Another song I really like

If you want me to-Ginny Owens



Oh, by the way, no criminal content Abe. ;)

Toccata by Claude Debussy

This is one of the pieces that I'm currently working on, and I really like it!

Untitled

Well, lately I've been a bit busy (which I love, by the way). I'm totally enjoying this summer-like weather. Anyway, I found out that I got accepted into the Eastman Summer Music Horizons program! So I'm hoping and praying that I'll be able to go. And even if not, I'm also hoping and praying that getting accepted into that will give me an edge on getting accepted into Eastman. So.... I found out about that on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I went clothes shopping with my mom. On Thursday, I had trio practice. On Friday, I had a down day. On Saturday, I went shopping at the Mall of America with a friend. We were gonna go to an open gym thing (bc I will need to try to regain my gymnastics skills if I do happen to go to Eastman and do intramural or club gymnastics), but decided on going shopping instead....which was prbly way more fun than doing a few flips for an hour,LOL. And then I'm really starting to look forward to the end of the school year. I only have two more weeks (including this week) for Literature and History and only 4 more weeks for Algebra 2 and Physical Science. And I'm looking forward to this summer and next year for school. I know that whatever route I go, the Lord has His plan for me and next year will work out fine. I'm going to try to audition for the Minnesota Youth Symphonies as an accompanist for next year. And I'm also looking forward to having a bit of an exciting year with starting on a couple of college courses next year. Anyway, this is getting long again,LOL. Later,

sweetggirl

Not watching the wall

Well, I didn't make it to the finals in the Schubert Club, but that's okay. I had fun and it went okay. I ended up having a panel of judges sorta like American Idol. There was the Randy (okay, it was a lady though) and she wrote some good critiques on my music, but also wrote that she liked my performance. Then there was the Simon (and yes, he was a guy) who was pretty mean. His only statement on my etude was, "It doesn't seem like you know what you're doing with this piece." and the other critiques were basically the same. I sum his critiques up with, "You don't know what you're doing, you piece ruiner!" And then, there was the Paula. She was really nice, and her final statement was something to the degree of I have promising talent and to not give up. Ah, the joy of judges. And then yesterday, I had the ACT (dum dum dum dummmm). And I've come to realize that I'm not too good at test taking. After about fifteen minutes, I get a bit distracted and start staring at the ceiling or something and then realize that I'm timed and stuff and try to focus once again. And also, I'm not good at taking extended tests. After about the three hour mark, my brain turns to mush and I can't think! Anyway, now time to explain the title of my post. The other day, I was reading another convicting devotional from Joni Eareckson Tada. It was called "Don't watch the wall". She explained that race car drivers are trained that the must not look at the wall, no matter how hard they get bumped, or off track, or anything. That if they look at the wall, they'll freeze. She puts it in everyday circumstances, like how we look at the "Walls" in our lives and as a result, tend to get frozen up and worry about the future's problems rather than the present's opportunities. She reminds us that Paul says that we need to set our hearts on things above, and adds,"It's advice worth following, or you just might hit the wall." And that is something I really need to pray about. Instead of complaining or worrying, I need to focus on things above, not the wall right in my face. Later,
sweetggirl

Be content in all things....

I'm still struggling to completely get over my cold. My ears are terribly plugged, and that's making me nervous about Saturday. Anyway, yesterday I was pretty down (as seems to happen more often than it should with me). Sorta drowning in the muck of despair. And as I was going to bed, I thought about Pilgrim's Progress. How Pilgrim was stuck in the dungeon of despair. The Giant even gave him everything necessary to kill himself. Yet...SOMETHING kept him from doing that. It wasn't until he and Faithful (name correction...?) were very near death that Pilgrim dug around his clothes and found a magic key. Okay, it wasn't really MAGIC, but somehow, that key fit into all of the locks. And after using that key, they were able to get free. And it occured to me for the first time ever that perhaps that key is God's Word. The Bible is the key to getting out of any mucky or despairing situation. So I thought of the verse in Philippians (4:11) where Paul says that he speaks not in concern of need, but that he has learned to be content in all things. So Paul was locked up in jail, arms in cold stocks, utter darkness, dampness, coldness, no friends except through letters, whipped, beaten, deprived of MANY necessities, yet he learned to be content. In ALL of those things. And my mom talked to me and told me that my external circumstances will NEVER make me happy. And I know she's right. If I had a bajillion friends, if I could drive, if I had a job, if I got every little thing I asked for, I would ALWAYS want something more. She told me that life will only get MUCH much harder and that if I don't learn to daily apply myself to deeply studying Scripture now, I never will. And I will always make some excuse. And she's totally right. This is my down season. A lil over a year from now (and this summer if I go to a camp I'm looking at going to) I will be combatting the world from every single angle. And "cram prep" doesn't work when it comes to spiritual battle. Anyway, wow...another long post. Sorry! Later,
sweetggirl

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