It has been a while since my last entry, and I apologize for that. As you may have guess, I've been super-busy. One of my two classes, which is called "Graduate Studies in Music", has it's share of work to do for it. It's basically a research class, which is a kind class that is dreaded in the college world. Lots of difficult homework, lots of critical thinking, and one picky and super-analytical professor. Sounds like a college course, doesn't it? The other class, called "Advanced Woodwind & Brass Repertoire" is much more manageable, meeting only 6 times this whole semester. All we do is put together lists of music pertaining to a specific topic and present that to the class and have them listen to the examples. It's a good group of graduate students, so it's a very comfortable setting. Plus, it's taught by my horn professor, which sweetens the deal.
Also on my plate I have rehearsals, which takes up 2-4 hours of my day. And, many other little things. I'm attempting to add onto that a part-time job, which at the moment is going to be bell-ringing for the Salvation Army in front of stores. That's right, they get paid...at least in Wisconsin, they do. It's great! Instead of ringing the bell, I could play my horn! I'll play mainly Christmas tunes, but I can also interject a few melodic studies that I've worked on. I work my first shift for 7 hours on Saturday the 3rd at a grocery store in Oak Creek called Piggly Wiggly. Yes, that really is the name of a store. There's one near our house, even.
But, things are still fun. I've got good friends here, I'm learning a lot, I'm getting lots of horn playing in...and I still get to spend some good time with my family.
A couple weekends ago I had a great opportunity, one of the best musical experiences I've ever had. I played a concerto, or a feature piece, with the Mid-Columbia Symphony in Kennewick, WA. The orchestra flew me over there from Thursday, Oct. 18th to Sunday, Oct. 21st. The performance went very well, and I was quite comfortable on stage. I didn't get nervous at all, which is a real surprise to me. I think it was because I know most of the folks in that group, and have had a lot of good support from them over the years. My parents came over for the performance, too, as well as my old teacher from CWU. I also saw many of my former colleagues and friends, which was a real privilege. What a fantastic weekend it was. I'll never forget it. There, I felt like a true professional musician...someday I'll be one of those. But for now, I'm happy being a student.
Take care and value music.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Homecoming...sort of.
This weekend is a big weekend for me...and not so much so for the other members of the Brown household. This Saturday I get the amazing opportunity to play a concerto with an orchestra Holly and I used to play with when we lived in eastern Washington. For those of you who don't know what a concerto is, it's a genre of classical music where a single player is featured in front of the orchestra, and plays a crapload of solos. This person is sort of like the lead-singer, if you will. This particular concerto that I'm playing is my personal favorite, written by a 20th century Russian composer named Reinhold Gliere. The piece is about 26 minutes long, so I get to stand up there the whole time, but luckily I don't have to play the whole time. Composers of concertos are nice enough to give the soloist a good deal of rest. So, the soloist stands there (in my case, I'll be emptying a bunch of water from my horn) while the orchestra becomes featured. So, I get to do this on Saturday with a group of musicians that I shared an orchestra with for the last 4 years...with an orchestra that I've come to love. What a great opportunity for me. How lucky am I? Heh, I've just started reading this book by Leonard Nimoy called "I Am Spock", and on the first page he talks about how lucky he is for things that have happened in his career. This time, I'm lucky.
Well, sort of. I mean, in order to get this opportunity, I didn't win any competitions or anything. All I did was ask the conductor one time how one gets to a chance to solo with this orchestra (by the way, this orchestra is called the Mid-Columbia Symphony), and then I mentioned that I'd like to do that sometime. At the end of that season, when we were holding auditions for the following season, the conductor asks me to think of a concerto to play. Wow, right? I've always worked hard on making my part sound good when I played with the orchestra, and it paid off.
So why is it going to be not such a good weekend for Holly and Luke? Well...they have to remain here in Wisconsin while I head to Washington. It really sucks to leave them behind, especially since Holly is alone caring for Luke. But, that's how it has to be. I'm going to miss them terribly.
It really saddens me to think of the amount of emotion that people display when playing music. No, I'm not talking about one who actually expresses the emotion of the music itself as they play it. I'm not talking even about good emotions. I'm talking about how musicians can be so rude to each other. Making music involves so much of the concept of "right and wrong" that musicians get too caught up in it and get emotional about it. They let emotions get in the way of everything, especially when it comes to criticism. The thing we tend to forget is that criticism is supposed to help people, not hurt them. In music, criticism is provided by people in order to help other. But people get so emotional about criticism that things turn ugly. This isn't how it's so supposed to be. Making music together should be a privilege, and should be a team effort. But how can it be so when people won't take criticism, won't be open to changing their ways, or won't even listen to what other people say at all? If people would put aside their egos and their emotions when they're making music, and definitely stop taking things so personally...man, wouldn't that be great?
I think the biggest problem is that success in music involves so much competition that people always feel that they have to compete with each other even when the competitions are technically over. It's all about being right and not being wrong to them. But in reality, does it really matter to an audience who's right and who's wrong? Does the competition even matter to them when listening to a concert? Probably not. They come to a concert to hear good music being played the best it can be. It's our goal as musicians to work together to make it sound that way. A team that competes with each other doesn't do very well.
And yes, in case you're wondering, I do take my own advice. I hate all that negative stuff...I hate arguing, so I try my hardest not to produce it. I sometimes let it slip, shame on me. But I strive for just being...cool with everything.
Take care and value music.
Well, sort of. I mean, in order to get this opportunity, I didn't win any competitions or anything. All I did was ask the conductor one time how one gets to a chance to solo with this orchestra (by the way, this orchestra is called the Mid-Columbia Symphony), and then I mentioned that I'd like to do that sometime. At the end of that season, when we were holding auditions for the following season, the conductor asks me to think of a concerto to play. Wow, right? I've always worked hard on making my part sound good when I played with the orchestra, and it paid off.
So why is it going to be not such a good weekend for Holly and Luke? Well...they have to remain here in Wisconsin while I head to Washington. It really sucks to leave them behind, especially since Holly is alone caring for Luke. But, that's how it has to be. I'm going to miss them terribly.
It really saddens me to think of the amount of emotion that people display when playing music. No, I'm not talking about one who actually expresses the emotion of the music itself as they play it. I'm not talking even about good emotions. I'm talking about how musicians can be so rude to each other. Making music involves so much of the concept of "right and wrong" that musicians get too caught up in it and get emotional about it. They let emotions get in the way of everything, especially when it comes to criticism. The thing we tend to forget is that criticism is supposed to help people, not hurt them. In music, criticism is provided by people in order to help other. But people get so emotional about criticism that things turn ugly. This isn't how it's so supposed to be. Making music together should be a privilege, and should be a team effort. But how can it be so when people won't take criticism, won't be open to changing their ways, or won't even listen to what other people say at all? If people would put aside their egos and their emotions when they're making music, and definitely stop taking things so personally...man, wouldn't that be great?
I think the biggest problem is that success in music involves so much competition that people always feel that they have to compete with each other even when the competitions are technically over. It's all about being right and not being wrong to them. But in reality, does it really matter to an audience who's right and who's wrong? Does the competition even matter to them when listening to a concert? Probably not. They come to a concert to hear good music being played the best it can be. It's our goal as musicians to work together to make it sound that way. A team that competes with each other doesn't do very well.
And yes, in case you're wondering, I do take my own advice. I hate all that negative stuff...I hate arguing, so I try my hardest not to produce it. I sometimes let it slip, shame on me. But I strive for just being...cool with everything.
Take care and value music.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Crazy...
I had a dream this morning that I had just bought a new iPad & Macbook, and I had a new sports car. I don't remember what kind of car it was, or how I got it. I also don't know where I was, since the settings of my dreams always take places in locations I've never been to. This one was near the ocean. But anyways, can you imagine what it would feel like to have a new iPad, Macbook and sports car all at one? It's almost as cool as having a new baby.
