OhMyTrill

5/8/06

Announcing.

I finally received my Tanglewood assignments. I won't be playing with Heather in anything (except orchestra) but it looks like things will be fun!! Here is the list--> Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 14 Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in C minor Shostakovich: Two Pieces for String Octet Ron Ford: Brandelli Turnage: Blood on the Floor and all of the orchestra concerts... Kind of sad about not being assigned to the concert of contemporary operas conducted by James Levine...oh well!

CCE + Black Angels

Tonight CCE will attempt something it has never done before: perform Black Angels in Kilbourn Hall with very minimal rehearsal. This is the closest we have ever cut it before...the fun starts in 20 mins when we rehearse from 1:30-5:30 and learn the piece once and for all. Crystal glasses will be played. Thimbles will be attached to fingers. Strings will be plucked with paper clips. Gongs will be hit. Phrases in other languages will be shouted and whispered (loudly). And we will be amplified. OMG OMG OMG. This is so scary. I can't believe that this is happening! CCE Performs Black Angels...8PM Kilbourn Hall

5/7/06

iPod Knows All (or nothing)

Stolen from Damion's and Nathaniel's Blogs... You turn on your iPod. Shuffle. Play. The songs that come up answer the following questions in order (You can't change the questions and you can't skip songs. Be honest). So here goes... 1. How does the world see you? String Quartet No. 4 Mvt. 3 by Arnold Schoenberg...does this mean that people see me as dark, brooding, abstract and complicated? 2. Will I have a happy life? Do Ya (Feel the Love) from the Queer as Folk Soundtrack....I'll take that as a good sign? 3. What do my friends think of me? String Quartet No. 3 Mvt 1+2 by George Rochberg...It starts with something resembling the shower scene from Psycho. Over and over and over again. And then it turns into a super romantic classical piece. So are people confused about who I am? or do their opinions just change all the time? I guess I'm just more complicated than I thought. 4. Do people secretly lust after me? Happy Was The Day We Met by Cher...well that answers that. 5. How can I make myself happy? String Quintet in G Major Mvt. 4 by Brahms...i\it starts off kind of minor and scary, but it eventually turns into a dance party...sort of. Maybe playing this would make me happy? Or maybe having a dance party would make me happy? 6. What should I do with my life? Partido Feminista ffrom the Evita Soundtrack... so I should become a big political figure by sleeping around with important people? 7. Will I ever have children? String Quartet "From My Life" Mvt. 3 by Smetana...it starts with a very lonely cello solo and the rest of the movement is very consoling...so I'm guessing the answer is no. 8. What is some good advice for me? Piano Quintet Mvt. 1 by Schnittke... this is not good advice at all...its about the composers mother who died in the street because nobody would help her. Or maybe the advice is that I should help woman who are laying motionless in the streets? 9. How will I be remembered? "Rambaldo!... Ah! M'aiutate!" from La Rondine by Puccini...Does this mean somebody will write an opera about me that will be all but forgotten because his other works are so much better? 10. What's my signature dance song? String Quartet No. 1 by Ligeti...ok, I guess this means I like crazy hyperactive schizo dance tracks. That aren't actually dance tracks. 11. What's my current theme song? Skating from Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi Trio...its certainly cold enough outside to fulfill this one. 12. What do others think my current theme song is? Strotha Tynhe by Aphex Twin...its basically random notes on the piano...I didn't realize I was that scattered. 13. What shall they play at my funeral? Because of You by Kelly Clarkson...Ok...this is just too scary. But it does make taking this survey worth it. 14. What type of men do I like? The Rite of Spring Part II by Stravinsky... I can't make any sense out of this at all. 15. How's my love life? Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings Mvt. 2 "Pastoral" by Britten...nuff' said. So there we have it...things get a little more complicated when you have lots of classical music on your iPod. I won't be performing a "holy water ritual" on it or anything...basically my iPod seems to think I am dark and complicated and mysterious. Am I?

