Wow that was a long time ago
by EpicSkills32, May 24, 2014, 5:25 AM
![$\ [\text{Blog Post 89}] $](http://latex.artofproblemsolving.com/8/4/8/84867cf04fb01722156dcc05780c154e6e4f9136.png)
Wow I have so much to say. Last time I posted was a week ago, so I'll start with Saturday (5/17/14).
Saturday
So I didn't have a cello lesson, because I had a lesson on Thursday, in preparation for my audition that was moved to Friday.
I remember I woke up pretty late and ate cereal for breakfast at about 11:45 A.M.
I did homework and practiced some piano until late afternoon-ish. I was bored and went outside to shoot hoops. I could hear my next-door neighbor also shooting hoops, but for some reason I was feeling anti-social and thus didn't go over. (Actually he lives practically 30 feet away; I could've just yelled to him). He didn't step onto the street and look over or anything either, so we were both just shooting hoops on our own driveways super close to each other.
Finally my brother came out, and about 20 seconds later he looked over at our friend Z. and was like "HHHHEEeeyyyY Z." and just like that Z. comes jogging over. He brought his basketball and since my brother doesn't really have an outdoor-ball we just shot with 2 balls. We kinda talked and then decided to play knockout (as usual).
Since we're weird, we started from the middle of the street (yellow line: roughly equivalent to a half-court shot), but since we were being constantly interrupted by cars, we moved to the edge of the driveway (a bit inside the 3-point arc). Nothing really interesting happened until a ball rolled onto the street in front of an approaching car and...you guessed it...got hit.
Luckily the ball didn't get run over; it got hit by the front bumper. The car kept on going and when we looked again we were like "wut....where did the ball go..?"
And there it was rolling toward the intersection of the big street. Z., who had lost the ball, took off after the ball with a "What NOooo"
Also during our time outside, we had an interesting reminiscing session. (wow that sounds fancy) We recalled the times when we were young and watched TV shows every day. We talked about Dragonland (that was good). It was interesting trying to remember the names of the characters, and what we remembered them for. We talked about other random TV shows on channels like PBS kids and Qubo.
Apparently Z.'s older brother was at prom in San Francisco.
Soon we had to go inside to eat dinner, after what I thought was a pretty good Saturday.
I remember I woke up pretty late and ate cereal for breakfast at about 11:45 A.M.
I did homework and practiced some piano until late afternoon-ish. I was bored and went outside to shoot hoops. I could hear my next-door neighbor also shooting hoops, but for some reason I was feeling anti-social and thus didn't go over. (Actually he lives practically 30 feet away; I could've just yelled to him). He didn't step onto the street and look over or anything either, so we were both just shooting hoops on our own driveways super close to each other.
Finally my brother came out, and about 20 seconds later he looked over at our friend Z. and was like "HHHHEEeeyyyY Z." and just like that Z. comes jogging over. He brought his basketball and since my brother doesn't really have an outdoor-ball we just shot with 2 balls. We kinda talked and then decided to play knockout (as usual).
Since we're weird, we started from the middle of the street (yellow line: roughly equivalent to a half-court shot), but since we were being constantly interrupted by cars, we moved to the edge of the driveway (a bit inside the 3-point arc). Nothing really interesting happened until a ball rolled onto the street in front of an approaching car and...you guessed it...got hit.
Luckily the ball didn't get run over; it got hit by the front bumper. The car kept on going and when we looked again we were like "wut....where did the ball go..?"
And there it was rolling toward the intersection of the big street. Z., who had lost the ball, took off after the ball with a "What NOooo"
Also during our time outside, we had an interesting reminiscing session. (wow that sounds fancy) We recalled the times when we were young and watched TV shows every day. We talked about Dragonland (that was good). It was interesting trying to remember the names of the characters, and what we remembered them for. We talked about other random TV shows on channels like PBS kids and Qubo.
Apparently Z.'s older brother was at prom in San Francisco.
Soon we had to go inside to eat dinner, after what I thought was a pretty good Saturday.
Sunday
Really tired when I woke up for church; surprised I stayed up. After church there was free food (as usual), and there were these "chunky" chocolate chip cookies. I had to go reset the iPads (explain later maybe) with one hand cuz my left index finger had chocolate on it.
The activities center had a bunch of tables and chairs, so we couldn't play four square like we usually do. Most of the teenagers had their phones and other handheld devices, so a few friends and my brother (who don't have phones) and I were left wandering around (like we usually end up doing anyway).
