Expecto . . .
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| PhotoCred:buzzfeed.com |
Patronum!!!
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| PhotoCred: buzzfeed.com |
xoxo
Monday, May 27, 2013
Nerding Out
I saw this being passed around on FaceBook a little while ago and got a good laugh out of it. As a musician and a Harry Potter fan (no shame at all in admitting that) I thought I should pass on the laughs for my circle of friends to enjoy. SO. This, friends, is what happens when musicians nerd out over Harry Potter.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
And the New School IS . . . .
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| Photo cred: http://www.butler.edu/admission/ |
JORDAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS!
A bit of background:
This entire year I spent practicing, working odd jobs, and auditioning at different conservatories. After numerous recordings and auditions, I received six acceptance letters - Cincinnati Conservatory, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, DePaul School of Music, IU - Jacobs School of Music, Hartt School of Music and Butler!
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| Photo Cred: http://www.indmta.org/hoosier/districtC.htm |
I am seriously thrilled about all of the opportunities that are available to me at this great school. I have two years to make the most of it and then I'm on to grad school. Hopefully that short amount of time will encourage me to be even more intentional with my education.
Expect lots more updates on my life at Jordan!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Travel Weekend: Chicago and Cleveland
After a long time away from the blog I am back and armed with lots of pictures! This weekend I had a "visit-my-family-marathon". On Friday morning, bright and early, I left on a megabus headed for Chicago to see my baby sister.
I arrived about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and, because of that, my sister had not yet arrived at the station to pick me up. I stood around the bus for a while, trying not to seem as awkward and lost as I felt while searching for a place to wait. Finally, I spotted a Corner Cafe down the next road. Perfect! I briskly walked there, suitcase in hand, ordered a chai latte and waited for McKenna. It turned out to be a good choice because then we were able to grab a bite to eat before Kenna gave me a little tour of her city.
We talked for a long time that afternoon/evening and got caught up on each other's lives. As much as modern modes of communication are convienent in long distance relationships, nothing will ever be able to replicate the feeling of a face to face chat with my sister.
Saturday morning we woke up after hardly any sleep (sorry for snoring, Kenna!), got a yummy breakfast together and then went to a nearby conservatory to enjoy some time in a truly peaceful environment. The conservatory turned out to be a great decision and we enjoyed walking through, identifying plants and reminiscing about our childhood gardening experiences. If you're planning on visiting the area, I highly recommend it.
After our floral adventure we headed off in a new direction - the movie theater to see The Great Gatsby. And, let me just say, it was fantastic. K and I were mesmorized by the unique and artistic portrayal of the novel and, of course, by the Prada-designed costumes!
After the movie, however, we realized that our schedule may have not been the smartest idea. We went to see the movie at 1 PM, leaving us only 45 minutes to grab my luggage and race to Union Station. Anyone watching us would have seen lots of power walking, some sprinting and plenty of panting on my part. We made it with about seven minutes to spare! Thank goodness. I sat on the top deck of the bus and watched as Kenna waved me off. I'm going to miss that girl. Already do, in fact.
Instead of heading home, however, this time my bus was headed for Cleveland where my eldest sister, her husband and my niece were all preparing for my baby nephew's christening which took place on Sunday. It was a long drive and I read around 120 pages of The Help while sitting there. That is, until the bus driver decided to play the bass drum with the brake ;) leaving me feeling a tad bit nauseated.
The christening ceremony, which took place Sunday morning, was beautiful and moving! My niece said one of the "leader lines" in the congregational reading and you could tell that she had practiced diligently. After saying her sentence-long line she grinned and glowed for the rest of the reading. Success! Baby James, however, didn't think the ceremony was that big of a deal. He slept through the entire thing - even as water was sprinkled on his head.
After the ceremony, everyone - our big Italian family, church members, and law school friends - came to a brunch that my sister hosted. There was, of course, plenty of food and plenty of noise. It was so good to catch up with my relatives and update them on my plans for this summer, next year, and remind them that, yes, I am still dating that Jordan guy. ;)
After staying there for a while, Dad (who drove to Cleveland on his own) and I headed out to start our six hour drive back to Indy. It had been a long weekend and I was so ready to be home.