Our baby sure isn't new anymore, though. He just past the 5-month mark a week ago. Can you believe it? He's already had 5 months of existence. He's a pretty recent picture of him that I took on my phone:
Holly's been to a couple of rummage sales lately, and has come home with a ton of new things for Luke after spendin about $50. One big highlight is a beautiful changing table that's like new. Now we don't have to use our own bed to change him, and risk him peeing on the bed. Plus, we don't have to bend down as far to change him, which has done a number on my lower back. Other things we have gotten for him are this little chair pictured here, lots of clothes and other toys. Luke's room is filling up quick. Don't worry, there's still lots of room in there.
So you're probably wondering why it's been a while since my last blog entry...or if you aren't, you should be! :) Things have just been incredibly busy here...busier than they ever have been. It's tough to keep up with everything. School takes up most of my time on weekdays. I have 2-4 hours of rehearsals every day, a 3-hour class every Thursday evening, and a 2 hour class on Wednesday mornings. I also have at least 4 hours of commitment to my horn teacher every week, as part of my assistantship. Add 3-4 hours of practicing per day, and at least 1 hour of homework a day. Plus, on Tuesday nights I coach a youth band program at UWM. And then, Holly and I are involved with church activities for about 5 hours on Wednesday nights. That's what's going on. Where do I have free time? Pretty much on the weekends...which are full of random chores and activities. So, you can understand why I may take a while for an entry. I apologize to all you devote readers out there who are dying to know how Luke and Holly are doing (not so much me, I'd imagine). I'll try my best to keep you informed.
And for those of you who are curious about how I am doing, I'm doing well. School is a lot of fun so far. I play in the UWM symphony orchestra, wind ensemble & a brass quintet with other grad students, and I'm having so much fun playing in them. The orchestra is playing a lot of fun music, so that's exciting. The wind ensemble sounds really good, and we perform a lot with them this semester. The brass quintet is just plain fun, and pretty good, too. It's all fun, and I look forward to all the performances coming up later. I'm also enjoying working with my teacher. The classes I'm taking is a lot of work, but so far, I'm hanging in there.
Yes, as I've said before, I made a good choice coming to UWM. I love it here.
I really will try my hardest to write in here more often, if only just a paragraph or two.
Take care and value music...especially the music of Dvorak.
Our baby sure isn't new anymore, though. He just past the 5-month mark a week ago. Can you believe it? He's already had 5 months of existence. He's a pretty recent picture of him that I took on my phone:
So you're probably wondering why it's been a while since my last blog entry...or if you aren't, you should be! :) Things have just been incredibly busy here...busier than they ever have been. It's tough to keep up with everything. School takes up most of my time on weekdays. I have 2-4 hours of rehearsals every day, a 3-hour class every Thursday evening, and a 2 hour class on Wednesday mornings. I also have at least 4 hours of commitment to my horn teacher every week, as part of my assistantship. Add 3-4 hours of practicing per day, and at least 1 hour of homework a day. Plus, on Tuesday nights I coach a youth band program at UWM. And then, Holly and I are involved with church activities for about 5 hours on Wednesday nights. That's what's going on. Where do I have free time? Pretty much on the weekends...which are full of random chores and activities. So, you can understand why I may take a while for an entry. I apologize to all you devote readers out there who are dying to know how Luke and Holly are doing (not so much me, I'd imagine). I'll try my best to keep you informed.
And for those of you who are curious about how I am doing, I'm doing well. School is a lot of fun so far. I play in the UWM symphony orchestra, wind ensemble & a brass quintet with other grad students, and I'm having so much fun playing in them. The orchestra is playing a lot of fun music, so that's exciting. The wind ensemble sounds really good, and we perform a lot with them this semester. The brass quintet is just plain fun, and pretty good, too. It's all fun, and I look forward to all the performances coming up later. I'm also enjoying working with my teacher. The classes I'm taking is a lot of work, but so far, I'm hanging in there.
Yes, as I've said before, I made a good choice coming to UWM. I love it here.
I really will try my hardest to write in here more often, if only just a paragraph or two.
Take care and value music...especially the music of Dvorak.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
The streak continues
I've been principal horn (that's 1st chair) in an orchestra for the last five years. It started with the CWU Orchestra during my 3rd year. By the time I graduated, I had worked my way up to principal chair of the Mid-Columbia Symphony in the Tri-Cities in Washington, which I held up until we moved to Wisconsin. Now, here at UWM, I have successfully auditioned to the principal chair of the orchestra. It's just such a great feeling to move into a new area and make a good impression. It's also cool to continue my streak of seeing 1st horn parts on my stand with at least one large ensemble, and to see that chair sitting there waiting for my butt to occupy it every rehearsal. I make such a big deal out of this not only because I obviously love playing principal horn, but also because I never thought I'd get to be principal horn, let alone for this long in my life. It'll probably be over once I graduate from UWM, so I'm gonna enjoy it while I can.
Don't get me wrong - Playing section horn (2nd, 3rd & 4th chairs) is a pretty amazing experience, too. I'd be happy to have a career as one of these. But still, I love principal horn the most, and I'd want that job most of all. Plus, it the professional world, principal hornists are paid more!
So orchestra rehearsals will start up soon. I also made it into Wind Ensemble, which is the top concert band at UWM, although they haven't announced chair placements yet. I think that they do a little more rotating of parts in Wind Ensemble, while in orchestra, my section with stay the same for the whole school year. Other than those ensembles, I'm started up with classes and stuff, and I think they're going to go well. It's just two classes, and they'll have a lot of work involved, but they'll still be quite rewarding. I've also starting horn lessons with my horn professor, which are going fantastically well, and will continue to. It's cool having a desk in the horn studio office with my professor. I feel so...important there.
On top of all the great things about school, I've also made a few great friends here already. Holly and I had a few of them over last weekend, and had a really great time. They're all grad students, too. Each of the grad students I've met here have been really awesome people, and I'm getting along with everyone quite well. Now I'm eager to hear the skill level of all these musicians!
As you can tell, I'm really loving UWM. I made a good choice.
So while I'm busy with school stuff, Holly will be mostly at home with Luke. Actually, she's doing her best to get involved with activities away from the house. She's going to be involved with a women's bible study with the church we go to. She's been hanging out a lot with one of our new friends, who is a wife whose husband is also a UWM grad student. Holly's also looking to do some babysitting.
As you can see, Holly and I will be doing totally different things in our everyday lives, while still trying to get as much time as we can together. During the week, I won't be able to be home much. But so far on the weekends I have no commitments to keep me from home. Once I find a part time job, that may change, though.
And what about Luke, you ask? Yes, I made you read most of this blog entry when all you really wanted to read about was Luke. Well, Luke's doing fine, of course! He's just growin' and growin'. He's been pretty vocal, although it's all jibberish, still. Nothing else spectacular is happening as of now. You'll hear about it, don't worry.
Sorry to be out of touch to all you eager readers. I've had a busy week. I'll try to write more often.
Take care and value music.
Don't get me wrong - Playing section horn (2nd, 3rd & 4th chairs) is a pretty amazing experience, too. I'd be happy to have a career as one of these. But still, I love principal horn the most, and I'd want that job most of all. Plus, it the professional world, principal hornists are paid more!
So orchestra rehearsals will start up soon. I also made it into Wind Ensemble, which is the top concert band at UWM, although they haven't announced chair placements yet. I think that they do a little more rotating of parts in Wind Ensemble, while in orchestra, my section with stay the same for the whole school year. Other than those ensembles, I'm started up with classes and stuff, and I think they're going to go well. It's just two classes, and they'll have a lot of work involved, but they'll still be quite rewarding. I've also starting horn lessons with my horn professor, which are going fantastically well, and will continue to. It's cool having a desk in the horn studio office with my professor. I feel so...important there.
On top of all the great things about school, I've also made a few great friends here already. Holly and I had a few of them over last weekend, and had a really great time. They're all grad students, too. Each of the grad students I've met here have been really awesome people, and I'm getting along with everyone quite well. Now I'm eager to hear the skill level of all these musicians!
As you can tell, I'm really loving UWM. I made a good choice.
