Christmas Break part Salt Lake

Today I showed my family a little bit around Salt Lake City. It was my parents, Cole, Brynne, Cache and I. So basically everyone but Jayde.
Cache really liked the Planetarium. Brynne just liked the mall.

After the Planetarium we took a tour of the Conference Center. (I had never done that before) It is way pretty.

 

And then I took more pictures

But my favorite part was looking at the lights on Temple Square. Where, oddly enough.. I took even more pictures.

And that was that. I had fun. I love the city. My father however..does not! haha :)
<3 you Dad!

Christmas Break part Roosevelt

Well, my Christmas Break in Roosevelt has come to an end. Today, my family is driving me back to Salt Lake because tomorrow morning I have Marching Band rehearsal before we get on a plane to fly to the Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. I am very excited about the bowl game. I don't know how our team will do but I think the Marching Band is going to kick some butt while in Texas. It will be awesome.

Being in Roosevelt has been nice. I get mobbed by little people every time I come home. (And that may be because Christmas is only the third time I've come home...) But they are fun. The one time I left for a few hours with Jessica, Cache was so mad! He didn't want me to leave. He said, "When you come home from college you're supposed to stay home with me!" It was the saddest and cutest thing I ever ever seen when he stood on the front porch while Jess and I drove away with a glaring scowl on his face and his finger pointing down at the ground next to him. Super cute. Way sad. When I got home that evening he said I had been gone "way too long".

The first thing I did in Roosevelt was go to the dentist. Ick! I do not like the dentist! They hurt me every time I go there. And this time I had five cavities!! What?! Yeah! I know! It was awful! So I had to make a second appointment. I sat in that stupid dentist chair for over two hours because when they were working on my teeth my gums wouldn't stop bleeding! So right now I have some.thing stuck up between my teeth and against my gums so they wouldn't bleed anymore. Which also means..... I have to go back...again.

Last Friday, Ben even drove all the way here to see me and hang out for a day. It was great. I had lots of fun showing him around (what little I could). And the little people mobbed him more than they do me so..that was.. fun. haha. It was entertaining for sure. Cache totally would NOT leave Ben alone, and Brynne went to extra measures to make sure she was super silly and giggly all day.

A couple times this week I have gone with my mom to play soccer with her, Carrie and Shanna and a couple other ladies when they do their weekly "indoor soccer" workout game..thing. Even though I am definitely no soccer player: It was fun. I have been super sore afterward though!! Both times. Those ladies have given me a workout. So Thank you Mom and Carrie. (I've been needing it too with all the goodies and highly sugared stuff I have been eating during this Christmas break!)

Christmas itself was very good too. Jayde, Cole, the Little People and I all slept downstairs (like we do every year) so that the Little People can wake up me and Jayde all night instead of Mom and Dad....
I got all the music nerd things I asked for: a music stand, tuner/metronome and a hymn book. Yep. Music nerd. I also got a Sonicare toothbrush because Santa heard about my dentist incident that happened earlier in the week...
It would have felt more like Christmas though if here had been actual snow. (that rhymes) Sadly, there was basically none. Oh sure it snowed like once while I was here, but it was gone within a few hours so that totally doesn't count.

And now, this morning, I am getting all of my stuff together and getting ready to go back to Salt Lake.. where I will then get on a plane tomorrow.

Stay tuned...

Finals Week

So.. to all of you non-music majors, I'm about to make you extremely jealous.

