I'm Still Alive.

It's been a while, AGAIN. Not that anyone even notices.

On a random note, I just finished one of my favorite books so far. It's called "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" by Tucker Max. If you're not easily disturbed, its a great book. Haha.

Cello-related news, I've currently got many things going on. Going to State again (woot), just finished musical (thank God), and I'm working on 4 pieces right now. 2 for college auditions and 2 contenders for State. For college, I'm gonna do the Saint-Saens concerto in A minor, same I played for contest last month, and Bach's Arioso. Simple enough. For State, I'm looking at Hungarian Rhapsody and the Lalo concerto in D minor. I love them both.

I'm boring, so that's pretty much it. Except for the fact that I missed the concert we had due to snow in Houston. Well, more because of the idiots who don't know how to drive in snow in Houston! Oh well.

TaTa For Now!

Sarah, Sadie & Henry

:D!

So I'm going back to State again. 4 years in a row (: But the solo...

I've been prepared for a while. Really prepared. This is the first year I've been this prepared. So I'm okay all morning. Then I get to the room and I'm NERVOUS. Shaking nervous. Full-out scared. I go in, tell him how scared I am, blah blah blah. I start my concerto, and it sounds AWFUL. I can't do it. So I ask to start over and start crying. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CONTEST. Then everyone was like no! no! It's okay! And then I start over. It went pretty well, minus a few slips off the fingerboard and other random faux pas. The I was about to cry when I was done. Then the judge told me that the parts that were flawless were amazing. And that he screwed up his senior recital in college and had to stop. Then my accompanist told us that the reason she was off the whole time was because her pages had copied wrong. Sooooo, yeah. I went home sobbing, thinking for sure I wasn't going to qualify for my last year. Then my friend texted me and told me I'd done it! I was so happy.

So yeah, I'm going to state again (: That 's pretty much it!

Love you!

State Bound Sarah & Sadie

One Week and Counting...

So there is one week until Solo & Ensemble contest. And for losers like me, that's one of the biggest events of the year, haha. As you know, I'm playing Saint Saens Cello Concerto in A minor, op. 33. Only the first movement though. And as of an hour ago, I have it all memorized and nearly up to tempo. I'm excited. I'm really hoping that I make it to state again this year. This is my last chance!

I've also decided that I'm going to Louisiana State University, and I've decided to double major in biology and music education (:

Currently, we're doing a production of My Fair Lady. The music is so beautiful, but I'm playing about 40 hours a week right now. As is is, my joints have problems, and since I've been playing so much, my thumb where it connects to my hand is bruised and swollen. It's weird!

That's all for now. I'll update probably... Next Saturday. Wish me luck!

Sarah, Sadie & Henry

Almost New Years!

So apparently I'm pretty bad at keeping promises. But with finals, state football championships and work, I've been superduper busy. So I believe its okay that I've not totally kept up (: But here I am!

Christmas was good. I got my new MacBook (which was supposed to be for graduation) and I absolutely love it. The break has also given me some much needed time to practice my concerto.

So, as you know, I'm playing the Saint-Saens Concerto No. 1 in A minor for cello. And it's going well. I have the whole first page memorized. And the rest of it I pretty much have down (minus the odd little double stop backwards scale thingy. That part not so much). I'm really thinking I'll have it ready for Solo & Ensemble contest once the end of January comes around. I'm also thinking about entering this Concerto competition at the end of May (: but that involves learning the whole thing... haha.

So, thats pretty much all for now. I have my first lesson of 2010 on the 5th and am hoping that he is happy with my progress. Talk to you all later!

Hugs, Kisses and warm wishes for 2010!

Sarah, Sadie & Henry

Lesson Numero Uno (:

So I think I may be blogging about my lesson each week. Yes? Okay good (:

So today was my first lesson in... oh, 5 years? Yep, 5 years. So sad. Anyways, I like my teacher. He's from Albania and plays so beautifully. And he doesn't sugar coat things either, which is good for me. I like the truth.

I went in with the Dvorak piece Silent Woods that I was intending on playing for Solo & Ensemble. He looked through it and simply told me I was wasting my time with it. So instead I am now playing two concertos- the Saint- Saens and the Lalo. I've kinda already looking at the first movement of the Saint- Saens, so I should be able to have that ready by the end of January.

That's all for now! I'm sure I'm going to love this whole lesson thing (:

Love you all!
Sarah, Sadie & Henry

HOORAY!

So I have a lesson tomorrow, my first one in almost 5 years. I am ecstatic! I am going with one of my good friends from orchestra and her teacher is excited to meet me. So I am excited too! Woohoo! I will report more after my lesson (: and if you are wondering why I am typing without any contractions, it is because my apostrophe key is messed up and opens a new browser every time I hit it. Oh well! The end (:
Love you bunches!
Sarah, Sadie & Henry

Does Anyone Still Read This Thing?

Sorry guys, its been crazy here. New school, college apps, very little time to blog. I promise I will be doing more (:

First off, school. I hate school orchestra this year. Its just... awful. I somehow am 5th chair out of 11, which has never happened to me. Its just AWFUL! And not just because I'm 5th chair- because our director is fresh outta college and we're playing all the stuff I've already played at my old school. I'm utterly bored. I'm about to the point of quitting.

I applied to college and got in- Texas A&M University! WHOOP! haha. I'm planning on a Biology major and a music minor. May change to psych major though. But no new cello in the forecast...

I'm working on 2 pieces right now- Saint-Saens Concerto No. 1 in whatever key it is and Dvorak's Silent Woods. The concerto is gonna be used strictly for scholarship purposes and the Dvorak for contest purposes. Hopefully both go well, considering I STILL don't have a teacher. I'm still not too happy with that situation. Oh well. On to some older news...

Since I last blogged, I went to State competition playing Faure's Elegie. The judge wasn't in a very good mood that day and I ended up with a 3. I apparently had 8 out of tune notes, I tapped my bare foot too loudly on carpet and I didn't interpret the music to her liking. Irony? The part she didn't like was what got me to State in the first place. I don't understand people sometimes. My pianist did tell me it was better than I'd ever played it before though. I took his compliment over hers. Take that, evil judge lady.

I also (once again) went to TTUBOC and can honestly say I had the time of my life. I was social for once, and went to most of the social functions. I also made the top orchestra and some of the best friends. It was by far my favorite year at camp.

Anyways, thats about all for now. I promisepromisepromise! I'll be on here more, if anyone actually still reads this. Thanks guys (:
Sarah, Sadie & Henry