I'm feeling goooooooooood.

I've had a greatly productive day today. That's why I'm writing this blog post now: because I've been so productive that I have nothing urgent to do and it's not even 4pm. AND I didn't even have to get up early to do so. Well, 9 isn't early for me. I woke up to find that my parents had already been out to buy croissants, so there was a nice smell in the house. I had my hair cut yesterday, so I decided to have a shower immediately to get rid of the weird hairdressery thing that happens to hair every time you go.

When I was in St. Ives yesterday I bought myself a complete GCSE maths revision book. I am really chuffed with it - I decided to take an active role in my learning, because I feel I am struggling a bit with my maths work. I understand it all in the lessons, it's just if I was given an exam right now I get the feeling I would fail it. I know all about irrational numbers and surds now, which I shouldn't until year 10, so I feel pretty smug, in a kind of private way.

I got 2 hours of piano practice done this morning, and another hour this afternoon. I did my German revision as soon as I got up, to leave time for this, and it payed off. I really think I can achieve distinction now. The only hurdle I have to overcome is the scales. I can play through the whole prelude and fugue to a passable standard, the Mozart Sonata sounds excellent, and "Vals Romantico" is shaping up well. I'll be fine on sightreading, and great on Aural. It's just that having to learn upwards of 200 scales and arpeggios takes its toll, and they all seem to merge into one monotonous gloop of sound. Oh well, I've just about conquered everything else - what's to stop me conquering this obstacle?

The best thing about today was unquestionably going to Becky's. I feel closer to her now than I ever have. I didn't want to leave that room. Ever. But the main thing is I'm seeing her a lot more now. No, not by any means as much as I want to, but it's heading firmly in the right direction. I like all this writing stuff. Doing this blog has made me write a lot more, and it's a good feeling. Becky says it's possible to use long words without sounding pompous, so I've been trying. Actually, no, I've been endeavoring. 

So, all in all, a very good day. And thank you to everyone who helped make it so. 

Vaguearies

I feel like I'm back at school properly now. Why? Because we had Media. Media is definitely my favourite non-music-related subject currently. Ms Daniel is a great teacher, which is shown through the fact that I'm in my 5th term of being taught by her and she has never once shouted at our class. Anyway the main news from today is as follows:

I just got my first ever GCSE level A star! Admittedly, it was only for one piece of coursework, but the fact that it counts towards my overall grade is very encouraging. I scored 40 out of 40. I'm just a bit pleased. xD

My four favourite friends at the moment are Becky, Izzy, Helen and Jamie. They are really great friends to have, and I couldn't ask for more. My school life wouldn't be half as amazing as it is without these four people. They are wonderful.

I've written short paragraphs today, which is strange for me. I guess my mind is in a bit of a hazy and vague mood at present. Not sure why though! I'm also very tired right now, because I've done a total of 6 miles walking today (from school to home, then to my violin lesson and back).  You know when your legs have done so much walking they look embarrassed? Well, I do now...

Prelude and Fugue.

I started this blog because I had been told that if I was feeling bad it would feel good to let my feelings out. The truth is, though, that the last two months have been very good ones for me. I feel like the luckiest person alive quite a lot of the time. Nevertheless, I enjoy writing and shall continue to do so regularly. 

I feel that I've got off to a good start with the piano improvements I discussed in the previous post. The Bach Prelude is just about conquered, and I'm making good headway into the Fugue that follows it. While I'm on the subject, I feel like explaining a bit more about Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues. A few years ago, a probe was sent to Mars, in the hope of finding intelligent life. A number of things to represent the human race were placed in this probe. Bach's 48 Prelude's and Fugues were the pieces of music chosen to represent humanity. Many say that Bach's work in these pieces is perfection, and that all music written before and since has failed to match it. It is, then, little wonder that I am putting a lot of time and effort in to making my performance of just one of these pieces.

I'm playing the A flat major one - Bach wrote one in every key, major and minor. This was to show off the newly invented "equal temperament," which basically is how the octave got divided up into 12 notes, as it is today. It's amazing really. I learnt quite a bit of information in "Big Bangs." It's good to know that I'm able to play part of history! I just thought I'd pass some info on, because then it makes reading my blog more worthwhile. x

Icy.

Back to school today. I arrived at quarter to 8, to do some piano practice, and had a chat with Ms Caldwell about various things. Then, I was locked in my form room for an hour and a half. The door was actually locked. Playing cards gets very dull, so I analysed MacMillan's "Missa Brevis," which I had in my bag.

Seeing all the everyone again was great. I forgot how much my friends make me smile. Honestly, my cheeks are hurting now from a combination of that and too much singing this evening. The only downer was not seeing Becky at all today (and that's a big downer). It makes me all the more glad I saw her yesterday. The other notable thing about today has been how slippery it is. Everywhere. Not only in school, where the sport we did in PE was ice hockey, even though it was supposed to be regular hockey, but also walking through a dark, cold, slippery Over to and from my piano lesson. That was unpleasant to say the least. It says something when you hold on tight to a scale book for warmth...

It suddenly hit home today just how frighteningly close my grade 8 piano is. I have 2 months of practice left, and only one of my pieces is distinction standard yet. My scales will come, but that will mean a lot of note hammering. I have to get my fingers properly around the Bach Prelude and Fugue. This particular piece is more maths than music, as you discover when you have to pour over it, analysing every detail of every countersubject and recapitulation. You get my drift. 

