2011 Update

First off, I LOVE CHRISTA SO MUCH BECAUSE WE ARE BEST FRIENDS WHO NEVER GO ON DATES.

Secondly, I haven't posted in a while because 1) I was on Christmas break and tried to just sleep most of the time and 2) Since break has ended, I haven't had a moment to myself. But for the sake of my readers, I will make a quick post to let you know how life has been going in the life of Eric.

As far as colleges go, I have applied to nine universities (my parents are annoyed) and, of those nine, I have received three acceptances (no, I haven't received six rejections. :P) I have been accepted to Colorado State University, Luther College (IA), and DePauw University (IN), all with fairly significant academic scholarships. I'm supposed to hear from the University of Miami by January 15. Let's all cross our fingers. I've actually been looking into Miami's Vocal Performance program, and I really like it. Also, it's one of two places I have applied where snow virtually doesn't exist, which is also nice. Perhaps now is the time when I'm most motivated to go someplace like Miami. But I've also been very impressed with DePauw's music program-- when I went to the Classical Singer Convention/Competition in NYC last summer, I had a master class with their classical vocal teacher, and she was really awesome.

Anyway, yeah. I've sent recorded auditions to Miami and NYU (actually, New York was a prescreening... if they like me enough to invite me to audition, I might have to talk my parents in letting me go there for a live audition.) I'm auditioning at CSU sometime in February, and I have plans to audition at DU as soon as possible (especially since they removed me from their Early Action application because, apparently, since I signed up to the music school, the audition is part of the actual application, and I won't even get in until I send that in.) I'm auditioning for DePauw on March 6-7 (live-- I'm actually really excited), and I'm probably going to send recorded auditions to Luther and Capital University. I'm not sure about University of the Pacific or St. Olaf yet-- I'll have to see where that leads me.

But school itself has been keeping me busy. I've been working on my G4 Project for science. We're examining the voltage of electrolytes in sports drinks and then assessing their effectiveness on slowing heart-rate while exercising... I know it sounds very exciting. And then I have my Lit Oral Examination (yes, it's a funny name) this Friday, for which I feel reasonably prepared.

In a more positive note, the THS Senior Choir Concert is next week, and I'm singing a solo with my friend Kiani (who, for the record, is awesome) on the final night of the concert, for which I'm very excited. I finally have my entire outfit ready... I'm going all out and wearing a tux with a green vest, then switching into a royal blue vest for my performances with Select and VJ. (It's January 19-20 at 7pm... and it's free. :D) Then we go directly into our choir musical, which is confirmed to be Chess (it's a Cold War musical... I'm very excited), and the same week I audition for that, I will audition for Sound of Music at NYT, which (assuming I get in) will be my last show there, which is endlessly sad for me, because I only have done two other shows there before, because I was lame and only did school stuff until last year.

Did I mention that I was accepted into the Colorado All-State Choir earlier in my blog? Well, if you haven't heard, I did, and I'm very excited. I'm singing Bass 2 (really low) in the Men's Chorus, and I've been working hard on memorizing the songs on top of every-bloody-thing else I have to do.

So it's understandable that I haven't blogged in a while. :)

Miracle (The Sweeney Todd Post)

So... since Sweeney Todd is over, I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands.

Which is good, because my chemistry final isn't going to ace itself. Actually, it's probably not going to be aced at all, regardless of my own actions. But that's why I'm pursuing a degree in Vocal Performance. :)

But I digress.

This show has been one of the favorite shows I've ever participated in. I can't say that I'm entirely sure how Sweeney was pulled off. Let's look at the factors.

1. It's an extremely difficult score

2. We had no money

3. Our director was brand-new. She had never directed a musical in her life.

4. THS has had a history of people who simply don't show up for rehearsal.

It's a miracle, to say the least. But we pulled it off, and we pulled it off really freaking well. I can't even begin to explain it, but our costumes were excellent, our set was phenomenal, the orchestra was good, the acting and singing were prepared and ready, and there was an overall positive attitude throughout the entire cast and crew. I haven't been in a drama production at THS that has had such a good feeling throughout it. Even during tech week, things went fairly smoothly. The show came together so well, when it shouldn't have.

