This summer is flying by. I remember back in mid-May, I was sitting around with my friends, trying to think of what we could possibly do on such a gorgeous day. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in my house in June, and it's FREEZING! I don't know what is going on with the weather, but I hope it gets consistently nice soon.
I've been keeping busy this summer. I've vowed to beat my book-reading record from last year's nine. I'm already two in. I finished Moby-Dick, which was almost a chore. Great story but I could do without the detailed and almost-overly-romantic descriptions of whaling equipment. I do think it's important to read some classics though. From there I moved on to Things Fall Apart, a much shorter novel that tells the story of an African tribal man's fall, followed by the destruction of his civilization by European missionaries. I loved the symbolism and the social and religious commentary. It is also a great introduction to African fiction, an area that I will be coming back to. Up next is Everything That Rises Must Converge, a collection of short stories by Flannery O'Connor. I was introduced to the book through Lost. Apparently after the season finale aired, sales of this book absolutely skyrocketed on Amazon. Gotta get in on the band wagon!
Another thing I'd like to do is see all the great movies that are coming out this summer. So far, it's been a little disappointing. Terminator Salvation was cool and entertaining but fell very short of my expectations. Land of the Lost - moments of hilarity mixed with many more moments of utter stupidity. I'm a fan of the stupid-funny comedy, but this was just too much at times. I guess it just wasn't worth the $10.50 I spent. I'm never paying for another movie again! Luckily I have the Optimum Rewards Card, which gives me free movies on Tuesdays! I've used it to see Up, which was very good. Very intense for a family movie. Just a little worried about those talking dogs...they kind of remind me too much of failed Disney movies. I hope Pixar isn't moving into that direction (Toy Story 3 is next...please please please be good). Star Trek was pretty awesome too. It was the first Trek thing I've ever seen, and I don't know if it lived up to the rest of the franchise but I think it's an imaginative start. They can do anything they want next!
Quick aside - I've given up on television. There are two good shows on: Lost and The Mis-Adventures of Flapjack. Mostly everything else is trash (and Flapjack is pretty stupid too, but just reminds me of a time when SpongeBob SquarePants was actually enjoyable).
I've also been working hard on my Scholars Research. I'm really excited this summer to be working with people who are very involved in the composition side of the industry. I'm learning a lot about what there is to actually do...it's more than just writing songs. Right now, I'm focusing on sequencing a song for my advisor, which in turn allows me to beta test a new sound library. It's the first time I've ever done either. Sequencing, I've learned, is taking the MIDI data generated from a notation program and manipulating it into something that sounds very realistic. I've been re-recording a lot of the instrument parts and mixing the sounds so that the piece is much more human.
So, there's lots of stuff happening this summer. Carlos Alomar read my palm and told me that something big was happening RIGHT NOW! I've never really invested much faith in black magic, but time will tell if he's right.
I've been keeping busy this summer. I've vowed to beat my book-reading record from last year's nine. I'm already two in. I finished Moby-Dick, which was almost a chore. Great story but I could do without the detailed and almost-overly-romantic descriptions of whaling equipment. I do think it's important to read some classics though. From there I moved on to Things Fall Apart, a much shorter novel that tells the story of an African tribal man's fall, followed by the destruction of his civilization by European missionaries. I loved the symbolism and the social and religious commentary. It is also a great introduction to African fiction, an area that I will be coming back to. Up next is Everything That Rises Must Converge, a collection of short stories by Flannery O'Connor. I was introduced to the book through Lost. Apparently after the season finale aired, sales of this book absolutely skyrocketed on Amazon. Gotta get in on the band wagon!
Another thing I'd like to do is see all the great movies that are coming out this summer. So far, it's been a little disappointing. Terminator Salvation was cool and entertaining but fell very short of my expectations. Land of the Lost - moments of hilarity mixed with many more moments of utter stupidity. I'm a fan of the stupid-funny comedy, but this was just too much at times. I guess it just wasn't worth the $10.50 I spent. I'm never paying for another movie again! Luckily I have the Optimum Rewards Card, which gives me free movies on Tuesdays! I've used it to see Up, which was very good. Very intense for a family movie. Just a little worried about those talking dogs...they kind of remind me too much of failed Disney movies. I hope Pixar isn't moving into that direction (Toy Story 3 is next...please please please be good). Star Trek was pretty awesome too. It was the first Trek thing I've ever seen, and I don't know if it lived up to the rest of the franchise but I think it's an imaginative start. They can do anything they want next!
Quick aside - I've given up on television. There are two good shows on: Lost and The Mis-Adventures of Flapjack. Mostly everything else is trash (and Flapjack is pretty stupid too, but just reminds me of a time when SpongeBob SquarePants was actually enjoyable).
I've also been working hard on my Scholars Research. I'm really excited this summer to be working with people who are very involved in the composition side of the industry. I'm learning a lot about what there is to actually do...it's more than just writing songs. Right now, I'm focusing on sequencing a song for my advisor, which in turn allows me to beta test a new sound library. It's the first time I've ever done either. Sequencing, I've learned, is taking the MIDI data generated from a notation program and manipulating it into something that sounds very realistic. I've been re-recording a lot of the instrument parts and mixing the sounds so that the piece is much more human.
So, there's lots of stuff happening this summer. Carlos Alomar read my palm and told me that something big was happening RIGHT NOW! I've never really invested much faith in black magic, but time will tell if he's right.
Just like you, I've given up on Television too - taking up music -
Hope your guitar is not getting dusty - bust a string for us...
Posted by: Jay at Violin Class | June 12, 2009 at 07:18 PM