Ok, so I lied....

After my post last night stating that I had no free time, here I am in the library with nothing to do until my next class until 10:50. I'm up so early because this morning, at 6:30, I had to get up and walk to Bloomington Jr. High to observe their jazz band. Nothing beats a nice mile stroll on a crisp, clear December morning. Thank goodness there wasn't snow, else I'd still be in bed.

So, this week, as discussed last night, is Pre-Finals week. However, to the scatter-brained music ed. major, the week is also know as The-Week-When-Everything-That-Should-Have-Been-Done-Months-Ago-Now-Must-Get-Done-By-Friday. However, I feel that I now have everything under control and I should have all my requirements met when they're due on Friday at 4:00.

On Tuesday night I had to perform my viola jury. For those of you who are picturing me playing my viola while donned in a black robe and a powdered wig, let me repaint your mental picture. The term "jury" is basically a "hearing" (another court word) and "assessment" of your playing before a panel (not a jury) of music faculty. In other words, it's a graded performance. For my jury, I played Rebbecca Clark's Viola Sonata for the Viola. The piece was written with the intent of the violist playing in tune the whole time. Oops. Missed that memo. However, my 4-bar melody passage in the middle of the piece in which I played exactly a half-step off of the piano would undoubtedly have won me acclaims had the piece been a 21st century improvisation. Overall, though, I thought I played the piece pretty well, and now I have a fun piece to pull out for future auditions.

This Friday, the Illinois Wesleyan Orchestra is presenting a fantastic concert at the Bloomington Performing Arts Center. We're playing "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky, "Siegfried Idyll" by Wagner, and "Russian Christmas Music" by Alfred Reed. All 3 pieces are classics in the orchestral repertoire and would definitely be worth you're time coming out to see. The big piece of the show is "Russian Christmas Music" which features a narrator reading "A Christmas Bell for Anya," a very touching Russian Christmas folktale. No more spoilers. You'll have to come see for yourself this Friday at 7:30 at the BCPA.