When I Can't Sleep, I Blog

I'm breaking all the cardinal-rules of trying to go to sleep: eating, listening to rock music (U2, to be more specific), and looking at a bright screen.

This whole Amy-not-going-to-bed-until-at-least-two started last week. I came home from a jam, and I was so excited, I just couldn't sleep. I slept great the following night, but then my pattern was messed up after being out until two in the morning Friday and not going to bed until three in the morning Saturday. I'm not sure I like it. I like to sleep.

I recently realized several things causing my insomnia:

1. Running. I'm not running. Exercise definitely helps you sleep, at least running helps me. I haven't gone for a run in a while. A long, long while. Blame it on my schedule, but it's my own fault. I'm not exhausting myself the way I should be in order to sleep the way I want to.

2. Midterms. I've been thinking so much about midterms that they could easily be keeping me up at night. I have one tomorrow, I mean today. It's Ear Training Part One: Dictation. I am horrific at dictation. Give me a guitar, I'll play you back the melody after listening to it once, maybe twice. Make me write it down, it's torture. This time I was smart: I scheduled a tutoring session right before my exam. I'm gonna walk in, and have my tutor play me Lydian and Mixolydian melodies for an hour. I can't think of a better way to prepare for it. Why didn't I think of this before? Paul Stiller used to (he still might) have dictation classes for Ear Training 1 and 2 on Wednesdays at 4. I went to as many as I could, and on my final dictation I got a B+. Practice makes perfect, it's just hard to practice dictation.

My other midterm I'm concerned about is Sound Reinforcement. I'm not so worried now. We reviewed in class today. As long as I do some prep work, I'll be fine.

3. Other things. I have so many little things to do. My lists are everywhere and unaccomplished, which is so unlike me. I have to get back on track. Not that I'm derailed, but my wheels are coming a little loose. Not in every area. Usually my guitar chops get lost in the shuffle (oddly enough) when I'm at school, but I've been spending a lot of time playing. Which is great. I didn't play nearly enough my first two semesters.

I've been thinking too much lately about everything. I think I'm thinking about sleeping too much.

I'm listening to U2's Zooropa, and I feel like it's December of 2008 during finals week because this album was my soundtrack. My mom called me sometime that week, probably that Tuesday, to tell me that she never bought the plane tickets to fly to DC for my cousin's wedding, but it ended up being the best mistake she ever made. A massive blizzard was headed for Boston the day we were supposed to fly. We would have missed our flight. Having never bought the tickets, we got a last-minute deal to fly out on Thursday and we ended up staying at the Willard and eating at Old Ebbit's Grill that night. It's amazing how I associate all that with Zooropa. And the Devil Wears Prada. I watched that movie eight times that week I think. I would put it on whenever I could. Ask my old roommate. Throughout November and December it was on all the time.

I could go on for a while now, but I need to stop myself and try and sleep.

Thank you for reading my late-night ramblings. I hope there are fewer of them.

A Doozie Of An Update

I suggest getting something to eat or drink as you read this. You may be here for a while.

I don't even know where to begin... Actually, I should begin by doing my Arranging homework or my College Writing homework, but if I don't do this now, I never will. Or I'll screw up the facts because after a while things get jumbled in my brain.

I'll start with Monday.

I don't know what it is about dictation in Ear Training that I can't grasp. If you ask me to play a rhythm or a melody back on guitar, I'll get it after one try. When it comes to writing things down, I get lost. I'm find with intervals and chords, and even rhythm, but melody...Melody kills me every time. I know I didn't get an A on my dictation midterm. I did pretty good on the singing part. Just a few slip ups. I'm determined to get an A on the next quiz/test/final. My teacher, Paul Stiller (easily one of the best teachers at Berklee), said I've made a lot of progress from my last quiz. I'm getting there, in more than one area.

My Guitar Lab midterm went well. I played "Forever Man" by my man Eric Clapton. I made a few mistakes, but it was fine. Got an A on that one.

Let's move on to Tuesday.

Tuesday's my easiest day. I have Harmony 3 with Eric Byers in the morning, and my lesson at 6. I played a song I wrote called Doubt (there's a very rough recording somewhere on the blog) in my lesson this week. So that was cool. I'm often asked who influences me as a player, and the truth is, oddly enough, I wouldn't say I have any really strong guitar influences. Or they're not who you think they would be--other than Eric Clapton. I love Hendrix, I went through a pretty big Hendrix phase last year. Stevie's great, too. But the people that have influenced me the most are Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Pete Townshend. One of the reasons I have a Telecaster is because of Keith. I used to (and still do to a degree) want to be Keith, minus the drugs. When I saw the Stones a few years back, I went nuts when he came out playing "Jumpin' Jack Flash." I'm more influenced by songs and songwriters than I am by guitarists. I tried to get heavy into playing, but then I said to myself, 'You're always going to love Billy Joel more than Buddy Guy so just get over it.' I do love Buddy, but not the way I love Billy.