Anyway, I know I'll pull through the exam. I can achieve a merit easily. What I have to do between now and March is take my playing to the next level, the level where the examiners consider you special, and give you a distinction. ABRSM Grade 8 Distinction is the most advanced award given before diploma stage, and now that I think about it, this is what I've been working towards for the past 8 years. More hours of my life than I would wish to count have been spent playing the piano. The keyboard feels like an extention of my fingers, and when I play I feel very happy. I just have to prove myself one more time. I've done it seven times before, but there is so much more pressure at grade 8, it's unbelievable.

I've finished my art homework now, which is good. I'm looking forward very much to playing for Becky's choir in the morning. Well, actually, I'm looking forward very much to seeing Becky in the morning. Who cares about small matters like accompanying a choir... xD

Phoenix

Today was a good day. Today was a great day. Today was a fabulous day. Seven and a half hours of singing, in one of the best choirs in the country. Who could want more? Well, probably a deaf man who played sport. Still, I've never met one.

This post is entitles "Phoenix" because that is the working name of the choir. It was "Cambridge and Peterborough Youth Choir" before I got in, but then the conductor resigned from CIMA (and I don't blame him - they are damn inefficient) and formed it as a seperate organisation. Hence the phoenix rising up out of the ashes and all that... Julian is a really inspiring choirmaster, even if I still adopt my "talking to adults sweetly" voice, as Karen noticed! 

I will post a full blog on the choir tomorrow, when the course is finished. For now I have lots of TV to catch up on! This was just to whet your appetites... x

Breathing Space

At about quarter to 4 this afternoon I arrived back home. My mum and I had a bit of an abba fest in the car. Well, you have to pass the 4 hours in some shape or form - endless motorways were not designed for entertainment purposes. After that we listened to the whole of Miss Saigon, which happens to be my favourite musical. It's both intensely moving and uplifting, so check it out at some point.

It feels good to be back in my little bedroom, good to be sitting at my  more-than-moderately cluttered desk, good to hear my parents watching some property show downstairs. I like normal things. I also happen to like amazingly exciting thing like Aldeburgh Young Musicians, but there is a time for the more gentle, pleasing things too.

I will post more later, but tea is ready, and I am hungry. Sounds like a good combination to me...

Big Bangs and Green Beans

Today has been fabulous in as much as nothing tremendously exciting happened. Sometimes the best days are ones in which there is nothing earth-shatteringly amazing going on, and you can just potter about gently getting bits and bobs done.

Due to the celebrations last night, my eyes didn't open till 10 this morning (and make no mistake - that's exceedingly late pour moi.) I then sat in my bed and read for an hour. My bedroom here isn't exactly a bedroom: My grandparents' house is a good size, but only has 2 bedrooms. Obviously, my g/parents sleep in the master, and my mum takes the second. This leaves me in a camp bed in the sun room, which, contrary to what you may think, I really enjoy. I think it suits me - a bedroom with triple aspect windows (hence why it's called a sun room) that is also adjacent to the kitchen. I like the whole getting up in the middle of the night for hot chocolate kind of thing going on. You notice I said I read for an hour this morning. Well, that's one New Year's Resolution that I've started keeping to religiously already.

The book that I'm reading presently is called "Big Bangs," and it's focused around the most important discoveries in musical history. I think I've talked about this before, but it really is an excellent book. Today I've been reading about Bartolomeo Cristofori's invention of the modern piano. My best instrument has a fascinating history, and it's only by luck that the piano as we know it today was even conceived. Indeed, if it had not been for the countless variations on the harpsichord, dulcimer, clavichord and so forth then keyboard instruments would not have got to a point whereby the pathway for a pianoforte became clear. But I digress. Sorry, but you are reading a blog by a music nerd...

After a late breakfast and an even later lunch we watched the Doctor Who Prom on telly! My mum and I were the only people in the room not to fall asleep, but I found it engrossing, if only from a composition point of view. I love watching live orchestras, even just on TV. It is much easier to see how each piece has been orchestrated when it's right in front of you. After that various people went off to bake, others to read. I myself found a dusty old John Rutter CD and put that on to listen to while completing my Media Coursework. ("How are teenagers represented in a range of teenage magazines?") The CD itself was incredible. Rutter writes mainly sacred music, because there is big money in church commisions, and he has a real knack of writing tunes that people want to listen to. My mum came in and started singing along to the "Pie Jesu" from his Requiem, which is always nice.

I got my coursework finished (Hooray!) so now all that I have to do schoolwise is a little art. I spent the rest of the afternoon playing various board games with my mum, aunty and cousin, and that was very fun. Tea was great (as always with my lovely grandma). We had chicken,roast potatoes and green beans. Green beans are my favourite ever vegetable. Honestly, you could give me a plate of green beans and nothing else and I would be more than happy.

I'm going to do an hour on my art now, before watching Jonathan Creek with everyone else at 9. I myself have never seen it, but my mum says it's amazing and that I would love it, and I trust her judgement on just about everything. Mums are always right. I like Alan Davies anyway!

That's all for now, dear readers. I hope the start to your 2009 was as pleasing and restful as mine. x