5/5/06

CCE: The Final Recital

CCE performs our last full recital...see it! Tonight...7:00pm at Rochester Contemporary (next the Christ Church) David Plylar: String Quartet Jairo Duarte Lopez: Movimiento para Solo Cello (performed by me) Penderecki: String Quartet No. 2 Berio: Selected Violin Duets (performed by the lovely Kitty Cheung and the Magnificent Kimberly Fitch) Augusta Read Thomas: Incantation for Solo Violin (performed by the one and only Heather Braun) Its our last recital and we want you to be there! (no worries if you miss it...you can still catch us on three more recitals before the year is over!)

OOPS.

Is it a bad sign that my boss just thought I was some girl named Valerie?

5/4/06

Its Just Out of Control

Got a call from Dave saying that its very likely that Eastman will release me from the contract I signed because they have a lot of people who want to come to Eastman. He said its also likely that Rice will make me an offer if Eastman releases me from the contract. So basically I have to choose if I want to go to Rice or Eastman...by tomorrow. I like how everytime I get settled into something, it all changes and I suddenly have stuff to deal with. I would be nice to just decide. I guess right this second I'm leaning towards Rice since I like the teacher and they have more money and it would be a change from what I've been doing for the past four years. But at the same time I would be missing out on some things here at Eastman...like being able to play tons of new music all the time. OOC.

Hate George.

So fulfilling its not even funny.

5/3/06

Good Things:

Both Sara and I have been invited to join the Ossia Board for next year. This makes me VERY happy since I have been playing in the ensemble for about 3 years now (almost every single concert). We have both already decided its going to be OOC.
CCE won the chamber music award (that will be presented at graduation). We share it along with Matroyshka4 and BeanLiccardoZerweck3. We get $50 each, but they announce it at graduation, so I know my parents will be ecstatic...which makes it more than worth it for me.
I'm kind of looking forward to coming back next year. Weird I know.
CCE concert posters featuring Cher...look around tomorrow, you'll see.
Public Enemy=Night of the Living Baseheads. Look for it on iTunes and buy it. You'll be just as obsessed as me.

5/2/06

Link.

Still, I got my own back and took a piss in his tea.

Please?

This is why I need a mac.

5/1/06

My Computer is Dead (almost)

It has become known to me in the past few days that the time has come for a new computer. I know this because mine has been restarting itself approximately 7-8 times a day for the past three days. This happened once two years ago...and it was sent to Gateway and came back fixed. However, it doesn't seem worth it to get fixed again, when I could get a new computer that won't need to be fixed for some time (hopefully). This presents a dilemma. What kind of computer should I get. The MacBook Pro, while I love it, I really do, doesn't seem to be the best choice right now...many have discouraged me since it is so new ("wait for the second run...the first is always sketch"). Do I go with an older mac...which one? Do I stick with a PC (aka ghetto comp)?? ADVICE PLEASE...anyone and everyone!

4/30/06

Shameless Concert Plug

Here they are... Tuesday (2nd) 7:00pm...CCE performs Penderecki's String Quartet No. 2 in Ciminelli Lounge Wednesday (3rd) 7:00pm...members of CCE + Mary Counts + others perform Three Sad Songs on Jake Bancks composition recital in Christ Church Thursday (4th) 7:30pm...members of CCE + others perform Mozart's Oboe Quartet on Caitlin Broms-Jacobs' senior recital in Christ Church Friday (5th) 8:00pm...CCE performs Penderecki's String Quartet No. 2, David Plylar's String Quartet, Jairo Duarte Lopez's Movimiento para Solo Cello, and maybe even something else at Rochester Contemporary Saturday (6th) 3:30pm...CCE + friends perform Weber's Clarinet Quintet on Samantha Angelo's senior recital in Kilbourn Hall Sunday (7th) 1:30pm...CCE + friends perform Spohr's Fantaisie and Variations on a theme of Danzi on Brian Wahrlich's senior recital in Kilbourn Hall Monday (8th) 8:00pm...CCE performs Crumb's Black Angels in Kilbourn Hall as part of the final Musica Nova concert of the year Whoa...thats a lot of concerts.