So while I'm busy with school stuff, Holly will be mostly at home with Luke. Actually, she's doing her best to get involved with activities away from the house. She's going to be involved with a women's bible study with the church we go to. She's been hanging out a lot with one of our new friends, who is a wife whose husband is also a UWM grad student. Holly's also looking to do some babysitting.
As you can see, Holly and I will be doing totally different things in our everyday lives, while still trying to get as much time as we can together. During the week, I won't be able to be home much. But so far on the weekends I have no commitments to keep me from home. Once I find a part time job, that may change, though.
And what about Luke, you ask? Yes, I made you read most of this blog entry when all you really wanted to read about was Luke. Well, Luke's doing fine, of course! He's just growin' and growin'. He's been pretty vocal, although it's all jibberish, still. Nothing else spectacular is happening as of now. You'll hear about it, don't worry.
Sorry to be out of touch to all you eager readers. I've had a busy week. I'll try to write more often.
Take care and value music.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Summer is ending...
Probably the most interesting summer I've had so far. It definitely was not an easy time, with have to move, travel a ton (not only across the country, but also between our parents' houses beforehand), getting adjusted to having a baby, and getting ourselves established in Shorewood, WI. We still haven't sorted every little thing out, but we're pretty much settled in our place with no more unpacking needed. Now, I'm looking for a part-time job. I am already making a few bucks extra helping out with a youth wind ensemble program here at UWM, and I have 1 student I'm teaching lessons to. But, more is better. Holly's been looking into baby sitting, since she's experienced with that and definitely responsible. So wish us luck as we search for jobs. Never a fun process, but always quite rewarding. I'm counting on it to be much easier to find a job here in the city instead of in eastern Washington...mainly because I'm not required to speak Spanish.
One thing's for sure, I love living in the city. It's actually been something I've always wanted to do, based on the fact that I've always been fascinated by big cities every time I've visited one. I enjoyed the kind of neighborhood I grew up with, and that sort of area would probably be the ideal place to buy a house in and settle down, but for now, the city works well.
School starts on Tuesday, and I'm excited for things to get going, although next week for me won't be very busy, since ensembles don't start until the following week.
Holly and I have started watching this show on Netflix called Heroes, which ran for 4 seasons from 2006 to 2010. It's like a sci-fi drama, but the sci-fi element is much more mild that normal, which means Holly can tolerate it a little easier. It's about ordinary people who find out they have some sort of superhuman powers, and how these random people somehow meet each other and work together to save the world from certain disasters. One guy finds out that he can hear the thoughts of people. A high school cheerleader finds out that she can regenerate any injuries she gets, including reviving herself from death. A Japanese dude can actually stop time, giving him the ability to teleport. Another girl has super strength. It's a really awesome show that Holly and I are drawn into. You should really check it out.
We're going to have some of my new friends from UWM over today. They're all fellow grad students in music. Should be a fun time!
Take care and value music.
One thing's for sure, I love living in the city. It's actually been something I've always wanted to do, based on the fact that I've always been fascinated by big cities every time I've visited one. I enjoyed the kind of neighborhood I grew up with, and that sort of area would probably be the ideal place to buy a house in and settle down, but for now, the city works well.
School starts on Tuesday, and I'm excited for things to get going, although next week for me won't be very busy, since ensembles don't start until the following week.
Holly and I have started watching this show on Netflix called Heroes, which ran for 4 seasons from 2006 to 2010. It's like a sci-fi drama, but the sci-fi element is much more mild that normal, which means Holly can tolerate it a little easier. It's about ordinary people who find out they have some sort of superhuman powers, and how these random people somehow meet each other and work together to save the world from certain disasters. One guy finds out that he can hear the thoughts of people. A high school cheerleader finds out that she can regenerate any injuries she gets, including reviving herself from death. A Japanese dude can actually stop time, giving him the ability to teleport. Another girl has super strength. It's a really awesome show that Holly and I are drawn into. You should really check it out.
We're going to have some of my new friends from UWM over today. They're all fellow grad students in music. Should be a fun time!
Take care and value music.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Look at Luke!
Here's the latest from Luke. These pictures was taken with the last day. Him just being cute and all that.
He seems to be getting more fun day by day! It's great hearing him vocalizing so much! The funny that we push them to talk and be vocal so much when they're babies, but when the get older we tell them to shut up.
Such a logical race, we humans.
I had a busy week of events going on at the college preparing me for the graduate student experience. I've met many other graduate students in the music department, and they're all really great people that I've been getting along with well. I haven't heard anyone play their instrument yet, but I'm guess these graduate students are all really hot stuff. I can wait to start hearing people play, and to play in ensembles with them.
I've also been working to prepare my stuff for the ensemble auditions which are during the first week of school. It's been a struggle because of the lack of playing I've done this month due to various things like the move, unpacking, and other settling-in sort of things. Lemme tell ya, for those of you who aren't brass players, missing more than a day of practice really puts you out of shape. So, I'm working on getting back into shape. Then, I've got to keep in shape.
It's cool watching Holly interact with Luke. He is like her whole life now, and it seems to make her quite happy. It is quite a lot of work she has to do, which is something that I think the male gender will never really understand. I admit, I don't really understand how much work it is, but I do observe the fact that her attention is always on Luke. She does mention every now and then about going back to work, or at least doing a little substitute teaching. Actually, she's been talking about start graduate studies of her own next year, since we're here. It'll be interesting trying to figure out what to do with Luke. But, in the meantime, for this year at least, she's a full-blown stay-at-home mom, and I'm very thankful she is that. So while she does that, I'll work towards getting closer to my life goals, in addition to providing for the family and proving to the world that I'm not a loser. I say that because the last couple years of really going nowhere in my career, thus not providing very much has really discouraged me. Time for that to end!
Take care and value music.
Such a logical race, we humans.
I had a busy week of events going on at the college preparing me for the graduate student experience. I've met many other graduate students in the music department, and they're all really great people that I've been getting along with well. I haven't heard anyone play their instrument yet, but I'm guess these graduate students are all really hot stuff. I can wait to start hearing people play, and to play in ensembles with them.
I've also been working to prepare my stuff for the ensemble auditions which are during the first week of school. It's been a struggle because of the lack of playing I've done this month due to various things like the move, unpacking, and other settling-in sort of things. Lemme tell ya, for those of you who aren't brass players, missing more than a day of practice really puts you out of shape. So, I'm working on getting back into shape. Then, I've got to keep in shape.
It's cool watching Holly interact with Luke. He is like her whole life now, and it seems to make her quite happy. It is quite a lot of work she has to do, which is something that I think the male gender will never really understand. I admit, I don't really understand how much work it is, but I do observe the fact that her attention is always on Luke. She does mention every now and then about going back to work, or at least doing a little substitute teaching. Actually, she's been talking about start graduate studies of her own next year, since we're here. It'll be interesting trying to figure out what to do with Luke. But, in the meantime, for this year at least, she's a full-blown stay-at-home mom, and I'm very thankful she is that. So while she does that, I'll work towards getting closer to my life goals, in addition to providing for the family and proving to the world that I'm not a loser. I say that because the last couple years of really going nowhere in my career, thus not providing very much has really discouraged me. Time for that to end!
Take care and value music.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
School starts soon!
I can't wait! This is what I've been looking forward to since March: going back to school. I really enjoyed my time at Central Washington University when I got my Bachelor's, and I was sad when it ended. So you can see my excitement. It's even better because I'm a grad student now, and I have special privileges and responsibilities. And my assistantship package is pretty cool, too. Did I tell you about it? Yeah, sure, maybe. But here it is again. First of all, this is what I have to do. In addition to taking classes, taking lessons and giving a recital, I'm required to play in both the Orchestra and Wind Ensemble (which is awesome), playing in a brass or woodwind quintet (also awesome), teach a horn fundamentals class to Music Education majors (just as awesome), and assist with anything that the horn professor needs me to. Now, what I get for doing all of this for them is my tuition completely paid for, health benefits, and an about $7600 a year stipend. Plus, I got a $2000 scholarship. So, this is a really great opportunity for me, and I get to play my horn a lot.