Sweeney Todd has been quite an undertaking-- vocally, mentally, and... physically. I have never been more exhausted by a show... but then again, I have never been so inspired or contented by a show (possible exceptions include Aida and pretty much everything choir-related.) The fact that a show about a serial killer can be so inspiring is... well... inspiring. :)

The part of Sweeney Todd is one of my dream roles. In fact, it's my second-highest dream role, trumped only by the Phantom of the Opera. So, it's understandable that I was fervently excited when I got the role. However, I was very wary about the show itself. I had actually talked to our director personally about my worries as far as orchestra and tech-stuff go, because I didn't want this show to fall through. But, miraculously, everyone, from Chorus to Lovetts, took on their respective roles and met their respective challenges. I'm almost afraid to pinch myself, in case I'm dreaming.

If you're reading this and you are a Sweeney cast/crew/pit member, you rock. And I love you forever. Thanks for making this the best senior musical EVER.

And... if you didn't see it... it pretty much sucks to be you. :)

Eagle!

It's been a while since I've blogged... like almost a week. I know that all of you have been on pins and needles to know about my life. I know I certainly have been.

That was a joke.

Moving on.

I had my Eagle Board of Review last night. Only one year, two months, and some odd days after my Eagle project, which was finished on August 2, 2009. Hmm. A bit of a gap. But I don't care. September of 2009 was when I was first getting myself into the IB Diploma programme, and I have since had no free time.

Well. That's not entirely true. But my mind was certainly in other places. :)

That was certainly the highlight of my week. Now, I can put the fact that I'm an Eagle Scout on all of my college apps (I actually...had already... put it on my Boettcher application. I'm glad it all worked out. :P) It's one thing of many that I can finally check off of my list of things to get done. My very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very long list of things to do.

BUT.

Becoming an Eagle Scout is no longer one of those things. Now I can focus on EE, CAS, IB, Chemistry (which I believe deserves its own category since it's currently killing me), College apps, scholarships (though... I did send in my YoungArts DVD and I'm waiting anxiously to hear back from them. :D), and other things that I probably have blocked from my mind at the moment to compensate for the stress that it causes.

Funny thing about my Board of Review. I was never told that my Scoutmaster and parents had to be present-- I had assumed that they were not necessary since they couldn't sit in on the actual Board of Review. While I'm at a loss as to why my Scoutmaster was not there (since his wife was one of my reviewers... :P), I had told my parents that they didn't have to be present, so they were out. However, when all of my people got there, the first thing they asked me was where my parents were. I, of course, freaked out, and quickly called my mom and begged her to come home. Luckily, though, this debacle didn't affect their decision, so I'm glad. :)

My mom texted me like an hour ago telling that she's bringing home Chipotle. Unfortunately, she was at my brother's football game... in Ft. Collins. So it might be a while before I get Chipotle goodness.

Why do I end every post with food? :P

ALLSTATE

Okay. It didn't go too badly. I don't think. Then again, it's really the judge's call-- if there's anything I've learned from years of competitions both in the field of piano and voice, music competitions are very subjective, and a lot of your score may depend on whether the judge likes you.

Luckily, though, the judge I got seemed very kind and loving (of course... it could have been a facade to lull me into a false sense of security). Of the categories... here's my own personal critique (though I of course may be biased. :P)

1. SOLO (Pieta, Signore by Alessandro Stradella)

I think it went pretty well. My voice was cooperating with me, and the room itself had fairly good acoustics. I went at a comfortable speed. According to G, there were a few (very minor) pronunciation issues, but Pieta is a fairly new song, so I, of course, am going to have a few minor adjustments to make (if I get anything out of Allstate, it will be a helpful critique for this song which I can use when I sing it in further engagements. ;D)

2. TRIADS

They all went well, though I slid slightly on the Diminished (which, ironically enough, was the one I felt most confident in. There's a life lesson for you.) I'm not sure if I got knocked a point off for that or not.

3. INTERVALS

They all went well, with the exception of one of my sung intervals, which was like half a step off. (A minor third descending-- the judge herself said that was a fairly cruel choice. :P)

4. SCALES

Perfect. I'm sorry. They just were. :)

5. SIGHTREADING

Melodic sightreading was, of course, my weakest point in my audition. Having said that, however, I think I did very well on the first one. I would say it was perfect except for the fact that I have no way of knowing. So I gave myself an 8 out of 10. The second one did not go nearly as well-- especially when I realize that it contained an accidental which I probably botched. BUT I do think I ended on the right note, so finding my way back has got to get me something. As far as rhythmic sightreading goes, I think I did well except on one measure, which should give me a score of 8 out of 10.

