Snow Day in College!

Well, it's more like half a snow day because all classes after 2.30 are canceled, but nonetheless and snowday! Woo!

So I'm gonna do what I normally do on snow days: relax, play guitar, and get some work done while enjoying the weather.

If only I had some hot chocolate...

Back to the Grind

It's funny how I'm about to write about getting back to work, and that's exactly what I'm not doing by writing this. Anyway.

Back to the grind.

Yesterday's feelings of uneasiness have gone away. Not only am I ready to work, but I'm excited to work. I have a lot to do. A lot. I think once I get back into the swing of things it won't be so overwhelming, but I'm ready for it. I'm ready for all of it.

I don't just mean school stuff, either. I'm talking about songwriting and practicing and performing. As odd as it sounds, I get a little intimidated by my own ambitions from time to time. The ambitious, determined, happy, and confident Amy is seen much more often than the one that's not. That's the one you'll see probably 330 out of 365 days a year, maybe more. The other one is a little bit more...I don't want to say apprehensive...The other one, the rare side of me, generally says, 'What are you doing?!?! I'm tired! Stop!' I can't stop now. I've worked too hard to pack it up and quit before I really even get going. I'm still planning a few things, but I'll be ready sooner rather than later. Ready for what? Many, many, many things.

This is gonna be a good year. I can feel it.

Now, back to the grind.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

After 34 days of being away, I am finally back at Berklee.

I had a good break. It was fairly unproductive, but that's what a break's for, right? Time off. I'm not sure if I needed it, or if I even wanted it, or if I benefited from it. At the moment I feel as if I did not benefit from over a month off of school. It's weird being back. Maybe it's because I've only been here for five and a half hours. Hopefully it's only because of that. There's a lot to be done in the next three and a half months, and until this feeling of uneasiness goes away, a lot will not be done. It will. I just need to get the ball rolling, then I'll be fine.

I'm eager to start classes. I missed a few while I was at the Inauguration--which was really cool and really cold. Tomorrow I have Harmony, Arranging, and Legal Aspects of the Music Industry tomorrow. Should be a good day. I got all my stuff together when I got back. My life is organized once again. I'm surprised I managed to get it all together in a short amount of time. I have some laundry to do, but that's about it.

Actually, I gotta play guitar.

Nothing

That's what I've done all day. Okay, I lied, I phoned in for a prescription refill. I've done one thing all day.

It's not like I don't have anything to do. I just don't feel like doing anything. I want to do stuff, but I can't bring myself to do anything. I know it sounds weird, but that's the best way I can describe it. I'm content right now to just sit and listen to Coldplay. Currently they're telling me everything's not lost. And it isn't. I know that.

Hopefully within the hour my headache will go away and I can go back to being productive, which is one of my favorite things to be.

I feel a song coming.

Snowboarding and Music

In a little while (nine hours or so), I will be snowboarding for the first time in probably three years. Part of me is scared, most of me is beyond excited. Snowboarding was my thing for a good three years of my life. In my 8th grade yearbook, next to my picture is a list of goals and one of them was to become a professional snowboarder.

I was all about board sports from the time I was seven and discovered skimboarding. Board sports have a literal and metaphorical edge to them. I was attracted to them (skimboarding, snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing) because they were different and exciting. I got good at two (snowboarding and skimboarding. I used to be able to stand up on a surfboard, too) really fast. I broke my teeth on a skateboard, but I still own one.

Snowboarding took the cake, though. It was fast. I was good at it. I could showoff a little bit. And my sister skied so snowboarding was all mine in my family. No one else does it. They all hate it. They're all skiers and can't stand (no pun intended) not being able to move their legs. I hated skiing, with a passion. I begged to snowboard. Begged. For years. Then, when I was ten, I learned how to do it. It took four or five lessons for me to be able to keep up with my skiing family and friends, but after that, no one questioned my decision.

Now, what does this have to do with music?

I asked for two or three years for a guitar before I got one. I wasn't encouraged to get one, but I wasn't told no, either. Like anything else, I was horrific at first, and my parents hated it. So did my sister. Unlike a sport, music takes a lot more time to get better at it. Either that, or I really do have a natural aptitude for board sports. Anyway. I practiced for hours and hours and hours. It consumed me. It still does.

If I were to have to create a list of goals to put in my 8th grade yearbook now, I don't think being a professional athlete would be on there. It would be replaced by being a professional musician.

Both of those goals are scoffed at by people. If I wanted to, why couldn't I be a pro. snowboarder? I would go to a school in Vermont, major in something not too stressful, and snowboard all the time. Same thing with music. Why can't I be a professional musician? It might not be pretty right away. Nothing is. But I know it's worth it.

Just like tomorrow will be worth the pain the comes Thursday. I'm ready for it.

What A Mess!

My room is such a mess! I have dirty and clean clothes all over the floor, a huge suitcase that still has clothes in it, and I haven't made my bed in two days. You can barely see my bureau, I've got shoes everywhere, and my backpack and guitar case are just kind of thrown off to the side. There's a random shopping bag in the corner. My night stand has piles of books on it, and there are instructions to my camera in here somewhere. I have to clean it tomorrow. Otherwise, I will drive myself crazy.

Most creative people thrive in a messy environment, but I just get distracted. I stop creating and start cleaning.

That's not entirely true, I can work in any environment, I just work faster with less to distract me.

I gotta get some sleep now.

Check out the Ting Tings, in case you haven't already. They're a really fun band!

A Rougher than Rough Recording

Here's the first of the daily songs. it's called "Doubt" and it has absolutely nothing to do with the movie/play. It--like all songs generally are--is about a feeling I've been having lately.

The recording is very rough because my guitar is unplugged and I'm singing with my retainer in. Click on the title. Enjoy!

Doubt