Carnegie Hall Here I Come!!! (...maybe)

Hello all.

About two weeks ago, Sister Soelberg told the band that she received information about the National Collegiate Wind Ensemble - a group put together of college students across the country. They rehearse and perform in NYC for a week in May followed by a concert in Carnegie Hall. The girl who played bass clarinet here when I was a freshman and sophomore went one year, and really enjoyed it. No one from the college has been since.

It sounded a whole lot like one of those "if you pay enough money, you can come" kind of deals, and it is. But I sent in audition materials at the last minute to lengthen my decision time. The girl who went before got a grant through the school. I thought I could try this as well. (The 5 days/5 nights trip is about $1500 plus my own travel expenses to get to NYC. Yeah. That's why I said maybe.) Anyway, so I threw together some audition materials, and sent away my application. I realized just after that that I will be (better be!) graduated by then, and will probably not get very far in getting the school to pay for me. But anyway. Now I have until Nov. 27 to decide - when the first payment is due to "ensure my spot". I could bring Chad if I wanted, but he would also have to pay the $1500 and get time off of work. We are taking his one week of accumulated vacation time the week after Christmas to go to California. (I'm sad it won't be to Connecticut, but he needs to go home sometimes too...)

Anyway, as I said, the event is in May, which means we could be in Connecticut by then, and then our travel expenses wouldn't be so high, but who knows what will happen between now and then. We have no official plans.

So here I sit. Carnegie Hall (for the low low price of $1500) is so close! And yet so far away. The only reason I'm even considering it is because I'm a musician and this is most likely going to be the only time I'm ever offered the chance to play in Carnegie Hall. Oh well. Brother Holman played there (with the MoTab?) ... maybe I'll just grow up and join the Orchestra at Temple Square and then I can play in awesome venues across the country. Cuz that'll happen.

That's my story.

Have you listened to the sound clip I posted yet?! I don't think so... or you would be commenting.....

Music to drive you crazy

Yummmmm.

I was perusing the fresh-baked donuts at Broulim's the other day when I came across a "Texas Donut". It was towards the bottom of the case, so I crouched down and involuntarily let out a "holy moly!" when I saw what was there. Naturally, I had to have one.

The Latest and Greatest

We went out in search of a pumpkin between sessions of General Conference. (It may have spread into the second Sunday session...) It had rained all morning, and it finally let up for a while when we got to this pumpkin patch. This place was in Idaho Falls. We hit it after finding the first place where "pick your own" meant "we picked them all and then put them in a pile - pick your own." This place was a "leave your money in the box" place but most of the pumpkins had been picked off their vine as well, but at least they left them in the field. We took the tall pumpkin so we could put it on our windowsill.



Here is the video of my performance for the Chairman's Honor Recital. I had my hair done at the beauty college for 9 bucks. It was fun. Interesting fact: the first movement I play was written as a tribute to Karen Carpenter.



Enjoy!

Fall is in the Air

Hello everyone -
As the family posts seem to be revolving around fall, I figured I'd add my own. For my opinion of fall, see Mollie's post - or Erin's post. However, I do have something to add.

Remember those framed pressed leaves mom gave us for Christmas? I was pretty sure all of the girls got one - maybe not. But anyway, I took mine out of my bedroom and moved it into the front room as an official decoration for the fall season. Chad hung it on the wall for me, and I was pretty sure none of the choir people would even notice. (The only people we have over regularly - Sunday mornings we have choir at our apartment.) Anyways, people started showing up for choir and nobody had said anything. It's okay - they're up more for me than anyone else. So I can imagine walking home through leaves like that, or raking them, or seeing them on trees. Fall is not Fall in Rexburg, more of a pre-Winter. Anyways.

Then about half way through choir practice someone spots my leaves.
"Where did you get those?!"
I explain that I'm from Connecticut and my mom gave me the framed leaves. Those leaves are from my backyard.
"No way! You should have your mom send you some and you could sell them!"

Oh what a sad, season-deprived town Rexburg, Idaho is.