This week is when the university prepares graduate students for their two-year time here. I'm talking about orientations. Several of them. I heard that they're hell. We'll see, though. I also have my diagnostic exams, which are what the music department has to figure out where you will be placed for graduate level classes. I should do pretty well in them, since I got good grades in undergrad, but I'll still study.
Take care and value music.
This week is when the university prepares graduate students for their two-year time here. I'm talking about orientations. Several of them. I heard that they're hell. We'll see, though. I also have my diagnostic exams, which are what the music department has to figure out where you will be placed for graduate level classes. I should do pretty well in them, since I got good grades in undergrad, but I'll still study.
Take care and value music.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
I like it here
So now that Holly, Luke & I have pretty much settled into our apartment (not 100%, though), we're able to get out and about more. I've begun making regular trips to the UWM campus to practice my horn, meet professors, & get a few logistical things taken care of. Holly and I both have taken a couple walks around the village of Shorewood, and also have driven to several different locations for things. I've concluded that I really like it here. Everyone said that the town of Shorewood is a very nice place to live...and they were right! Even south of Shorewood, where Milwaukee city limits start is nice. The UWM campus is just south of Shorewood, and it's a very nice campus, too. I already feel comfortable here, which is quicker than I felt comfortable when we moved to the Sunnyside area in Washington state. I guess I've always wanted to live in the city, or at least in the sub-urbs, my whole life. I grew up in a neighborhood near a 20,000-something population city, which was also comfortable, but just not very big feeling. Things were still far away. Now, everything we need seems so close, one thing that's great about living in the city.
So yeah, it's great here. That's what it all boils down to, and I'm sure we're going to enjoy it here for however long we live here.
So on this day, the eve of our anniversary, we didn't do a whole lot. We did take a long walk around Shorewood, mainly to check out what the grocery stores around here were like. There's one really nice little one close to us, but you can tell it's a little more of a higher-end grocery store. The citizens of Shorewood mostly are pretty well off, and don't mind paying a little more for good quality. This store, called Sendik's, didn't have pre-packaged meat in the meat department. Everything was behind a display case for you to pick your own amounts. There was also an elaborate bakery selection, complete with many extremely delicious but fattening and expensive selections.
There was also this store called Pick'N'Save that can be compared to an Albertson's back in Washington state, but is better, I think. We bought some amazing grapes there, lemme tell ya. Also, outside of Shorewood but nearby our house is another grocery store called Piggly Wiggly...no foolin'. They we're a little low-end, but had some good prices of fresh meat.
So that's basically our day. I got to the campus to practice twice. Luke's becoming even more interactive, and quite talkative. The weather's been comfortable here. I'm tired.
Take care and value music.
So yeah, it's great here. That's what it all boils down to, and I'm sure we're going to enjoy it here for however long we live here.
So on this day, the eve of our anniversary, we didn't do a whole lot. We did take a long walk around Shorewood, mainly to check out what the grocery stores around here were like. There's one really nice little one close to us, but you can tell it's a little more of a higher-end grocery store. The citizens of Shorewood mostly are pretty well off, and don't mind paying a little more for good quality. This store, called Sendik's, didn't have pre-packaged meat in the meat department. Everything was behind a display case for you to pick your own amounts. There was also an elaborate bakery selection, complete with many extremely delicious but fattening and expensive selections.
There was also this store called Pick'N'Save that can be compared to an Albertson's back in Washington state, but is better, I think. We bought some amazing grapes there, lemme tell ya. Also, outside of Shorewood but nearby our house is another grocery store called Piggly Wiggly...no foolin'. They we're a little low-end, but had some good prices of fresh meat.
So that's basically our day. I got to the campus to practice twice. Luke's becoming even more interactive, and quite talkative. The weather's been comfortable here. I'm tired.
Take care and value music.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Settling in
Sorry to be outta touch. Things have been so busy that writing a blog entry has been close to the bottom of my priorities list. Well, it still is, but who cares?
And believe me, getting my priorities straight has not been an easy task. In the midst of all the work on the apartment Holly and I have been doing, I still have things to get ready at the college, as well as things like changing our addresses and paying bills, as well as shopping for things to go into the apartment. Pretty stressful stuff.
So Holly, Luke & I pulled into Shorewood last Thursday the 2nd, and my parents arrived later that morning with the moving truck. We got our first real-life look at our new place, and overall we're pretty happy with everything. The landlord seems like a pretty good guy, and so far we like him. We have good reason to be skeptical, though, so we'll keep an eye on him.
Before my parents showed up with the moving truck, so new friends of ours arrived that we hadn't even met before. A relative of Holly's back in Seattle attends a Salvation Army church, who are known not only for their charity work but also their British-style brass bands used for worship music. Holly and I have both been quite intrigued by this, and have wanted to participate for a while. So, Holly talked it over with this relative, who made some calls to the Milwaukee area before we arrived. We were then called by the Captain (or pastor) of a Salvation Army church in Oak Creek, WI (That's right, Oak Creek) who offered to help us move in. Great! So, right before my parents showed up with the truck, these four big, strong guys come to our door saying they're here to help. Nicest dudes ever, too. So, we had 4 extra people helping with the unloading, which was amazing, and it only took us about an hour and a half to get everything unloaded. Totally amazing. We bought them pizza (well, my parents did) and they were on their way. We attended their church last Sunday (that's right, on Sunday) and it was a nice service. They treated us quite well. Fun to play music in, too. So, I think we'll be going there for a while.
Yeah, we were at that church when that mass shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, WI happened. The Salvation Army church is less than a mile from the Sikh Temple. Pretty crazy, huh?
My parents hung around for another day. They helped us move a few things around, and we bought them dinner at Applebee's. We also checked out Lake Michigan, which is less than a mile from our house, and it's absolutely amazing. There's this beach near our house called Atwater beach where you can go swimming. Yay, free swimming! Plus the water's warm, un-salted and un-chlorinated. It's really great. And this beach is a sandy beach, too. Anyways, I took my parents to the airport in August 3rd, and they headed home. I drove them down to Chicago because the airfare was cheaper outta there compared to outta Milwaukee. The crappy thing is that Illinois freeways have tons of these stupid toll booths everywhere. It's pretty lame.
For the last week, Holly and I have been unpacking and cleaning up the house. I swear the previous tennants didn't clean the floor. Unpacking has been slow, mainly because only one of us is able to work most of the time. The other has to tend to Luke. But we've made some good progress, and are close to completion. Once we finish, I plan on doing a video tour to show everyone.
So that's that. I really need to start getting prepare for school. There's paperwork to fill out, entrance exams to study for, logistics to take care of, and audition material to prepare. Not to mention my work the concerto I'm playing in October.
Take care and value music.
And believe me, getting my priorities straight has not been an easy task. In the midst of all the work on the apartment Holly and I have been doing, I still have things to get ready at the college, as well as things like changing our addresses and paying bills, as well as shopping for things to go into the apartment. Pretty stressful stuff.
So Holly, Luke & I pulled into Shorewood last Thursday the 2nd, and my parents arrived later that morning with the moving truck. We got our first real-life look at our new place, and overall we're pretty happy with everything. The landlord seems like a pretty good guy, and so far we like him. We have good reason to be skeptical, though, so we'll keep an eye on him.
Before my parents showed up with the moving truck, so new friends of ours arrived that we hadn't even met before. A relative of Holly's back in Seattle attends a Salvation Army church, who are known not only for their charity work but also their British-style brass bands used for worship music. Holly and I have both been quite intrigued by this, and have wanted to participate for a while. So, Holly talked it over with this relative, who made some calls to the Milwaukee area before we arrived. We were then called by the Captain (or pastor) of a Salvation Army church in Oak Creek, WI (That's right, Oak Creek) who offered to help us move in. Great! So, right before my parents showed up with the truck, these four big, strong guys come to our door saying they're here to help. Nicest dudes ever, too. So, we had 4 extra people helping with the unloading, which was amazing, and it only took us about an hour and a half to get everything unloaded. Totally amazing. We bought them pizza (well, my parents did) and they were on their way. We attended their church last Sunday (that's right, on Sunday) and it was a nice service. They treated us quite well. Fun to play music in, too. So, I think we'll be going there for a while.
