Update on my Life and Times
It's been a really long time since I've written anything, and I don't just mean in this journal. With the exception of papers for class, just about all of my creative energy has been going to music. I kinda love that, but it also leaves me with a lot of innovative ideas for things like stories that get no outlet. Actually, this post is already incredibly off-topic. I was supposed to be writing about what's been going on in my life. Since my writing skills have clearly deserted me, I guess I should skip the narrative and write a list.
1. I went to Russia. - This was with the Howard University Choir and was really cool. There was a little racism, but it wasn't overt or hatred-fueled. For more about that, read my post in the group Snarky Haiku. I was a total asshole almost the whole time I was there. People tell me afterwards that that happens sometimes when you travel long distances because you are out of your comfort zone. I guess that was it. I'm normally an extremely nice guy, but I cursed out a couple of people, and almost got into a fistfight. The whole Choir was on edge. The Russians were pretty cool though. It was odd to be in a place where we were the only Black people. I'm normally a fan of the term African-American, but it doesn't apply out of the country, so there you go. Anyway, despite all of that, it was super cool, and I'm glad we went. The trip was also my first trip on a plane AND my first transatlantic voyage. It was very interesting, though I'm sure that I seemed like a little kid, because I was gazing out of the window the whole time.
2. I am performing my Junior Recital on December 1. - If anyone is in the Washington DC Metropolitan area, or isn't, and wants to see it, they are invited. It is taking place at Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel on campus at 7pm. Yes, I am a senior, but am doing my Junior Recital in any case. I don't think that anyone on my friend's list is especially affiliated with classical vocal performance, but I'll put up an outline of the program anyway.
1. Durante - Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile
2. Handel - Honor and Arms
3. Schubert - Erlkönig
4. Schubert - Die Post
5. Puccini - Vecchia zimarra
Intermission
6. Koechlin - Si Tu Le Veux
7. Saint-Säens - Danse Macabre
8. Burleigh - Elysium
9. Burleigh - Thy Heart
10. Johnson - Ride On, King Jesus!
It's going to be awesome, and my dear friend Ashalyn is going to be my accompanist.
3. I have lots of friends. - This is kind of a weird update, and it's been happening for years, but I have made a lot of friends since I got to Howard, so now there's a sort of Howard group of friends that most people who would read this are not familiar with:
1. Iverson - He was my roommate freshman year, and is my suitemate now. He is definitely my best friend at Howard, and is likely to be the best man at my wedding. We are constantly comparing notes on the search for girls. He's from Atlanta. I actually think that I've mentioned him in this journal a couple of times.
2. Ashalyn - Ashalyn is a piano major, and a junior, and is completely awesome. She is what I have termed a "pansexual playgirl," though I think that she is definitely leading toward the ladies. It depends what day it is. She is playing for my Junior Recital, as I mentioned earlier. She is assistant alto section leader on the Choir, and I am bass section leader. What that means is that we pretty much spend a lot of time together hating on the other people who work for/with the Choir.
3. Brandon - Brandon is my other suitemate. He is also from Atlanta. Actually, he's from Marietta, but they're the same thing as far as I'm concerned. He is a neat guy, hilarious, always laughing and playing loud music. He, like Iverson, is an electrical engineering major, and, like me, is graduating in May 2010.
4. Andrea - Andrea is a friend of mine who graduating with her Master's in Teaching in May 2007. She teaches now out in Virginia. She is a fantastic person, but I don't get to see her enough. She's working on her master's in divinity now. This will be her third degree from Howard, where her mother also works. Her mother also has several degrees from Howard, including two doctorates.
5. Andre - Andre is Andrea's boyfriend - Shh! No one's supposed to know! - and he also works in the Choir office like I do, and Andrea did before she graduated. He's also working on a master's degree, but in music. He is an awesome organist, and a music minister for a Catholic church. This is funny because he's a Methodist. Now he's gotten into the habit of crossing himself after prayer. I find this hilarious.
6. Jenna - Jenna is from Trinidad, and is rather boy-crazy. As boy-crazy as you can be and still be a virgin, which she is. She is a math major, which I tease her about endlessly. Even worse, she's a math and economics double major. I tell her that I don't quite understand how she was able to double major in boring. She's really funny, especially since she's kind of mean. Not to me, ever, but to others.
There are others but these are the people that I have added to the list of at least four best friends from Philly.
4. I am voting for the first time tomorrow. - I'm going to Philly tomorrow to cast my vote. For whom? Well, I'll just make it known that I am a pretty blazing liberal, and that I live in a swing state in which casting a vote for a third-party candidate might actually make a difference, so I can't do it just to make a point. But I'll leave it to your imagination.
