The Internet, Happy Birthday Isabella, and Saving the Planet by Shopping!

It has been far too long since my last post again, and the only feeble excuse I have is that I have been too busy looking for inspiration. It's been a tough week for me; I got to see the boyfriend for a few days which was wonderful, but unfortunately that only seemed to make me miss my life in Cincinnati more. Now with the heat and the knowledge that I have four whole weeks until I get to go back (and SO much to do in those four weeks) AND a semi-broken flute, I have been pretty much miserable.

But I've fixed just about everything now. First off, I have to acknowledge the internet's part in making my life better. I have spent the last three days on StumbleUpon, which has led me to a few entertaining (but mostly just time-consuming) new addictions; Hel Looks (a Finnish street-style blog that showcases the fashion of people on the streets and what inspires their unorthodox styles), and the Real Weddings photo albums on OnceWed.com (so after a while they all start to look alike, but there are some really beautiful things and some really funny hipster weddings up too. My favorite is the bride with silverware tattoos.). I've also been paying far too much attention to youtube videos people post on Facebook, because I've found myself showing the following to everyone and anyone who will let me: Basil Marceaux.com, Antoine Dodson's TV interview, the subsequent song version, and finally what I imagine my childhood must have been like for my parents (the misunderstanding of the world, not the language...and yes, I had that haircut, too).

Today I made a shocking discovery as to why it's been so hard to practice the last week or so...I felt like there was too much resistance to my air stream, and for some reason certain notes were just weirdly out of tune. THEN while playing an Eb-E natural trill I figured it out! DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS, but I noticed that one of the keys wasn't coming all the way up after I pressed it. So I worked some magic with a mini screwdriver and a bottle of key oil, and voila! THEN I realized that I had forgotten my flute's birthday AGAIN this year. Dear Isabella (who, incidentally, was named while Robert Pattinson was still reveling in his Harry Potter fame) is four years old. I think she was pissed I forgot her birthday and wanted to cause a scene to make suffer. But that is all sorted out now.

Finally, I've been thinking about my environmental impact the last few days with the heat, the storms, and people around me talking about the end of the world. I think that humanity is more than capable of destroying the planet, but I also think that there is plenty of time for us to take responsibility for our actions and to reverse some of the damage. So today I am preaching the importance of recycling. STOP THROWING THINGS AWAY! I can guarantee that someone wants that old couch with mystery stains on the cushions, tye-dye your old white tees so no one can see the sweat stains (plus they're super trendy right now!), and no matter how terribly you hate Twilight, donate the books to Goodwill or your local used bookstore! You would be shocked to see what people are willing to buy at the thrift stores I frequent! Conversely, buy from thrift stores! My senior year of high school I did an AP environmental science project about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. It's grotesque. And it's something we can change so easily. On Hel Looks, almost all the people they feature get more than half their wardrobes second hand! And my current style icon, Lucy Laucht gets all her cute stuff from flea markets!

I guess today I was just thinking about places like Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe, where you can get really cheap clothes that are fashionable for one season, then they get runs or rips or they pill up and you throw them away. This is what's wrong with America. (sorry that was kind of strong) But really, think about really any previous decade; our parents, grandparents...even back to earlier centuries! People had a few really well-made, durable outfits that were classic enough to look good for even a few years! Vintage clothes are so trendy right now in part because they have held up long enough to still be wearable today! Right now I'm wearing a khaki Eddie Bauer dress right now that my mom estimates is from 1987, and it feel virtually indestructible. This is just food for thought, but think about how much landfill space we could save if people weren't throwing away clothes. Just think about it...

How to Play Louder Than a Boy

I've always had a thing against guy flute players. They always win, they're always sitting first chair, they're usually prettier than me...bad news all around. If you think of the top five most famous flute players of all time, chances are you'll come up with James Galway, Emmanuel Pahud, Julius Baker, Marcel Moyse, and Jean-Pierre Rampal with maybe Taffanel and Gaubert as runners-up. All guys. MN orchestra? Adam Kuenzel, guy. Cincinnati Symphony? Randy Bowman, guy. New York Phil? Robert Langevin, guy. Guys, guys, guys! They're everywhere! Eventually that has to change, right? I mean we just elected the first black president, why stop there?

A few years ago in a lesson with Mr. Kuenzel, I was complimented on my breath capacity. Not too shabby coming from a guy who's known as one of the more athletic members of the orchestra! It was true, I could pretty much hold a note forever, but my dynamic range was pretty minimal. This year I've been working on changing that. I can now play approximately sixty times as loud as I could a year ago, and I'm working on extending my air capacity even further just by seeing how long I can go on one breath (yet another Dr. G quote: 'scientific fact: your body can hold 30% more air than you think it can'), but playing loudly is only part of what sets these guys apart.

