Catch Up / Jemsite Award

I feel like Carrie Bradshaw writing at 3 in the morning. I'm surprisingly awake, too.

I was recently honored by Jemsite, a guitar website/blog. I received the Recommended Reader Award which I will post as soon as I can. The HTML code isn't quite right.

I was seriously surprised! Thank you to everyone who recommended me and to everyone that reads my blog. It means a great deal to me. Especially since lately my posts have not been guitar or Berklee centered. The good news is, that's about to change.

Midterms begin the week of March 8th. I am so not ready for them. Ear Training might kill me. I had a quiz today..er, yesterday, and it went pretty well. Paul said it was my best yet, and it definitely was. I hate Ear Training, but I love Paul (because I haven't said it enough).

I'm taking the Jimi Hendrix Lab with Julien Kasper (who is also my private instructor). It's a lot of fun and my Hendrix chops are steadily improving. That man was so incredible. So far we've done Spanish Castle Magic, Who Knows (first two solos), and Wait Until Tomorrow. For our midterm we have to transcribe a Hendrix song. I chose Manic Depression as recommended by Bob. The main riff is really easy. The solo will take a bit of diligence on my part. Don't get me started on my social life. It's great, really, it is. I have problems saying no when it comes to being with friends. I always feel like I'm going to miss something.

I'm taking a course with Livingston Taylor, as in James Taylor's brother, this semester. The class is fantastic. Liv is fantastic. He's so wild; I love it! James recently gave a clinic here and it was incredible. I never realized how great of a guitarist he is. He's an absolutely beautiful guitar player. Magnificent.

I always had assumed that Art History would be boring, but I was wrong. I'm taking Renaissance Art History with Ross Bresler, and it's great. I've been to Florence, Paris, and Venice so I've seen a lot of the paintings and buildings we talk about which definitely impacts my perception of the course. Ross is an art genius. He knows everything, and he's really enthusiastic about it all.

I'm also taking Advanced Computer Applications. It's about building databases, something I don't foresee myself ever needing to know how to do. I'm debating withdrawing from it. I currently have a 4.0 in my major, and I'd like to keep it that way. I missed an assignment and didn't do so hot on my quiz so I'm afraid I might not be able to get an A and consequently bring my concentrated GPA down. I don't know why I care. GPAs don't matter in real life, but they help with scholarships! At the same time I just want to get the class over with. So we'll see what happens.

I've talked about Accounting already. Marty's awesome, but accounting is a snooze. I can see why he's eager to retire. I couldn't imagine doing that for a living, although you can make bank doing it. Which is probably why people go into accounting in the first place.

Now I'm tired. Thank you again for reading/recommending!

Does It Ever End?

Do yourselves a favor and never get mono. Never. Get. Mono.

For the past seven weeks or so my life has been turned upside-down. I don't even know where to begin to explain it. I'm repeating myself as it is.

You know what, just don't get mono. Unless you enjoy being debilitated for a bit. I have been attacked, compromised, however you want to look at it, I'm answering to something I don't want to. Not that I typically rail against exhaustion, but usually it's caused by running (something I love dearly). In this case, it's constant.

Lately I haven't been myself. I'm usually in good spirits and bursting with energy. At the moment I'm just alright and pretty tired. I feel like I'm copping out when I say I'm tired because I have mono. Those words don't easily roll off my tongue, which is also unusual.

My whole state of being is unusual. My sleep habits are bizarre. For example, I went to bed at 11.30 last night, didn't fall asleep until after 1, and woke up starving at 6. I thought my stomach was going to eat itself, which is odd because I had a bowl of cereal around 10.45, shortly before I went to bed.

Clearly my eating habits have been bizarre, too. My dad and Bob (my second-dad who has done more than his fair share in terms of listening to me whine about mono) said that my metabolism has gone crazy because of mono and they're probably right. Up until this week I was an eating machine. I was hungry all the time. Now I have to think about whether or not I actually am hungry.

My mom said that one of the reasons I've been feeling down is probably due to my inability to run (out of fear of spleen-rupturing, which would really be the cherry on top of this) and therefore I'm not getting any endorphins. Julia said that as well. To quote Legally Blonde, 'Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands.' Not that I'm married, but that's true, and easily one of my favorite lines from a movie.

My workload is fairly daunting at times. Two months ago it wouldn't have been, but given the circumstances it's intimidating. I'm doing too much: 16 credits (a full schedule at Berklee), Peer Advising, Music Business Club, and the Music Business Journal just to name a few. I didn't cut back out of fear of falling behind, but I think I screwed myself over by not taking a step back. I might withdraw from a class if my energy/normal life doesn't return soon.

My doctor told me that one day I'm gonna wake up and be full of energy. On that day I will and go for a long run by the river while crying tears of joy.

Seventeen

365 days ago I wrote a post entitled "Seventeen" because I was going to be home in seventeen days. Well, I decided to do it again.

In seventeen days, I will once again be home for Thanksgiving break. With the exception of Ear Training (I have a test the Monday after break), I want to be work-free. I've been a bit of a slacker lately, and I have more work now than I did at this time last year I think. Well, it's a different kind of work. I like the work I have now much more than I did last year. A lot more. Even the stuff I really don't like to do isn't that bad. It's just boring.

