Exams

It's that most wonderful time of the year....... exam time. Crunch time. Stress time. It's not too bad this time around. I only have three exams next week, but all of them I need to pass with flying colors. I am more worried about my jury than anything. Jury's are when I get up and perform two memorized pieces in front of the voice faculty and they grade me. The grade is then the only grade I get for my minor.... It's a big deal to say the least. Vacation will be nice even though I'm NOT looking forward to working two jobs..... I guess their is not vacation for a person in debt.

The Best Things are FREE

My roommate (I call her Biv) is a journalist major.  She has an internship with Time Out Chicago.  A lil magazine that covers different things to do/places to go in Chicago.  For her assignment for the next issue she had to do a "Table of Four".  It's where she and three other people go and review a restaurant.  She asked me, Jamie, and Sara to go with her.  It was sooooo much fun.  We went to the Kit Kat Lounge.  It was amazing.  We had a table reserved for us when we got there.  They kept offering us drinks and food and appetizers and desserts just so we could try all the good food they had.  

It was different than any other place I've been because of two things.  One: it had four big projection TV screens on which they had a movie playing the whole time.  It was 80's night when we went so they had 80's movies on.  Two:  they had drag queens that came out every hour and preformed (aka dressed up and lip sync).  It was soooo funny and they were actually pretty good. 

Throughout the dinner we kept wondering if we would have to pay since when Sara did it last month she didn't.  Plus the waiter would just bring us things that he thought we would like, and we didn't know if we were going to get charged. 

The bill came.... and it said $229.....  BUT thankfully the total at the bottom was $0 due to Press.  :-D  

So I got free good food and drinks.... $229 dollars worth of it.  I said thanks to biv for letting me go and told her she should go into this business.  I was fun and I would definitely go back. 

O and ps: I'll be in the newspaper with the first pic above. :)

RA Position

Today I heard back after two weeks of nervousness about the RA position I applied for.  They didn't offer me a position right now, but said that I was well qualified and asked me to be on a reserve list.  So if any of the RA's drop this semester they would bring me on.  They said they simply did not have enough spaces for all the people that qualified.  

Part of me is ok with this, but part of me is not.  I'm happy cause I don't have to leave my room, I love my roommate and I didn't want to leave in the first place.  I'm unhappy cause now I have to work two jobs over break, and deal with my suite mates all yea, and I don't save the money from semester.  

I just really wish I would have gotten it, life would be easier.  What I got wasn't bad, but it's never easy getting silver when you want gold so bad. 

Put another nickle in... all I want is music music music

Today I had my second to last voice lesson. It's crunch time. I have juries in less than two weeks. For those of you who don't know a jury is when you go in front of the entire voice faculty with four songs prepared and memorized. You pick a song and sing it first and then they pick a song. Sometimes they pick two (they did that to me last year). It's quite nerve racking because this is the only grade you get in voice lessons (aka my entire minor). I did juries once before, last semester, and got an A. Nevertheless it is still nerve racking.
Anywho, I had a voice lesson today. And for some unknown reason it went extremely well. It shouldn't off. I still have a little bit of flem in me from my cold, I just ate like three pieces of chocolate before I went in, and I hadn't warmed up at all. But for some reason, it was great. I sounded really good, really mature, I did everything she taught me all semester. I was breathing right, and she said that that was the loudest she ever heard me. She said I came back from break a different person. My voice was completely on today.
When I walked out of the classroom Amy and Susan were sitting there like they always do and they said "Amanda, you are doing really well. You've improved so much just his semester!" That made me feel soooo good. It's always nice to hear good things from your peers.
It's weird cause I dont' feel as if I'm growing. I know I am, but I thought I grew more last semester than this semester. It made me feel good to know that I am even though I can't really feel it. I hope I can do this well on juries. Another A would be very nice.
Right now I have a song stuck in my head from when I was 5 and in dance class. I think it fits pretty well.

"Put another nickle in, in the nickelodeon. All I want is having you and music music music."

Gobble Gobble Gobble

This past Tuesday I got to go home for Thanksgiving.  I ended up having a pretty good time overall.  

