Meme reply numero cuatro
Hayley pregunta, "I want to know what you did with your music, and if you are still doing it! Weren't you enrolled at State with the music program, or was that just an idea you considered? Do you still play? Tell us everything!"
Music still plays a decent role in my life, and I don't think I could survive without it. I guess the best way to answer your question would be chronologically, so let's start with just after high school.
You're right that I was considering GSU for a Music Composition major with a minor in French Horn Performance. In fact, they had awarded me many scholarships and I would have been practically paid money to go to school there. However, I stopped to think about it and determined that I'd much rather be making money after college than making money in college. Despite the fact that I'm still paying off a student loan, in retrospect I'm very happy I made that decision. Of course, I ended up with a B.S. in Computer Science at GT, but also I earned a Music minor. :)
GT's music minor program is a funny thing. The GT School of Music is actually a part of the College of Architecture, because there was no other place to put it. For that reason it kind of ends up being the red-headed stepchild on GT campus, making it really difficult for the Director to get approval for things like new instruments or instructors and even for music minors. Fortunately, I was selected to be a music minor after participating in GT Symphony Orchestra for two years, and I completed the requirements and even had a modest recital.
One cool thing about minoring in music at GT is there are a few courses in Music Technology which are required coursework. These were an absolute blast and even made me think of doing a Music Technology masters program somewhere. GT was thinking about starting one of their own and they may have, but since it was brand new I wasn't eager to be their guinea pig. It's possible though, if I hadn't found a job after graduation, I might have still thought about it.
Another thing I did was usher for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This was great because I got to go to whichever concerts I wanted for free, as long as I got there an hour early and was willing to sit or stand in the aisles. This was a great way to unwind on Friday nights and while I was by far the youngest usher there, and my friends only seldomly joined me (mostly to complete their concert requirements for our music history classes, haha) it was still a great joy to go and listen to the concerts. I even got to go to the Final Fantasy concert during one summer, because I got an email from the Stage Director that they were short ushers. That was a very interesting concert, full of video game fanboys (like myself) all eager to hear their favorite orchestral tunes from their favorite RPG games. When the theme of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7 was performed as a surprise encore... I've never heard a concert hall turn so quickly into a football stadium. Once the orchestra and timpani struck the first few dissonant chords, everyone, EVERYONE in the hall erupted with cheering and shouting. The audience was so elated after the orchestra finished, that the conductor had to come back onstage three times to take another bow, and when the audience refused to cease their applause, he came back on a fourth time and offered to play it again. They actually repeated the piece... a double encore if you will. That was quite an experience, haha.
I also really enjoyed playing in orchestra at GT. We had a blast because there was zero pressure, no music majors to worry about and everyone in the orchestra was there because they loved music and genuinely wanted to be there. I made a lot of friends there and I even learned a thing or two about music. Ron Mendola is one of the best directors I've had the pleasure of working with. He loved music as much as anyone else in the room and he also has a great sense of humor. I was already pretty technically solid from taking some lessons in high school and college (another "course" required of music minors) but Ron really helped to implant some true musicianship into my head, and I can't thank him enough for that. I also prefer orchestral music and before college I'd never played in an orchestra, so it was all the more satisfying. I still wouldn't mind playing in a symphonic band, but given the choice, orchestra would easily win out without question.
Ever since college though, I've not played horn at all. This makes me quite sad sometimes - I don't even own a horn and while the thought of buying one has crossed my mind on several occasions, I wouldn't even know who to play with. I don't have the benefit of church groups or a college ensemble. I could inquire at College of Charleston, but considering they have music majors it would probably be a lot more intense an environment than I'd be interested in, and that's assuming they even need horn players. I haven't looked into community ensembles, but then again my chops are so gone at this point that I'd need to take a couple months to get back in practice anyhow.
I have, however, found other ways to satiate my musical appetite. I purchased an electric bass in hopes of learning how to play it, and while I'm not terrible I'm still not nearly good enough to perform even the most basic things. I have some friends who've talked about getting a band together, but they're not the most patient people in the world (or the best friends for that matter). They're the type who would rather use my bass themselves to record or figure out a lick, than let me come up with it and get it under my fingers. It's not something I've given up on, I just haven't really been that motivated enough to give it consistent attention.
I've also written a song or two of my own, mostly the product of random singing in the car while on long trips to Atlanta or Port Orange by myself. One of them is actually pretty good, and I sang what I'd come up with for my brother on the way up here on Memorial Day weekend. He grudgingly told me he liked it and asked why he couldn't come up with songs like that. I really don't know what he's upset about though, he's come up with some really cool music using his keyboards and I'm just as jealous of him as he was of me. The song isn't finished cause I really only have one verse, a chorus and a sort of bridge type part put together, but I still want to finish it up and maybe even record it somehow. We'll see - if it ever happens I'll be sure to share it with you guys.
Then there's also the wonderful world of SA-CD, but I've harped on about that in the past. It really is like sitting in a concert hall listening, so it helps bring me that live concert experience without having to shell out $20+ for a ticket. :) It's too bad no one in my family likes to listen... I've only gotten to listen to one or two and only because I claimed I was "testing" my set up in the new condo. Ah well, when they leave I'll be able to listen more often.