I have the privilege of registering for class a week before everyone else because I'm a Peer Advisor. I have a great schedule, too. No classes on Monday and no classes before 11. My Thursday's intense: class 11-1 and then 2-8 with no break. My last class of the day is with Jay Fialkov, so it's all good. Most importantly, I have Paul Stiller for Ear Training 4. I based my schedule around his class. I'm potentially taking a harmony course on the Beatles. I have to test out of Harmony 4 to do so. Or I can try for a waiver. I'll have to investigate.

I need to get on a better schedule. These next 17 days can kick my ass into gear. The best thing is, at the end of the 17 days, I get to go home and see all my friends that I haven't seen in a while. Including the one and only Bob Thompson.

Six of Ten: Bob Thompson

My graduation party. June 2008

Anyone that knows me more than to just say hello to knows who Bob is. For those of you that read this and don't know who Bob is, you're about to find out. I was going to save him for the last influence post, but after having dinner with him yesterday, I can't wait that long.

Bob is my favorite person in the world. He's my second-dad, my guitar teacher, my go-to guy to talk about anything with. He's the greatest. I adore that man like you wouldn't believe. Let's put it this way: my mom once said, "If Bob told you to jump off a bridge, you would." I replied, "...Yeah, but Bob would never tell me to jump off a bridge so we don't have to worry about that." I told that to him yesterday over our every-six-weeks-or-so-catch-up-dinner-now-that-I'm-back-in-school dinner. He laughed, and he agreed because he knows it's true.

I met Bob through a mutual friend/guitar player when I was sixteen. I had just finished up lessons with my former teacher Tom. At my last lesson with Tom, he said, "I've taught you everything I can teach you. You gotta go to Bob." Mark (mutual friend/guitar player) was very adamant about me taking lessons with Bob. So I emailed him, told him my shpeel (Berklee, pop/rock/blues lover, Eric Clapton freak, etc...), and shortly after that I began taking lessons with Bob. I had no idea how much impact that one email would have on me.

My first lesson was sometime in May of 2007. I had never met Bob before, I'd only emailed him a few times. The second I walked into his house, it was an instantaneous friendship. A typical guitar lesson is an hour long. My first lesson with Bob was two. My second lesson was three. My third lesson was four. You get the idea. I think the longest lesson I've ever had was six hours. It was a lesson, a clinic, and just some hang time with Bob. It was almost like we'd known each other forever and we were (I should say are) making up for lost time. My friends kind of hated my lessons during the summer because I'd be gone from 4.15 to at least 9.00. Often times I wouldn't pull into my driveway until 10.

Now the entire time wasn't spent playing. Bob and I like to talk a lot. A lot. We talk about everything. It's one of the best and it's probably the most natural friendship I've ever had with anyone. I trust him one hundred percent, which is why I can tell him anything. Not only do we talk a lot, we laugh a lot. Just last night, I set him up perfectly for a joke. It was great. I make fun of him, he makes fun of me. It's all good. He tries to get my going, and sometimes I let him because it's all in good fun.

When I left for school last year, I didn't cry when I said goodbye (temporarily, of course) to anyone. Except for when I said goodbye to Bob. It was heart-wrenching. I get sad just thinking about it. I was sad again when I said goodbye to him in August. It was a different kind of sad, but nonetheless, I was not happy, and it was not easy. I kept prolonging leaving. He could tell, and he didn't try to stop me. I would often play that game with him even in lessons. I love spending time with him. There'd be a lull, I'd quickly glance at the clock, and it would be way too early to call it a night (often times this would be about two and a half hours into a lesson). So I'd ask a question, or say something and we'd start right up again. To this day I still do this with people.

Anyway, back to Bob. Before I met Bob, my friends would ask me what I did with my life before guitar came into the picture. I don't know, really. I did what everyone else did, and I still do, only now guitar takes up much more of my free time. Now my friends ask me who did I have before Bob. And honestly, I don't know. To think about not knowing Bob is very strange to me. He fit right into my life instantly. I can't imagine him not being there. I survived sixteen years without him. It's funny how that happens.

When I would go on vacation, no matter how much fun I was having, part of me couldn't wait to get back home and have a lesson/hang with Bob. We'd play, we'd eat, we'd talk, we'd play, and he became such a part of my routine. He still is. My lessons (up until this summer) were on Mondays. Most kids hate Monday because it's the start of the school week. I loved Mondays (I still do) because it meant that two hours after I got home from high school that I would get ready for my weekly God-knows-how-long lesson.

I've grown exponentially as a musician thanks to Bob. Everything about my skills as a musician are better thanks to him. I don't think I'd be at Berklee if it weren't for him. He (and others) say(s) otherwise, but I don't.

Yesterday my mom said (in reference to me enjoying coming home once in a while), "She gets to see all the people she loves, her mother, her father, her sister, her friends, Bob, and she gets to play her guitar...Let me put that in the correct order: she loves BOB, her guitar, her mother, her father, her sister, and her friends. She won't deny it, either. And we know it's true." It is. For example, I went home for a long weekend in February not to see my parents, but to go out to dinner with Bob.

