Christmas

Me with Barfy

I had a great Christmas surrounded by my family and friends, and one immensely adorable puppy.  My little sister was asked to dogsit for a family she regularly babysits for while they are on vacation in Mexico, and I have fallen in love with the dog.  He's named Barty, but I call him Barfy because it's cuter and funny.  He's a miniature Schnauzer.  My mom and I have already taught him how to sit and shake hands since he got here just a few days ago.  I'm going to be super sad when his real family comes to take him back!!!

I also have a human friend visiting me.  My friend Sarah who goes to school with me and also plays the horn, is an international student, so I invited her to stay with my family for the holiday.  We've had a great time! We made a silly video on Christmas Day to send to our friends as a holiday greeting:

On Christmas Day itself, we opened stockings as soon as we got up, right at the crack of 10:30.  I received thank you notes, a new mascara, and a pomegranate.  Thanks, Santa!  After a very nice family breakfast of pancakes and waffles, we opened presents as a family.  I gave and received a number of very nice gifts! I gave my little sister a pair of running pants, which she really wanted.  My dad got a nice sweater from LL Bean, and I gave my mom a scarf that I knitted (actually, I still haven't finished it... oops!) and a coupon book for household chores.  I gave Sarah a really cute t-shirt from one of our favorite restaurants back in Connecticut.  I received a new bike helmet, some nice clothes for work, tennis shoes that I need to go pick out in the next couple of days, a gift card to the grocery store (ugh, I feel like such an adult!), a sweater (gotta go exchange it for the correct size), a memory chip for my phone, and some earrings and a pendant.  Emily also gave me a coupon for a sister bonding day.  I have to decide what I want to do on my special day, though!  It's a tough decision...

My parents, Barfy, and me on a very cold Christmas walk in the park

After opening gifts, we worked some on preparing the Christmas dinner, but took a bit of time off to record the video I posted above.  While the turkey was in the oven, we took a walk with Barfy at a nearby park.  It was very cold, but a very nice park.  We walked for about an hour, down to the Potomac River and back.  Barfy was overwhelmed by new smells and was going crazy running everywhere!

When we got back, we helped get everything ready for the delicious dinner.  We had a very traditional dinner, with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, and fruit salad, accompanied by sparkling apple cider (since we are unfortunately an alcohol-free household) and followed up by apple and pecan pies.  Everything was enormously delicious! Thanks, Mom!

In the next few days, I have some fun activities planned, including a lot of sightseeing with Sarah, since she has never visited DC before.  We have a lot of museums and a scavenger hunt on the itinerary! But more about that later.  Meanwhile, enjoy this lovely photo of me wearing plastic aviator goggles in the gift shop of the Air and Space Museum.  Until next time!

The end of fall semester 2012

I have been really busy in the week since my degree recital!

First, I had to finish up the rest of my classwork for the semester, which involved an oral final exam for my Russian class, a written final, also in Russian, a presentation on my final project for my careers class, and write two papers for that same careers class.  SO MUCH WORK!