Anyway, that's where I'm at musically. Let me know if you guys have any other prompts I should write about... there will always be projects which take way too freaking long and have me working until 7:00 PM, and I'll have a chance to answer it soon. :)
Music still plays a decent role in my life, and I don't think I could survive without it. I guess the best way to answer your question would be chronologically, so let's start with just after high school.
You're right that I was considering GSU for a Music Composition major with a minor in French Horn Performance. In fact, they had awarded me many scholarships and I would have been practically paid money to go to school there. However, I stopped to think about it and determined that I'd much rather be making money after college than making money in college. Despite the fact that I'm still paying off a student loan, in retrospect I'm very happy I made that decision. Of course, I ended up with a B.S. in Computer Science at GT, but also I earned a Music minor. :)
GT's music minor program is a funny thing. The GT School of Music is actually a part of the College of Architecture, because there was no other place to put it. For that reason it kind of ends up being the red-headed stepchild on GT campus, making it really difficult for the Director to get approval for things like new instruments or instructors and even for music minors. Fortunately, I was selected to be a music minor after participating in GT Symphony Orchestra for two years, and I completed the requirements and even had a modest recital.
One cool thing about minoring in music at GT is there are a few courses in Music Technology which are required coursework. These were an absolute blast and even made me think of doing a Music Technology masters program somewhere. GT was thinking about starting one of their own and they may have, but since it was brand new I wasn't eager to be their guinea pig. It's possible though, if I hadn't found a job after graduation, I might have still thought about it.
Another thing I did was usher for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This was great because I got to go to whichever concerts I wanted for free, as long as I got there an hour early and was willing to sit or stand in the aisles. This was a great way to unwind on Friday nights and while I was by far the youngest usher there, and my friends only seldomly joined me (mostly to complete their concert requirements for our music history classes, haha) it was still a great joy to go and listen to the concerts. I even got to go to the Final Fantasy concert during one summer, because I got an email from the Stage Director that they were short ushers. That was a very interesting concert, full of video game fanboys (like myself) all eager to hear their favorite orchestral tunes from their favorite RPG games. When the theme of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7 was performed as a surprise encore... I've never heard a concert hall turn so quickly into a football stadium. Once the orchestra and timpani struck the first few dissonant chords, everyone, EVERYONE in the hall erupted with cheering and shouting. The audience was so elated after the orchestra finished, that the conductor had to come back onstage three times to take another bow, and when the audience refused to cease their applause, he came back on a fourth time and offered to play it again. They actually repeated the piece... a double encore if you will. That was quite an experience, haha.
I also really enjoyed playing in orchestra at GT. We had a blast because there was zero pressure, no music majors to worry about and everyone in the orchestra was there because they loved music and genuinely wanted to be there. I made a lot of friends there and I even learned a thing or two about music. Ron Mendola is one of the best directors I've had the pleasure of working with. He loved music as much as anyone else in the room and he also has a great sense of humor. I was already pretty technically solid from taking some lessons in high school and college (another "course" required of music minors) but Ron really helped to implant some true musicianship into my head, and I can't thank him enough for that. I also prefer orchestral music and before college I'd never played in an orchestra, so it was all the more satisfying. I still wouldn't mind playing in a symphonic band, but given the choice, orchestra would easily win out without question.
Ever since college though, I've not played horn at all. This makes me quite sad sometimes - I don't even own a horn and while the thought of buying one has crossed my mind on several occasions, I wouldn't even know who to play with. I don't have the benefit of church groups or a college ensemble. I could inquire at College of Charleston, but considering they have music majors it would probably be a lot more intense an environment than I'd be interested in, and that's assuming they even need horn players. I haven't looked into community ensembles, but then again my chops are so gone at this point that I'd need to take a couple months to get back in practice anyhow.
I have, however, found other ways to satiate my musical appetite. I purchased an electric bass in hopes of learning how to play it, and while I'm not terrible I'm still not nearly good enough to perform even the most basic things. I have some friends who've talked about getting a band together, but they're not the most patient people in the world (or the best friends for that matter). They're the type who would rather use my bass themselves to record or figure out a lick, than let me come up with it and get it under my fingers. It's not something I've given up on, I just haven't really been that motivated enough to give it consistent attention.
I've also written a song or two of my own, mostly the product of random singing in the car while on long trips to Atlanta or Port Orange by myself. One of them is actually pretty good, and I sang what I'd come up with for my brother on the way up here on Memorial Day weekend. He grudgingly told me he liked it and asked why he couldn't come up with songs like that. I really don't know what he's upset about though, he's come up with some really cool music using his keyboards and I'm just as jealous of him as he was of me. The song isn't finished cause I really only have one verse, a chorus and a sort of bridge type part put together, but I still want to finish it up and maybe even record it somehow. We'll see - if it ever happens I'll be sure to share it with you guys.
Then there's also the wonderful world of SA-CD, but I've harped on about that in the past. It really is like sitting in a concert hall listening, so it helps bring me that live concert experience without having to shell out $20+ for a ticket. :) It's too bad no one in my family likes to listen... I've only gotten to listen to one or two and only because I claimed I was "testing" my set up in the new condo. Ah well, when they leave I'll be able to listen more often.
Anyway, that's where I'm at musically. Let me know if you guys have any other prompts I should write about... there will always be projects which take way too freaking long and have me working until 7:00 PM, and I'll have a chance to answer it soon. :)