This entry is really long.I think that I will make use of LJ cuts. It also doesn't contain nearly as much information as I want it to. But I'm not going to sit here and make any promises about future updates. So deal with it. :-)
1. I went to Russia. - This was with the Howard University Choir and was really cool. There was a little racism, but it wasn't overt or hatred-fueled. For more about that, read my post in the group Snarky Haiku. I was a total asshole almost the whole time I was there. People tell me afterwards that that happens sometimes when you travel long distances because you are out of your comfort zone. I guess that was it. I'm normally an extremely nice guy, but I cursed out a couple of people, and almost got into a fistfight. The whole Choir was on edge. The Russians were pretty cool though. It was odd to be in a place where we were the only Black people. I'm normally a fan of the term African-American, but it doesn't apply out of the country, so there you go. Anyway, despite all of that, it was super cool, and I'm glad we went. The trip was also my first trip on a plane AND my first transatlantic voyage. It was very interesting, though I'm sure that I seemed like a little kid, because I was gazing out of the window the whole time.
2. I am performing my Junior Recital on December 1. - If anyone is in the Washington DC Metropolitan area, or isn't, and wants to see it, they are invited. It is taking place at Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel on campus at 7pm. Yes, I am a senior, but am doing my Junior Recital in any case. I don't think that anyone on my friend's list is especially affiliated with classical vocal performance, but I'll put up an outline of the program anyway.
1. Durante - Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile
2. Handel - Honor and Arms
3. Schubert - Erlkönig
4. Schubert - Die Post
5. Puccini - Vecchia zimarra
Intermission
6. Koechlin - Si Tu Le Veux
7. Saint-Säens - Danse Macabre
8. Burleigh - Elysium
9. Burleigh - Thy Heart
10. Johnson - Ride On, King Jesus!
It's going to be awesome, and my dear friend Ashalyn is going to be my accompanist.
3. I have lots of friends. - This is kind of a weird update, and it's been happening for years, but I have made a lot of friends since I got to Howard, so now there's a sort of Howard group of friends that most people who would read this are not familiar with:
1. Iverson - He was my roommate freshman year, and is my suitemate now. He is definitely my best friend at Howard, and is likely to be the best man at my wedding. We are constantly comparing notes on the search for girls. He's from Atlanta. I actually think that I've mentioned him in this journal a couple of times.
2. Ashalyn - Ashalyn is a piano major, and a junior, and is completely awesome. She is what I have termed a "pansexual playgirl," though I think that she is definitely leading toward the ladies. It depends what day it is. She is playing for my Junior Recital, as I mentioned earlier. She is assistant alto section leader on the Choir, and I am bass section leader. What that means is that we pretty much spend a lot of time together hating on the other people who work for/with the Choir.
3. Brandon - Brandon is my other suitemate. He is also from Atlanta. Actually, he's from Marietta, but they're the same thing as far as I'm concerned. He is a neat guy, hilarious, always laughing and playing loud music. He, like Iverson, is an electrical engineering major, and, like me, is graduating in May 2010.
4. Andrea - Andrea is a friend of mine who graduating with her Master's in Teaching in May 2007. She teaches now out in Virginia. She is a fantastic person, but I don't get to see her enough. She's working on her master's in divinity now. This will be her third degree from Howard, where her mother also works. Her mother also has several degrees from Howard, including two doctorates.
5. Andre - Andre is Andrea's boyfriend - Shh! No one's supposed to know! - and he also works in the Choir office like I do, and Andrea did before she graduated. He's also working on a master's degree, but in music. He is an awesome organist, and a music minister for a Catholic church. This is funny because he's a Methodist. Now he's gotten into the habit of crossing himself after prayer. I find this hilarious.
6. Jenna - Jenna is from Trinidad, and is rather boy-crazy. As boy-crazy as you can be and still be a virgin, which she is. She is a math major, which I tease her about endlessly. Even worse, she's a math and economics double major. I tell her that I don't quite understand how she was able to double major in boring. She's really funny, especially since she's kind of mean. Not to me, ever, but to others.
There are others but these are the people that I have added to the list of at least four best friends from Philly.
4. I am voting for the first time tomorrow. - I'm going to Philly tomorrow to cast my vote. For whom? Well, I'll just make it known that I am a pretty blazing liberal, and that I live in a swing state in which casting a vote for a third-party candidate might actually make a difference, so I can't do it just to make a point. But I'll leave it to your imagination.
This entry is really long.I think that I will make use of LJ cuts. It also doesn't contain nearly as much information as I want it to. But I'm not going to sit here and make any promises about future updates. So deal with it. :-)