far, but they need a little tweaking.

how's everyone else doing?