Band camp!

It started today, and goes through Friday. Today was just seniors (ME!) and freshmen, and we taught them how to march. We also worked on some music... our field show this year is going to be Earth Wind and Fire, and one of the two songs is In the Stone, which has really tricky rhythms and which I've never heard, and also which I got to lead a sectional on. That was difficult... thank God I had Gracie there to count off for us and to make it less awkward. Yeah, it was awkward standing there for like an idiot for probably two whole minutes trying to decipher the rhythm in two measures before I could even attempt to teach it to the freshmen, who had no clue what was going on. But we managed, and they aren't really bad at all for freshmen on their first day of band.



"What other exciting musical things are you participating in this year, Clare?" Oh, I'm glad you asked! Because this year, I'm in CHOIR!



Me, to two of my friends last year: "I'm thinking of being in choir next year."



Them: "Wait, so you would.....sing?"



Me: "Um, yeah...."



They bursted out laughing uncontrollably.



Yeah, I never really considered singing in any ensemble or really anywhere outside of my car until last year... until I thought about it and realized there were a few really good reasons for me to try out.

1. I'm going to be a music major, and don't music majors have to take some classes that involve singing? And wouldn't it be embarassing if I had to sing in front of people and I had never really done it before? Because I have NEVER really done it before, unless you count the solo I had in the second grade play.

2. I think it will really help me with ear training and intervals and stuff... I'm not really doing any formal ear training, but more and more when I hear an interval, I try to figure out what it is, and when I hear a chord, I try to figure out what kind of chord it is, and WHAT chord it is relative to the key, etc. etc., and I'm getting better and better at it. And I think I would be EVEN better at it if I approached it from a different angle, that being my voice. Does this make any sense? Oh well, it does to me.

3. Our choir is REALLY GOOD. I like playing with people who are really good, because a.) Well, it sounds good, and b.) it's a challenge. So I assume that it'll be fun singing with people who are really good, and under a really good director.

I'm going to cut this off and finish it tomorrow, because I should really go to bed...