I would not be the same person had I not met Bob. I can't think of anyone that has had so much of an impact on me so fast. He's one of the greatest people I have ever met, and the person (with the exception of a few high school friends that aren't in Boston) I by far miss the most when I'm not in Maine.

Clearly, I could go on for hours about Bob. I miss him big time when I'm here at Berklee. As much as I love it here, I often catch myself counting down the days (46 or 47) until I get to see Bob again.

What do I do now? I just get lost in my college life, which I love almost as much as Bob.

Berklee 2.0

This post is so overdue it's not even funny.

I'm a sophomore/third-semester student at Berklee College of Music. The Greek definition of a sophomore is a wise fool. I may be a sophomore, but I don't think I'm a wise fool. I know a lot more about everything this year than I did last year, but I still know I don't know that much.

Last year was an incredible year. I learned so much and met/befriended some of the most amazing people. I would have loved to have started last year the same way as this year. I know it would have been impossible/entirely different, but I feel much better about this year. I'm forever the optimist, and I was an optimist last year, too. There's something different this year...I have a whole new level of optimism and confidence I had no idea I could muster. Even now as I type this alone in the dark, I glance over at my guitars and I get a rush of gusto, if you will. It's an incredible feeling. I wish I could share it with everyone.

Back to Berklee. I have a great schedule this semester. I'm done at one on Thursdays and I have no classes on Friday! Next semester I think I'm gonna flip it and have no classes on Monday. I think I'd like that more. Not that I'm complaining, but if I can do it, I will. Plus, Paul Stiller, aka P-Stills, normally has his Ear Training 4 class on Wednesdays and Fridays. He offered it to me this semester at the last minute (some foolish person dropped it), but I opted to stay in mine because it would give me Fridays off. I probably should have taken him up on the offer but RIck DiMuzio's a nice guy and a good teacher.

I think part of my new-found outlook on life has to do with being a Peer Advisor. It's kind of empowering, not that I'm power-hungry, but it's cool to say, 'Yeah, I'm a Peer Advisor.' I usually get a very enthusiastic response and it's probably the best job on campus. I can't get enough of it.

Scotty Johnson is just about the coolest guitar teacher in the department. I'm really enjoying my lessons with him. He has such a high level of energy and enthusiasm. He's so encouraging. If I don't take him next semester, I'll definitely take his Musical Theater lab. Not only do I love him, I have a burning desire to write a musical. I love musical theater. I've seen just about every show on Broadway that's out right now. There are sixteen musicals out not counting shows in previews. I've seen twelve. I've seen six in the past six months--including Hair twice.

Here's a little twist for you. Last year I was kind of missing having books to study from. I find that having a book makes it easier because you know exactly what to do. This year I have five books (not the workbooks you get for Ear Training and Harmony), and I miss not having them. It's more fun to explore on your own. As much as I enjoy economics, it can get a little dry and that book isn't exactly appealing all of the time.

On that note, I really love my business classes. Especially Taxation in the Music Industry. Everything is deductible! Well, not everything, but I never realized how much you can write off. When worded properly, I think your whole life could be deductible. My teacher is hysterical. I learned that Mick Jagger's lips are insured. Who would have thought...

What else, what else...There's so much to say. As you may or may not have noticed, I don't have any labs or ensembles this semester. I like it because it let's me focus on my private lessons more. I don't like it because I miss learning not only from different instructors but other students as well. Next semester I'll take at least one lab.

My History class is pretty sweet. Not as good as Shirley Tardif's class (BHS kids will understand), but hey, no class ever will be so I'm okay with that. My Sound Reinforcement class is interesting, but the book is so dry. It's a class that is much better in practice than in theory.

So that's about it for Berklee stuff. I've been playing a lot lately with some friends, and it's been good. It's only gonna get better. Be on the lookout for shows in, around, and out of the Boston area in the near future (November-ish).

I also have a great social life this year. Not that I didn't last year, but this year has been much more exciting. So far I've been to two winning Red Sox games (at this point last year I think I was at five, but I had a losing record and in my defense the Sox have been away a lot since I've been at school), and saw U2. I've gone out a lot more. I won't be in town the next two weekends because I have to go to New York (yes, I have to go haha) this weekend. The following weekend I have to go home for a wedding and to have my six-week catch-up dinner with Bob. It'll be good to get away. I haven't been away-away yet. I've been at BU (Boston University) a lot, but no where beyond the state line. It'll be good. No, it'll be great. Don't get me started on New York. There are a few posts about my love for it already.

On that note, I think I'm gonna try and go to bed. I wanted to two hours ago. Clearly that didn't happen. I'm not so sure my morning run will, either...Ah, well. Always tomorrow.

Anyway, I will be posting more regularly either here or my tumblog. All the posts that go here also go there so yeah. It's all good.

24 Days (Until Possibly The Best Summer Ever)! And Other Things

I only have 24 days left in my first year of college. I don't think there is an adjective that can describe how I feel when I think about it. I'm incredibly excited for summer, but I'm also sad because I've had such a great time this year.

