A Blog of Note

This is one of my very favorite photos that I took last year, out of some 3,000. I took it in Heiligenstadt, a leafy suburb of Vienna famous for its association with Beethoven. When I went to visit my friends in the Luther College Symphony Orchestra, Kate and I took an afternoon to walk through the streets and take a look at some of the Beethoven sites, especially the house where he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament. I thought this street sign was so clever and just so fitting for the musical explosion that is Vienna. For those of you not familiar with Herr Beethoven, "Eroica" is the subtitle for Beethoven's monumental 3rd Symphony. It is Italian for "heroic."

Most people know that music has been a big part of my life, especially here at Luther. I have been blessed and fortunate enough to play in a number of top notch ensembles, and also to improve myself as a trombonist to a pretty good level. Along with Nottingham, music at Luther is the defining aspect of my collegiate experience.

I'm currently taking Classical Music History, which is taught by perhaps the most musically brilliant men I have ever encountered. Just let that suffice, I don't want to rattle off too many details. I think a combination of that, all the brilliant music I was exposed to in Europe, and a general musical maturation has been opening my eyes to the joy and beauty of music in a sort of existential, everyday way. I guess, I just feel myself becoming so moved when I listen to a great symphony, or I feel almost tangible palpitations all over my body when I hear a brilliantly executed jazz solo. Guitar artistry (Jimmy Page anyone?) leaves me inspired. In a nutshell, I guess I just find myself appreciating music more. Which is good.

I've gotten on a kick of buying music (well, a 3 year kick so far). Brandon and I had this discussion a few times in Notts, the almost religious experience of physically buying a great album in person. Not by internet, nor burning CD's. Unfortunately, us poor college students must sometimes do such things. I just bought an LSO Live recording of the aforementioned Beethoven Symphony No. 3 off of Amazon. I wish I had the coin to physically buy more albums, but money is sort of difficult to come by as a poor college student, especially when you really have no consistent job. Lame.

Anyways, in music history class, Professor Griesheimer showed us a facade of a palace, and I quietly smiled to myself as I silently named it immediately as Schönbrunn. I'm looking a photo of myself, Benjamin, and Kate at Schönbrunn this January as I type this. I'd highly advise anyone to go to Vienna if they can make it. It's worth the trip. Go to the Hapsburg, Schönbrunn, catch an opera, see the Wiener Philharmoniker if you can get tickets. But above all else, take the tram out of the city and take a walk around Heiligenstadt.

I miss Europe. England, especially.

I have a hellish week. I have an intensive exam on Wednesday covering 18th century music, Joseph Haydn's complete biography, his complete string quartets, most symphonies, and musical forms. On Thursday I have a Russian exam with term identification and two essays. And on Saturday, I have to take this little thing called the LSAT. Damn. I should stop procrastinating. Back to breaking down opus numbers by decade and Russian tsars by historical period.



Later dudes.

160

Today, I took an actual LSAT to practice on (the real test is on Saturday). I ended up with a score of approximately 160, compared to the scores of 157 or so that I had been consistently getting. If a couple stupid mistakes had not been made, I would have firmly been in the 161-162 range, which would make me quite happy.

What does this all mean in REAL CONTEXT? Probably jack shit. I could screw up horribly on Saturday and end up going to school at Florida A&M or something. But it does wonders for my confidence level. Going through the exam, I felt confident in my answering. Which is good.

I have a week that features two exams, one for Russian and one for Music History. So my LSATing will have to be put on a bit of a back burner. Bottom line, I'm ready to get this bitch over with. 'Nuff said.

Unreality

I've always known I possess a certain streak of social awkwardness. I'm also aware that many people possess more of that streak. The cluster I live in at Luther is a textbook example of unrelenting social awkwardness at a level that is almost impossible to imagine. It's weird. What makes it even weirder is their obsession with playing Nintendo Wii. Now, I own an Xbox. I won't say that video games are bad. I like them too. But having an orgasm playing a video game? Screams of ecstasy emanating from a TV screen. Unnatural. And just plain creepy.

What does it mean when in order to have social interaction, you need the aid of such a diverting activity? I really don't know. And that's all I have to say. I just don't know how to deal with behavior like that in college.

Dunder Mifflin Infinity

Hey people, join my online fantasy paper company.

Dunder Mifflin Infinity

Branch code - 867w3br9qm

Duluth, MN branch

It'd be sweet.

College Life (Or Lack Thereof)

A few things have been made apparent to me in the past few days.

1- Stretch out arms before playing racquetball
2- The LSAT is a bitch
3- House parties are not my vocation

I went to a Baker townhome tonight to visit my gf, and it turned out her house was throwing this big party. And I got sort of intimidated, and felt very awkward at said party. That's an understatement, I stood outside and tried to formulate a plan of attack to go into the house. I guess the experience made me think about my social strengths and weaknesses. I don't really feel like I fit the normal college mold for social situations. Big parties just really aren't my thing, in fact, I feel very uncomfortable at them. And I suppose I don't really quite mind that. I don't know if it's some sort of continuation of the pub mentality of England, but nowadays, my favorite thing to do with good friends is to just sit with a pint or two, listen to music or watch TV, and just talk.