We've done this a few times (and I've blogged about it at least once I think): we played on the play structure. (or playground-whatever you like to call it)
Originally a friend, my brother, and I walked over to the playground at our friend's suggestion. On the way there, two other guys were sitting on the picnic tables next to the playground, and we asked them if they wanted to play hot-lava monster with us.
We started off with hot-lava monster, but this play structure isn't the best for a game like that; and now that we're all older, this particular game is extremely hard for the hot-lava monster.
We switched to tag and it was pretty intense. Another guy came over and we spent 20-30 minutes playing tag.
As usual, the game ended with everyone suggesting a water break. Of course, everyone just kinda walked away and some people went inside for the second service, while the rest of us left. (or thought we would). My brother and I ended up staying while our mom talked with other people.
Rest of the day: homework (and looking forward to the next day)
The activities center had a bunch of tables and chairs, so we couldn't play four square like we usually do. Most of the teenagers had their phones and other handheld devices, so a few friends and my brother (who don't have phones) and I were left wandering around (like we usually end up doing anyway).
We've done this a few times (and I've blogged about it at least once I think): we played on the play structure. (or playground-whatever you like to call it)
Originally a friend, my brother, and I walked over to the playground at our friend's suggestion. On the way there, two other guys were sitting on the picnic tables next to the playground, and we asked them if they wanted to play hot-lava monster with us.
We started off with hot-lava monster, but this play structure isn't the best for a game like that; and now that we're all older, this particular game is extremely hard for the hot-lava monster.
We switched to tag and it was pretty intense. Another guy came over and we spent 20-30 minutes playing tag.
As usual, the game ended with everyone suggesting a water break. Of course, everyone just kinda walked away and some people went inside for the second service, while the rest of us left. (or thought we would). My brother and I ended up staying while our mom talked with other people.
Rest of the day: homework (and looking forward to the next day)
Monday(amazing)
Piano lesson as usual 2:15-3:15.
And then instead of going to swim team, my brother and I went to our friend's house and from there we drove down to Santa Cruz for a special orchestra rehearsal.
[Every year, our branch of the orchestra partners with our "sister" orchestra from Santa Cruz for our final concert. (We play 1 or 2 pieces by ourselves; they do the same; then we combine for a special piece together, usually with percussion that we usually don't have.)
Anyway, there's one rehearsal every year where we go down to Santa Cruz for a rehearsal at their location. Later, they come up to our place for the dress rehearsal. (Next Saturday actually)]
Before leaving, we argued about where we would sit. After much confusion, it was decided that I would sit in the front (shotgun) on the way back.
The drive there was slightly boring for two reasons:
1. We listened to a CD that talked about the history of classical music. The only pieces that we got to listen to were only short samples. Most of the "interesting facts" I already knew, and we only made it to about Handel anyway.
(Note: I have nothing against classical music. However, I prefer to listen to alternative, pop, and "Christian," which is basically a huge mix of alternative, rock, and pop (a bit of hip-hop but most Christian radio stations don't play much of that). I love "cool" arrangements of violin/cello with drums and other more "modern" instruments. I don't really care if it's all techno (synthesizer), because sometimes it sounds better.
2. Our friends' dad didn't get to drive as fast as he did last year. (Last year, he drove extremely fast all the way through the Santa Cruz mountains.) This year there was a ton of traffic.
Anyway, because we left so early, we got to Santa Cruz pretty early. (The rehearsal was going to start at 6:15-which means be there by 6:00 / We got there at 5:30)
We went to get ice cream at Loard's Ice Cream.
They aren't a super mainstream ice cream chain like Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone. I actually sort-of prefer this kind of ice cream shop, as long as they have good ice cream and generous portions.
After trying a flavor called "Almond Joy" (basically almond flavored ice cream with stripes of chocolate), I decided on Pistachio without even trying it. hm oops. If I had tried it, I would have found out that it was not as good as the Baskin Robbins. Also, it had actual pistachios in it, that aren't that good.
We finished, left, and arrived at the rehearsal spot at something like 5:58.
We were one of the first ones there, and we got to chat with some of our friends from our orchestra for quite a bit.
One guy, B., (we actually have 2 B.'s, but one of them wasn't there), had somehow ripped the front/side-ish of his shorts. Everyone (our group of friends-around 10 guys) went around asking for tape. Finally I just went up to him and suggested wearing a jacket or sweatshirt or something. Soon he decided to do that, and it wasn't that bad.
People from the Santa Cruz orchestra began showing up, and the rehearsal ended up starting around 6:20.