Finals Week, meaning: the majority of your final exams were last week so this week is pretty chill.
Seriously. Last week was a lot more stressful for me. I had the majority of my finals then. So this week (during actual finals week) I only had four. I'm including my jury in that number too. But I was very pleased with the way my jury went. Totally awesome. My private teacher has been getting on my case about dynamics, because frankly.. I had none. So after I played my two jury pieces and she told me that I had very good dynamics, I was psyched! Woo hoo! Yeah. I was very happy about that. And that took place on Monday.
On Tuesday we had a "final" time scheduled for Marching Band but all you do there is show up and run through the show.
Wednesday was even better. My final there was Sight Singing. So I walked in, the instructor says, "Hi, pick which song you want to sing." And there are only two options and they are both five measures long. Then he plays you a cadence so you know what key it's in, (which doesn't even matter because he just ended up transposing it into a lower key for me anyway) I sing it. I walk out. That's it. I think that "final" took all of two minutes. (See, I told you non-music majors that you would be jealous.)
Yesterday I had my theory final and that took a little longer because it involved a lot of part writing and error detection. Ok.. not really a lot... because it was only one page of each. The test was actually super easy.
This morning was my last test and I think the hardest too. It was hard just because there was a lot of information to cover and review. I studied quite a bit though and I don't think it was too bad. I knew most of what the test was asking. However, there was one question (of course it's the question that's worth 14 points..) that I had no idea on. I totally skipped that when I was studying somehow. So I got to it and thought, "Oh.. crap..!" I totally had to make that one up. I checked after the test and I correctly hit about haft of the points I was supposed to. So I'll take it. Overall, I felt good about it.

So there you have it. Finals week for a Music Major. One final a day (at the first of the day). And then all that time to just relax afterward.

Testimony

Today I have been listening to a lot of church music. Can I just say how much I love Pandora. Wonderful thing. I really have loved how I can sit in my room and listen to church music and feel the spirit. Music really does that for me. Add that to another reason of why I love music so much. Because nothing can touch me and let me feel the spirit the way that music does. For me, music is also the best way to express my testimony and how I feel about the gospel.

So here goes:

And this I bear in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Master Class

Master Class..right. So for those of you who don't know, a master class is where all the Music Majors on the same instrument (or taking lessons from the same teacher, I think... someone help me on that?) all attend a "class" together. Basically what the clarinets did was have a two-day mini recital. I was really nervous and did not feel as prepared for it as I would have liked to be. But it was a really good practice for me before my jury next Monday. I didn't get as scared as I usually do for a performance. Maybe because I knew quite a few people who were there? I don't know. No.. knowing the people listening to me perform makes it worse. I don't know, but it went rather ok I thought. It was really great for me to hear the other clarinetists play. I walked away from that thinking, "yeah ok. I think I can do this". With a lot of practice though, because I also got some good tips and pointers from fellow students to help me with my playing.

I can tell my playing and sound have both gotten a lot better in one semester and I am really looking forward to even more progress next semester. I feel like I have sort of hit a wall and my progress is slowing now.. But I hope that won't last much longer. I think part of that is my instrument. (Mom..... I want a new clarinet...) A bigger part though would just be the bad habits and lack of..... clarinetting that I have had in the past. A wise person told me, "you just need more time". So that's what I am going to go off of. I'll just give it more time. I look at what I have learned in one semester, and it can only improve from here.

P.S. if it were not for Mr. Cunningham helping me out my senior year.. I would feel like an even bigger idiot in the music program than I do right now. Thank heavens for a director who played the clarinet. THANK YOU C-HAM!

Aww...

 Last night Ben took me out to dinner and then to the Utah Symphony. He got reservations for dinner so when we got to our table, there was a vase waiting there for me with three pink roses that Ben got for me and had them sent there. I was quite taken back by that. It was way sweet.

But after dinner, the Utah Symphony was basically amazing. I have never been to a performance like that and it was really cool. My favorite pieces were piano concertos by Franz Liszt. They were amazing. My favorite out of the two being 'Totentanz'. It was intense and so amazing! I can't believe how fast the pianist's hands were flying all over the keys. I thought it was incredible. I also kept getting distracted by the really cool chandeliers and lighting inside the hall. It was really beautiful. .....and I'm easily distracted by lights like that. (One reason why I love the city. Fact.)
It was a way awesome night. Ben is so sweet and I had a wonderful time.

Ready? Too bad.. Go!