If things go according to plan, then I will have the greatest summer ever--even better than last year, and I saw five incredible shows and went to Europe for a week and a half. There's so much I want to do, all I have to do is do it (like Nike). Take a look at my plans:

--(It looks like) A few friends and I are getting a band together. We kind of had one last year, but it was more like we had jam sessions. I have to play shows this summer, otherwise I will explode. I gotta give my singer/pianist/guitarist a call this week.

--I want to take a few liberal arts courses to save time/money. There are two four-week sessions at USM, and if I can get Art History, Western Civ, and a physical science out of the way, that would be fantastic.

--I have to work. I need money! I need money mainly to buy Red Sox tickets when I'm back at school haha! I also need money to get new gear.

--I want to go back to karate. It's probably my favorite way to work out (with the exception of running). Not only am I burning calories, I'm having a great time doing it, and I'm also learning. I also love my Sensei and my fellow martial artists.

--There are a zillion books I want to read. There are also a zillion songs in me that need to be written/recorded. if I could get some studio time, that would be the cherry on top of everything.

--I absolutely positively have to take lessons (aka hang out) with Bob. I couldn't survive all summer knowing that he's 20 minutes away from me and I don't see him on a weekly basis. That is unacceptable. I want to come back here in the fall and be so much better than I am now that my friends will ask me what I did to get to that level.

--I want some time to chill and go to the beach (even in April, it's calling my name). It doesn't look like I'll have much with that schedule, but believe me, I will. I now know why college ends in May and not June like high school. If it were to go until June, we would all die. At least I would.

I think that's it. I hope that's it! Haha! I don't know how much more I could handle, and still get some sleep.

In other news, I am shooting for all A's (and a B in Ear Training because there is no way I can get an A at this point) this semester and I have been very busy doing work for the past week. My life consists of homework, music, and the Red Sox. I had a ton of English homework to do, and I'm redoing all the stuff I received a B on. Luckily there aren't that many. I did one last night, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

I have a ton of other homework, too. I have an Ear Training quiz tomorrow, a Harmony quiz Thursday, and my Arraning project is due in two weeks. I also asked for extra credit in that class because I have no idea how I only got a B on my midterm. The class is so easy that I slack off sometimes when I know I shouldn't.

I've also been trying to put in two hours of practice a night. I've been reasonably successful. I won't be putting in two hours of guitar tonight, though. Gotta get an A on my quiz tomorrow! It's so nice out, and I've been inside all day Ear-Training my face off. If I don't get an A, I will be very disappointed in myself. I'm working my butt off!

I'll give the Red Sox their own post later this week, but there are four games this weekend--one of them is at 11 o'clock in the morning! I want to go to that game just to say I went to a game at 11 o'clock in the morning. I'll be at Friday's, Saturday's, maybe Sunday's, and definitely Monday's game. I should just say I'll probably be at all of them. Save myself some time.

Okay, back to work I go!

Delay

My apologies. I was without the Internet for a few fantastic days in New York City.

I am going to do a series of posts on people that have influenced me. I used to not want to talk about my influences because the second I talk about how much I love Billy Joel you will immediately hear the influence in my music. I can't hold back any longer. I'm bursting.

So here's a list to satisfy my own needs:

(They're in alphabetical order)

The Beatles
Eric Clapton
Tina Fey
Mick Jagger/Keith Richards/The Rolling Stones
Billy Joel
Alicia Keys
Seinfeld (as in the TV show)
Bob Thompson
U2
The Who

I'll start with those ten. They may change, but that's not likely. If anything, I'll add more.

Anyway, I'm back at Berklee, and there is work to be done and some cleaning to do. In ten short, beautiful days, I will be back in New York City with the Business Club, and I can't wait.

Ten days to accomplish easily twenty days of work. I feel a song coming.

My mind is all over the place these days. More on that later.

!

I'm energetic, excited, happy, and optomistic by nature, but for the past 48 hours or so I have been exceptionally excited and happy (yes, I'm excited for something just about all the time).

The main reason is because I had a great night with my favorite person ever, Bob. So I had been looking forward to that for a while and my excitement became uncontainable. We had great food and great conversation. It was awesome. I hadn't seen him in over a month and a half (which sucked)! I came home this weekend to see Bob. My parents even acknowledged that I was here to see him. Seeing them (and being home) is great, but had BT been busy, then I would have stayed in Boston.

Thank God he wasn't. As much as I love Berklee and its world-class faculty, none of them hold a candle to Bob in my book. I'm really looking forward to the summer, mainly because I'll get to see Bob on a weekly basis again. All of my friends hated Mondays in high school, but I loved them. Mondays meant I got to spend the evening playing and learning and hanging out with Bob.

And I'm really looking forward to having my weekly three to five hour night playing and learning and hanging out with Bob over the summer.

Discombobulated, Yet Organized

I have been ridiculously confused for the entire month. Ever since the election, I've had to ask myself what day it is because the election was on a Tuesday. Nothing happens on Tuesdays. Movies come out on DVDs on Tuesdays, and that's all that ever happens. So that threw me off. Then the following Tuesday was Veteran's Day, giving us a day off from school. Everyday feels like the day it's not. Today's Sunday, but it feels like a Monday. Tomorrow's Monday and it's probaby going to feel like a Thursday. The weather isn't helping, either. It was 65 yesterday. Sixty-five! In November! At least it was the right temperature today. As much as I would love it to stay warm so I could run outside, I would be unbelievably confused.