Yeah, we were at that church when that mass shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, WI happened. The Salvation Army church is less than a mile from the Sikh Temple. Pretty crazy, huh?
My parents hung around for another day. They helped us move a few things around, and we bought them dinner at Applebee's. We also checked out Lake Michigan, which is less than a mile from our house, and it's absolutely amazing. There's this beach near our house called Atwater beach where you can go swimming. Yay, free swimming! Plus the water's warm, un-salted and un-chlorinated. It's really great. And this beach is a sandy beach, too. Anyways, I took my parents to the airport in August 3rd, and they headed home. I drove them down to Chicago because the airfare was cheaper outta there compared to outta Milwaukee. The crappy thing is that Illinois freeways have tons of these stupid toll booths everywhere. It's pretty lame.
For the last week, Holly and I have been unpacking and cleaning up the house. I swear the previous tennants didn't clean the floor. Unpacking has been slow, mainly because only one of us is able to work most of the time. The other has to tend to Luke. But we've made some good progress, and are close to completion. Once we finish, I plan on doing a video tour to show everyone.
So that's that. I really need to start getting prepare for school. There's paperwork to fill out, entrance exams to study for, logistics to take care of, and audition material to prepare. Not to mention my work the concerto I'm playing in October.
Take care and value music.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
A hop, skip & a jump
We pulled into Madison, Wisconsin at about 6pm CST tonight for the last night of our big road trip. The cool thing is that Shorewood (our new hometown) is only an hour and a half drive from Madison, so there's not much driving left. We'll have the whole day to unload the truck and get to work unpacking everything.
Our drive today was nice. The majority of it was spent going all the way across southern Minnesota. Nothing much there except corn fields, a few trees and a town every now and then. My parents even agreed that it was quite boring. I'm guessing that Minnesota gets more interesting as you head north. Anyways, once we approached the Mississippi River, the landscape changed completely. The Mississippi River creates the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and once you get to Wisconsin, you see a whole lot of one thing: trees. These aren't pine trees that are so abundant in WA. I'm not sure what kind of trees these are, but I bet they're the trees that have leaves that change colors in the autumn. If that's the case, Wisconsin is absolutely gorgeous in autumn! I guess we'll find out.
Tomorrow we will arrive at our new apartment at around 9am and get the keys. Then, the unloading process begins. I feel so bad for my parents for having to drive that uncomfortable 24-foot moving truck for the whole trip. I'm so thankful that they've put up with it with no serious complaints. They even paid for some of the fuel. My parents are awesome. Completely awesome. They have always done so much for us, and continue to. This kind of help is unmatched.
What a great state to be in. What a fine time we're going to have. How happy I am for finally getting to do grad school. I've got to take advantage of this. Lots of hard work and dedication, as well as enjoying the area around me. I've got to find the right balance of work and play, which I've never always been good at. It's always been too much play.
Whatever. I'll figure it out. Why worry about it, huh?
Take care and value music.
Our drive today was nice. The majority of it was spent going all the way across southern Minnesota. Nothing much there except corn fields, a few trees and a town every now and then. My parents even agreed that it was quite boring. I'm guessing that Minnesota gets more interesting as you head north. Anyways, once we approached the Mississippi River, the landscape changed completely. The Mississippi River creates the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, and once you get to Wisconsin, you see a whole lot of one thing: trees. These aren't pine trees that are so abundant in WA. I'm not sure what kind of trees these are, but I bet they're the trees that have leaves that change colors in the autumn. If that's the case, Wisconsin is absolutely gorgeous in autumn! I guess we'll find out.
Tomorrow we will arrive at our new apartment at around 9am and get the keys. Then, the unloading process begins. I feel so bad for my parents for having to drive that uncomfortable 24-foot moving truck for the whole trip. I'm so thankful that they've put up with it with no serious complaints. They even paid for some of the fuel. My parents are awesome. Completely awesome. They have always done so much for us, and continue to. This kind of help is unmatched.
What a great state to be in. What a fine time we're going to have. How happy I am for finally getting to do grad school. I've got to take advantage of this. Lots of hard work and dedication, as well as enjoying the area around me. I've got to find the right balance of work and play, which I've never always been good at. It's always been too much play.
Whatever. I'll figure it out. Why worry about it, huh?
Take care and value music.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
So this is what South Dakota's like?
It's funny...I expected Montana and Wyoming to be flat and desolate with the freeway pretty much going straight, but to my surprise South Dakota takes the gold medal. Now, I didn't travel through all of Montana or Wyoming. We did cover a pretty good chunk of Montana, and a good majority of that drive was quite beautiful. Northeastern Wyoming was also quite pretty. Western South Dakota was promising at first, but after Rapid City things became undeniably boring. I guess I'm not surprised by that. I'm just surprised that the other two states were quite different.
The day of travel was okay today. We were up at 5:30am, on the road an hour later with full tummies from continental breakfast. Luke was pretty cool for a good amount of the time, but we still stopped four times. The weather reached 104 degrees F in some parts of South Dakota. We also checked out this drug store in Wall, South Dakota known as Wall Drug, which is really just a missive tourist store, restaurant, bakery, ice cream parlor, clothing store & so much more. The cool thing was that there were tons of billboards more then 80 miles out of Wall that told motorists about all about Wall Drug. Pretty cool place.
No, we didn't stop at Mt. Rushmore. It was too far out of the way from I-90. Holly wanted to go at first, but ultimately decided to bypass it, considering the amount of driving we were actually doing.
As much fun as this road trip is, it'll be good to be done on Thursday. It sure is cool to see all this new territory.
Take care and value music.
The day of travel was okay today. We were up at 5:30am, on the road an hour later with full tummies from continental breakfast. Luke was pretty cool for a good amount of the time, but we still stopped four times. The weather reached 104 degrees F in some parts of South Dakota. We also checked out this drug store in Wall, South Dakota known as Wall Drug, which is really just a missive tourist store, restaurant, bakery, ice cream parlor, clothing store & so much more. The cool thing was that there were tons of billboards more then 80 miles out of Wall that told motorists about all about Wall Drug. Pretty cool place.
No, we didn't stop at Mt. Rushmore. It was too far out of the way from I-90. Holly wanted to go at first, but ultimately decided to bypass it, considering the amount of driving we were actually doing.
As much fun as this road trip is, it'll be good to be done on Thursday. It sure is cool to see all this new territory.
Take care and value music.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Day two of the move
I sit here at the Best Western hotel in Billings Montana with Luke on our king-sized bed while Holly showers. It is 12:37 AM MST, and we are f***ing exhausted! Our first day of the move was also long, involving us leaving Holly's parents' house in the morning, grabbing the moving truck in Richland, and loading up all of our stuff in Prosser. By 6pm, we were ready to leave Prosser, exhausted, sweaty...plus, we had to drive to Spokane! We pulled in at about 11am. We stayed at another very nice Best Western there. We were planning to leave early the next morning, but we ended up not leaving Spokane until 11am, which sucked. Luke caused us to stop 4 times along the trip, each stop lasting about an hour. So, that means we pulled into the hotel in Billings at 11:45pm. Not cool. So, Holly devised a plan at leaving at 6am later this morning. Also not cool. But, practical. This way, we'll pull into our next destination, Chamberlain, South Dakota, much earlier, and Luke will probably sleep a little better at the start of the trip because it's at a time of the day he's usually sleep. Holly and I are just going to be really tired. Well, I will be. I have to drive first while Holly gets to sit back zonked out with her mouth hanging wide open like she's in a coma. She's very skilled at that.
One of our stops was in Butte, Montana. Two words: Redneck Junction. I was quite surprised.
So, we'll see what tomorrow has in store, and hopefully I'll remember to let you know about it.
Take care and value music.
One of our stops was in Butte, Montana. Two words: Redneck Junction. I was quite surprised.
So, we'll see what tomorrow has in store, and hopefully I'll remember to let you know about it.
