12 I 2002 - 17:56 - trivialis16

Since it's Saturday, this would be one of the first entries I've written outside of school in - not a long time, I guess. I've been sleeping a lot, doing a lot of homework, and generally been better about finding ways other than Diaryland to procrastinate. So hello again.

I've also been talking to more people, and I find that there are a lot of people I enjoy talking to when we're alone. It's always different when we're surrounded by other people, though, probably because the other person has other friends that are in the area and I generally don't. Anna and January are always able to make me laugh. Or, you know, do my impression of laughter, which I'm told doesn't sound very much like laughter at all.

Blake, as usual, has been nice. I don't know how he puts up with his stand partner. I would have been crying "bring out the potato peelers!" a hundred times by the first rehearsal, and here we are, halfway through the year. I suppose that will pass. Eugene can't be that much younger than I am, maybe only one or two years? I don't think I gained that much of an ability to focus in just two years. I don't understand it.

I can't write with my right hand. I suppose that would be why I'm left-handed, wouldn't it?

I don't really enjoy my classes, either. Math is just a pain, and I don't think he's actually taught us anything all year. It's sort of nice in a way, because we're supposed to absorb information from the textbook and bring in any questions, but it's not very helpful. Many of the rest of my classes feel like a waste of time that could be spent writing. Or learning. My science teacher spends more time fussing with the projector than she does teaching us the material she has all prepared on transparencies.

I woke up early this morning to write a development section for my sonata, and I got most of it, but my teacher didn't collect it. Sigh. On the other hand, I did find out what my new group was (piano trio, hello - although our pianist wasn't there today) and what we'll be playing (an early Beethoven trio). Our coach is a pianist, so we did some sightreading, but we couldn't do much, because out of the four trios, I had already played three, and he said that that gave me an unfair advantage. The library was closed (the school wants to save I think $180 in student work-study hours), so we couldn't get new material to sightread, either. It turned out to be a little boring, but he did promise us that we'd be doing something different after two weeks. Maybe something Romantic, which I'd look forward to. Brahms is maybe a little too much to expect, but please keep your fingers crossed for me, even if you don't know what I'm talking about.

In orchestra today, I discovered that I would like third stand inside (Eu.) to disappear, because he is annoying, and I would like to switch our conductor's temperament, because he is a prick. However, many conductors are pricks, so I suppose I should get used to it. He talked all about how lateness is bad, and how the orchestra is intolerably unprofessional, and how This Has Got To Change. His solution? If you are late, you get placed "on probation" and must arrive at 12:30 and sign in before every rehearsal (rehearsals start at 1). You must also play for the conductor, who will then (this is a loose translation) seize the opportunity to rip your self-esteem into pieces and spit and tread upon said pieces.

I think the orchestra's professionalism has gone down since: a) half our experienced players left and were replaced by new ones and b) he started threatening us, thereby causing us to both live in fear of and detest --> lose respect for him.

*sigh*

In case you were wondering (because I know you were), "do ut des" means "I give so that you may give," and refers to the way in which a god's favor is gained in the Roman world.

Opal, the comments about China earlier: I know I'd probably enjoy it, it would probably be nice to see the land. It's just that I resent their assumption that I jump at the chance to see a land that they think I should regard as my native land and that I regard as still a foreign country. Al: we'll probably do the Britten; I don't like the Berkeley, and I don't think Berkeley liked Lady Norton very much if he dedicated that gaggle of nonchord tones to her.

I've got to do homework now, because I think I have a rehearsal in Lafayette tomorrow, which rehearsal will effectively cut my practice time to zero. Blake, you don't read this any more, but I hope you enjoy the Bell concert, and I'd like to know how it was; to January, who doesn't read this, I think, I'm sorry about your parking ticket. One of the housepeople must have called the police to give you a ticket - that's the only way you could have gotten it. Let me know how the play went.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH the TV must be harmed. Is fit to be harmed. Will be harmed.

And on that note, I leave.