Chicago!

First, I just want to say that Chicago is..... ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I love this city and am starting to really be able to maneuver around this area without any problems!

Second, I have had an amazing week of orientation at CCPA! My teachers are amazing and the school is so 'serious' about music study! I think I'll do well here. I registered for my classes today:

Musicianship I ABC (Aural, Sight Singing, and Written Theory)
Elements of Conducting
Composition Seminar
Composition Lessons with Dr. Choi
Music History I

Third, I also now work for the Chicago Symphony's Priority Seating department! I started on Monday!!!

That's just a bit of the excitement of my week this week. It's been amazing here! LOVE IT!

Last Night In Central Illinois!

Tonight is my last night as a resident of Central Illinois! Tomorrow morning at 11 AM I will be heading to Indianapolis, IN to spend time with my family one last time before my move up to Chicago. The past 3 years in the area here have really been life changing ones for me. I went from being freshly separated from an 8 year relationship and working a job which I hated to being back in school in pursuit of my own dreams with the new found ability to make my own decisions. It's moments like these where I'm reminded of those cheesy 1980 films that showcased a child coming up in poverty, experiencing life in their twenties, and then making a decision to do 'something' with their life. You all know the films. I guess I'm sort of like that - the world feels now in my grasp.

Now to just work harder than I ever worked in my life and seek to make my goals and dreams a true reality.

Just a bit of a vent...

So I am currently working on locating financing for the remaining $8,000 still owed to Roosevelt. I have tried every possible cosigner that I can think of and, so far, not a single one has been approved. I received another notice today from Sallie Mae that I am eligible for a private student loan BUT.. I need a creditworthy cosigner!! It's an annoying process that really makes one wonder WHY there isn't more aide available to students who need it, like myself! At any rate, I've applied for a lot of scholarship over the past two days - hopefully one of them pays off with some help! I have also applied at a few places near my school/apartment. Ah... the joys of moving to a big city!

Some good news:

Evidently, I am coming in as a sophomore into the music composition program! wOOT!

Orientation :D

I had my new student orientation at Roosevelt this past Monday! It was amazing! I got to see my new apartment as well - it overlooks Lake Michigan!!!! I feel so good about this period in my life now - I think good things are in store for me!!

Reflections

Did a little bit of genealogical research last night and then listened to some of my compositions. Quite surprising listening back to them and seeing how much I've changed over the years. Makes me look forward and contemplate how I will change in the near and distant future. Ah... reflections.

Long Summer...

Sorry for not posting in a few months. Summer has been very hectic so far for me. I have been in Indiana the past few months spending time with family, doing further research on my family tree, and preparing for my move to Chicago on August 20. Sooo... where to begin, lol.

Family Tree: I have made a lot of surprising discoveries on my father's side of the family. My grandfather, who passed away in 1970, lived in New Jersey before moving to the region in the 1950s. The New Jersey Woodruffs of which he belonged were descended from a Thomas Ogden Woodruff and Hannah Markwith. Thomas Ogden's mother was Elizabeth Ogden. The Ogdens, from my understanding, were a very influential family on the East Coast. In fact, Elizabeth's aunt married a man by the name of John Edison. John Edison was the Great Grandfather of Thomas Alva Edison! I, at first, wasn't even aware of this connection until I came -by chance- upon an obituary for my Great Grand Uncle. Shortly after commenting on the obit, I received a message from his daughter! I was amazed! In one of the correspondences, she relayed that family stories stated we were cousins of the Edisons! Sure enough, a little research verified it! I have really learned a lot about myself and my family from this research.

Music: It's been pretty hectic to write as much as I wish I could. I've been working, slowly, on several small projects just to keep my creative juices flowing. Nothing too substantial though.

Chicago: I have a lot of stuff prepared for my move up to the Windy City. So far, I have purchased everything I'll need to make my little dorm apartment home! I've looked into working part time in between my courses. I will give it a try - hopefully, I can manage it. I move up on August 20 and then begin a week of placement testing! To prepare, I am studying to brush up on the basic stuff. Hopefully, I can place into the appropriate theory courses, etc. I'm really psyched about this opportunity!

I'll try to post at least once a week. I do apologize deeply for being a bit busy to give updates!

Genealogy... Planning for School... and a possible new work in the works!!