I can't wait for Thanksgiving. It's not like I need to get away, I just need to see some people. A lot of people actually. It sucks that I only have Wednesday through Sunday to do so. I have to see Bob, my life basically depends on it. And I'm only kidding a little bit. I miss Alex so much more than either of us ever thought possible. I saw him probably 350 out of 365 days a year for fifteen years. To go from that to never seeing someone is a lot harder than you would think. I can't wait to see my sister. Thank God I'll see Drew Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday. There are so many people I could list right now, but it would take days.

Aside from my confusion and heartaches, I'm really on top of my work. I still have 10 days before I go home, so I'll be 100% work free at the rate I'm going. I'm determined to be. It will happen. I have too much to do and not enough time to worry about Berklee.

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.

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.

Catching Up

As I type this, I'm sitting on my couch. I'm home for the weekend, and I have a beautifully hand-crafted schedule that allows me to miss my Thursday and Friday classes (just this once, though. I won't abuse it). I only had one class today, and I would have left early Friday so I decided to take an extra-long weekend. I've spent most of my day catching up with people so I thought, 'Hey, catch up on your blog.' I sat down a few times earlier this week and tried to write something, but I wasn't feeling it. Luckily I am now.

I woke up Monday morning at 8 after getting roughly five hours of sleep to get in line to get a ticket for John Mayer's clinic at Berklee. I missed English and my Guitar Lab to stand in line for two hours. I made myself go to Ear Training, where I ended up having to sing in class, and I failed miserably. It was alright, though. Keep reading to find out why.

Despite the Red Sox loss on Sunday night, a very good thing came out of it: I met and a befriended season-ticket holder. He didn't want to go Monday night's game, so I bought a couple tickets off him--and boy, am I glad I did. Julia and I (and Katie Lannan) enjoyed a fantastic playoff game. The energy was ridiculous. It was definitely the most important game I've been to, and probably the best. It was a blast. I couldn't have asked for a better Monday night in Boston.

John Mayer was hanging around Berklee the few days (he still is. Actually, he's recording with Berklee students until Friday). Word got out that he was in a class in room A15. So I went down and waited outside the door (it was about 8:15 at night when I got there). There were about a dozen other people there as well. Some people left, some people stayed, some people came. Eventually, Pat Pattison (look him up) came out to us and said, 'Okay, I'll open then door, but you guys can't come in. Okay?' We unanimously agreed. At that point, John was talking about how he approaches the blues (perfect timing for me). Really cool stuff. About ten minutes later, Pat Patisson motioned us to come in. I was luckily one of the first people inside the room and had a really good seat. He talked a bit more about soloing and stuff before deciding to play 'Gravity' and let us sing along with him at the end. I met him afterwards. It was cool. Really nice guy. I told him how much I loved his blues and he thanked me for telling him that. As he was walking out of the building he said, 'I wanna go back to 1997! This was my home!' We let him walk out in peace because he let us come in and sing with him. Fair trade, I would say. I was walking down Boylston street later on and I saw him and said, 'Thanks, John!' and he waved back and said thanks again. Pretty neat, eh?'

I should have skipped my Music Tech. class. Once again, it was a complete waste of time, and I was tired from the game and I knew I would have little to no sleep that night, but I went anyway. After my last class and my tutoring session, I went out to meet some friends and camp out to be in the first or second row at John Mayer's clinic. When I arrived (around 6 PM), they were all packing up their stuff. We weren't allowed to line up until 11 AM Wednesday morning. Well, about ten of us were in line outside the Berklee Performance Center (BPC) at 11 PM. A security guard came up to us and asked, 'Hey, are you guys in line for the clinic?' 'No, we're just chatting.' The security guard said, 'Oh, okay,' and walked off. A few people stayed while the rest of us went to Dunkin Donuts to make it look less obvious. And it worked. We stayed out all night. I met some wicked awesome kids. We bonded over our 24 hour (somewhat useless) camp-out.

(Long story short in regards to it being useless: Turns out (I was in class) that everyone in line got kicked out and security was in front of the BPC until then. Well, my group ended within the first five rows so it was fine. Staying up all night was wicked fun, but sleep might have been better.)

John's clinic was amazing. Go here to read about it. I didn't get to ask him a question, but I did get him to play 'Taking On Water'. I was in the second row, and he said, 'I'm gonna play one more song,' and I shouted, 'Play a new song!' And he did. It was wicked cool. He signed my guitar, too. So now I can say I have a John Mayer signature guitar. Ha.

Unlike my other celebrity encounters, I wasn't starstruck by John Mayer. It wasn't because he's just a regular guy (Bruce Springsteen is more of a regular guy than John Mayer is, and yet I broke down after I met him). I don't know why. He's one of my favorite musicians/people. I was so composed when I met him and I didn't (I almost did) cry when he played at the clinic. He hasn't impacted me as much as my other influences have. You can hear Billy Joel in my lyrics, you can't hear John Mayer in my guitar playing. But that could be because we have a lot of the same influences. So maybe I play a lick that Mayer uses, but really it's a Clapton lick. So to me, it's a Clapton thing.