While I was tuning before everyone tuned, I realized something terrible. My C string had slipped. :0 (In case you didn't know, I play cello) This really sucked, because, first of all, my strings hardly ever go out of tune but more than a few cents. Second, when I tried to turn the peg back, my sweaty hand failed to turn it by more than a quarter turn.
I was stuck with a C string that sounded (almost) exactly like my G string. Yeah, it was interesting that I had tightened the C string to a G, but I still needed a C. (As I found out later, not really)
I motioned to our conductor, who was standing over at the first violin, first stand, holding violins for people. (sigh*)
[Oh more info here: Since both orchestras have their own conductors, the conductors switch off from one year to the next. Last year, our conductor conducted the combined group. This year, the Santa Cruz conductor is doing it.] Our conductor would just be observing the rehearsal, giving helpful tips where she saw fit.
Anyway, our conductor walked over and I explained what happened. She said oh ok and said she would be "right there."
Well, the people who owned the violins returned, and the rehearsal began.
Unfortunately for me, our conductor forgot about my cello, and I had to sit there like a weirdo (that I am) while everyone else tuned. (I had already tuned my other strings)
We didn't start off with a scale; we jumped right into the piece we were going to play.
Our piece btw
I got really nervous, but when we got the end of the piece, I realized that there was only one note in the whole piece that could only be played on the C string. (Low D, and it's only an eighth note). There aren't that many long notes in the piece anyway, so there aren't any low G's to cover on the C string.
Finally, when our conductor sat down on a chair a bit behind the conductor's block/podium/stand/dais/what do you call those. I was able to get her attention on my not-so-desperate situation. So there was one plus to sitting in front.
[more info: since that last sentence probably made no sense: someone has probably wondered by now-How does the seating work? Usually, we just stagger it. The stands alternate with one of their stands, one of ours, etc. Front stand is determined by several things. I still don't really know how they decide it, but when we get there they tell us.] This year, the Santa Cruz conductor would/will be conducting. Our first violin 1st stand is in front; our second violin 1st stand is in front; they don't have any violas this year; our cellos 1st stand is in front; they don't have any basses this year. (They have a ton of cellos this year though)
So anyway, being in the front, I could easily signal to my conductor. She came over and turned the peg for me, and then I tuned it.
I'm not very strong anyway, and my hands were extremely sweaty.
So yay.
The rehearsal was pretty good, with a few things worth mentioning.
Near the beginning, I had to demonstrate something.
I hate playing by myself in front of everyone.
Fortunately for me, what I was supposed to play wasn't too hard. There's this section where there are hooked D's on the A string (1st position), and the cellos are supposed to play them fairly loudly. Since it's a hooked bow, there's a certain way you're supposed to apply the pressure. The conductor had us (celli) playing the section by ourselves, and apparently it wasn't that great. So.....she asked me to play it for everyone so "they can see what I'm doing."
I didn't see how I was playing it any differently than most of the other people. My stand partner was playing basically the same, and I wasn't hearing anything weird.
So I played it, and luckily I didn't make any weird failure. (You know how you're really good at something until you do it in front of others)
As the rehearsal went on, I started getting extremely hot. In the sun of course.
...So I'm sitting there, sweating like crazy.
By break time, I'm soaked in my own perspiration. After getting food, I take my sweatshirt off and go outside to try to cool off. (Santa Cruz is like a beach, so there's wind)
I go sit with a friend and warn him that I smell bad.
He responds by saying that I do, indeed, smell bad. He then says that I smell like rotten cheetos.
lolwut.
The rest of the rehearsal was pretty good.
The sun went below the building, so after break it wasn't deathly hot.
When we were leaving, I looked around the parking lot, and I was actually kinda sad. I didn't know it at the time, but I'm going to the senior orchestra next year. (I found out this past week)
Even then, on that Monday evening in Santa Cruz, I knew that, if I made it to seniors, I would probably never go back there.
The drive back was mostly uneventful. I was thinking to myself most of the time, and everyone else was pretty quiet. I can't even remember if we were listening to that "classical music history" cd.
But there wasn't as much traffic so we got to go faster.
And then instead of going to swim team, my brother and I went to our friend's house and from there we drove down to Santa Cruz for a special orchestra rehearsal.
[Every year, our branch of the orchestra partners with our "sister" orchestra from Santa Cruz for our final concert. (We play 1 or 2 pieces by ourselves; they do the same; then we combine for a special piece together, usually with percussion that we usually don't have.)