So after my lesson I went to see Ann Coulter and Bill Maher give speeches and debate each other. They decided to participate in Boston's 2009 Speaker Series. After a while, I had to stop listening to Ann Coulter. I just couldn't take it. Bill Maher was hilarious, as usual. I must have been in the Ann Coulter fan section because no one around me was even laughing at Bill. Some hecklers got thrown out, and some guy in the balcony started yelling at Bill Maher and Bill let him have it. It was great. It was a cool thing to see.

Moving on: Wednesday.

Wednesday was a very special day in Boston. U2 came to town to play a "secret show" at the Somerville Theater. The tickets were given away through radio contests, and U2 had their own guest list for the show. I did get into the theater, but not the show. I bought a ticket to the movies. You all know how much I was dying to see "He's Just Not Into You" right? I mean, I could not stop talking about it haha!

I missed the band at the Ritz that afternoon. There was no way I could have made it there in time, so I went straight to Davis Square to try and catch them before they went inside. I missed that, too, but I heard soundcheck! So that was cool. My movie was at 7, so I went in around 6.45. I have never seen so much security for such a tiny place! There were about 10 security guys in the lobby (which is about the size of my room)! There were about 12 of us at the movie, all with the same idea: sneak into U2's show. Well, none of us got in, but I did get to hear the first song ("Get On Your Boots") and the last song ("Vertigo"). I caught a few glimpses of the band at the Q&A thanks to a security guard that Tom (known as @BostonTweet for Twitter users) knows.

I decided to head back into Boston, and hang out at the Ritz Carlton, hoping that U2 would come back before I had to go back. Their entire crew did, but they were in Davis Square for a good portion of the night. The T sadly stops at 12.30ish so I had to get back to the Berk before then. On the bright side, I found a new cool hang place: the Ritz lobby. It's intimately spacious. The staff is great. There's a fire place, and it's quiet. I also finished up some work before heading back to my neck of the woods around 11.45 or so.

So today was also an eventful day. After my Harmony midterm, I went back to the Ritz to see if U2 was still around. If they were, I didn't see them. I was only there for 45 minutes because I had to go get in line for the Paul Simon clinic! I ran into my friend Tom (his blog is here) outside of Berklee, and we waited in line, chit-chatted, and ate scones outside the Berklee Performance Center for 45 minutes or so in the cold waiting to go inside for the clinic. Paul Simon's a character. It was a really relaxed atmosphere. We were able to ask questions, and he played us a few songs. It was a lot of fun.

After the clinic, I had my Legal Aspects class. We got our midterms back. I got a 97! I was pretty excited. That was only the first half. He said the second half is much harder than the first. I'm determined to keep that 97, though. I will be one of the few that manages to do so by the way he made it sound.

My class ended at 6. I bolted back to my dorm, grabbed my digital recorder and my iPod and headed over to Tom's (blog, website)show at the All Asia bar in Cambridge. The show was great, and I met some cool new people, too. I didn't get to stay for the next act. My friend Jordan and I had to finish a case study for MEISA, and I had an essay to finish. I actually just finished it up, yay!

So now I'm watching Seinfeld and relaxing. I did a lot of running around these past few days. I'm looking forward to a lot more relaxing in the next few days coming up.

Ear Training

Something about Ear Training midterms scare the shit out of me. I never feel like I'm prepared enough. I could practice 18 hours a day every day and still feel unprepared.

I've spent a good three or four hours working on it today. I'm giving myself a chance to watch some TV and finish my other homework before I drag myself back down into a piano room for two hours working out the melodies again.

I want all A's this semester. Badly. As of right now, I would guess that I do have all A's, and I want to keep it that way.

That being said, time to do some homework, and watch a little TV. Then I'm off to a room with 88 teeth chomping at the bit for me

March Madness

For most college students, March is a very hectic month. Between midterms, spring break, and possible apartment hunting, it can get pretty crazy. I have a very busy month. At first I wasn't super excited about having a week off. I was, but I wasn't super stoked. My feelings have since changed. I cannot wait for break. I'm thinking about my March schedule, and it is not pretty. I didn't utilize my snow day to its full potential, but I did get a free pedal board! Thanks again, Alvaro!

I've got a very busy week and a half ahead of me. I have two sizable homework assignments in Harmony and Arranging due Thursday, part one of my Legal Aspects midterm also on Thursday, and a paper due Friday. I have my Guitar Lab midterm to prepare for, I don't know if I have a midterm in Essentials of Songwriting (I should probably find out), the dictation portion of my Ear Training midterm on Monday and the singing portion of it on Wednesday, my Harmony midterm is on Thursday, as well as my Arranging midterm and probably the second half of Legal Aspects, and then I'm done. I think that's it. I really hope that's all of it.

I should get to work now. I've got stuff to do. There's always stuff to do.

The Halfway Point

Can you believe I'm halfway through my first semester? I can't. I had three midterms today. Back to back to back. I aced my Guitar Lab midterm. It was almost funny. If my math is correct, then I received a B on my Ear Training midterm, which I'm happy with. I was aiming for a B (an A was out of the question). I completely owned my Harmony midterm. I struggled for a bit, but then I had a breakthrough and blazed right through it. I left the classroom beaming. I felt great.