I left immediately after the clinic. I scurried up to my room, grabbed everything I could think of that I needed (and I forgot several things), and left. My dad picked me up. I slept the whole ride home, really. I went to bed at 10:30 last night. I was in such a deep sleep. Sadly, I had to wake up at 9:15 because I had a haircut. My hair looks good, but I'm still kinda tired.

It was weird to be back at my old high school. I went to visit some teachers. I don't really know how to describe what it felt like. After my visit, I went to the Primary School to go see Nancy, who was there for once. I hadn't seen her in months. The last time I saw her was May. It was so good to see her. We talked for a bit, and I showed her my guitar adorned with John Mayer's signature. She's one of the few people that has never heard me play guitar. And it's kind of funny when you think about it.

Even after stopping in to see Marty at work, I'm not done my rounds. I have to go and see Sensei. I told him I'd say hi when I'm around--even if I don't go to class. Plus, it's almost like seeing Mr. Curit.

I get to see Bob tomorrow. I'm so excited. I can't wait. Tomorrow will be the first time in SIX WEEKS that I get to spend quality time with Bob. I need it. Badly. I'm beaming right now just thinking about seeing him.



Talk about having an awesome week. Let's recap:

Sunday: Red Sox game (loss)
Monday: Red Sox game (ALDS victory)
Tuesday: John Mayer meeting
Wednesday: John Mayer clinic
Thursday: Saw Nancy
Friday: Seeing Bob (and Dale and co. arrives!)
Saturday: My cousin's wedding (which is the reason I'm home)

If you made it this far, hats off to you. I'm done

I'm So Excited!

I cannot contain my excitement right now for many, many, many reasons. Here are a few of the reasons:

-For starters, I will see Bob in ten days! Ten! That in itself is enough to make me excited. by the time I see Bob, it will have been six weeks to the day that I last saw him. You have no idea how much I have missed him. Ask Julia.

-I'm back in the groove of songwriting. Another cause for celebration.

-A close friend of mine is making huge steps in getting his career as a musician going. I'm so happy for him.

-In 26 days, I'm going to see the Who! THE WHO! As I have written before, I love the Who and they are definitely one of my favorite bands ever. I can't wait to see them. It's going to be amazing. AMAZING!!!!!

-The rain has almost completely stopped. Which is great for more than one reason. Continue reading.

-I have tickets to tonight's Red Sox game! First base side, three rows off the field, right behind the Red Sox on-deck circle. I can't even express my excitement for that. It's the equivalent of seeing Bob. So I have double the excitement that I (as of late anyway) normally have.

It would be an understatement to say life is good right now. Life is fucking awesome--and I don't swear a lot.

Sometimes I'm Bad at Subjects

I've got some time to kill before my guitar lesson. I know I could (should) be playing right now, but I'm not.

I must say that Music Tech. is the worst class I have ever taken in my entire life. It makes chemistry sound like fun right now. Ask anyone in my class, they'll tell you the same thing. It's just that bad. Tuesday mornings are the worst. It's almost painful. If it weren't for wireless access, I would go out of my mind.

So I finally wrote a song the other night. About time, too (no, it's not about time). I had a bit of a drought, and I'm so glad I finally snapped out of it. It's always a scary feeling for me when I don't write a song (or create something) on basically a daily basis. I've finally found that groove again. I can't wait to see what follows. Pretty soon I'll have full recordings up. Drums, bass, guitars, piano, horns, etc... Just wait. It's on the way. It's on the way.

The only thing that still puzzles me is my inability to sleep through the night. I wake up at least once every night. Julia says it's because I don't hear the train anymore, and it could be. I thought it was because I was anxious for Bob to come home, but it issn't because he's home now and I still wake up. It could be just me not being used to a twin bed, but I don't think that's the case because I remain fairly motionless when I sleep. I have no clue, but I hope I can figure it out soon.

I could say a lot more right now, but I'll stop myself. I've got stuff to do.

Major Update

Alright, now that I have some time, I feel like I should update.

Berklee has been amazing so far. I've met so many great (and talented) people as well as reunited with some old Guitar Session buddies. All in all, it's been a blast so far. Other than an hour or so at the Registrar's office getting my schedule sorted out (it was a mess), it's been smooth sailing.

My classes are great. I like all my teachers. And I have an awesome schedule. The latest I'm ever done is four o'clock (plenty of time to get tickets to the game), and that's only on Fridays. I'm done at noon on Mondays, three on Tuesdays and Thursdays, one on Wednesday, and four on Fridays. And next Friday I'm done at one because of a concert going on! Woo!

I've spent just as much time at Fenway Park as I have at Berklee. In five days I went to three games. As Julia says, I have become Jimmy Fallon in 'Fever Pitch,' and she's right. Now that I live here, I have to go to as many games as possible. I even met the Guy that Sits Behind Home Plate! That was so cool. Basically I met a local legend. I plan on befriending him, if it's possible to.