All in all, I don't think I did too shabby. There are, of course, points to improve on, but I doubt that there are many perfect scores. I hope to get in, of course, but it won't be the end of the world if I don't-- I've got a lot of other things working for me. :)

And the fact that I made it there and back in one piece is reward enough for me. ;)

Mental Health

So. I took a day off today. I actually had a legitimate reason-- I had a doctor's appointment scheduled today for my eye.

The prognosis: Eric has a mild bacterial infection in his eye (NOT conjunctivitis. I don't appear to be contagious) and so he should use these special eye drops through the weekend and NOT WEAR CONTACTS.

Which means I will be wearing glasses to school tomorrow. Again. I figured I'd wait another six years before I wore my glasses to school (meaning, I'm allowed another bacterial infection in grad school) but nature failed to comply with my demands. That ho.

But I'm getting sidetracked. Today was also just a nice day to sleep in and relax. I pretty much did nothing all day. And I think I needed it. With everything going on in my life, it was nice to just take a day and pretend like I have no responsibilities. For a day, such trivialities as IB, college, scholarships, homework, or play rehearsal didn't exist. And I was able to watch TV like the teenager that I ought to be. (I actually did all of my homework last night, so I wasn't technically shirking on my responsibility. Though... I'm going to be busy until 8:30 tomorrow night, so maybe that wasn't such a good idea.)

I've used up my mental health day for the quarter. I don't think I should allow myself more than one per quarter. They're nice, but if I have to many of them, I'll just be screwing myself in the end. And Eric wants to go to college and be successful. :)

But it was worth it. I feel recharged and ready to take on the rest of the week. I'll need to anyway, since quarter ends next week and a certain Caucasian male has to get his Chemistry grade up. I'm hoping my labs will take care of it, but I'm not going to hold my breath. So far, I seem to understand organic chemistry. But again, I'm not going to hold my breath.

Here I am, talking about school again. You'll notice that "school" is a major topic in my blogging. It's pretty much the most important thing now. Second semester, not so much. But now. It's very important. I'm hoping that once I get over this metaphorical hill, it will be smooth sailing from here on out (with the tangible exception of the IB exams, but I'm going to pretend that they don't exist for now. Since I'm still technically on my mental health day.)

Well. It's 9:15, and I'm going to be a good little blogger and get to sleep, so I can get up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning. Adieu, faithful reader. Until next time.

Eyes Eyes Baby

My titular allusion to pop culture is, of course, referring to the current irritation/infection/whatever-it-is-I-have-in-my-eye in my eye. It's gotten pretty bad, leading me to believe that it's more than just a stress-induced ruptured blood vessel, thereby nulling the significance of the post discussing that, but it was so artistic and well-done that I'm keeping it as it is, thank you very much.

So, I'm staying home from school tomorrow to talk to a doctor about it, and get some antibiotics if it is actually an infection (so yes... it is possible that I have pink-eye, a disease that I formerly thought I was safe from since I graduated kindergarten-- then again, I had an ear infection last year, so anything's possible).

I've been very wary of missing school this year, because, as any IB kid knows, making up an entire day of school can be VERY difficult, especially when you consider how many extracurricular activities I participate in. I'm also afraid of leaving the choir to its own devices, since I'm a leading participant in it (though, I am confident in their abilities, and they'll certainly have to function without me when I graduate, so perhaps this is a good exercise.) But, since tomorrow is Wednesday (or, as Ms. G puts it, "Stupid Day"), I figure I won't be missing out on too much. Which is always pleasant.

It's kind of ironic. Most kids would kill to have parents like mine who will sometimes let me have a day off without any real reason at all. The problem is, I don't want a day off for no reason at all. I, myself, am straining at the bit about missing tomorrow. If I didn't think a day off to see the doctor would be beneficial overall to my health and mental being, I wouldn't go.

I'm tired now. I think I'm going to go to bed now. This post is short, but brevity is the soul of wit. So get over it. :)

Reevaluating Reevaluation

And, once again, we have reached the end of a weekend. And it's 11:33, and even though I'll regret this in the morning, I'm taking the time to blog a bit, since I find it therapeutic. :)

This weekend was fairly mellow. After our Chem Test on Friday, there really was nothing that we particularly had to study. And so, I finally found some extra time to put together my college essay for the Common Application. So, I'm pretty much ready to submit my application to everything but the Manhattan School of Music, which does not accept the Common App (they just have to be different, don't they?)

