So tis life.....

Well, lately I've been battling a miserable cold...and hope and pray that I'm on the mend. Last week I couldn't do anything during spring break because I was sick. I was PLANNING on doing something fun like going to a concert and then Mall of America, but ended up getting REALLY sick the night before. And then Saturday, I WAS gonna go see a movie but I was still too sick....and it didn't help going to a lame booksale and getting out in the cold. Oh well. I'm thankful that I started to feel a whole lot better this afternoon. Anyway, this Saturday I have another piano competition. I am sorta nervous though because I forgot what pieces I'm supposed to play, and decided to call the Schubert Club to ask them. They kindly told me what pieces I was supposed to play, and they are totally different than what I was THINKING I would be playing. And worse yet, the only piece I'm really comfortable with I'm not even playing! So I'm playing three pieces that I've only been playing off and on for six months. Not a totally good idea for a major competition,LOL. But I THINK this will be my second to last competition because I highly doubt that I will qualify for the final competition. And I didn't get the guts to talk to my teacher.....yet. But I think I will next week. I'm gonna record three more of my pieces on Wednesday, and that will be the culmination of my pieces for this year as far as lessons go.My teacher just told me to keep practicing them for the Badger state competition. And then I'm also excited because my mom and I are going to try to get out and do some Conservatory visits this spring!! Anyway, this is getting long. Later,
sweetggirl

I just like this song

Lose My Soul-Tobymac

Spring Break!!

Well, I am on spring break and I have been on spring break since Friday. Josh is gone *tears*. And Aaron has started working so...I've only seen him for about five minutes since Sunday! Ah well, I guess it's preparing me for next year when he's gone all the time. So...I FINALLY got news back from my teacher. I DID pass the WMTA theory test FINALLY. THANK THE LORD!!! So I'm really happy about that. AND I had entered this mail competition for an "Un-Master Class" (and I have no idea what that is, but the same "Un-Master Classes" have been held at a bunch of Conservatories around the world like Julliard and the Royal College of Music in London by the same guy) and William Westney is the guy giving the class and I made the cut!!! So I'm REALLY thankful for that! The Lord is good. Besides that, I haven't been up to much, but I THINK that today I'm gonna pray about having the courage to talk about Conservatories with my piano teacher. She went to Eastman, and with that as my top choice, I have a feeling that she can give me some major ideas of what the school is like. And I asked my mom if she thinks that my teacher will be up to letting me go next spring, and my mom said that my teacher had told her that she thinks one more year will be enough to prepare me musically. So...I guess I'll see! And I'm excited about starting on some repretoire to play for Conservatory auditions! And to see what the Lord has planned for me. Hopefully by this time next year I will know where I'm going to be for four years. And who knows, maybe I won't even get accepted into a Conservatory. Maybe the Lord desires for me to go to a college instead. But regardless, I hope and pray that He will grant me the grace to be able to say, like Paul in Philippians 4:11-13 that I am content in ALL things. And I can trust that He will take me wherever will be best for me. Later,
sweetggirl

Good Friday

Well, the WMTA competition went well. I did get three fives, but I won't know whether or not I failed the theory test until next week...probably on Monday or Tuesday. If I fail this year...I'm dead. Mainly because this would be the third time it happened....and I have no excuse this year because I had an intense theory course at Interlochen. But hey, I did my best...and my best is all that I can give. And if I don't make it to state, I'll still have on more competition left, which is the Schubert Club competition. And I have almost NO chance at that. There are LOTS of people who play those CRAZY Rachmaninoff concertos or whatever. But I'm sorta glad that competition season is almost over because I am going to get to start on new pieces; hopefully ones that I'll use for my Conservatory auditions. Speaking of which, I THINK that I have narrowed down the top four Conservatories I want to go to; either Oberlin (1) Eastman (2) Julliard (3) or Trinity College of Music in London (4). And I've SORTA thought about going to the Conservatoire de Paris, but I don't know ANY French and I'd have to try and cram French 1 and 2 in my school year next year AND pass a literacy test. The positive thing is that at the Conservatoire, you have to pass a French literacy test....so...I don't rly know if I should even consider that. Anyway....Josh has been home this week so it's been nice having him around and stuff. And today we WERE gonna have company over, but at the last minute they cancelled :(. And I had spent FIVE HOURS trying to get everything ready!!! *sigh* So tis life. Anyway, today IS Good Friday, so hopefully even if we won't have company, my fam will sing hymns or SOMETHING Good Friday-y-ish. Later,
sweetggirl

Ah, spring!

Well I've been extremely busy this week, but it's all good because I LOVE BEING BUSY! On Sunday, we had company over. I talked to this lady who's 21 and went to college at 16 as well, except she went in Canada. I obviously chatted with her because I'm Lord-willing gonna be doing exactly what she did. She is from the UK and didn't say whether or not I should go to the UK for Conservatory training or not. She said that I should really pray about it all and see where the Lord leads. She reminded me that the best place to be is where the Lord wants me. However, after talking to her, I think that I am leaning more toward staying in the US and stuff. Also, I read this quote by Edmund Burke that says. "All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." And it really convicted me. Like...how easy it is to just think I want to go to the UK in HOPES that it will be better and how I'm so hesitant to stay in the U.S. And I really want to be like Isaiah who said, "Here I am Lord! Send me!" But it takes alot of faith to be able to do that. Faith that can only be granted by the Lord. So often, it's like I wanna pray, "Here I am Lord! Now send me where I want to go!" instead. Anyway....then I ended up having alot of sewing material cut by an 8-yr-old. Sigh. I left the room and came back only to see her chopping up a BUNCH of sewing material. I was like, *GASP*"GabriELLE! WHAT are you DOING?!" She was like, "Cutting thread. Danny wants to sew." *Sigh* Sewin' material ain't exactly thread,LOL. So now I have ruined sewing...scraps I guess. Anyway, then Tuesday I played at the hospital. Wednesday I had rep class and piano lessons. Yesterday I had trio practice and I went to Mall of America and went to see the winners of the Thursday Musical afterwards. Then on Saturday, I have two competitions. The WMTA-Badger State Auditions and a competition at Northwestern in the afternoon. I'm really praying that I'll pass the theory test this year. That's what's held me back these past two years. It's like...I can't make it to state because I REALLY stink at theory,LOL. Speaking of which...I need to study for it. Later,
sweetggirl

I Am

By Nicole Nordeman. This song really encouraged me.

Another prayer....

I heard this prayer on a message online today. I'm not sure who wrote it, but it was some saint. And right now, I'm pretty...not really sad, or down, or happy but.....I guess content. And this prayer is definately a quote for me to keep in mind. I might even write it on my wall,LOL. Here it is:

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, and Thy glory in my valley.

Also, a few days ago, I came across this verse in Proverbs, and it really inspired me. Mainly because it gets REALLY annoying hearing people (whether at the Conservatory, or friends from Interlochen, or whoever) constantly BRAG about how good they are at music or art or whatever else. Or...maybe it's not even verbally bragging, but...they carry this huge pride chip around on their shoulders. And it's VERY evident. Like...sometimes actions speak louder than words. And the verse (Proverbs 27:2) says this, "Let another man praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." And I guess that this is definately a prayer for me, because I pray that the Lord will forever keep me from bragging about anything, whether it be grades, or music, or whatever else. Because whatever I have is only a gift from the Lord. Like Galations 6:14 says, "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Later,
sweetggirl