It's funny: now that I feel like I'm forced to practice (otherwise I'll be sloppy and not get a good grade for, well, playing guitar (weird, now that I think about it..Being graded..)), I don't practice nearly as much as I did. I'm also kind of on a creative halt. I haven't written a song in a very long time. I have lyrics, and I have music, it's just that nothing fits. I need to get back into the swing of things.

I'm still trying to figure out the proper balance of homework, practicing/songwriting, socializing, and (by far the most important hahaha) going to Red Sox games. I think by the end of the month I should have it down to a science. Or at least by Midterms I'll have it all together.

Sometimes I wonder how I got in. I've heard so many great players, it (sometimes) makes me question my own abilities. But that only happens for a brief moment from time to time.

I do miss my friends (Drew, Alex, and Jordan in particular), and I obviously miss Bob more than I could ever say. My first lesson was weird. Even though I knew my teacher (Thaddeus Hogarth, possibly the coolest name ever) wasn't going to be Bob, I expected him to be. And even though I knew my lesson was only going to be half an hour, I expected to be there 'til who knows when. Yesterday's lesson was much better than my first.

I'm gonna go now. I need to pick up my room a bit before I get ready for bed. I should practice a bit, too. Or maybe I'll go join my neighbors in singing Something Corporate songs. Definitely one of the three.

Tu Me Manques

As much a I love being in Europe, I do miss some people (yeah, you know who you are). It's funny though: Now that I have the Mac, I almost miss them more because I can communicate constantly. It definitely has more benefits than downsides, but still. It kills me in a way to know that I won't see ANY of my friends until the 19th at the earliest, and I won't see Bob until after the 22nd (sucks BIG TIME).

Most of you might ask if I miss them now, what will I do come Berklee time? Well, I'll have Danielle and Julia in the Boston-area. Julia (thank God) is right down the street, and Danielle is a T-ride away. Unfortunately, Drew is going be in UMaine (Orono), Jordan's going to be at Colby (Waterville), and Alex will be in DC (which is actually the easiest for me to get to). But college is different than being abroad with only your family--you make friends at school. Don't get me started on Bob. I hate knowing that I won't see him on Monday. Yes, I'll be in Copenhagen, but a big part of me wants to (almost needs to) see Bob on Monday.

...I just realized why I miss my friends so much. Everytime I've been to Europe, I've gone with at least one of my close friends (and Dale came once, too). This time I'm only with my parents! And we're not going 24/7. I don't have Debbie to entertain me. I don't have Mrs. Roller to get me lost at 1 in morning in Italy. I don't have Danielle to break any toilets or to fall asleep as the maintenance man comes to fix the drain. I don't have Jordan to be my on-again-off-again boyfriend. I don't have Julia to be the only European-looking American with me. It's much different, and I love change, but I think I enjoy Europe with friends more than I do with parents. Not that I'm not enjoying it, but you know what I mean. Even if I have a guitar, I'd rather have my best friends with me.

I think once we're out of Ireland, it'll be much more fun. Dublin's cool, but I can't wait for London.

The Variety Hour

I couldn't think of a title for this one because there is so much to cover.

I got contacts. See, I used to wear glasses. I had them for seven years. Then my eye doctor told me that if I didn't want to wear them, I didn't have to. So I didn't. I had braces at the time, and I really didn't want both. So I opted out of glasses.
Then recently I began to notice that my left eye was (and always has been/always will be) significantly weaker than my right eye. So I went to the eye doctor's and got contacts. And they were a lot harder to put in than I thought they would be. I can put them in fine now, but it took three people to put them in the first day. I have incredible blink-reflexes (and just good reflexes in general). When I see something coming at my eyes my immediate reaction is to shut them--like most people. If you've ever tried to put eye-liner on me, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I have to go back next Thursday to make sure the prescription is right. We've been having problems with that. First it was too weak, and gave me a wicked headache. And it's possible it may be too strong now. We'll see.

Moving on.

I had a skimboarding competition Sunday. I was the only girl, so I automatically won in my division. I got a cool sweatshirt and some stickers. There's another one at the end of the month, and I'm definitely entering it. It'll be at Biddeford Pool, my home field. The one on Sunday was at Old Orchard Beach at high tide, and it was bad. Luckily I was the only girl because I did horrible. Sunday was also the day of Wimbledon which I will not talk about.

I had a "lesson" Monday. It wasn't really a lesson at all. Bob and I just sat there and talked, and then my mom and Dale came over because Dale wanted to meet Bob. So to make her happy, I let her meet Bob. She picked a good day to meet him because we didn't do anything with guitar. It was more like, "What do you want to do?" "I don't know..What do you think we should do?" "I don't know..It's hot." My mom and Dale showed up around quarter of five. So Bob gave us the Grand Tour (I was the veteran of the group), and Dale was happy. Then we did our favorite thing (aside form music)--we talked..conversed sounds better. I love my guitar lessons. I love seeing Bob. It's the best part of my week. I love my other friends more than I could say, but they can't play guitar. And we all know how much I love guitar.

I don't feel like talking about my horrible mini-golf round. I played so bad. We went last night (My mom, Dale, myself, Danielle, Alyssa, and Lyn), and after a certain point I just stopped trying because I played so bad. Alyssa won.