So anyway, I had another college talk with my parents, who are once again suggesting that I go to CSU, because it's cheap. Don't get me wrong, CSU would certainly be a good choice for me, but I've told my parents time and time again that I feel like it's taking the easy way out. I know I can get into CSU. I want to at least try to raise sufficient funds to go to a music school.

I've always lived by a philosophy that the only you can 100% ensure you won't get something is to not go for it. There's a chance that I can get significant financial aid and live my dream of studying in New York City, which is where I'm going to end up working, anyway. (I know I can at least get a job at Ellen's Stardust Diner as a singing waiter. ;) ha.)

There is a significant advantage of going to CSU, though, even though it's in-state. There's a professor there who's been following me since I was a freshman, and I'm pretty sure I can get a significant scholarship there-- and it's already an inexpensive school to begin with. If I get a Bachelor's of Music there, I should be able to make the transfer to MSM for a 2-year grad program. Two years at Manhattan would still be enough to send me on my way in NYC, and it'd be significantly less expensive. Plus, at CSU, I would be able to study more than just music, so I could ensure that I'd have some sort of career when I get out of college to support myself-- music performance is a risky business. Especially with all the tenor-happy composers out there on Broadway. :P

I seem to be changing my plans for school every week. And I haven't even submitted any apps yet. Three weeks ago, my dream school was NYU. Now I'm not so sure.

Why must college cost so much?!? GAH.

But since I don't want to end this blog on a negative note, I had chicken Parmesan for dinner tonight. It was delicious and ate far more than the Department of Agriculture deems a full serving. :D

Fictitious

So I've dedicated this day to writing college essays, but I've gotten stuck on one that has made me think my face off. (Not literally, of course, because I can't very well attend any sort of college without a face.) And, being the 2000's kid I am (I honestly remember very little of the 1990's, so I don't consider myself a 90's kid), I decided to turn to the power of the blog to work out some ideas.

The Manhattan School of Music (which has recently become my new "dream school" since I won't have to study science there :D) has a wide range of requirements, all of which I can adhere to. I am currently in the midst of applying there to study Classical Voice. I honestly think I can get in-- even though MSM only admits roughly 800 students a year. Let's hope the fates are with me on this one.

Anyway, the main essay question is "What fictional character do you identify with and why?"

fic·ti·tious/fikˈtiSHəs/Adjective

1. Not real or true, being imaginary or having been fabricated.

2. Of, relating to, or denoting the imaginary characters and

events found in fiction.

And so my thoughts scatter.

My first thought was Harry Potter. Let's look at how we compare:

- We both are human

- We both have had personal struggles in our lives but have overcome said struggles (in my case, my issues with my leg-- my mom has told me that I have to include that in all college essays from now on. Ha.)

Hmm. Not an impressive list. Then I got to thinking about characters outside of the realm of books. Musical theatre characters. And boom. I arrived at the Phantom of the Opera (who, interestingly enough, is named Erik. Coincidence? I think not.) Again... comparisons:

- We are both lovers of music

- We have had physical struggles to overcome. (Again... working up the leg.)

- We both have eccentric albeit enchanting personality traits.

- There is more to us than meets the eye.

I feel like the Phantom essay is more relevant, since I'm going into a school of music. Though there is no specific requirement that I have to mention my musical career, I think it's best to emphasize specific points of my goals (those being a career in musical theatre or opera) as much as possible, while still getting sympathy for my leg (I'M FINALLY A MINORITY).

For similar reasons, I could include Willy Wonka... but since I'm currently in that show, I don't think I'd feel comfortable writing about it. Plus I can just see the college board thinking of the Johnny Depp version and being like WTF.

And then I wonder to myself... are they looking for more classical characters? Something that makes me look like an intellectual? Something completely based off of Sparknotes (which they don't have to know) that makes me look like some worldly scholar of literature? I am, after all, going into classical voice. If that's the case, then all I can think of at the moment is Equality 7-2521 from Anthem... one of the few pieces of classical literature that I've been able to actually stomach. I could also do an essay on Snowball from Animal Farm, but that would make me a Communist. And a pig.

And we simply can't have that, can we?

And so, I'm unsure. Right now, I'm leaning toward the Phantom idea. But we still must remember that the Phantom is a crazed lunatic who kind of hanged a gentleman from the rafters in the climactic scene in the musical.

