As Promised

I can't believe the year is basically over. Wow...Where did the time go?

I promised a big entry, so here we go!


Semester One of Eight:

My first semester at Berklee was pretty good. I met a lot of great people, made a lot of great friends, and jammed with some really awesome musicians. I need to work on Ear Training a lot more this next semester. That was definitely my weakness. I also didn't jam enough. Need to do more of that. Networking as well. I also want to go to the Songwriting club more often, and by more often I mean actually go. I signed up at the beginning of the year with a friend and we had planned to go together, but it didn't happen. We also planned on starting a band, that didn't happen, either. Anyway.

One Wednesday evening in October, I went to the Music Business Gala thing. It wasn't a gala, but I can't remember exactly what it was called. Chris Carlson (here's his blog, good stuff), the President of the Music Business Club at Berklee gave a little speech. I already wanted to join the Music Business Club, but Chris's speech made me feel like I had to join it. So I did, and I met even more awesome people and learned a lot, too. A lot of kids in college were once (like me) overly-involved in high school. Sports, student government, community service, National Honors Society, etc... But once they get to college, they stop doing that sort of stuff. I didn't want that to happen to me, and it did at first, but like most things, I fixed it.

I think the highlight of my semester wasn't even related to Berklee. I went to eight Red Sox games. Eight. That's a lot for someone without season tickets. The John Mayer thing was pretty cool, too, but lately I haven't been Mr. Mayer's biggest fan. Nonetheless, his clinic rocked, but the Sox games were great. I went to seven of them alone, but you're not really alone at Fenway. There are 39,927 other people there. And I'm not even counting the staff or the players.

I didn't write as much as I would have liked to. I only wrote one song really. Lots of ideas, but they were just ideas. That's another thing I need to work on.

(I'll put a whole list of goals/resolutions/things to do at the end of this. I will also write them down. Goals are manifested by being written down. Anyone can talk about doing stuff, but how many actually do it? My guess is not many. I'll admit to being a bit of a talker (not a close-talker like in Seinfeld), but I say I'm gonna do stuff, and I don't do it. Well, that's gonna change, too.)

I saw a fair amount of shows at Berklee, too. Oh yeah, and they were amazing and either free or two dollars. Can't complain there!

Here are the "Academic" Berklee Resolutions/Goals:

--Spend an hour a day at a piano
--Practice Ear Training daily
--Get all A's
--Play more guitar. Let's shoot for an hour a day--at least.

Here are the "Non-Academic" Berklee Resolutions/Goals:

--Get a band together. First thing.
--Write a song a day.
--Meet two new people a week.
--Actually GO to the Songwriters Club at least once a month
--Keep my room as clean as I have been


Looking back, 2008 was a damn good year. Between all the concerts (Elton John, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, the Who, and all the Berklee shows), the Red Sox games (eleven total, counting the three over the summer), and traveling, it rocked. As I said earlier, I met some really awesome people, and Berklee was good. I really can't complain.

As for non-Berklee Resolutions/Goals:

--Run three days a week; workout twice a week
--Eat healthier
--Look/Feel my best everyday
--Sleep better (haha)
--Find a good, upcoming artist every week
--Twitter better

I'll think of some more, I'm sure, but for now, I'll stick to those.

Happy New Year!

Busy Doing Nothing

I'm currently watching the first season of 30 Rock on DVD. I really haven't done much else this break. Other than playing at my cousin's wedding, I haven't played a whole lot of music. I've done a lot of listening (mainly to U2) and I'm starting to get back into writing. I had a disconnect with it over this semester, but I had a mini breakthrough with it last night. The song is called "Reflections" as of now, and it's basically an older me talking to my current self. It's not finished yet, but I really like it. It has the potential that my other songs haven't had lately.

I will do a big post tomorrow. I'm so lazy right now, I'm not even going to do labels.

Faraway, So Close!

In approximately 53 hours, I will be done with my first semester at Berklee. I know I said I wouldn't update, but I'm in MTEC..what else is there to do in MTEC? I already played my final project and handed in my work. I planned on studying, but I left my harmony binder in my room.