Today I went to the beach. It was beautiful. Dale and I went in the water, and then I was so tired from waking up at 7:45 to go to the eye doctor's for the third time this week, I fell asleep. I never take naps, and I never nap at the beach. But the sun was just right and I was so tired that I just dozed off. I had planned on reading, but that didn't happen. I'm still tired now. My mom said she's never seen a generation as tired as mine. So many of my friends nap all the time, it's crazy. I never nap. I hate naps, once I'm up, I'm up. Let me go full speed ahead until 11ish or later, and then I'll sleep like a baby. Which I will do tonight I'm sure.

It looks like we're ordering my mom's Mac tomorrow. My dad is still anti-Mac. Once he tries this, he won't want to go back to PCs. Macs don't break. They're much more use-friendly. And they're more fun. And I'm all about fun. They might be a bit more money, but they're worth it in the end (because they don't break).

The other day I figured out a way to record and have both the guitar and the vocals sound decent. The actual quality of the recording is still bad, but it's better than nothing for now. But you can't get very good quality with a computer microphone that cost sixteen dollars. If I don't get the Mac, then I'll go out and get a 4-track and a good microphone. Either way, I'll get a good microphone. But the Mac has an infinite-track recorder with Garage Band.

I think I'm coming down with a cold. I better be over it by Saturday (John Mayer!!). Speaking of JM, I gotta call Matt and figure out what time we're gonna leave.

My hand hurts. I'm gonna go now.

Winding Down

I only have two and half days left of high school. That is crazy (good)! I'm wicked excited for Berklee and summer and everything else. High school's been quite a ride. I don't believe they're "the best years of your life" though. High school doesn't hold a candle to college. At least not to Berklee. To any of my friends that read this: thanks for all the fun times. I won't forget them. And to any Berklee kid reading this: I can't wait for the fall! The next few years are going to be amazing. You know it as well as I.

I had my graduation party. That was a blast. My only complaint (aside from the periodic rain) was that the one thing I asked for was pizza, and there was no pizza! My mom asked me weeks before, "What do you want for food at your party?" I said, "Pizza!" and she said, "Okay, we'll get this, this, this, and this, and pizza." Well, we got this, this, this, and this, and no pizza. It's alright. I can get pizza whenever, but it would've been nice. I did have a blast though. And Bob and MJ came! That basically made my day.

Karate is great. I'm so glad I went back. It's all coming back to me. Not only is it good to now, it also will train muscles I don't normally use.

I'd write more, but I have stuff to do, and it's getting late. See ya!

Music Madness

To add to the greatness of this year/summer, I'm now going to see Alicia Keys and Bon Jovi!!! So that's five great shows this summer. Five shows with a side of two Red Sox-Yankees game topped with two weeks in Europe and for dessert--Berklee! I don't know how much better it can get. Oh yeah, and Dale's coming up for at least a week.

I've been playing a lot of guitar lately. I learned several jazz tunes, and transcribed the solo from 'Sunshine of Your Love' today. I didn't have a lesson because of Honors Convocation (explained in paragraph 4) and Bob had to leave at 6, and so would I had I had my lesson. And that's no fun. He emailed me saying that if I wanted more hang time to come later in the week. So of course I'm gonna go later in the week. One hour is not enough time. We usually talk for at least two hours, and play guitar for two hours, and then talk a little bit more. My lessons are any where between one and five hours. And I love it.

I only have 12 days of high school left. 12 days, and then I'm done. After four (long) years. I was done with high school my sophomore year. I've known what I wanted since I was 13 or 14. High school was just..a complete waste of time in the end. If it was optional, I would've opted out. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I was indifferent about it, I guess. At least I had my guitar throughout those years. That definitely helped make the time go by.

Speaking of high school, tonight is the Honors Convocation. It's a dinner/award ceremony for seniors graduating Cum Laude or higher, and the juniors in NHS go as well. It should be fun. I have a cute dress, and most of my friends will be there. My best friends are, anyway. I hope I get an award. If I could pick, I'd go with Social Studies or French. I won't get the Music one because I'm not in band.

My right calf really hurts, and I'm gonna go get ready now. Then play guitar a little more, then leave.

Ohh Thunder Road

That's a good song. No, it's a great song.

I'm so confused on my days. I know today's Tuesday, but it feels like Friday. Yesterday was Monday, and the only reason I know that is because I went to Bob's. All the days blend into one now. It's actually kinda cool. I basically look at a calendar and it just swirls. There are a few very important dates coming up, but the rest all blur.

I'm too lazy to post prom pictures right now. I'll do it later.

I had two band practices tonight. The first one was just Matt and me. That was really fun. I won't elaborate. Go to the coffee house Thursday if you want to see what I won't talk about. The second band practice was my band without Matt, which was a Trio tonight. We're playing a jazz song and 'Who Did You Think I Was' on Thursday..it's gonna be cool.

I can't wait for summer. I can't wait for Berklee. There are so many things I just can't wait for. I know they say time flies. But unless it's at Mach 3, it's not going fast enough at this point in my life.

Alyssa wanted me to update this. So there ya go, kid. It's not very long, but I'll have a better entry later in the week. Or I should at least