So the idea is kind of like that fly that's currently buzzing around my room and everything time I try to swat it, it flies away even though I clearly hit it.

Symbolic fly, give me inspiration.

Glasses

Due to the aforementioned burst blood vessel, I wore glasses to school today.

Hardly exciting news.

What if I told you that I haven't worn glasses to school since fifth grade?

Now it's big news.

I'm much to vain for my own good. However, Painful-Eye-Eric managed to win over Vain-Eric. So... yeah.

I have a chem test tomorrow. One of four tests. I wish myself good luck. I'm also singing the national anthem at the football game-- so everyone should come. I've gotta remember my blue hair dye. :D

This is a short post. I'm tired. Forgive me.

Ruptured

Anyone who has seen me or my left eye in the past week (though I imagine that most people who see my left eye also see me at the same time, but I digress) has noticed that it is slightly red.

It's quite irritating-- the sun especially makes it painful. And, of course, I'm too vain to not wear contacts.

I have determined that this redness has been caused by a ruptured blood vessel in my eye, and that ruptured blood vessels are most commonly caused by...

Wait for it...

STRESS.

My stress has physically manifested itself in the form of a ruptured blood vessel. I'm also very achy at the moment, but that might just be from my most recent 4-hour chemistry study session. But if stress is really behind my ruptured blood vessel, it certainly has good cause. Let's take a look at the last five days of Eric's life:

Saturday: Vocal Master Class and CD/DVD recording for college auditions. Plus rehearsal for said CD/DVD recording.

Sunday: All of the homework that I didn't do because of Saturday's events. On top of seeing a show at the Arvada Center (which I'm not complaining about-- but it certainly didn't give me any extra time.)

Monday: Sweeney Rehearsal, plus Chemistry Study Session, plus half of an Act of Hamlet to read, PLUS working on a giant history project that we didn't even present on Tuesday. (That was a bit of a spirit breaker.)

Tuesday: More Sweeney Rehearsal, plus singing the national anthem at the soccer game, plus more chem studying (we have a test Friday-- AHH!), plus Hamlet notes. Plus an hour out of my evening to watch GLEE. (Again... not complaining)

Wednesday: MORE SWEENEY (which I love, don't get me wrong), piano lessons, voice lessons, and extreme chem study session (I actually worked through all of Robertson's worksheets and feel fairly confident). Plus all the homework that I haven't done yet because I chose to blog about my stress. It's really just a therapeutic way for me to vent my frustrations-- so I'm going to say that this is actually productive.

The chemistry test is Friday. One of four tests of the year. Thursday night, I have Willy Wonka rehearsal (though not the full time... thank goodness.) I really hope I get a little bit of time to have one last jam-packed session of studying, because I'll need it.

I have determined that there are not enough hours in the day. It's not just my blood vessel that has been ruptured. I feel like I have been ruptured-- torn apart in two trying to keep track of everything. Sometimes I just need to take a moment and rest. But there's no time-- probably because I spend all of my extra time blogging about my stress (again-- it's generally productive because it allows me to rest my brain.)

It doesn't help me to know that it's just going to get worse before it gets better. I still have college apps to fill out, scholarships to obtain, and an Extended Essay to finalize. I'm sure that I'm rupturing millions of little blood vessels just by thinking about all of this.

So yeah. I feel ruptured. Physically and mentally. I think I'm just going to sleep through the entire weekend.

Compact-Disc

I don't know how Lady Gaga does it. I just sang five songs to put onto a college audition CD, and I'm exhausted. If anyone's interested, here's a list of the songs on said CD:

1. Il mio bel foco (Marcello)

2. Pieta, Signore (Stradella)

3. Der Doppelganger (Schubert)

4. Beau Soir (Debussy)

5. The Vagabond (Vaughan Williams)

A fairly varied list of songs-- that's what I was aiming for. This way, any combination of these five songs will be enough for any college's requirements. The Manhattan School of Music, for example, requires three songs: an Italian song (1 or 2), an English song (5), and a song in either German or French (3 or 4).

This list was based on what a specific scholarship I'm looking at requires: An Italian aria (1), an English (5), two contrasting art songs (3 and 4), and a final song of my choice (2). I think I picked well. Il mio bel foco and Der Doppelganger show off my low notes, while Pieta, Signore shows off my high notes. Beau Soir is a slower song, which contrasts the rapid Vagabond. And these five songs should fit nicely into any college's requirements.