So now I just have to wait, quickly get back to my dorm, grab my guitar, and go to my proficiency exam. I've got a bit of a break to do laundry (the pile is slowly eating my floor) and clean before my next class. Then from three until sometime into double digits, you can find me in a practice room. And I swear I will be in bed by 1.30 for real this time. I have my two most important finals tomorrow.

I'm faraway, yet so close. So unbelievably close.

The Last Hurrah

I'm going to have to take a break from blogging/Facebooking/Twittering until next week. It's finals time, and I need to focus my energy on studying, at least until next Wednesday.

Last night I went to the Battle of the B.E.A.T at Bill's Bar (talk about alliteration). I don't know who ended up winning, I only stayed for the first three acts (thanks, finals). I really only went for the second two acts: Jonathan Carr and Brian Dunne. Both Berklee students, both extremely talented. Both put on a great show. I wish I could have stayed for the whole thing, but there was (and still is) work to be done.

So from the looks of it, if I get an A- on my Ear Training final, then I'll end up with a B in the class. And if my math is correct, then I'll end up with a GPA of at least 3.4 for the semester. It could be anywhere from a 3.4 to a 3.7. If it weren't for Ear Training, it could be a 3.9. One of my goals for next semester is to get all A's. Not that it wasn't a goal this semester, but now that I know what to expect, I'll be able to hit the ground running--in more than one area.

I'm thinking about my dictation final in Ear Training tomorrow, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared shitless about it. If it weren't for dictation, I would have an A, guaranteed. Just thinking about makes me nervous. I really want to do well on it. I have to in order to get an A overall on the final. Ahhhh! Haha, I'm..I don't even know. I would really like my finals to be done. I'm cutting myself some slack because it's my first semester here and that somehow justifies it for me. It's a learning experience. It definitely is a learning experience.

I can't wait for the break for several reasons. Here's a list:

--I get to celebrate the end of the semester with some of my favorite people at my cousin's wedding in DC. I'll also get to sit in with the wedding band, hopefully.

--I have tons of ideas that need to be songs, and I have tons of songs that need to be finished. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to write right now.

--I get to see all my friends for real this time. I've seen most of them, but there are a couple that I have not, and that needs to be fixed.

--I also get to see Bob, but that's a given. It is still worth mentioning.

--The cruise. I can't wait for the cruise. It will be epic, and I can gamble!

--I'll be able to play guitar and not feel bad about not practicing what I should be practicing. I'll also get to jam with people that I haven't played with in a long, long time.

--CRANIUM!!!

--U2 will probably announce their tour to support their album due out later this year.

--Mantis Christmas Eve. Yes, it is ON! Liz almost cancelled, but then realized that she really didn't want to, and her children would have been devestated. Plus it's always hilarious.

--Second semester will be closer to beginning. I'm really looking forward to next semester. It will be a semester of epic proportions (inside joke, but I couldn't resist).


I could keep going, but that's enough. As you can see, I have a lot to look forward to.

Well, I have class in ten minutes. Then it's work, a few errands, more work, and a little TV for the night.

Wish me luck!

Hunger Pains

For the past seven hours I have had the most intense side stitches, and I didn't even go running. I don't know what caused them, but I think it may be because I barely ate anything today. I didn't even realize it until I was talking to my roommate. I've had less than 1,300 calories today, and I normally eat at least 2,000. I could never have an eating disorder because I couldn't handle a pain like this all the time.

So that's what these are. Hunger pains. I'm seriously going to start donating money to organizations that provide food to starving people/countries because what I experienced today is, at the most, one one-hundredth of what a truly starving/emaciated person experiences every day. Every single day. I can't handle seven hours, nevermind a whole day.

Vienna/Torn

Sometimes I feel like I'm the person Billy Joel is talking about in his song Vienna. I'm gonna break it down:

Slow down you crazy child
You're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart tell me why
Are you still so afraid?

At this point, I haven't really done anything that would warrant Bill to tell me to slow down. However, the rest of the verse is true. If I know I can do it, why am I afraid to do it? I'm not afraid. I don't have time right now to do what I want. "He who hesitates is lost." I hesitated this semester, and I lost, but not really. I just didn't do exactly what I had in mind. I didn't count on needing a transitional period. That set everything back.