It has been an extremely hectic last month! I've been working to raise up the other $500 for my housing deposit (have about 1/2 of it saved and am working on the last half now)! I'm SO looking forward to my time at Roosevelt CCPA. I think it will be an experience of a lifetime! Aside from that, I have been plunging head long into finding out more about my family history. So far, I have discovered 2 Jewish lines in my family that hitherto have been hidden in time! The first is on my mothers side and the second is on my father's side! So exciting. Today, I devoted time to my Hopper roots (my mother's maiden name is Hopper). I discovered that my GGG Grandfather Elijah H Hopper lived in Hopkinsville, KY. He was a wealthy merchant. During the Civil War, I found documentation of transactions made between him and both the Union and Confederate Armies for medical supplies! Fascinating history, really. I also discovered in the Christian County, KY marriage records a STARTLING find: A brother or cousin of Elijah, named Jeremiah Hopper, married a Zachariah Duncan in 1811!!!! Yes, that's right, it's a gay marriage! I viewed the actual document and was just aghast at the news! Musically, I've been pretty much in a dry spell. I think it's probably due to all that has gone on the past few months. I'm going to hopefully begin work on a series of piano miniatures that I've been gestating for a while now. I'll keep you guys (and gals) abreast of any new works!

Thoughts and Decisions

Beginning the thought process for moving to a new city is a difficult task. I don't feel that overwhelmed, to be honest. I used to live in Chicago for a year - granted, that was 10 years ago. My choices now are whether to live on campus or off campus, whether to get a part time job or perhaps apply for work study, and what equipment am I going to need to get to ensure that I do my best at the university. The on campus/off campus decision is a hard one - largely because it's like weighing to evils. Off campus housing in Chicago can be cheaper BUT it can also be more costly when bills and food costs weigh in. On campus housing in Chicago can be pricier BUT it can less costly considering your not paying for utilities! Transportation isn't an issue as the school requires students to have a CTA pass - so that is at least one factor that is alleviated. I'm kind of bent on the job issue. A music major degree, I've always known, requires a LOT of work. Rehearsals, practicing, composition time, study time, etc. can eat away at any amount of free time that I might have available to me to work a part time job. Work study, however, appears to be the best fix for that as the school would work around MY schedule! Finally, I'm going to need to get a new macbook or mac pc to make sure that my computer and software are in synch. Ah, so much to think about. It's exciting!

Accepted!

I am very pleased to announce that I have been accepted to the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University! I plan on accepting close to the end of April AFTER I get up the $1,000 tuition/housing deposit! I was so excited to receive the news and am extremely thankful that I have been given the chance to pursue my career goals at such a fantastic institution AND a great city! Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me to apply! <3

Waiting patiently...

So, I have been waiting patiently for my letter of acceptance or rejection. I applied at Roosevelt's CCPA in Chicago. It's my #1 choice. It's been a very nerve wracking experience. Hopefully, it's good news!

Update on things

I have been extremely busy with school this past few weeks and have severely neglected my readers here on the blog. I've had a little bit of time to compose and have begun work, as I think I may have already mentioned, on a work inspired by a Native American myth I received as a handout in my World Religions course. I will not post this just yet - as I want to make it a surprise to everyone on its completion! The work, though, is amazing to say the least and I have labored intensely on it - in fact, I've probably spent more time on this work then any other large scale piece in the past few years!
I do have something I can share with my readers here. Two of my videos on YouTube have achieved important milestones for me! About a year ago, I composed a set of three bridal processionals for a friend. He was going to propose to one of my dearest friends - and asked me to pen the processionals for that day. Sadly, the relationship didn't even last 6 more months! So, I posted the three processionals on YouTube where they have been receiving ample views! One of them is up to 3,000 + views and the other has broken 1125 views. I consider this a milestone largely because there are MANY classical works on YouTube that have received far less than 1000 views - with a large majority under 500. That two of my works have received so many views is something I'm extremely happy with.
So, to celebrate this milestone I have uploaded 3 new videos to YouTube and plan to create and upload more of my work to the site. One of my works, for two pianos, is currently being rehearsed and will be recorded for YouTube. I already made the video for it - and now someone wants to play it! I'm so excited. As a treat for those who read this blog - and especially for those who view it regularly and have put up with my ramblings - I am including a link to my YouTube Channel and links to all three of the new videos! Happy Valentines Day!!!!

My YouTube Channel
Fire and Ice
Solemn Dance
Unnamed for Two Pianos

Juggling School and Composition

Been extremely busy with schoolwork BUT I have had a little bit of time (mainly weekends) to start a new composition. This work is inspired by a myth I read in my current World Religions class. The story is a Native American myth centered around the First Butterflies. I've become rather enamored with the text. The story relates how the Great Spirit created the Earth and how he wished humanity would love his creation. He came to realize, in the myth, that the mountains he created were cold and therefore he worried that humanity would not love them. To fix this, he created stones of all colors and placed some within/on the mountains. After sometime, he realized that the stones themselves weren't doing the job - then he transformed them into butterflies so that they could lead man up to the mountains. Beautiful story! The work takes this story and attempts to transform it into music - obviously. The opening is what I have completed so far. I'm rather impressed at this work of mine, not only has it been painstaking to gestate and write BUT it has also been something I have been taking great attention to the minute details of it.