Take care and value music.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Last day in Washington State
Sad, but true. Today is the last day before our move begins. Well, it technically isn't our last day in Washington, since we'll be staying in Spokane our first night. But, you know what I mean.
"So, tell me about your trip!". Okay, I'll be glad to. Tomorrow we leave Holly's parents' house in the morning and head to our storage unit in Prosser to grab all of our stuff. We have to make a quick detour to Richland to grab our moving truck first. Then, we load the thing up, hopefully with the help of some local pals *hint hint* (if they even read this damn thing), as well as my parents when they arrive. Now, my parents are going to come along with us on the move and drive the moving truck for us while Holly, Luke and I drive one of our cars (the other will be towed by the moving truck). They get off work tomorrow morning, so they'll join us later. But, anyways, once the truck is loaded, we'll head to Spokane and stay our first day. The next day we'll stay in Billing, MT, the third day we'll stay in Chamberlain, SD, and our fourth day on the road will end up in Madison, WI, with a short drive to Milwaukee on August 2nd.
Now, those of you who know your U.S. geography well (or just have a map handy) will notice that these days don't have a whole lot of driving in them. The max amount of driving per day is about 575 miles, which is about 9 or 10 hours of driving. One would think that we could do more driving per day, but there's an important factor: Luke. Feeding Luke will cause us to stop for a while every 2-3 hours, thus we cannot travel as far. It's annoying to have to stop and wait, but it's gotta be done. So that means we won't drive as long each day. Plus, we have the moving truck for 7 days, and our landlord wants to be there on August 2nd, so everything worked out as such. It will be nice to not have to drive so much every day, but even nice to get there sooner. Oh well. I'm not going to complain about it. I can go with the flow pretty easily, within reason, mind you.
So on August 2nd, we will have a new home in a suburb of Milwaukee known as Shorewood. Shorewood is actually considered a "village", although when in Milwaukee one wouldn't know where Shorewood city limits begin and where Milwaukee ends. We're right on the southern border of Shorewood, and the UWM campus is on the northern edge of Milwaukee, which means the campus is only about a mile and a half from our home. That's incredibly convenient for me, because that means I don't have to drive to school. You wouldn't believe how happy I am about that, since I had to do so much driving these last two years just to get to where I needed to go. In case you didn't know, towns in eastern Washington are far from each other...not like western Washington at all. But now, the drive to anywhere in Milwaukee or Shorewood is quite short. Or, we can just walk. Sweet!
People ask if we're nervous for our big move. Definitely not! Holly and I both are extremely excited! It's like we're starting our lives anew, and all the cruddy things that our lives have consisted of in the last couple years seem to be going away...while we bring all the good things with us. Which cruddy things am I referring to? Well, long drives, as I mentioned. Also, our terrible landlord, our crummy house, earwigs, fleas, and just other non-tangible things that have been difficult. I'm definitely taking is as a fresh new start, and hope to change a few things about myself and how I live. I know that new cruddy things will arise once we get there, but hey, at least it's something different. Hopefully the hard times will be less. I'm going to make sure that they are less. Ah, it'll be nice to get a fresh new start...and to get things right.
An update on Luke, for those of you who haven't seen him in a while. He's becoming every more vocal, and he'll smile a lot more for people. He's around 12 lbs. now, and he's getting even stronger and stronger. His behavior has yielded many laughs from everyone around him. Never seems to stop amazing people.
So, since Holly and I will be away from pretty much all of our friends and family from now on, I'll do my best to do a blog entry every day, or every other day. I know you're going to want updates on Luke and Holly, and maybe even me. Those who are interested in my career should keep up with the blog I keep on my website, SeanBrownMusic.Weebly.com.
Take care and value music.
"So, tell me about your trip!". Okay, I'll be glad to. Tomorrow we leave Holly's parents' house in the morning and head to our storage unit in Prosser to grab all of our stuff. We have to make a quick detour to Richland to grab our moving truck first. Then, we load the thing up, hopefully with the help of some local pals *hint hint* (if they even read this damn thing), as well as my parents when they arrive. Now, my parents are going to come along with us on the move and drive the moving truck for us while Holly, Luke and I drive one of our cars (the other will be towed by the moving truck). They get off work tomorrow morning, so they'll join us later. But, anyways, once the truck is loaded, we'll head to Spokane and stay our first day. The next day we'll stay in Billing, MT, the third day we'll stay in Chamberlain, SD, and our fourth day on the road will end up in Madison, WI, with a short drive to Milwaukee on August 2nd.
Now, those of you who know your U.S. geography well (or just have a map handy) will notice that these days don't have a whole lot of driving in them. The max amount of driving per day is about 575 miles, which is about 9 or 10 hours of driving. One would think that we could do more driving per day, but there's an important factor: Luke. Feeding Luke will cause us to stop for a while every 2-3 hours, thus we cannot travel as far. It's annoying to have to stop and wait, but it's gotta be done. So that means we won't drive as long each day. Plus, we have the moving truck for 7 days, and our landlord wants to be there on August 2nd, so everything worked out as such. It will be nice to not have to drive so much every day, but even nice to get there sooner. Oh well. I'm not going to complain about it. I can go with the flow pretty easily, within reason, mind you.
So on August 2nd, we will have a new home in a suburb of Milwaukee known as Shorewood. Shorewood is actually considered a "village", although when in Milwaukee one wouldn't know where Shorewood city limits begin and where Milwaukee ends. We're right on the southern border of Shorewood, and the UWM campus is on the northern edge of Milwaukee, which means the campus is only about a mile and a half from our home. That's incredibly convenient for me, because that means I don't have to drive to school. You wouldn't believe how happy I am about that, since I had to do so much driving these last two years just to get to where I needed to go. In case you didn't know, towns in eastern Washington are far from each other...not like western Washington at all. But now, the drive to anywhere in Milwaukee or Shorewood is quite short. Or, we can just walk. Sweet!
People ask if we're nervous for our big move. Definitely not! Holly and I both are extremely excited! It's like we're starting our lives anew, and all the cruddy things that our lives have consisted of in the last couple years seem to be going away...while we bring all the good things with us. Which cruddy things am I referring to? Well, long drives, as I mentioned. Also, our terrible landlord, our crummy house, earwigs, fleas, and just other non-tangible things that have been difficult. I'm definitely taking is as a fresh new start, and hope to change a few things about myself and how I live. I know that new cruddy things will arise once we get there, but hey, at least it's something different. Hopefully the hard times will be less. I'm going to make sure that they are less. Ah, it'll be nice to get a fresh new start...and to get things right.
An update on Luke, for those of you who haven't seen him in a while. He's becoming every more vocal, and he'll smile a lot more for people. He's around 12 lbs. now, and he's getting even stronger and stronger. His behavior has yielded many laughs from everyone around him. Never seems to stop amazing people.
So, since Holly and I will be away from pretty much all of our friends and family from now on, I'll do my best to do a blog entry every day, or every other day. I know you're going to want updates on Luke and Holly, and maybe even me. Those who are interested in my career should keep up with the blog I keep on my website, SeanBrownMusic.Weebly.com.
Take care and value music.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Here, there, and everywhere.
It's seems like I've been here, there and everywhere in Washington state for the past couple of weeks. No, I didn't explore the whole of the state of Washington, but I was pretty much from one end to the other. I had my performance weekend in Walla Walla that I mentioned, and then a week of rehearsals and a performance at the end of the week in Chelan, which immediately followed the Walla Walla gig. I traveled from Wenatchee to Chelan every day I was there, and once that was done, I had to make a trip all the way down to Prosser before returning to my wife's parents' house in Granite Falls. Then yesterday, we headed back to my parent's house on Whidbey, where we currently are, along the way stopping to do some various clothes shopping we've needed to do. So, if you have a look at a map of Washington and follow the journey I've taken, you can see I covered a lot of ground.