Who knows. But it's a challenge, as relationships invariably bring us into situations we occasionally feel uncomfortable in. It's a struggle for me to try and reach a middle ground, especially when I don't want to do things I don't want to do. Anyways, that's all I have to say about that. I'm happy with who I am.

As could be noted, I've spent a lot of time lately studying for the LSAT, which will be over in a fortnight from right now. Can't wait. My new book is giving me increased confidence, which is really nice. I want to do as well as I possibly can. I really want to go to Minnesota for law school. Too often I sort of get stuck in the middle of the pack. I'm good at stuff, but not distinguished enough to be elite. It will be hard to get into Minnesota, but I'm going to give it my all.

The point about the racquetball is pretty self explanatory, I think.

I'd like to share some music clips here. Music has always been a big part of my life, and especially in college, I'm learning the value and beauty of having a music collection. Listening to lots of music, buying albums, thinking about tunes, being inspired by music, all sorts of stuff. These are from a band called Sigur Ros which I got into whilst in England. They're an Icelandic group, and they have one of the most distinctive sounds you'll ever hear. So, check this stuff out if you feel the need. I'd recommend it.







Intense.

September 12th

Yesterday was September 11th. Which means one of three things.

A) 6 years ago, terrorists brought down the twin towers
B) Happy Patriot Day!
C) A year ago, I arrived in England

As a fellow Notter so put it, is it wrong that for the rest of my life, on September 11th, I won't think about that morning where I walked in from marching band and saw all of Manhattan burning on CNN? Instead, I will visualize myself walking awkwardly out of Heathrow airport and boarding a minibus bound for a strange city in a strange land, with 8 other strange people and 2 strange professors. I think that's the most difficult thing about this whole business of remembering England, it's all so tangible. So incredibly tangible. It's like I can still feel the rain falling on my shoulders as I wait for the bus. I sometimes see myself walking not through the Luther campus, but the Millennium Gardens at uni. So strange, yet so real. Last night, the whole lot of us gathered at Mark and Carol's to have dinner and belatedly celebrate Anna's birthday. As we all sat, sharing stories and memories, laughing, etc., it almost felt that we were back in Nottingham. But of course, that cannot be true. By now, a new group of Lutherites has inhabited our home. That's a bizarre feeling. I don't know, our sense of community seemed so intense, especially in the flat, it's almost insulting to think that others could presume to just show up and make it their own. But of course, that's what we did. And maybe that's why the flat is such a beautiful place. Who knows. I know one thing though, I do miss England. Not at the expense of Luther, but I miss it a lot.





I don't know what else there is. Hopefully, I can try and steer this blog away from just being a rehash of my retired England blog, but obviously I'm not being very successful thus far. I've been busy dealing with the LSAT, which has been kicking my butt. I need to get on that this weekend, hardcore. I've been listening to a lot of Rage Against the Machine lately. I guess I've never seriously considered overthrowing the government before, but if that's what it takes to lay down such sick beats, I could burn a flag or two. Led Zeppelin is doing a one-off reunion gig in London in November supposedly. Figures. Had I been in Nottingham right now, I would definitely donate a kidney for a ticket.



It's going to be an intense semester. Lots of tests, papers, reading, etc. But that's good. I like school. It's a good thing I'm going to delay real life by going on to more of it. Later dudes.

Back to Reality

This blog isn't really supposed to be about England. I have another blog that was supposed to be about that. I haven't really found a real "niche" for this blog yet. Like, it doesn't have an expressed purpose. I sort of fancied it would be full of Bill Bryson-esque witty commentary into life's quirks.


That hasn't happened yet. For lack of witty commentary, I'll just pine about England some more.

As I walk the path of re-integration into Luther and American collegiate life, I can't help but reflect on many aspects of my English experience. I knew it was going to be an experience that was going to affect me forever, but I didn't quite know how I guess. The gradual unveiling of its affects has been a continual discovery.

One of my favorite analogies of last year came from Brandon, who described our whole year as a "dreamworld," apart from reality. Back at Luther, this has hit me in a whole different light. There's no time to go down to London for the weekend, much less Chicago or Minneapolis. Have to study for the LSAT, have to write a senior paper. Daddy isn't dropping $2,000 (£1,000) into my account so I can cavort around France and Italy for a month doing whatever I want. Those wheat thins I bought last night come directly from my bank account. I have homework to do, practicing to do, relationships to sustain. A quantum shift from my life in Nottingham. And it's just, well, weird to get used to that again. It's nice to not have any worries.

As I continually reflect on what it was to be English (and I seem to do it a lot), I've realized that one aspect was an experiment in urban living. Here in Decorah, I'm sort of stuck in the middle of nowhere. No tram, no buses, no Starbucks, nothing like that. And that's okay. Small town living has its charms, and I think it's very conducive to higher education. I mean, hell, what else is there to do besides study? But I guess I'm finding that I miss the city. I love Decorah, don't get me wrong. But there's something missing, namely the vibrancy of urban life. Right in front of me, posted on my desk, I have photos of London, Nottingham, Vienna, Istanbul, and Paris, in that order. All cities. I didn't really notice that until today. Maybe I just miss my jet-setting lifestyle of a year ago. So, I don't know, that's that.