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You better cool it off before you burn it out
You got so much to do and only
So many hours in a day

Currently, there aren't enough hours in the day. I've cooled off some things, and I've been setting other things on fire. So that's not really anything new.

But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you

Oh God...That's so true. I believe in a go-go-go lifestyle because of that saying really. I'm not quite as bad as the person in the song. At least not right now. I've slowed down some stuff and sped up others.

Slow down you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight)

I tell myself this constantly. I'm always wanting to do more, but I can't always do more. It's a tricky situation. Some people walk through life because they don't want to miss anything. Some people run through life because they want to reach their destination as fast as they can. I fall somewhere in between those two kinds of people. I think I jog through life. I don't spend too much time on any one moment like some of the walkers would do, but I don't keep my eyes on the prize all the time like the runners do. I speed up more than I slow down, though. Sometimes I stop and smell the roses, but generally I'm going at a brisk pace.

Too bad but it's the life you lead
You're so ahead of yourself
That you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong
You know you can't always see when you're right (you're right)

This part's not so true about me. Sometimes it is, but on the whole it's not. I do get ahead of myself, but I haven't forgotten what I need. I'm quite aware of what I need.

You got your passion you got your pride
But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize
Vienna waits for you

Passion, check. Pride, check. However, I can be satisfied. At least for a moment. It doesn't last long because dwelling on anything--good or bad--is not healthy. It's okay to be nostaligic once in a while.

Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true. How many times have we all heard that? I always find it somewhat amusing and irritating when successful people tell the public stuff like that. You had a dream, and it came true. Well, why can't my dream or somebody else's dream (or dreams) come true? Every single successful/famous person was at one point a normal person with a dream. I don't think Billy Joel's telling us to give up on our dreams, but still, it's not overly encouraging. However, he redeems himself in "James".

Slow down you crazy child
Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while
It's alright you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize...
Vienna waits for you.

At this point, I don't feel I can afford to lose a day. Nevermind two.

And you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through

Already talked about...

Why don't you realize...Vienna waits for you
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you

And Vienna most definitely isn't waiting for me.


I've been feeling torn lately on what I want to do. I know that no matter what I choose to do, I will be happy with my choice. It's just a matter of choosing. One choice (A&R rep) would please just about everyone I know, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to do. It would be the safer of the two. The other option is being a performing songwriter. That would probably please just about everyone I know, but only if I made it "big."

The lyric from "James" that I love so dearly is
Do what's good for you
Or you're no good for anybody

I have time to figure out what's good for me. Thanks, college. I'm going to test out both fields. I'll get a band together for the latter, and I'll intern at record companies over the next four years to get a feel for the first.

To quote one of my own songs:

You've gotta let whatever happens happen
Let things fall into place

More of the Same/A Minor Setback

I'm back on my productivity kick. Not that I ever really stopped. I've got seventeen days until I'm done my first semester. I have a ton of work to do, too. As well as a ton of working out to do. I don't know why, but I was an eating machine today. I ate everything in sight really. That was not good. I'm definitely going for a run and/or hitting the gym for a vigorous workout. I need to.

That being said, it's full steam ahead for the next two and a half weeks.

I must go, there is work to be done.

Eighteen Days

Where the hell did the time go? One year ago today I had my audition for Berklee, and now I'm eighteen days away from the end of my first semester. How the hell did that happen?? A year ago I had plans to come here, get a band together in a matter of days, start gigging around Boston, and see where it could bring me. I still fully intend on doing that, just not yet. There's not enough time right now to do that. Everybody has a shit ton of work to do, and with finals two weeks away, there's little to no time at all to start rehearsing.

I'm not complaining at all. I had to ease into my first semester. It was my transition period. Now next semester's a whole different ball game. I will get a band together, and we will play out, and maybe (hopefully) record a demo. I can't wait. My entire break is going to be devoted to writing songs and playing guitar. At the moment, I have very little time to focus purely on the songs. I have way too much other stuff going on to write songs at the level I want to. In eighteen days I will, though. And I will take full advantage of it.

I'm really looking forward to the future. Big time. A lot of stuff is going to happen. Just wait. Just you wait. I know it's hard, but trust me, it's worth it. I'll make sure of that.