It was sure fun being out and about, despite travelling pretty much by myself. The Walla Walla gig was a real kick, and the symphony put the out-of-towners up in a motel, which was quite convenient. The Chelan Bach Fest has always been a great week, and this week was no exception. Lots of fun music to play and hear, and good people to play it with. I guess the final concert, which the orchestra played at, had the largest attendance it has ever had. Great! It's good to know that more people are going to concerts. If most American's didn't hate listening to orchestral music so much (unless, of course, it's a movie or TV soundtrack), the musician's lives would be a little easier. But still, those who are appreciative of it and are willing to spend their time and money to listen are invaluable to us.
This is our last week residing in the state of Washington, and it's not going to be the most relaxing week. We've got to figure out how to get all our stuff from both of our parents' houses to the storage unit in Prosser, and ultimately to the moving truck. We used several car loads to get everything back to our parents house, and only have two carloads maximum to take back. One would suggest to make a special trip down to Prosser before the move day, but it's a pretty long drive, which we don't have the time or money to spent on. So, we're in a pickle here.
Take care and value music.
It was sure fun being out and about, despite travelling pretty much by myself. The Walla Walla gig was a real kick, and the symphony put the out-of-towners up in a motel, which was quite convenient. The Chelan Bach Fest has always been a great week, and this week was no exception. Lots of fun music to play and hear, and good people to play it with. I guess the final concert, which the orchestra played at, had the largest attendance it has ever had. Great! It's good to know that more people are going to concerts. If most American's didn't hate listening to orchestral music so much (unless, of course, it's a movie or TV soundtrack), the musician's lives would be a little easier. But still, those who are appreciative of it and are willing to spend their time and money to listen are invaluable to us.
This is our last week residing in the state of Washington, and it's not going to be the most relaxing week. We've got to figure out how to get all our stuff from both of our parents' houses to the storage unit in Prosser, and ultimately to the moving truck. We used several car loads to get everything back to our parents house, and only have two carloads maximum to take back. One would suggest to make a special trip down to Prosser before the move day, but it's a pretty long drive, which we don't have the time or money to spent on. So, we're in a pickle here.
Take care and value music.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Fun in Chelan
No, this isn't the kind of fun you're probably thinking of. You'd think the phrase "fun in Chelan" would mean visiting all the little shops downtown, or hanging out at the water slides, or swimming in the lake, or even boating in the lake. Those things are all really fun, indeed, but what would I mean by "fun in Chelan"? Think really hard...that's right! Something music-related, of course! There ya go. The Chelan Bach Fest is upon us...well, upon those who are in Chelan. I am part of the festival orchestra, which rehearses throughout the week and then performs at the very end of the festival, this time being July 21st. The Bach Fest is a really cool event that has been going on for a while. It lasts longer than a week (I'm not sure exactly how long, but maybe 2 weeks), during which there are concerts almost every day. These concerts usually feature smaller ensembles or soloists, who are either brought in or choose to come in to perform on a recital. And yes, a good chunk of the literature being performed is by J.S. Bach. The festival orchestra isn't involved in very much Bach unless a piece they're doing calls for them. This year, only the string section and a few woodwind players from the orchestra play music by Bach. Otherwise, the orchestra plays a concert composed of orchestral lit standards and pops music. It's always a very fun week, as this is my 4th year doing the Bach Fest. The music is fun to play and to listen to. So, if any of you happen to be in Chelan on the 21st, then I'll see you at the Riverwalk Park...or, at least I'd better see you.
The downside about being in Chelan now is that Holly and Luke are not here with me. I miss them a lot. But we're all doing fine. Luke had his very own photo session this morning, and Holly says that Luke was quite cooperative, and the pictures turned out extremely cute. Can't wait to see them!
One thing's for sure - I'm sure diggin' these un-interrupted nights of sleep. Holly even tells me to enjoy them with a firm tone in her voice. Yes, dear! Whatever you say! It's funny, I still feel really tired for some of the day. Is fatherhood just one of those things that makes you tired all the time, no matter where the kids are? I hear that becoming a dad makes you fatter, and I'd love to use that as an excuse for the weight I've gained in the last couple years...but, oh darn...Luke's only 3 months old. I guess I can't really blame my weight gain on Luke. Unless I say that I gained weight in anticipation for being a dad...no? don't think so? Indeed. It is not...logical.
Seriously, though, I'm really not diggin' being "overweight", if you will. It's not cool when the t-shirts that you've been able to wear for 9 years feel small to you, and your body tires out easier, and you just look fat in pictures. The camera seems to add a lot more than 10 pounds, in my case. It's kinda sad...I remember about 5 years ago thinking that I could eat whatever I want and not exercise, and as a result not care about how much weight I gained. I used to laugh at those who worried about their weight (well, not really laughed out loud. Just inside the crazy world that is my brain). But now, I see why people worry about their weight. Not only do I feel worse-looking than I already did, but I feel worse. I hate that I tire out easier, and I hate that I need bigger clothes.
So, I hope to do something about that quite soon. Stay tuned.
Take care and value music.
The downside about being in Chelan now is that Holly and Luke are not here with me. I miss them a lot. But we're all doing fine. Luke had his very own photo session this morning, and Holly says that Luke was quite cooperative, and the pictures turned out extremely cute. Can't wait to see them!
One thing's for sure - I'm sure diggin' these un-interrupted nights of sleep. Holly even tells me to enjoy them with a firm tone in her voice. Yes, dear! Whatever you say! It's funny, I still feel really tired for some of the day. Is fatherhood just one of those things that makes you tired all the time, no matter where the kids are? I hear that becoming a dad makes you fatter, and I'd love to use that as an excuse for the weight I've gained in the last couple years...but, oh darn...Luke's only 3 months old. I guess I can't really blame my weight gain on Luke. Unless I say that I gained weight in anticipation for being a dad...no? don't think so? Indeed. It is not...logical.
Seriously, though, I'm really not diggin' being "overweight", if you will. It's not cool when the t-shirts that you've been able to wear for 9 years feel small to you, and your body tires out easier, and you just look fat in pictures. The camera seems to add a lot more than 10 pounds, in my case. It's kinda sad...I remember about 5 years ago thinking that I could eat whatever I want and not exercise, and as a result not care about how much weight I gained. I used to laugh at those who worried about their weight (well, not really laughed out loud. Just inside the crazy world that is my brain). But now, I see why people worry about their weight. Not only do I feel worse-looking than I already did, but I feel worse. I hate that I tire out easier, and I hate that I need bigger clothes.
So, I hope to do something about that quite soon. Stay tuned.
Take care and value music.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Thunderstorms...and lots of them.
I guess many places around the state of Washington has had thunderstorms in the last couple days. Back on Whidbey Island, my parents said that they had thunderstorms all around them yesterday. Here in Walla Walla, WA, where I currently am for the weekend for a series of performances, we had a pretty spectacular show of lightning bolts east of town last night. I spent almost the entire intermission of our performance looking out the window, seeing some of the largest bolts of lightning I've ever seen. This morning, I was woken up by loud thunder, and I saw more lightning to the south, which also was large and struck often. No doubt, it was fun to watch and listen to. But I worry about any resulting wildfires. There are already enough wildfires in this country right now.
Yes, like I said, I'm in Walla Walla now, away from my family. I'm performing a summer program with the Walla Walla Symphony, and we perform three times. We played yesterday, then we play tonight and tomorrow afternoon. I'm having a lot of fun with it. After this, it's off to Chelan for another week of playing at the Chelan Bach Fest. Holly was planning on playing this gig, too, but the attention the baby needs from her is too great, and she decided she couldn't do it. You have no idea how bummed out I am.
Take care and value music.
Yes, like I said, I'm in Walla Walla now, away from my family. I'm performing a summer program with the Walla Walla Symphony, and we perform three times. We played yesterday, then we play tonight and tomorrow afternoon. I'm having a lot of fun with it. After this, it's off to Chelan for another week of playing at the Chelan Bach Fest. Holly was planning on playing this gig, too, but the attention the baby needs from her is too great, and she decided she couldn't do it. You have no idea how bummed out I am.
Take care and value music.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Sure, America's got talent...but is it entertaining?