In Mourning

My facebook profile has been shortened (by me). I have come to realize in recent days that it was ridiculous and selfish to have such a long profile. If you should visit it in the near future you will notice that both the interests section of the quotes section have been deleted completely. Please stand by for future updates and always remember the days of the 500+ scroll click profile. {insert moment of silence here}

Evil Dead

Around 5ish yesterday afternoon Brian received about 5 calls from a friend who had been having some bad experiences with a mouse. The mouse had apparently been poisoned and when said person attempted to remove the dead rodent, the mouse moved its head to look at her. Anybody could have been startled. When she returned to the room to finish the job, the mouse was gone. Meanwhile, another friend called me to express her hatred towards a huge bee flying around her apartment. When we arrived the bee was basically expiring in the corner, so to remove it we attached a piece of paper on the end of a broom and scooped it out the door. It did give Brian a bit of a fight, but once outside it was sitting peacefully and doing nothing. A disturbing phone call from the unfortunate mouse situation was even worse. The mouse had reappeared and decided to lie motionless on the floor. When the friend attempted to scoop the house up again, it moved its head, got up, and began to slowly crawl towards her while dragging its hind legs (and presumably making strange noises and foaming at the mouth). This would be enough to scare anybody out of their minds. When she returned the mouse was gone again. It hasn't been sighted since. RECENTLY: I just got off the phone from the most disturbing call yet. The bee is back and ready to take revenge. OMG. What is going here? A mouse resurrected twice and a bee once? What kind of power has been granted to these evil villains? Leave us alone!

4/28/06

Friday Consumption

Today I read Brokeback Mountain. It was really interesting to see the story compared to the movie...they both work amazingly well: the written story is soft spoken, short, and concise...but at the same time is huge in its message and strikingly profound. I didn't really know who the characters were, but the story works anyway, because its not about who they are, but what they are together. The movie is bigger in its scope (duh) but manages to still be intimate, never abandoning what the book did for a second. A stunning short story and a brilliant adaptation. Just now I finished watching Dangerous Liaisons, a much talked about movie over at Nathaniel's Blog-a-thon today. I was simply amazed from start to finish. Its been a long time since I saw a movie this good...I am fairly confident it will become one of my all time favorites. From the stunning costumes and smart cinematography to the spectacular ensemble cast (with super performances from Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and La Pfeiffer) this movie was almost too much to deal with. Must buy now.

Blog-a-thon

Check out all of the participants in the Pfeiffer Birthday Blog-a-thon, and then be sure to read my entry below! That Round-Headed Boy "Michelle Pfeiffer's Short Stuff" The Many Rantings of John on One Fine Day Cinephilia "My (Sex) Life with Michelle Pfeiffer" Movies Madness "Pfor Ever and Always" Queering the Apparatus "Ohhhhh Witchy Woman" Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man on Batman Returns Cutting Room "What Lies Within (Great Talent)" NovaSlim "Haute Poosee" six things "Six Degrees of Michelle Pfeiffer" Coffee Coffee and More Coffee on Ladyhawke Popbytes "Pfeiffer is an Amazon Woman" ModFab "Pfeiffer's Fabulous Five" Stale Popcorn Michelle and Costumes. Auteur Lust "Cinema's Own Forbidden Fruit" Sarcasm w/ Light Cream Sauce on Witches... & Tequila Sunrise Being Boring "My Sexual Awakening (in Black Vinyl)" Pfangirl "Diary of a Lapsed Pfan" Queer Beacon on Whtie Oleander Noel Vera on Batman Returns Scene Stealer Top Five Performances Mainly Movies "Susie Diamond is Forever" Nicks Flick Picks on A Thousand Acres The Gilded Moose "BREAKING: Pfeiffer Pissed" Pop on the Rocks "Pfeiffer of the Opera" Girish on The Fabulous Baker Boys