I guess it's fair to say I miss England. But that's been established. The point is, England has become a part of me, in ways I didn't really think would happen. I feel intrinsically tied to it. Maybe it will fade in time. But I hope not.

In completely different news, I went running on Friday morning. I willingly got up at 7:20 AM, put on my athletic shorts, and ran for probably two miles with Klein and Michael. I'm trying to figure out what compels people to torture themselves like this. Maybe all runners are masochists. "Let's wake up after getting too little sleep, run until we feel like throwing up, sweat profusely, get dehydrated, and then go through our day with a false sense that those 2 miles made us exponentially fitter." I felt utterly wretched the duration of our little jog. Probably because I haven't run that far since middle school. Of course, I felt good after I got done. Then I got an explosive headache later that day, which I will blame on the running. The strange thing is, I think I'll keep doing. Maybe I just like inflicting pain on myself, I don't know. In any case, it's really a perverse habit, this running.

I need to study for the LSAT, and let the sweet guitar of Pete Townshend take me to another plane of logical and analytical reasoning. Then I get to go spend some quality time with my trombone and Marco Bordogni. So fun. Later.

Damien Rice

If you aren't familiar with the music of Damien Rice, I suggest you check out the video above. He's an Irish singer-songwriter, and I was introduced to his music over in England. A few of my flatmates were really into him, and his music turned out to appeal to me pretty heavily as well. Because of that, a few of his songs have particular meaning to me, because I associate them so heavily with flat life in England. But that's beside the point. The point is, last night, Brandon, Mary, Mary's friend Caroline, and I made the trek to Minneapolis to see Damien live at the State Theatre. So I thought I'd do a bit of a concert review for your reading delight.

We had seats almost at the back of the lower floor of the State Theatre. So, they weren't the best, but they were fine. I could at least make out his figure on the stage, though I couldn't quite distinguish his face. Needless to say, it was fun to see him in person, if only to see what his non-singing persona is like. All his songs are so haunting and/or mysterious, that you would never think that a pleasant Irishman is really behind them. Sort of refreshing to hear some sort of accent as well, I've sort of been going through some withdrawals since returning to the States. Damien got a bit spacy in his inter-song interludes, which I couldn't really account for, but whatever. He couldn't seem to finish any thoughts. Stoned? Drunk? I don't think so, but you never know.

Damien usually performs with some sort of band to back him up, but since the Minneapolis concert was sort of a quick stop before a gig in Boston, it was just him on stage with a guitar and piano. I was a bit nervous about that, as I had sort of hoped to hear him with Lisa Hannigan, or at least with a cellist, but it turned out great. You know how many artists sound fundamentally different on stage than they do on an album? I was really glad to hear that Damien sounded almost the same, meaning, he didn't try to dumb down his performance for the audience. He went all out, which was quite cool. I think my favorite song he played was "Rootless Tree" from his latest album. But I really loved "The Blower's Daughter" (see video above) as well. I was really really disappointed that he didn't play "Elephant." That particular song vies for my favorite Damien Rice song, and I guess it's the one I most associate with being in England. So I really wanted to hear it, if maybe only for sentimental reasons. But, I can live.

Throughout college, I've been trying to expand my musical library for personal listening. I started collecting jazz records, and have diversified into rock and alternative. My two friends Benjamin and Brandon have been quite indispensable in my quest, and it's nice to have knowledgeable people about to help. As a by-product, I've also discovered the joys of hearing live music. So, I guess I saw going to the Damien Rice concert as a big step in my development as a live music goer. Very glad I went. Highly recommend his stuff to everyone. Check it out. I need to sleep, so I can get up bright and early and play the John Stevens band symphony in sectionals. Later dudes.

An Observation

Question. What do these three places have in common?











Answer. These are all places I've gone (or will be going) as a result of hard work and dedication. I recently learned that I will once again be a member of the Luther College Jazz Orchestra, and will be participating in the spring tour to Brazil. Needless to say, I was overjoyed. Not so much about the Brazil part, although it will be amazing. Rather, mostly because it showed that the people at Luther still have confidence in me and my ability to play to a level they expect, even after being gone for a year. That's something that had freaked me out.

After I rejoiced in the fact that I was once again able to use my cream dinner jacket, I began to think about all the opportunities I have been afforded at Luther. And none of them were really handed to me, especially in the beginning. I got my ass kicked for a while, and I had to determine myself to get out of that situation. A situation I've ended up eternally grateful for.

I don't want to sit and brag about how great I am. That's an irrelevant thing to say. I guess I've just been reminded about how beneficial it is to just sit down and do what needs to be done. Quite a few musicians from Luther could benefit from that.

The LSAT is upcoming. It's freaking the hell out of me. But for the first time, I feel as if I have a confident direction in life. It's hard to get into Minnesota. It's a hard test. Time to learn from the past.