Addendum to earlier...
I´m tired, bored, and stinky. As if I have not written enough today, I thought I would add to it to explain why. I am working in the lab for another three hours, but before I got here, I went for a nice run to the beach with Frenchie. When we got to the beach, we heard some hippies playing their djembes and saw many people kicking soccer balls, riding bikes, walking, and playing volleyball. The sky was clear blue without a cloud in sight, and the sun was shining very brightly. It was the PERFECT day to be on the beach. Wait, where am I? In the computer lab! Some luck I have! I wanted to stay at the beach so badly, but I knew people were depending on me to open the lab for them, especially because it was the end of Spring Break. Gees.
On the run back I decided that it would be in my best interest to avoid small groups of young children on the street. Why, you ask? Well, because most of them have lighters in their hands, and a firecracker right in front of that lighter. Seconds later, a deafening "bang" resounds in your face and you wish you were not in Valencia during Fallas. Well, that has not happened to me yet, but I am trying to avoid that situation entirely. As I went up to my apartment, some kids set off firecrackers in the plaza by my place, and it was extremely loud. I swear I will lose so much hearing these next two weeks, but it is totally worth it. I think it is definitely something I will never forget. Besides which, loss of hearing might be beneficial to my selective hearing.
Another thing...Brandon tells me today that he is upset with his performance in Bali. For those of you who do not know, I would like to inform you of what this kid has done. He studies with one of the best teachers in Bali and is the leader of his own sekke (group). His concert yesterday morning was TELEVISED. He says he went blank and messed up on a few songs. As a musician, I can understand his disappointment. When you work so hard for something, you always want to do your best at a performance. What Brandon does not understand is that out of the THOUSANDS of notes he probably played, he only missed a few. Maybe this count is a few more than he would have wanted, but instead of concentrating on the bad, he needs to focus more on the good. Let´s rewind, he´s IN BALI, playing ON TV as the LEADER of a SEKKE. Holy shit! That is amazing. We all have bad days, and of course, those are the days that stick out in our minds. It took me so long to realize that even if I do mess up while playing, that it is OK. Everybody does. I think a lot of musicians struggle with this idea, but if we always had perfect performances, where would the thrill be? So, to all you musicians, keep your heads up. We ALL have bad days and bad performances. This does not take away from who we are or what we have accomplished. In the case of Brandon, I am more proud of him than anyone ever could be. He went against what everyone told him to do (including me at times) to identify who he was and accomplish great things. That takes courage, and all he has accomplished against the norm has formed who he is, and it is exactly why I love him.
On the run back I decided that it would be in my best interest to avoid small groups of young children on the street. Why, you ask? Well, because most of them have lighters in their hands, and a firecracker right in front of that lighter. Seconds later, a deafening "bang" resounds in your face and you wish you were not in Valencia during Fallas. Well, that has not happened to me yet, but I am trying to avoid that situation entirely. As I went up to my apartment, some kids set off firecrackers in the plaza by my place, and it was extremely loud. I swear I will lose so much hearing these next two weeks, but it is totally worth it. I think it is definitely something I will never forget. Besides which, loss of hearing might be beneficial to my selective hearing.
Another thing...Brandon tells me today that he is upset with his performance in Bali. For those of you who do not know, I would like to inform you of what this kid has done. He studies with one of the best teachers in Bali and is the leader of his own sekke (group). His concert yesterday morning was TELEVISED. He says he went blank and messed up on a few songs. As a musician, I can understand his disappointment. When you work so hard for something, you always want to do your best at a performance. What Brandon does not understand is that out of the THOUSANDS of notes he probably played, he only missed a few. Maybe this count is a few more than he would have wanted, but instead of concentrating on the bad, he needs to focus more on the good. Let´s rewind, he´s IN BALI, playing ON TV as the LEADER of a SEKKE. Holy shit! That is amazing. We all have bad days, and of course, those are the days that stick out in our minds. It took me so long to realize that even if I do mess up while playing, that it is OK. Everybody does. I think a lot of musicians struggle with this idea, but if we always had perfect performances, where would the thrill be? So, to all you musicians, keep your heads up. We ALL have bad days and bad performances. This does not take away from who we are or what we have accomplished. In the case of Brandon, I am more proud of him than anyone ever could be. He went against what everyone told him to do (including me at times) to identify who he was and accomplish great things. That takes courage, and all he has accomplished against the norm has formed who he is, and it is exactly why I love him.