Most likely if you are reading this you know me in some way, but I think a good way to start this “online journal” would be to tell a little bit about myself. I absolutely love journals, so hopefully I will be able to write in this new one fairly often.
I just finished my first year of college at the University of Northern Colorado, and it was the most amazing experience! I have made so many new friends, I found a church that I love and I have grown tremendously in my walk with the Lord. Probably my favorite thing about my first year was being in the University Symphony Orchestra. When I auditioned for the USO, I had no idea if I would make it or not. I was very nervous about it because just the spring before that I had auditioned for the school of music and had not made it, so I had to change plans. Since I was a sophomore in high school I wanted to major in Music Education and be a music teacher, so as you can imagine when the letter came from UNC telling me that I couldn’t do that, I was devastated. I still wanted to do music, and I wasn’t going to give up, but I decided that maybe a major was a little too much. I decided to major in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Fine Arts (music). As a result, I think I have been more motivated to do well in music with my violin because I don’t have to live and breathe music every second of every day. I’m not saying that majoring in music is a bad thing–it’s just not for me. I was considering a music minor, but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to fit it in with all my Elementary Ed requirements. By the end of the spring semester, I had completed about half of the requirements for the music minor, and I very proudly declared my music minor.
Back to orchestra, it was an extremely good experience for me. I’ve always felt like I was behind everyone else my age in my violin playing. I started playing violin at the age of 8 in a small string group at my private school, but my teacher left after 2 years. Because my school did not have an orchestra (or ANY good music program for that matter–this is a WHOLE nother topic that I will discuss later), I was not a part of an orchestra until I was a sophomore in high school when I joined the Front Range Youth Symphony (FRYS). I got a new violin teacher and really took off with music, but I still felt like I had a long ways to go to catch up to others my age. When I was a junior, I was very upset because I was still in the intermediate string group, and I was really hoping that I could move up to the real symphony. Even though I was disappointed, I went along with it and ended up being first chair! It was then that I realized that even when things don’t go the way I think they should go, He works them out for good in the end. It was an awesome experience to be able to lead the Symphonic Strings group.
My senior year I did get into the Youth Symphony, and I was 2nd chair 2nd violin. This orchestra really prepared me for college because we played the REAL symphonies. I can remember SO many nights that I would be in a bad mood or tired or sick, but after being at orchestra rehearsal I felt SO revived, energized and hyper! (Orchestra will do that to you.) So as you can see, I haven’t had a whole lot of orchestra experience, but I greatly enjoy it, and it is very important to me.
Man, I could go on and on and ON about orchestra. Some of my other hobbies include reading, writing, crocheting, ice skating, spending time with God and hanging out with friends. This summer I am teaching piano and violin. I have 7 students so far, and I am VERY excited about all of them! I am also in the middle of a two week speech class, which I am doing VERY well in. I am a person who is shy by nature, but I am confident in myself, and as of Friday I KNOW I can give good speeches. I gave an informative speech on West Nile virus in class, and I got a 98%! How’s that for a good speech! My next speech is a persuasive speech on the importance of music in education. I feel very strongly about this, and after I write and give my speech I would be more than happy to discuss it with you!
Well, I’m afraid if I make my entries any longer no one will want to read them. Oh!!! It’s 4:40! Haha. Sorry. I’m a music nerd…
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