Random Topics
- I made all A's this semester, even in Calculus (89.5, the result of having an 85 and a 94). Ergo, I don't have to take any semester exams or go to school until Tuesday. Woohoo! I've never been a good student before. Nevertheless, I have to come to the 1.5-hour "band exam" next Tuesday. I don't mind this much, but I feel bad for the woodwind and brass players... they're going to hurt. Until then, I will be enjoying my second fall break (w00t! 5-day weekend!).
- I just started looking through "Phage," a new percussion ensemble piece, the other day. I was playing through it when I found the notation "V.S." at the end of a rest at the end of the first page. What does this mean?, I wondered. Logically, I went to ask Mr. Ownby, but even he was stumped. After a while of Google and Wikipedia searching, I found a database of music terms, and I finally found the answer. "V.S." stands for volti subito! This means "turn the page quickly" in Italian. I'm not sure why one would need this notations, unless the composer, Pat Muchmore (who, based on the bizarre time signature shifts and the dynamic "ffffff" in the last measure, might be a pseudonym for Stephen Rouse), uses a tiny music stand that only shows one page at a time. You learn something new every day.
- My car is out of commission. Apparently what happened was something near the engine shifted in such a way that the serpentine belt snapped. The serpentine belt turns the alternator, which, in turn, keeps the battery charged. Since this belt is broken, the battery is dead, and my car sits in the driveway, waiting to be towed. The Grannymobile is strange and mysterious, and there's no telling how this "shift" occurred. Sometimes it's best not to ask though.
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