All moved in now and adjusting nicely.
I was lucky to have some great help on Thursday moving all of my stuff out of the dorm and over to my new place. Thanks Ben and Bryce! (These guys are in the business) Those two managed to fit everything I own in Ben's car all in one shot. Pretty impressive. (See.. in the business)

So now I'm here with my new roommates for the weekend. Melodie travels for work a lot. She left Friday. So it's been me and these guys. Kind of got thrown into the fire with the four of them, but it has been pretty good. I think I can totally handle this now.

The two German Shepards are Tucker (top left) and Elsa (bottom right). Wilbur is the small white dog, and I forgot the cat's name, but it hung out with me on my bed yesterday.

Tucker is very protective of me already. I'm going to take that as a good sign that he likes me. But he will just lay down right next to my bed and it's like he's guarding me or something. Kinda cool actually. He's a punk, but he's starting to grow on me. Tucker is like my own personal body guard. "Don't worry Mom, nothing can hurt me now!"

 Elsa is just really sweet and doesn't get into trouble. I like her :)

But I really like how this is working out for me.

On the Move

Well, I started packing up my dorm today. I am really excited to be moving on Thursday. I don't really have a lot to pack, but it will still be a good little project to keep me occupied until Thursday finally gets here. So far I have things put away that I won't be using between now and then. Like printer paper, pictures and other little decorative things that I managed to fit into my little dorm room. The keyboard came down too. Although, I really don't have anywhere to put it in the meantime. It is also a good thing that I know someone with connections to boxes. Lots of boxes. (Luckily I only need a couple though.) I have also had so many people offer to help me move. It is good to know that I will be taken care of if I ever need help. (Thanks everyone!)

It will be so nice to be out of the dorms and into a bigger and nicer place. Don't get me wrong though, the dorms are a good experience.. but it's an experience that does not need to be very long. I would recommend living in dorms to anyone, but only for a semester. Then get out. I really like my roommate, but the room is pretty small and my keyboard and several other instruments are just not fitting very well. AND I would like to get a guitar to add to my collection of instruments and that just won't work in a dorm room. I will miss seeing Maddy though. She is fun, super cute, and very funny. I got really lucky in having an awesome roommate. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the neighbors across the hall...up all hours of the night...with really loud music....playing soccer in the hall...breaking things all the time. Yeah. They are great guys..

Luckily for me, things have worked out really well though! I can hardly believe my luck. I will be living in a house, close to campus, in my own room, with lots of other great living benefits. And then some. I am really excited to have a kitchen. I have seriously missed that! It will be so nice! I will be able to bring some stuff from Roosevelt that I had to leave out of my dorm too. Like my giant picture of me playing volleyball. (Yep. Vain) I hope to hang up more pictures too. My dorm room is pretty boring..

It will be a really nice change and I am really looking forward to it. Thursday can not get here fast enough!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wow. There are so many things I am thankful for. My family and parents being at the top of the list. They are so great! I have had a fun time being back in Roosevelt with them. This is only the second time I have come back to visit in the last four months so when I do visit, I get treated like a celebrity. That is just one of the perks though. I like that my dad made me breakfast this morning and I haven't had to do the dishes (yet). I am also thankful for my little siblings who actually miss me when I'm gone. Or at least are really good at pretending they missed me. It still makes me feel good.

I am also thankful for great friends who have helped me through a lot and have been such good examples to me. Both friends from high school and current friends in college. It is great knowing that there is always someone I can talk to and someone who will listen to me. No matter where I am.
I am thankful for my religion and my own testimony of its truthfulness. I find comfort in knowing that there is a plan in everything and that someone higher is helping to direct my life. It sure makes growing up and making decisions a lot less stressful.

Along with this, I am thankful for the trivial little things in life that just make it fun. I think I am one lucky girl and have a lot to be thankful for.