I'm so glad that I have this under my belt. This is arguably one of the biggest pains in the process college application of music majors. Now I can start sending them in and finishing my apps. (Though I still have to write essays-- including one for MsM that asks what fictional character I identify with. I kinda want to say Harry Potter. :D) Things are starting to fall in place. I'm pretty happy about it.

Additionally, my parents got me barbecue for dinner.

It was delicious.

Conferences

They went well. Much to my surprise.

Actually, that's a bit of an overstatement. I figured every conference would go well except that for Chemistry, since I have a C in that class. (I do have an A in every other class, though. :P)

It's nice to hear people say nice things about me. Ms. Robertson (the teacher of chemistry) said that I actually didn't have anything to worry about, and that my grade would go up. (If I get an A at semester, I've decided I'm throwing a party over Christmas. Everyone who reads this post is invited.) And of course all the other teachers (besides Burns, who, of course, yelled at me in front of my mother... :D) had nice things to say. Which is always nice to know.

So far, senior year is going relatively well. This, of course, is the most important semester of school, since I'm in the process of applying to colleges, and the best way to get good scholarships so I can attend good colleges is to, of course, have good grades. Once this semester is over, grades don't matter as much-- not that I'm going to slack off and drop my grades to straight D's or anything-- but they supply so much stress in my life.

But, yeah, conferences went well. I was pleasantly surprised. :)

Oooh. And I'm recording my CD for colleges tomorrow! I'm excited!

Two-Face

Today was a fairly stressful day for me. And all the stress had one common root: Chemistry.

I am not skilled in the world of sciences. I thank God every day that I have a decent voice, because I'd otherwise be screwed. I'm not even kidding.

The thing about chemistry that gets me the most is the fact that it's like a two-faced teenage girl (I use the feminine for the simple purposes of comparison-- there are no doubt two-faced boys out there as well. I simply am using it because I'm sexist.) Chemistry never has a simple set of rules of follow. No. It's gotta follow one set of rules for one process, and a whole other set for a different process. There's no simplistic way to just know it. There are simply too many sets of rules to understand.

Today, I went to school feeling fairly confident about my chemistry worksheet that I had worked on last night. That is, until second period, when I realized, to my complete and utter horror, that I had done the entire sheet incorrectly. I had followed the processes for a strong acid in a reaction that produced a weak one. Immediately, I panicked and started trying to figure out the true answers.

We also had a quiz in chem on Periodicity-- a subject we "learned" (and I use that term loosely) last year. I think I did okay on it. Hopefully I did, because I haven't been faring well on the quizzes this far into the year.

With ten minutes of our class time spent on a quiz, we got to spend the last fifteen minutes of the hour to finish a lab that we hadn't been able to finish yesterday, due to time constraints. Our group, luckily, was able to finish the lab-- other groups weren't so lucky. They'll hopefully be able to finish their labs in due course.

When I finally got to Spanish 8th hour (late, of course), I sat down and realized how exhausted (mentally and physically) that I was. Chemistry is going to be the death of me. I was hoping that I would be able to do better this year, since Ms. Robertson is more assertive and no-nonsense-- a type of teacher I do well with. Hopefully this is just a nasty speed-bump that will pass with time.

I have some choppy waters ahead of me in the proverbial sea of chemistry.

Scholarships?

Everyone who knows me knows that I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY want to go to NYU for college. There's a list of reasons why.

1. HELLO. IT'S NEW YORK

2. It will look excellent on a resume, especially when one considers that I want to go into a performing arts career.

3. I'll be in the same place where I want to live for the rest of my life.

4. I'll be in the same place where I want to work for the rest of my life.

5. They've got a well-respected music program (operated through the Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development), which I'm fairly confident I could get into.

5. UM HELLO. IT'S NEW YORK.

NYU is conveniently placed in Manhattan. It seems like the absolute perfect college for me. I'm fairly wary about going to a conservatory school because they won't allow any non-music majors (I do want a fall-back plan) and they are sometimes only two-year programs, which won't give me the amount of teaching I need to become a fairly well-rounded persona. And that freaks me out.

The problem with NYU is... it's the second-most expensive school in the country.

When it comes to overall tuition, room/board, and the rest, it's expensive. My parents have informed me that if I get in, there's no way in heck that they will be able to pay for it. And, unfortunately, my parents make just enough money so that I won't be able to get a ton of financial aid (though I'm hoping that's not entirely true-- doesn't the FAFSA consider where you're going to college?) So, it's up to me to go scholarship hunting in order to make my dream come true.