So what is it about male flute players that makes them so much better than the womenfolk? When my mom asked me the same question earlier, I said 'they're bigger and they're sparklier'. I recently compared three recordings of the same piece, two by somewhat well-known women flute players and one by Sir Jimmy. There is just something about Galway's sound that puts him light-years ahead of the others; every note is beautiful, every sound glitters, and he can play the snot out of those septuplet runs!

So I went back to practicing, attempting to sound one quarter as good as him. I was kicking some French composer butt, until my thumb started to cramp...which I can only assume is a result of my accidental 16+ mile bike ride yesterday and not because of practicing too hard or tensely. So there I will leave you, folks...with the idea that to outshine the boys I'll just have to get bigger and sparklier.

If Taylor Swift Had Been A 'Band Kid'...

It has been far too long since my last entry, which I swear won't happen again without good reason. It's been a busy two weeks; I went to the masterclass in Malibu and last week I got back to the cycle of work, practice, eat, repeat. Today I taught another beginning flute lesson, which was less inspiring than a Dr. G masterclass, but still made me reflect on my life as a flute player. It's been my life for the last eight years, and even before then it was something I took relatively seriously. In sixth grade I played in the entry-level Minnesota Youth Symphony orchestra. The following year I won my division of the Upper Midwest Flute Association's annual competition. I took these (along with my growing appreciation for the orchestral repertoire) as signs that this was what I was meant to do. Obviously these successes were in part due to my work and practice, but (I realize this sounds cliche, but I swear it's true!) I wouldn't have come close without the people around me who (whether they knew it or not at the time) inspired, encouraged, and pushed me to practice harder, better, faster...stronger?
My most obvious helper was my mother, who until about eighth grade sat in on all of my lessons and practice sessions. She knew I wanted to be the best I could be, and I think that she wants my dreams to come true just as much as she would had it been her dream. Today, she couldn't sit in on my lessons even if she wanted to and her practice-time comments have waned into friendly reminders rather than [what I considered] harsh, persistent critique. Without this second pair of ears, though, I don't know where I'd be.
My teachers and conductors (ALL OF THEM) taught me what music really means. Not only did each and every person I've worked with give everything they had for the sake of the music, but they painted a picture or a scene or a story to make every piece of music come alive. It was these fabulous musicians who really inspired me to get inside the music, to go beyond the notes, and to give the audience something to really chew on. They also taught their entire ensemble how to manage teamwork. Teamwork is especially difficult in a situation like an orchestra where every single person has such a strong personality...
...but it was these personalities that I found amongst my peers that really gave me a sense of competition and drive. When I got placed in an ensemble with better musicians than myself I'd practice extra hard so that I'd know I was pulling my own weight. When I knew my friends were practicing hours every day, I'd see if I could practice that much to keep up with them. And finally when I just knew that 'all the cool kids' were going to be in the best ensemble, I'd put on my game face and do whatever I needed to do to ensure a spot amongst the elite. The personalities found in an orchestra are not unlike high school cliques...
(Keep in mind, the following is not inteded to be offensive, nor is it what I believe. These stereotypes are merely cumulative generalizations based on stories, experiences, and individual incidents. They are not in any way directed at any individuals.)

• violins-(the student council kids) these hard-working yet soft-spoken folks carry along the orchestra, though usually only the concertmaster really gets to shine as an individual.
• violas-(the geeks) no other section in the orchestra is this tight-knit, has this many inside jokes, or for that matter is the butt of as many jokes...
• cellos-(the bookworms) generally well-liked, the cello section is where you go to find those guys who weren't hot until you took off their glasses a la Clark Kent...
  
• stringed bass-(the artsy kids) they don't care what you play or what you think about them. They just want to play some music.
• flutes-(the cheerleaders) they won't say or do anything mean to your face, they'll just give you 'the look' then tell all their friends that you play out of tune.
• oboes-(the NHS kids) similar to the violins, the oboes are the well-dressed nerds; earnest and friendly once you get to know them.
• clarinets-(the gossip girls) remember that kid who told you every dirty detail of everyone's lives (and was probably telling everyone the details about yours)? He played clarinet.
• bassoons-(the dorks) you might love them, you might hate them...but when push comes to shove you can't play Stravinsky without them.
• trumpets-(the preppy jocks) they can play higher than you, they can play louder than you, they can also probably get the girl quicker than you.
• trombones-(the dumb jocks) sometimes you just have to sit back and wonder what's going through their heads...oh wait...it's nothing...
• french horns- (this guy) everybody knows them, nobody can label them, everybody in some way wants to be like them.
• tubas-(that guy)-you know that redhead kid who seems to be on every Disney Channel show at some point and is always named Bob? He'd make a great tuba player.
• percussion-(the space case) the kid who is always late, never does his homework, asks ten questions every class, and the teacher still loves them...

