My fingers hurt. For once.

Yeah, so i'm in a really really good mood for once :) which is good.

As you all know I'm a piano freak, but compared to all the other pianists at my school I'm kinda average now. It took me ages to kinda 'accept' the fact that I went from #1 to #.. whatever.
So yeah, last year was all ups and downs on that topic.

But... I didn't give up! so obviously some ups overruled the downs =]

This year I'm planning grade 8 in August (please please please please let me pass with distinction!!! ahh!!!)
Yes.. It is that important to me.

Because after grade 8, you are officially allowed to teach! And I would really love to do that for a sort of part time job.
It pays more than being a cashier at the local $2 shop :)
And you're introducing other people to the beautiful world of music!!

All those plans are just plans though.. who knows if I'll ever make it that far considering the amount of things I have to do.. uhgh.

Okay I promise not to complain too much today.

For Chamber groups this year, I'm in two. I have a serious group and we're playing one of Beethoven's trios for Piano, violin and Cello. Opus 1, movement 1, number 1. Resulting in our cute little ensemble to being named:

Dial 111

Which is pretty cool for just an ensemble name :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Knycjmjp0

^ that's some professionals playing it, if you want to hear :)

My other chamber group is constantly referred to as being a "friendship group" Which pretty much means that we suck, but we're in the comp anyway. And we're going to get laughed at. But we gotta be good losers so we'll just absorb it all and smile. Cuz we're cool.

Name: Just Vanilla because well... I wanted a food name and the name of the composer of our piece was Jan Vanhall, so we made something using his initials.
I play violin for this. And I really do suck.
But I'm slowly getting used to tuning it, and bouncing my elbow up and down, so at least i'm improving.

(I couldn't find this on youtube)

I just realised that I'm more prone to injuries this year and my teacher reckons it is because of too much strain and stuff. Uh which means that 1) I'm doing way too much, and 2) last year I didn't do ENOUGH which makes this year such a huge leap.

huh.

So that's chamber.

In orchestra our arms are all dropping off (and yes, I am speaking on behalf of all the 2nd violins) because 90% of all our pieces we're preparing for KBB and other performances have tremolos which a huge vibraty things you do over and over again.. like that.. shakey sound.
It hurts. alot. It really does. But then again, I'm just weak.. so... yeah.

And then I have NCEA solos. I did my first solo on first instrument (piano) last term. Not my best performance. But I passed so that's half of 4 credits.. yay!!
This term I plan my second first instrument solo, and my first second instrument solo.

I know that's like.. really confusing.. but yeah.

Taking music up yet another notch.

Phew.