As you all know, Friday is Halloween. I'm wicked excited for it. Julia and I are going to BC (finally!) for trick-or-treating and a dance. I won't reveal my costume(s) (I might go as two things) yet. I'll let the pictures/videos do the honors.

Now for some random thoughts:

-I haven't talked to Bob in over a week. That's not good.
-I'm so obsessed with the Script that I ordered yet another CD/special package thing from the UK.
-Julia hasn't called me yet. I think she lost her phone in her bag again.
-What am I gonna do with six pairs of tube socks?
-I should put new strings on USA.
-I need to finish these songs.
-Eric's playing his music so loud that the stuff on my desk is shaking.
-There's a really awesome kid playing here tonight. I'm excited.
-My room is really clean. Not that that's out of the ordinary.
-I said a lot more than I thought I would.

Okay well, I'm gonna go do something with my life now.

(College) Life (in General), and the Who

This is about more than just college life, but I'll start with that.

College..What can I say about it? What can't I say about it? It's a great place. It really is. I've made some really great friends, and it's been a great seven weeks. I have no complaints (other than midterms are coming up), and even though sometimes I crave a campus and books, I know that if I had it I would be begging for concrete and lead sheets.

That being said, I went to my first party tonight. It's funny because my mom was just asking if I had been to any yet and I told her no. It was more of a jam session than a party, but nonetheless there was people and noise (the liquor stores had all closed, not that it had any affect on me). It was pretty fun. I met some cool people, so it's all good.

I have my remaining four midterms this week. Guitar Lab, Ear Training, Harmony, and Writing Skills, in that order. I'm not concerned with my Guitar Lab midterm at all. I have a few patterns to memorize, but it won't be a problem. Easy A. I'm a little worried about my Ear Training midterm because I'll probably end up singing the hardest melodies we've done. It's completely random, but I'll end up singing the most difficult ones. It's alright, I have until Wednesday. I'm not worried about the material on my Harmony midterm, I'm worried about the time limit. I only have 50 minutes, and I really want to ace it. If I study enough, I'll be fine. I know what I know, and I know what I don't know, if that makes sense. I have to work on what I don't know more than what I know, and I know that makes sense. My Writing Skills midterm shouldn't be too difficult. Plus it's not until Thursday. Plenty of time to prepare. I'm more concerned about getting my homework done than I am about doing well on my midterms. I have to write a list of changes I would make in secondary education in America, create a track on Reason, write out a drum pattern with a bass line that grooves with the drums, and study. All of this is due by Wednesday (most of it is due Tuesday).

On top of all that, I have to go for a run tomorrow and start eating healthier. I'm going to start a food journal. I have to, otherwise I'll live off cereal and sweets with the occasional peanut butter sandwich. Okay, so it's not that bad, but it's not that good, either.

I also need to start a "career journal." I know what I want to do already, so it's more like a direction journal. How to get to where I want to be. Technically, I already have one started. My lyrics/idea notebook is exactly that. This one will be much more focused. Which is what I need to be, focused. It's not like I'm scattered now, I just need to straighten a few things out, but don't we all? In a way, I'm waiting to get it together. I actually have a song by that title. It's not done yet. Fitting. Just give me some more time, I swear it'll all work out.

Once again, Pete Townsend acknowledged my existence. I went to see the Who last night with my mom, Susan, and my friend Tom. And once again, it was an incredible experience, and an unforgettable night. The third time's the charm. Last night was only my second. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but if you do, you know I'm right. It's almost happened twice, thrice if you count Billy Joel. Next time. This also gives me more time to prepare. I could use it, too. Eventually, none of this will be necessary.

I'm gonna leave you now. Probably somewhat confused by that last statement. Cut me some slack. After all, it's almost two in the morning.

(The funny thing is, that's exactly what I want)

Midterms

Before I take on the tasks of yet another busy day, I need to update.

I have my first two midterms tomorrow. The dictation portion of my Ear Training midterm, and my Ensemble midterm. I'm not too concerned about them, that's not to say I haven't been studying for them. Studying isn't the best word for preparing for midterms. Preparing is actually a much better term. Ha. Anyway. The rest of my midterms are next week. The only one I really have to study for (and I mean study) is Harmony. Not because I don't know the material, but because I have 50 minutes to make sure I know the material. I fully intend on acing it with time to spare. Fortunately, I have six more days until said midterm. As far as my Guitar Lab midterm is concerned, I just need to look over a few songs and I'll be fine. Thanks, Bob. That class is an easy A. It's almost too easy. And now that I don't have to use the Berklee Method, it's an even easier A.

Ratings Auditions are next week. I was going to audition, but I think I might wait until the end-of-the-semester auditions. I don't really have anything prepared, and since you can only audition once per semester, I'd have a better shot at boosting my ratings in December than I would next week. I know what I want to play, I just haven't worked it out yet.

Tomorrow night is the Who concert!!! I'm wicked excited, you have no idea. It's going to be epic.

I'll write more later. I have stuff to take care of.