Another problem with NYU is that it only offers Early Decision options for admittance. If I get in, I'm locked in. There's no going back. I've gotta come up with some sort of money. Student loans are, of course, always an option, but my parents both are against it, because they were still paying off student loans after I was born. It is an option, but I'm not sure that I want to take it.

However, people who do Early Decision I are the first to get their hands on financial aid. A significant percent of students at NYU get financial aid. But I'm afraid that I'll get in... but be screwed financially.

I'm really hoping to make NYU work out. REALLY REALLY HOPING. Like, if I can't make it work out, I'll be crushed. No joke.

New York is calling me!

Vests

For those of you who don't know, I am obsessed with formal clothing.

I love dressing up. Good thing, too, because I've gotta dress up for the numerous piano/voice competitions I participate in. Part of your score is your presentation, and how you dress is a fairly significant part of that score.

It's pretty legit, actually.

I used to hate dressing up, but I've learned to love it. I've also discovered my love for ties and vests. Speaking of vests, I was googling around (that sounded dirty... but you get the point) and I discovered this wonderful site full of vests that are also under $30 each. Those

are pretty good prices when you're looking at quality.

Since I want to keep things fresh, I've decided to wear the same tuxedo to this year's prom (which I hope won't conflict with Sound of Music), but with a different vest/tie combination. Here's a few of the vests that appealed to me.

The picture doesn't show it as well, but this one has a friggin' dragon on it. How awesome is that?I'll tell you. It's pretty awesome. The red tie just completes the deal. This one is $43, so it's not exactly cheap. But it's just so awesome. :D

This one's a bit plainer, but it's in my favorite shade of green. I was looking for a vest like this when I was singing "Wonderful" from Wicked in a musical theatre revue, but I couldn't find one in time. This one is perfect. Especially since I'm obsessed with the color green (even though I don't wear it every day anymore.) Plus it's significantly less expensive ($24.99) than the aforementioned dragon vest, though considerably less BA.

This one's more of a teal, which is one of my favorite shades of blue-green. Actually, teal is kind of the only shade of blue-green. But I like it regardless. It's a little less vibrant than the emerald vest, but since I like teal so much, I had to include it in the possibilities. This one's only $24.99 as well, so I'm leaning toward it. :)

This one is sky blue, which is a very pleasant shade of blue. I like it because it matches my eyes. Not really. My eyes are brown. But I like this one anyway, because it's a little easier on the eyes but still vibrant enough to make an important statement (the statement being, I can look good for cheap, because this one's only $24.99 as well.)

This one's probably my least favorite, for two reasons. Yellow isn't great looking on me, and for some reason, this vest is about $10 more expensive than the three previous vests. But it's gold, and I still kinda like it.

I also, for some ungodly reason, want a zebra print vest, but the site's being stupid and not allowing me to view the website where I could find it. So, just imagine me for now in a zebra-print vest. I think it'd be pretty freakin' awesome. But that's just my opinion.

I don't think I'm gonna do any more blogs with picture posts on them for a while. That was fairly exhausting. Stupid Blogger. :P

Art!

So, in honor of the Congress-passed National Art Appreciation Day, all of THS's choir, band, orchestra, and art students were given the day off to perform for the other students. And I've gotta say-- it went really well! :)

Now, as I'm sure everyone and their brother is aware, THS isn't exactly known for its art programs. First off, we're not an art-based school. Second off, THS is in a lower-income area, where people can't always afford the necessary materials for the creation of visual and performing arts. A lot of people will turn their noses up at Thornton High School (its art program as well as the school itself), simply because of the stereotypes that surround it. Students at the school themselves also have probably been turning blind eyes, deaf ears, and other disabled appendages to the miracle that is the Thornton High School art program.

Until today.

I was frankly amazed at the number of students who came in to watch the choir performances. We were sure that we'd get a few people out of genuine interest. But we feared that would be it. We were shocked as the auditorium slowly began filling up. Sure, a lot of them had come because their teachers had their class watch the performance, but a lot of them came out of genuine interest. (Or boredom... ha.) And a good 95% of them-- I exclude a few people who were forced by others to come, or were simply disrespectful-- allowed themselves to enjoy the performance. I think a lot of them were shocked, too. This was the first time that several of these students had ever heard the choir. Given the aforementioned stereotypes surrounding the school, they had simply assumed that the choir program would be bad. That made the performance all the more effective.