I arrived about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and, because of that, my sister had not yet arrived at the station to pick me up. I stood around the bus for a while, trying not to seem as awkward and lost as I felt while searching for a place to wait. Finally, I spotted a Corner Cafe down the next road. Perfect! I briskly walked there, suitcase in hand, ordered a chai latte and waited for McKenna. It turned out to be a good choice because then we were able to grab a bite to eat before Kenna gave me a little tour of her city.
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| K said "Let's take a tourist picture of you!" This is the result :) |
We talked for a long time that afternoon/evening and got caught up on each other's lives. As much as modern modes of communication are convienent in long distance relationships, nothing will ever be able to replicate the feeling of a face to face chat with my sister.
Saturday morning we woke up after hardly any sleep (sorry for snoring, Kenna!), got a yummy breakfast together and then went to a nearby conservatory to enjoy some time in a truly peaceful environment. The conservatory turned out to be a great decision and we enjoyed walking through, identifying plants and reminiscing about our childhood gardening experiences. If you're planning on visiting the area, I highly recommend it.
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| Posing next to one of my favorites - hydrangeas :) |
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| Kenna and I surrounded by hanging baskets |
After our floral adventure we headed off in a new direction - the movie theater to see The Great Gatsby. And, let me just say, it was fantastic. K and I were mesmorized by the unique and artistic portrayal of the novel and, of course, by the Prada-designed costumes!
After the movie, however, we realized that our schedule may have not been the smartest idea. We went to see the movie at 1 PM, leaving us only 45 minutes to grab my luggage and race to Union Station. Anyone watching us would have seen lots of power walking, some sprinting and plenty of panting on my part. We made it with about seven minutes to spare! Thank goodness. I sat on the top deck of the bus and watched as Kenna waved me off. I'm going to miss that girl. Already do, in fact.
Instead of heading home, however, this time my bus was headed for Cleveland where my eldest sister, her husband and my niece were all preparing for my baby nephew's christening which took place on Sunday. It was a long drive and I read around 120 pages of The Help while sitting there. That is, until the bus driver decided to play the bass drum with the brake ;) leaving me feeling a tad bit nauseated.
The christening ceremony, which took place Sunday morning, was beautiful and moving! My niece said one of the "leader lines" in the congregational reading and you could tell that she had practiced diligently. After saying her sentence-long line she grinned and glowed for the rest of the reading. Success! Baby James, however, didn't think the ceremony was that big of a deal. He slept through the entire thing - even as water was sprinkled on his head.
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| The family posing pre-baptism |
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| A congregational reading with the godparents |
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| The beautiful spread excluding the french toast and breakfast casseroles |
Friday, May 3, 2013
Meanwhile Back At the Ranch . . .
. . . It has (not surprising - due to the silence on the blog) been another hectic week over here. I am doing my best to push my way through Sunday and by then I'll have a bit of time to relax, sleep and perhaps (ahem) post on my blog.
But I thought I would take a quick minute now and give an update:
This summer I am so thrilled to be participating for the first time in the Ohio Light Opera which takes place in Wooster, Ohio. I offhandedly auditioned (via DVD) for it a couple months ago thinking that it would be a cool opportunity but not necessarily a viable option. WELL, it is a viable option and it's happening for two and half months of my summer! I am so excited to be performing with such an amazing group of people and cannot wait for it to begin. Check back starting June 1st for updates regarding this unique opportunity! (Check out their fantastic line-up here, and order your tickets here!)
Secondly, I have finally confirmed my school choice for next year and plan to make a formal announcement on the blog in a couple of weeks. I am getting really excited as I begin to register for classes, get to know my room mates better and search for an apartment! I know that this year is going to be amazing and is going to be a pivotal year in my music career. Now it just needs to hurry up and START!
But I thought I would take a quick minute now and give an update:
This summer I am so thrilled to be participating for the first time in the Ohio Light Opera which takes place in Wooster, Ohio. I offhandedly auditioned (via DVD) for it a couple months ago thinking that it would be a cool opportunity but not necessarily a viable option. WELL, it is a viable option and it's happening for two and half months of my summer! I am so excited to be performing with such an amazing group of people and cannot wait for it to begin. Check back starting June 1st for updates regarding this unique opportunity! (Check out their fantastic line-up here, and order your tickets here!)
Secondly, I have finally confirmed my school choice for next year and plan to make a formal announcement on the blog in a couple of weeks. I am getting really excited as I begin to register for classes, get to know my room mates better and search for an apartment! I know that this year is going to be amazing and is going to be a pivotal year in my music career. Now it just needs to hurry up and START!
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