It is a combination of these personalities that make my life as a musician so much fun. Whether I love them or hate them, life is never boring. Gosh, now I only have to wait two months to get back to the land of Milk and Honey where I'll be living in this saga every day!

California Gurls

So I am currently shaking the sand out from between my toes after a fabulous evening on a private beach in Malibu. Literally two houses down was Paris Hilton's beach house, and four on the other side was Sting's place. It was fantastic. So amazing. After a nighttime hot tub fiesta we stepped inside for ice cream and a mini-recital by our pianist Tim Carey. Who may have had a few party cups of wine. It was overall one of the most fun evenings of my summer. Anyway, I am borrowing a computer and I really want to get in a shower before I fall asleep. But soon, dear friends, I will have a full update. I would say happy beach-ing, but that's just me. Whoops. Well I am, however sending warm, 'bu-vibes to all of you!

Love, Hannah

Entertainment Value

Today I was reading over the rules and conditions for competing in the MN state fair talent contest. I won my 'evening' when I was eleven in the preteen competition playing Henry Mancini's music from 'The Pink Panther'. I wore a pink sparkly dress. I was adorable. I won $20. This year in my endless quest for money, I'm thinking about entering again. The only problem is that I don't have any entertaining music on my stand right now, and a third of the judges' criteria is entertainment value. So in an effort to sell-out gracefully, I think I'm going to finally give in and order a big pile of Ian Clarke music. My top choices at the moment are The Great Train Race (not a huge fan of this guy's playing or performance, but at least you can hear all the polyphonics and rhythmic intricacies. In the case that I choose this piece, I will be wearing a Jessica McClintock Gunne Sax dress that was my mom's in the 70's with lace-up boots), and Zoomtube (once again I hope I'd sound better than this guy, but it's one of the only recordings on youtube. I'm thinking this performance would call for finally buying a pair of Apple Bottom jeans and those boots with the fur...?).

Mom finally agreed (for certain...I hope) to let me take our kitchen bar table and stools to the apartment next year so I am stoked to have that part of my place taken care of (and for free, no less)! Now all I have to worry about is a bed. Here's a list of problems with the bed sitch: 1)my room is tiny tiny tiny, so I don't know if I can fit anything bigger than a twin, 2)the parents want me to take my bed from home (oh great, first you take over my closet while I'm gone, now you want my room to be void of a bed, what's next? a pool table?), and 3)beds are expensive, but I really want a big girl bed! So I suppose we'll see. If I can find a cheap mattress at IKEA or the likes, I can hold off having a real bedframe until I find one free on craigslist. If not, things could get a little stickier. Still crossing my fingers for a full size, though!

This is the design masterpiece that is my bedroom, with the unparalleled taste of the current owners of my place! Dear Lord, I can't wait to get some color into the apartment!

In other news, D.H. Lawrence hates women, which is ironic because based on the title, I was certain 'Women in Love' would be about the women...alas, it's just another story of men thinking that no women could ever satisfy them because everyone knows that women aren't capable of rational thought! Enough of that. I'm going to finish the book anyway and update my opinion at that time.

Finally, I've been thinking a ton about cooking at the apartment next year. This was brought on because today I made my very first grilled cheese sandwich ever (don't judge, I live in a house where healthy eating trumps decadency any day) for D! Anyway I'm putting together a cookbook of all my favorite recipes that my mom makes here, including calories per serving and the cost per 'batch'. I'm really excited! I think its going to make me much more responsible for my physical and monetary well-being.

Here are the next ten books on my list! Enjoy!

31. Go Tell in on the Mountain-James Baldwin

32. Gone With the Wind-Margaret Mitchell (check!)

33. The Good Soldier-Jaroslav Hasek

34. The Grapes of Wrath-John Steinbeck (check!)

35. Gravity's Rainbow-Thomas Pynchon

36. The Great Gatsby-F. Scott Fitzgerald (check!)

37. Gulliver's Travels-Jonathan Swift

38. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter-Carson McCullers

39. Heart of Darkness-Joseph Conrad

40. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-Mark Twain