Intro to Ethics 101

In my "Into to Music Ed" class, we have been talking about different ethical decisions music teachers (or just teachers in general) have to make on a regular basis. Examples of these would be like, whether a teacher should make copies of music. Or.. if and/or how music with sacred text should be used. Things like Christmas music and other religious or holiday related music. Or.. other things like relationships between teacher and students; teachers texting and giving students their number, being on social networking sites and casual relationships..things like that.
One thing that really has bothered me, as a student, is when other students call their teacher by their first name. It is really different in a college setting, but that really bothered me in jr high and high school. I just don't think that letting a student call you (the teacher) by your first name encourages very much respect. Now, don't get me wrong, I had quite a few teachers whom I called by their first name because everyone in school did and had for years. Then again, there were some teachers that I just couldn't bring myself to call by their first name. It seemed too weird for me, and I think I respected them more, as my teacher, because of that. Even my volleyball coach asked us not to call her by her first name and I really respect her for her decision to address that and I do think it increased the respect she got from us as a team. From thinking on this, I have decided that when I am a teacher, I with do the same thing Coach Skewes (Stevens) did and ask my students to call me by a more official name than Brooke. It's just more respectful, especially in a classroom setting.
I also thought a lot about teachers and social networking sites, like Facebook. Now... I will admit any day, that I am addicted to Facebook. I am always on there. Fact. So for me, as I teacher, I would not be comfortable "friending" students on Facebook because I use it and am online all the time. For others, it may not be a big deal because they hardly use their Facebook accounts as it is. Me, myself and I, on the other hand, am on Facebook way too much for it to be okay to have students knowing everything that I post for my friends and family to see. Not okay with that.
Just some things that I (before now) had not taken into consideration but they are definitely issues that teachers have to worry about. Granted, not all of them turn into big issues, but why would I put my job on the line risking that? I also recognize that there are a lot of issues that I did not even mention, but that teachers constantly have to deal with. It will just be an intense learning process for me when I become a teacher.

Best Day Ever

Today, I got the chance to go to the Bountiful temple to do baptisms for the dead. It was awesome! I had never been to the Bountiful temple. I have drive past it once...years ago with my family. But I was really excited to go inside of it today. And it was really great! The inside is so pretty. I also love how quiet and peaceful it is. Before today, I have not had the chance to do baptisms for a while so that made the anticipation of it even better. The drive up the mountain added to that as well. It was so pretty! And I will admit...even the snow added to the whole picture of everything. Snow on the temple grounds was beautiful. It was just a great experience. It also helped that I had some very amazing and inspiring company with me for the day.

My Life's Playlist

Have you ever wondered what "the playlist of your life" would sound like? This week, my best friend and I switched iPods, so I've been constantly listening to music. (It also helps that I'm a music geek too, but no one's perfect.) So I've decided that if there were a few songs to describe me right now...these would be it.

1. Falling In, Lifehouse
2. Just the Way You Are, Bruno Mars
3. Half of My Heart, John Mayer
4. It's Not You, Halestorm
5. I'll Be, Edwin McCain
6. You're Still You, Josh Groban
7. Save the Last Dance For Me, Michael Buble
8. Come Back To Me, David Cook
9. Suppose To Be, Default
10. Time of My Life, David Cook
11. Forever, Fireflight
12. The Best is Yet to Come, Michael Buble

Now, granted, not all of these songs describe me perfectly at the moment..but they each are significant to me in some way. And I happen to think that they are all pretty good songs. A couple of them are recent discoveries and they are just that awesome. (Thank you Ben!)
Music is obviously important to me and is a big part of my life. I think that's why I relate events, circumstances and people to songs I know and/or like. (Refer to list.) Please someone tell me I am not alone in this thought process. But yes. If you are a good friend of mine or someone I have been acquainted with for a while now... chances are.. you have a song that reminds me of you.

Adventure PAC(ed) Weekend

Marching Band recruiting day = one big success.
It was a lot of work, but it was so much fun! I had a blast with it and I hope all of the high school participants did too. We definitely had a lot of high schoolers participating this year. Our marching band looked huge! If it could always be that size it would be so awesome!