4/27/06

My Life Without Michelle

(imgaine this read by Meryl Streep)... If Michelle Pfeiffer was really only an actress she was still such a bewitching one that she could seduce people to pursue her year after year and mile after miserable mile. If she was a real actress I wanted to keep coming back to the cinema until I could see her. The reason was not that I love her. I don't even especially like her. What I wanted was to see this thing that Nathaniel was drawn to in such a singular and powerful way...I wanted to want her as much as Nathaniel wanted her... (...and I did...) (and now by me)... All this talk of Michelle Pfeiffer has always made me a bit uncomfortable...not because I don't like her, but because I had have somehow been able to avoid seeing any of her movies. While Nathaniel constantly gushed about her limitless amazingness and her constant absence from film screens, I could only sit quietly and subtly nod my head in agreement: I didn't know any better. I was too scared to admit the fact that she had never graced the presence of any movie screen or TV I had ever looked at, and it made me sad. What was it about this actress that had enthralled so many? I was embarrassed about my life without Michelle. I wanted to find the joy that so many others had, but for some reason I stayed away from the screen. Perhaps her onscreen persona would be too much for me to deal with? Maybe I wouldn't like her? I was content to be Pfeiferless for a while, but things started to get ridiculous and I finally viewed a Pfilm...and now I'm in love. I rented Batman Returns and I was hooked from her dramatic entrance (Honey I'm home...oh, I forgot, I'm not married.) to her yummy conclusion (Oh god... does this mean we have to start fighting now? ) She is simply ridiculous in this movie...too many bitch-kicking lines to count. But most of all, I can now comfortably view the rest of her work...and I will: her movies are lined up in my netflix queue as we speak so there will be plenty more Pfeiffer in my pfuture. Meow. ...This blog written as a participating entry in the Nathaniel's fantastic Pfeiffer Blog-a-thon. Send him some love...

And my apologies to Susan Orlean for the above stolen quote.

Calming Down

This will probably be one of the last grad school posts here! Yay! I'd say its 99% sure that I will be at Eastman next year. I talked to Rice yesterday and they said that they weren't going to offer me anything right now. The catch is that everything could change after May 1st...if Eastman has enough people (I guess more than they need) then Adrian Daly can release me from my contract and Rice could possibly make an offer. And supposedly I'm the only one on the waitlist that they will offer a place to. So who knows what will happen with that. But in the meantime...Eastman is my future.

4/26/06

Most Disturbing News Yet

I recently tried to add some more interests to my facebook profile and received a message saying that my profile was too long as it is and they shortened the sections as needed. I quickly closed the browser window without saving changes. This is very disturbing news indeed...limited space in profiles??!?!? What will they think of next? I need to do some serious thinking about what will happen to my comfortably long profile. I will never be able to make a change to it without facebook deleting have of my interests and quotes. So in the meantime: make sure you look at it while its still glorious, because it will probably not be in its current state much longer. Gone will be the days of over 500 clicks on the scroll bar to get to the bottom of the page. {a tear}

Non-Grad School Comments

The wine trip was amazing. We went to five wineries in the finger lakes: Paul made us breakfast and packed us all lunches: there are trillions of pictures (check flickr above and facebook if you can). Two bottles of wine were purchased: Dr. Frank and Hermann Wiemar. I guess if I stay here I will be able to go down there again!
I saw Friends with Money with Sunny. Why would a director amass this really great cast with some of my favorites (Catherine Keener + Frances McDormand) and do nothing with them at all? It tries to be really serious, and in the end loses faith in itself. It wasn't even fun to watch. Basically: Don't waste your time.
CCE Day (yesterday) was a success. We may have had some difficulties focusing, but in the end we got some things accomplished.
To end CCE Day, Kimberly rented the Cher Farewell Tour and we all watched it. Its quite the production complete with a costume change for nearly every number. I think some were shocked, but it was really hilarious to watch.
{read below for grad school comments}
Me and Brian found subleters for the summer. Translation: $700 we didn't have before.
I'm brushing up on my M. Pfeiffer watching so I an be an informed writer for Nathaniel's upcoming Blog-a-thon. Check back later this week for the big event.