I also had to register for spring semester classes before I could leave for break.  I knew I wanted to take a class in arranging, since I really enjoy making arrangements of classical music for different groups of instruments, and I've also heard the teacher of that course is amazing.  But I couldn't decide on what other class I wanted to take!  After perusing the course offerings of nearly every department in the entire university, I narrowed it down to two classes: Contemporary Brazilian Poetry (a Portuguese language class), and Stars and Planets (an introductory level astronomy class that says that complex math skills are not required).  I registered for both and I'm planning to do what Yale students call "shopping" once I come back in the spring.  I'll attend the first week of classes for both courses and then drop whichever one seems less interesting.  I'm conflicted because I really love Portuguese, but I'm worried about two things in that class: that it will be too easy language-wise (I completed a level 5 Portuguese class in Spring 2012, and this class is level 3), and that it may be more focused on analysis of the poetry rather than recitation or context.  And of course with the astronomy class I'm worried that it will be really hard.  So I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Anyways, finally I finished all my work for the semester.  I traveled home on Sunday morning, and spent the whole trip studying for the GRE.  I'd completely forgotten that I had to take it on Monday!  I had two books that I borrowed from friends.  It's amazing how much math I had forgotten.  In middle school I was a mathlete, and in high school I went to a magnet school for math! But I ended up leaving that school so I could have more time to practice.  At my local high school, I ran out of math courses after my junior year, and haven't really thought about math since.  So clearly I had to do a lot of studying!  I took the exam on the Monday after I got back.  It was such an intense experience! They made me leave everything in a locker and they wanded me down, like I was going through airport security.  The test was 4 1/2 hours long, and I was only allowed a ten minute break halfway through.  I was really worried about how I was going to do as I was in the act of taking it, because the test adjusts itself to how well you do.  For example, if you do really badly on the first verbal section, the second verbal section will be much easier.  My second sections of both verbal and math were easy, so I was understandably concerned.  All my cramming for the exam paid off though; since I had to take it on the computer, I got to view my scores at the end (except for how I scored on my two essays).  I got much higher scores than I had expected, and in fact they were within standard "goal" ranges for the GRE!

You might think that since I'm home for break now, and since I already finished taking the GRE, I can relax now.  You would think wrong.  The work has only just begun!  As a gift for my students in Brazil (I work for a youth orchestra there during some of my school vacations), I promised them an arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave  last time I was there, which you can hear below.  I'd already done most of the work arranging it for a quartet of French horns before I came home but there were some finishing touches needed before I could send it off to them as a surprise Christmas gift.  It was so fun how excited they are to play it!  It's a pretty hard arrangement, but I hope they can learn it in the next few months and play it for me next time I go back there!

I also still have a lot of work to do on the summer camp I'm starting, which is called the McLean Chamber Academy.  Registration is now open! You can download the form on my website: http://mcleanchamber.wordpress.com/register/  But that also means that I have a lot more work to do.  I have appointments at about fifteen middle and high schools in the DC area over the next few weeks to speak with their band students about my program.  I also have to open a business bank account, which means that first I have to incorporate myself.  So much paperwork... but it will all be worth it if the program comes to fruition! I think it will be a great opportunity for all the kids who might enroll.  I just hope enough kids register to make the camp possible.

Until next time!

25 Things Before 25: #20. Perform a piece of music written for me

Performing a world premiere!

Yesterday was my Master's degree recital.  It was pretty awesome! I was very terrified leading up to it, but I think it went pretty well.  I say "think" not because I'm attempting to be modest, but because it was so much of a blur that I can't even remember how it was!  It was so nice to have so many friends and family members there, some of them from far away.  My parents drove a round trip of eleven hours in one day to come see it, which was really sweet.  One of the many great perks of going to Yale is that they have live-streaming for every concert, so many close friends and family were able to watch from afar, including my older sister, who lives in Germany.

One of the pieces I performed was Andre Mehmari's Music for Horn and Piano, which was a world premiere of a work written for me.  I got to know Andre through a mutual friend, and I loved his music when I listened to it on his website and on YouTube, so thanks to the International Horn Society's Rimon Fund, I was able to commission him to write something for me to perform on my recital!  I really liked how the piece came out, even though it was very technically challenging.  Many of the audience members told me how much they liked it as well.  I'm interested to hear how it came across on the recording.

25 Things Before 25

Updated post here!

Welcome to the relaunch of my blog! November 30 was my 24th birthday, and I realized that I have settled into quite a boring routine of practice, study, eat, sleep, repeat.  So I decided to do something to spice it up.  I made a list of about 50 things that I want to do sometime, that I've never tried before, then narrowed it down to the 25 things that I will try to do before I turn 25!  Here they are, with some comments about why I want to do it (in a completely random order):

1. Start a blog and keep it going regularly. I have had a blog in the past while I was traveling, but I haven't ever kept it going regularly.  I'll be updating with random tidbits from my life, interesting links I've found while perusing teh internets, and my cooking adventures, in addition to updates about these 25 goals.  I'm hoping to update the blog at least once per week.