The most important thing about art day is that it raised awareness to administration, the principal, and the friggin' SUPERINTENDENT (who was kind enough to make an appearance. :D) about the importance of the arts. We survived the first $24 million budget cut, and we've got another $20 million cut to go. Historically, the arts are the first to go. Hopefully, after today's demonstration, the school board will think twice before taking anything out of the art programs.

I'm super proud of everyone (band, choir, orchestra, and visual art kids alike) who participated in today's activities. Each and every one of you took a part in maintaining what is an amazing art program. I commend each and every one of you.

You humble me. :)

Bumblebee

I kinda like these one-worded posts. It makes me feel mysterious and enigmatic. Of course, mysterious and enigmatic pretty much mean the same things. But the fact that I use both words with similar meanings makes me... well... mysterious. And enigmatic.

;D

Of course, the title of this post is bumblebee, because I got a little taste of how busy my life is going to be the next couple months today. I came home from a full 8-period day of school plus Sweeney Todd practice (music plus run-through) at 5:30 pm. After that, I met Cori and Helen at Barnes and Noble for some studying (and general tomfoolery, but studying happened as well, I assure you.) In between, however, I had to go to a Boy Scout Meeting to acquire a few necessary signatures for my Eagle Paperwork. After that, I returned to Barnes and Noble to continue studying.

On an unrelated side note, the children's section of Barnes and Noble is far too distracting to work well in. Don't ask me how I know this. I just do. :)

...And I'm just gonna get busier, having obtained a significant role in Willy Wonka. Looking back, I'm glad I got a smaller role. I can focus more on Sweeney. Tomorrow, I have no plans of getting home anytime before 8:30. Hopefully there will be a little downtime to do some homework.

Speaking of homework, senior year of the International Baccalaureate isn't going to complete itself.

I'm not complaining. I understood when I made all these commitments that I was going to be busy, and sometimes stressed. I merely just wanted to discuss and remark (two words with similar meanings) my busy schedule. I hope I'm appreciated. ;)

Schoooooooool

It's started.

The excess of O's in the title are both an indication of excitement and sheer terror.

Mostly sheer terror.

But I don't mean that in a bad way. I'm very excited to be a senior, but I'm terrified of IB. But who isn't in these modern times? IB is quite terrifying. I blame Switzerland. They're the ones who gave it to America.

This is why I hate Swiss cheese.

But I've gone off on a tangent. (Not to be confused with a cosine. Ha.) I'm very excited about being a senior, even though I don't think the fact that this is my last year of school has truly sunk in yet. Holy Calcutta. It's my last year of school. After this, I have to pay to learn.

Though of course, I kinda have to pay to learn now. And by me, I mean my parents. My mom just signed a $200 check for graduation materials. God Bless Her. She also paid for my choir classes, my parking permit (which cost $50, a $20 increase from what it was last year), my yearbook, and everything else that costs money. Good thing I don't take the bus-- that would have been another expense. Stupid budget cuts. Public school is no longer free.

But anyway, I'm very excited to be a senior. I'm terrified of IB and also getting into college stuff. I really really REALLY want to go to NYU, but I'm gonna need scholarship upon scholarship to get in there, because it's one of the most expensive schools in the world (hardly a surprise, since it's in the most expensive place in the world.)

So, most of this "School" post is not really about school, but this blog is more of an electronic diary that anyone can see (hmmmm....), but it's mostly for me. So I don't care. :)

So...

I've got this idea for EE. If I write, like, 300-400 words a day, my essay will be complete within two weeks. This would work, in theory. But I am not accounting for writer's block, or the fact that I'm still not entirely sure where this essay is going. I have a very rough outline, but is that enough? I have my doubts.

I would know. I outlined an entire 26,000 word book for my personal project, and even then I had problems writing.

But since this essay is a work of non-fiction (and is taken heavy donations from a kind old gentleman named Wikipedia, as well as the books I checked out from College Hill), it might be easier to write, since I'm not making things up as I go... at least I hope I'm not making things up. That would be an issue.

The Extended Essay did not fall on a convenient summer. I have much on my plate, and not much on the metaphorical plate has been fully consumed. Sure, I've taken bites out of the many bitter-tasting foods, but I am yet to actually consume an entire pork chop yet.

But at least I can find small mercies in my amazing ability to create metaphors.

That's all. Tune in next time. :)