Holly and I have been following the show, "America's Got Talent" since season 5, and season 7 is currently airing. You see some pretty amazing acts on there, stuff you would've never guessed people could do, and just some really amazing talents. Of course, you see a ton of crap, acts that are embarrassing, lousy, and just...not talented. The seasons begin with audition rounds, where every applying act does their thing for the celebrity judges (As well as a full audience). The judges vote whether they think the act is good or displays talent. The acts that get at least 2 "Yes" votes from the three judges will advance to the next round, which is in Vegas, and they get perform for the judges only. They choose 48 acts, which go one to perform live and get judged by America.
Here's what I've been thinking. It's no doubt that there are more than 48 acts that really have good talent - I mean, they are really good at what they do. Thus, they don't end up making it to the top 48, despite how good they are at their act, or even how good they think they are. I like it when said acts say how hard they've worked, or that they think they did a great job and should go through to the next round. Here's the sad reality: They may be very good at their acts and be quite talented, but you're sent home because you act is boring...at least to the majority of people. You can be the best in the world at something, or close to it, and still not be very entertaining at all. This fact is even more evident in the semi-finals and finals, where great acts are sent home when they think they should stay. Well, they lose to acts that entertain more, not always which ones are more talented. The show should be called, "America's Got Entertaining Talent". I mean, c'mon! You're competing for a show is Vegas! You talent has to be entertaining! You can be a great singer, but be terrible at choosing songs or "owning the stage". You can be a great dance group but have a narrow variety of different of moves. You can have an incredible artistic talent, but just can't make it exciting. So, that's what annoys me about the show, especially since people should've figured it out by now after 7 seasons.
Take care and value music.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Back to the future...
Holly and I decided to do watch all three of the "Back to the Future" movies today. It's definitely one of my most favorite movie series, and surprising, despite being a science-fiction series, Holly really likes it. Good for her. It's an important step in my effort to culture Holly with non-girly movies. It's a strenuous process, and it will take quite a while.
We didn't do a whole lot else today. We're at my parents house, but they were at work, so we enjoyed our time alone. We had some good fun with my parents that last few days, taking walks, playing games, all sorts of stuff Tomorrow, we have a lot more planned, as it is our last day together for a few days, and my last day on the west side of Washington for a week and a half. I'll keep a report of what I'm up to, for all you curious folks.
Oh, and Luke's doing great. His actions get cuter and more extensive every day.
Take care and value music.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Interaction
Our son Luke has begun to interact with people in the last few days. It's really amazing! It's mostly just smiling and making little sounds with his voices. Believe me, it's incredibly entertaining. He'll just stare at you intently, and when you start smiling and saying things like "HI!" to him repeatedly or sighing with an "oo" sound, he sometimes smiles really big. You can tell that he really wants to say something, but can't always do it. He'll just make some random sounds sometimes. Soon he'll be laughing, and then saying actual words. Cool!
We're back at Holly's parents' house for a few days. We've been quite busy, and will continue to be, running around to visit people and got to various parties. I've been able to find some good practice time in, which is reassuring. It's been fun, too.
It'll be great when Luke is able to sleep though the whole night...getting kind of tired of getting up three times a night.
Take care and value music.
We're back at Holly's parents' house for a few days. We've been quite busy, and will continue to be, running around to visit people and got to various parties. I've been able to find some good practice time in, which is reassuring. It's been fun, too.
It'll be great when Luke is able to sleep though the whole night...getting kind of tired of getting up three times a night.
Take care and value music.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Headache...
That's what I have right now, and I just took some ibuprofen for it. Where did my headache come from? From Luke's piercing cry, maybe? Or from not drinking enough water? Or from looking at too many different computer and TV screens? Naw, that last one isn't it. Usually my headaches come from a lack of water.
It kinda struck me yesterday that Luke is really growing up a whole bunch. He definitely seems bigger to me. Of course, I know it's supposed to happen. I guess the whole growth thing just amazes me. Here's a current picture of him...with me.
He's still quite cute, as you can see here...
...except for when he's crabby.
Okay, maybe he is still cute. Anyway, he's really into looking around at everything with wide eyes. His eye color hasn't finished changing into a normal color from that grey yet, but he definitely has Holly's eyes. My eyes normally aren't open very wide, nor can I open them wide. Holly's, on the other hand, are quite big, and very cute. Same with Luke.
So I just thought I'd share those pictures with you. We're at my parents house still, and have relaxed well. I helped out a family friend tear down her old deck on her old house, so I've been busy, and am sore. I got some cash for doing that, so it was indeed rewarding.
Take care and value music.
So I just thought I'd share those pictures with you. We're at my parents house still, and have relaxed well. I helped out a family friend tear down her old deck on her old house, so I've been busy, and am sore. I got some cash for doing that, so it was indeed rewarding.
Take care and value music.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Finally...!
We have finally found a place to live in Milwaukee starting in August. We've searched quite diligently the last couple weeks, talked with many landlords, and turned in many applications. The problem we kept having was that places were getting taken, and the process took longer for us because we couldn't be there to see the place, thus we needed to see pictures. But, we found a place in a good part of town. It was the cheapest place that we looked at, which is pretty nice. This nice part of town I'm referring to is actually addressed in Shorewood, which is a suburb of Milwaukee. However, it's only like a mile from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee! So, I can walk or bike to school. That's the thing I probably like the most. It's a nice place inside, with decent-sized bedroom, but the apartment as a whole is kinda small, which was a major turn-off. It was difficult for me to convince Holly that we could make it work, but I succeeded. It's definitely a little bigger than our place in Prosser, and way nicer, so I'm sure she'll grow to like it.
We're back at my parents house now for the next week and a half. I'll report more later. But now, it's time for the Brown family to go to bed.
Take care and value music.
We're back at my parents house now for the next week and a half. I'll report more later. But now, it's time for the Brown family to go to bed.
Take care and value music.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Arg...
Holly and I have been in the process of finding a place to live in Milwaukee for when we move there. Of course, we are unable to physically see a potential home before we decide to rent it, so we have to have the landlords and property managers send us pictures. That seems to slow the process down, and so far, a couple of nice places we were interested in were taken by someone else before we had a chance to express our full interest. It's kinda frustrating. So, the housing search isn't going too well. Good thing that Milwaukee is a large town, so there are tons of places. We just have to find a place that is not only affordable, but also nice and somewhat spacious. Our last place was just terrible. Too small, too old, too expensive for the price of rent, and our landlord really sucked. So we're not willing to settle with just anything. But, at the same time, we can't be too picky. It's very unlikely we'll find a place that has everything we want, so we're going to have to sacrifice something. Well, anyways, we have a couple more leads to follow up on, so the search continues. Wish us luck!
Oh yes, and Luke is doing just fine. Stop asking!
Take care and value music.
Oh yes, and Luke is doing just fine. Stop asking!
Take care and value music.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A new beginning
Yes, our lives have been full of those lately...well, changes, actually. But we positively look at those changes as "new beginnings". I've decided to get rid of my "Sean's Life" blog at seanbrownlife.blogspot.com, and create this blog to keep people up-to-date in as much of the Brown family's life as we're willing to disclose. Haha. This is especially helpful to those who we live a far distance from, which will be everyone we know soon when we move to Milwaukee, WI. So, if you want details, here they are...and I know there are some of you that will want the details. So keep up with it!
We currently are staying with Holly's parents. We're spending the next month going between my parents and her parents. We'll be back at my parents next week and most of the week after. We've mainly just been hanging out, taking care of Luke, and looking for housing in Milwaukee. We've turned in a couple applications, and have a couple more places to inquire about, so things are looking positive. I'm also getting some horn practice in, although not enough. Never enough.
Take care and value music.
We currently are staying with Holly's parents. We're spending the next month going between my parents and her parents. We'll be back at my parents next week and most of the week after. We've mainly just been hanging out, taking care of Luke, and looking for housing in Milwaukee. We've turned in a couple applications, and have a couple more places to inquire about, so things are looking positive. I'm also getting some horn practice in, although not enough. Never enough.
Take care and value music.
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