2. See the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I've heard about this and it sounds crazy.  While I'm not sure if I would like it or not, it is definitely something I'd be interested in going to.  Maybe that's what I'll do next Halloween?

3. Watch all six Star Wars movies. (Part I) I think maybe I watched all of these at some point when I was a little kid, but first of all, I didn't understand what was happening, and I don't even remember if I saw all of them.  People reference it all the time and I never really fully understand what they're talking about.


4. Get a facial. I bet this will be good. My friends who have had them say it kind of hurts but your skin feels so much better afterwards.


5. Play paintball. I have wanted to do this since I first found out what it was by watching 10 Things I Hate About You at a sleepover.  I know people who have told me it kind of hurts when the paintball hits you but it seems super fun!


6. Eat sushi with raw fish in it.  I've eaten sushi before, but only the vegetarian rolls.  I'm interested in trying sushi as it's meant to be!


7. Try a gluten-free diet for a month or more. (Part I) I just want to know what this is like!  It will definitely be a huge challenge, since I'm a carb monster.


8. Attend a service at a Universal Unitarian church.  Since leaving my childhood church, I've been looking for a new congregation to join, but I don't want to be told what to believe by the church elders or whoever, so UU sounds like it might be a good match.  But I don't really know much about it.


9. Get my Master's degree.  Hopefully, I will be graduating this May.


10. Create a successful summer camp.  I've begun work on the McLean Chamber Academy already, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to recruit enough students and therefore pull it off.  You can check it out here. Do yoga.  Unfortunately, my summer camp plan fell through.  You can read more about that here.  So I decided to amend this thing to be something more achievable that I have never done before.  My dad has been doing yoga at least five days per week for about fifteen years, so I can just go one day with him and see what it's all about.

11. Eat lobster. When I was little I thought it seemed gross so I always refused to try it.


12. Run a 5K. This will make me get at least a little bit in shape.  My friends are training to do a half-marathon but I know that would unrealistic for me.


13. Set off a firework. I think pretty much everyone has, but due to my mother's paranoia when I was younger, I haven't even been close to one.


14. Do 100 push-ups (Part I). Along with running a 5K, this will make me get in shape (and give me great Michelle Obama arms!).


15. Cook something on the grill.  Another thing pretty much everyone has done except me.


16. Go to a professional conference.  This would be a great experience musically, professionally, and being-an-adult-ally.


17. Get a manicure.  I've only gotten a pedicure before, and usually my nails are really ugly - either really short and mangled from chewing on them, or with remains of a failed home manicure.


18. Read Moby Dick. I love "classic literature" but this is one I've never even cracked open.


19. Go to a casino. This is the quintessential experience of a 21-year-old, so I will do it only a few years late.


20. Perform a piece of music written for me.  I've always dreamed of doing this, and it will be a reality at my recital on December 9!

21. Be actively thankful for one thing every day for a month.  It's easy to forget how lucky you are for everything you have, so I want to appreciate the opportunities that I have had every day!


22. Donate blood (and find out my blood type).  This is a good thing to do to help out those less fortunate than me.  Plus, it's a good idea for me to know my blood type in case of an emergency, and apparently they can tell you what type you are when you donate blood.


23. Try using a menstrual cup.  This is maybe TMI, but suffice it to say I've been interested in trying one for a while.


24. Walk the full length of Broadway in New York.  I have been enchanted by this idea since about six years ago, when a friend mentioned to me that her sister did it.


25. Do a juice cleanse.  A lot of people I know swear by these so I'd like to give it a try.


I hope you'll follow along as I try all these things out this year!