The work can be viewed in process here: Story of the First Butterflies

Feeling REALLY good!!!

Went to see if my grades were posted on IRIS. To my surprise, they were there, here is a rundown:

Intermediate Algebra: A
Understanding Music: A
Composition II:          A
Western Civilization:   A

Cumulative GPA: 4.0 - a perfect 4.0!!!
Current Academic Standing: President's List!!!

I am so proud of myself. This means I will have to work to maintain this GPA throughout the Spring Semester and during Summer Semester (unless I decide to take a break off to prepare me for my move to a University!!)

End of Semester

Thursday was my last final and signified the end of Fall Semester. I learned a lot this past semester. Acquired a wonderful friend, who is an amazing teacher and composer herself, and have taken the next steps in moving forward in my life towards a goal that now is more attainable then ever. It's amazing, at times, to think how much things change in life. That someone can go through so much over a short period of time is just simply astounding. This semester ended on a very good note. In my World Civilization and Intermediate Algebra courses I got an A. I do not yet know what I received in Understanding Music and Composition 121. I'm fairly certain in U.M. I got an A. I can only hope, however, I got an A in Comp 121! That would make another semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA!! Thanks!

Lots of Homework and an arrangement

I have a multitude of homework to get caught up on before tomorrow's long day at school! I'm working on my essay for Understanding Music, preparing for an exam in Algebra, AND I have World Civ reading to do! On top of all that, somehow I still have to begin my arrangement of a Bach Invention - needless to say, since that is only an exercise piece, it's not the top of my list!

Finalizing Persuasive Essay and Presentation

Working today on my persuasive essay and presentation on UFO's for my English Class. My presentation is Tuesday! I'm hoping to get my paper completely finished so that way, I will be completely finished with class and just have to attend the next three days! I can not believe the semester is almost over - it has been an amazingly fast semester. I love all my teachers and hope to stay in contact with a few of them! Now, to work on that project!!

Long Week

It's been a long week this week and next week, with Thanksgiving, looks like its going to be a lot longer. Didn't get much composition done this week. I added a tentative ending to the piano quartet but I'm now wondering if perhaps I should add a 4th movement - choices, choices, choices. Have a presentation to make for Comp 121 either today or Monday. I think I'm going to shoot for Monday, so that I can polish my paper up and strengthen my outline for the topic. I wonder if I can find someone to come in dressed like an Alien?

Blah Day

Kind of been in a blah mood all day long. Had a good class this morning - which should've helped but it didn't. Going to work on my Piano Quartet this weekend. I showed the piano parts to a pianist friend of mine - he sight read them all easily, which gave me some relief over them! Going to pour over the string parts with a friend of mine on Sunday - just to cover the base with those. I might change of the few of the entrances in the fugue for the opener, not sure yet - will decide when we discuss it Sunday. Other than that, I got my paper done - and am thinking on how I will do the Powerpoint Presentation for it. Lots of ideas!

Lots of Homework and revisions need to be made

I showed my Piano Quartet to my wonderful teacher - as I expected she gave a much more thorough review than anyone else was able to give. So, this weekend - I have a lot of work to do! I have first to do my homework (including possibly going to see a concert for my last essay in class.) Then once all that is done, I get to go through and revision the first and second movements of my quartet. I think I'm going to view a few works in the genre on IMSLP to get a sense of typical writing for the ensemble - just to better educate myself a bit. Also, I am proud to announce that -barring it costing out of my budget- I am going to take my viola to get it fixed! I can't wait, I need to start practicing a lot! That would definitely give me something to do while I'm waiting for Mark to get out of his photography class on Thursdays. Other than that, it's been a wonderful day!

Wonderful Day!

Had a wonderful day today. In my Understanding Music Class, my teacher played Name That Composer! Got to hear pieces by Haydn that I hadn't heard before (or in a long time!) I was quite impressed. Now I have to get to know more Haydn! I also heard 1 piece of Mozart's that I know I've heard before but completely forgot: one of his violin sonaten. Was interesting, it didn't sound Mozartean to me at all! Oh well, I guess that saying about learning something new everyday is true!!