Working with Ben Simmons was really great too. I've never had so many compliments in one week. He is a great example and really fun to work with. I had a great experience with this whole weekend and would do it again any day.
It was also great to see friends from high school and get to show off to them a little. Marching Band is so great. I'm a big fan. I would recommend it to anyone who can (or even can't) play an instrument. There is nothing else like it. Where else do you get to go to all the football games (plus travel for a few), play in gigs all over campus, get lots of free Utah gear, and have over 200 friends? Only in the Marching Band.

Another Late Night at David Gardner

After practicing tonight, I went to the clarinet recital of Woongshik Kwak. He is a Doctorate student in Instrumental Performance.Can I just say that it was basically amazing. I had my mind blown. But at the same time I was thinking about how much he would have to practice in order to sound and be as good as he is. It, in a way, renewed my determination to keep at it. I think that as long as I keep practicing daily and keep learning as much as I can that a sound like that (or at least somewhat close to) is achievable. There was just something about listening to that performance, being there in person, that made it more real to me.
Now, the songs he picked to perform were insane and super amazing. This is just part of one of the concertos he played.

I don't actually expect anyone to listen to the whole thing, because it's really long and this is only the first movement. Woongshick actually played all three movements. And he did that with three pieces. I even think that his sound on the clarinet was better than the one in this recording. Maybe because it was live, but I don't know. I just know that it was amazing and I really want that kind of sound when I play.  ....I have got a lot of work to do.

Voicing Thoughts

I have really come to like the voice study class I am taking. Most days we listen to different recordings of art songs or opera arias or something else like that. At first I wasn't really a fan..but the songs and styles have grown on me. For instance, I love Jackie Evancho!! This little girl is amazing.

So this is the kind of music I have been listening to lately. This and Anna Netrebko. She is a bigger opera singer  but I still really like the style. Nerd. I know.
But all of this vocal stuff I've been into has me really excited to sing my duet with Angela. Have you ever seen the movie, "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby? You know that songs the Haynes Sisters sing at the beginning of the show? Yeah :) That's the song that Angela and I are going to sing. Totally awesome. It's going to be so much fun. Now.... if only we can find the music for it....

Weekly Private Lessons

I don't know that I actually look forward to private lessons.. but they are really good for me and I learn a lot. This last week I was supposed to write down everything I did while practicing. What I practiced, how I practiced it, and why I did it that way. It helped to make me think about what I was doing, and Kathy (clarinet professor) said that my lesson today went really well and she can tell that writing everything down is helping me. So I felt pretty good about lessons this week. Of course, anything positive from Kathy makes me feel pretty good.
But here's the crazy thing, practicing actually helps! You can quote me on that too. Practice. For seriously. I have noticed my own improvement so much and it's all because I actually practice on a daily basis. And what's worse - I like practicing now. (You can quote me on that too.) So anyone who is learning to play an instrument, I strongly advise you to practice. All of my future music students will learn how to practice and how to practice efficiently. So anyone interested in music, start getting into practicing habits now. I promise they will help. (Mom, you should make sure Brynne reads this.) ;)

The only thing is that when I'm working with Kathy she will ask me a question like, "Oh this is by Schuman. Do you know what other composer is from this time period with a similar style?" and I'm left there thinking.....um.... no. She does that quite a lot to me. Like today, "Have you heard of the composer ________?" Me: .......no. "Have you heard the piece _________" Me: ....no. I basically feel like a musical idiot in situations like that. So I went to the Marriot Library and got a few books. One specifically on the clarinet, (it's called "The Clarinet") so that I can stop feeling so stupid all the time.

Saturday Snow Day

I looked out the window and what did I see?

Night at Angela's

I really miss having a kitchen. Luckily for me, Angela is a nice friend and let me use her kitchen the other night. So I made my favorite, Homemade Oreos!

• 2 Boxes of Cake Mix (one 'Devils Food Cake', one 'German Chocolate')
• 1 1/2 cups of Shortening
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Frosting:

• 1 8oz package of Cream Cheese
• 1 cube of Butter
• 1 tsp of Vanilla
• Enough Powered Sugar to make it good