On Wednesday I went to my first High School observation by myself.  It was at Ashwaubenon High School observing the choir for the day.  I was very impressed actually.  It gave me hope in the music programs of the US.  The choir director there (Mrs. Teresa Schropfer) I thought was very good.  She was talented and held a strong program.  I few things I noticed that she covered were sight singing, a little bit of theory, they had sectionals, the students were provided with private voice lessons, they knew solfiege, and they did ear training every day.  I plan on covering all this in my class room and it was very interesting for me to note just how she fit this all into the class period.  She worked at a school that had trimesters, and block scheduling which I think for choir would be better anyway.  I got to work with the students a little bit and she asked for my advice on how to get the woman sopranos to make more sound.  I am thinking I may want to teach high school now, but I'm still not quite completely sure.  Overall I was really happy with the visit and learned a lot.

On Thanksgiving, I spent time with both sides of the family.  I had the Gaura side for lunch.  It was fun as always.  Uncle Steve brought out his guitar and banjo and I got to hear him, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Pat, Dad, Renee, and Aunt Jean sing to the old songs that none of the kids in my generation know, but they are their favorites.  I even got to play Uncle Steve's guitar while he followed my chording with his banjo.  It was really awesome, I haven't just jammed like that in a while.  It felt good.  Music is good for the soul, or at least mine.  I asked him if he would help me restring Bella (my guitar) over break and he said he would gladly. 

The Poels side was fun as well.  It was good to see everyone again.  I had fun seeing my cousins again and catching up.  After the amazing supper the women brought out the Black Friday ads like always and we went through them making Christmas lists and planning out the next day.  I had baby Jessica (who is adorable) and she kept grabbing at the newspaper so I set her in the middle of the table.  She was so happy grabbing at all the newspaper surrounding her... it was so cute. We played Sienfield Scene It which was a blast too. My aunts surprised me with their knowledge of all the episodes!

On Friday I worked from 10 - 7 in the fitting rooms at Old Navy.  It was a very long day, but they provided lunch (sloppy joes and a bunch of candy).  I was not smart and wore flats so my back and feet were killing me by the end of the day.  But overall the people were fairly nice.  I got to see a few of my friends who happen to stop in so that was nice.  Friday night I went to my friend Maria's house and a bunch of us went to a movie.  I reconnected with a very old friend Maria Nier.  It was really good to hear from her after so long. 

Saturday I worked again, 10 - 7, fitting room of Old Navy.  It was a long day.  Hardly any costumers so their really wasn't that much to do.... so it was boring but at the same time kind of nice from the mad rush of the day before. My mom decided that we were leaving right after work for Chicago since a snow storm was coming.  We drove to Chicago in 3 hours (not bad) and she stayed over night. 

And now it's Sunday.  I got all my homework and I got to see Jamie so that was very nice.  I had a good Thanksgiving, a very busy one, but never the less a good one.  I think the thing I would have to be most thankful for would be my family and friends.  Even though I am 3 1/2 hours away, I am still in Green Bay in heart. 

<3

Amanda Mae

Hello!

Hello.  

I'm doing relatively well thus far.  This semester has been kinda crazy.  To catch up briefly, the year started out really well.  I started school and I real

ly liked my courses, I got a job in the Music Conservatory office working with the Dean, and I had a new boyfriend on top of it.  It was good for about a month and then I got sick, and by sick I mean mono.  I was hospitalized for three days, then went home for a week to re cooperate.  After a week I came back to school and played catch up with my homework.  It was hard, but my teachers were extremely good about it.  It's one of the things I love about the CCPA, it's so small that all your teachers are very personal and helpful.

Some fun things I have done this semester include this:

- went to my first Cubs game with my friend Sara who had an extra ticket.

- Jamie (boyfriend) took me on a date and surprised me with an Italian dinner where Al Capone's old hangout was, and BLUEMAN GROUP!  It was amazing to say the least.

- I traveled to Indiana a few times with Jamie, I got to meet his Mom and his two cats which was fun.

- I went to the Festival of Lights Parade on Michigan Avenue, saw the Cheetah Girls, Mickey Mouse and all of the Disney characters and it was really cool when the turned all the Christmas lights on on Michigan Avenue. 

-  I went to Hard Rock Cafe, it was really cool to see all of the memoralbilia, and the food was amazing.

- I got to see The Dark Knight (batman) in Imax which was REALLY amazing.  You all should see it Heath's performance is phenominal. 

So it's been going well I guess.  Getting a little stressed over school and the end of semester but I'll be fine.  

Later!

Amanda