Anyway, there's one rehearsal every year where we go down to Santa Cruz for a rehearsal at their location. Later, they come up to our place for the dress rehearsal. (Next Saturday actually)]
Before leaving, we argued about where we would sit. After much confusion, it was decided that I would sit in the front (shotgun) on the way back.
The drive there was slightly boring for two reasons:
1. We listened to a CD that talked about the history of classical music. The only pieces that we got to listen to were only short samples. Most of the "interesting facts" I already knew, and we only made it to about Handel anyway.
(Note: I have nothing against classical music. However, I prefer to listen to alternative, pop, and "Christian," which is basically a huge mix of alternative, rock, and pop (a bit of hip-hop but most Christian radio stations don't play much of that). I love "cool" arrangements of violin/cello with drums and other more "modern" instruments. I don't really care if it's all techno (synthesizer), because sometimes it sounds better.
2. Our friends' dad didn't get to drive as fast as he did last year. (Last year, he drove extremely fast all the way through the Santa Cruz mountains.) This year there was a ton of traffic.
Anyway, because we left so early, we got to Santa Cruz pretty early. (The rehearsal was going to start at 6:15-which means be there by 6:00 / We got there at 5:30)
We went to get ice cream at Loard's Ice Cream.
They aren't a super mainstream ice cream chain like Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone. I actually sort-of prefer this kind of ice cream shop, as long as they have good ice cream and generous portions.
After trying a flavor called "Almond Joy" (basically almond flavored ice cream with stripes of chocolate), I decided on Pistachio without even trying it. hm oops. If I had tried it, I would have found out that it was not as good as the Baskin Robbins. Also, it had actual pistachios in it, that aren't that good.
We finished, left, and arrived at the rehearsal spot at something like 5:58.
We were one of the first ones there, and we got to chat with some of our friends from our orchestra for quite a bit.
One guy, B., (we actually have 2 B.'s, but one of them wasn't there), had somehow ripped the front/side-ish of his shorts. Everyone (our group of friends-around 10 guys) went around asking for tape. Finally I just went up to him and suggested wearing a jacket or sweatshirt or something. Soon he decided to do that, and it wasn't that bad.
People from the Santa Cruz orchestra began showing up, and the rehearsal ended up starting around 6:20.
While I was tuning before everyone tuned, I realized something terrible. My C string had slipped. :0 (In case you didn't know, I play cello) This really sucked, because, first of all, my strings hardly ever go out of tune but more than a few cents. Second, when I tried to turn the peg back, my sweaty hand failed to turn it by more than a quarter turn.
I was stuck with a C string that sounded (almost) exactly like my G string. Yeah, it was interesting that I had tightened the C string to a G, but I still needed a C. (As I found out later, not really)
I motioned to our conductor, who was standing over at the first violin, first stand, holding violins for people. (sigh*)
[Oh more info here: Since both orchestras have their own conductors, the conductors switch off from one year to the next. Last year, our conductor conducted the combined group. This year, the Santa Cruz conductor is doing it.] Our conductor would just be observing the rehearsal, giving helpful tips where she saw fit.
Anyway, our conductor walked over and I explained what happened. She said oh ok and said she would be "right there."
Well, the people who owned the violins returned, and the rehearsal began.
Unfortunately for me, our conductor forgot about my cello, and I had to sit there like a weirdo (that I am) while everyone else tuned. (I had already tuned my other strings)
We didn't start off with a scale; we jumped right into the piece we were going to play.
Our piece btw
I got really nervous, but when we got the end of the piece, I realized that there was only one note in the whole piece that could only be played on the C string. (Low D, and it's only an eighth note). There aren't that many long notes in the piece anyway, so there aren't any low G's to cover on the C string.
Finally, when our conductor sat down on a chair a bit behind the conductor's block/podium/stand/dais/what do you call those. I was able to get her attention on my not-so-desperate situation. So there was one plus to sitting in front.
[more info: since that last sentence probably made no sense: someone has probably wondered by now-How does the seating work? Usually, we just stagger it. The stands alternate with one of their stands, one of ours, etc. Front stand is determined by several things. I still don't really know how they decide it, but when we get there they tell us.] This year, the Santa Cruz conductor would/will be conducting. Our first violin 1st stand is in front; our second violin 1st stand is in front; they don't have any violas this year; our cellos 1st stand is in front; they don't have any basses this year. (They have a ton of cellos this year though)
So anyway, being in the front, I could easily signal to my conductor. She came over and turned the peg for me, and then I tuned it.
I'm not very strong anyway, and my hands were extremely sweaty.
So yay.
The rehearsal was pretty good, with a few things worth mentioning.
Near the beginning, I had to demonstrate something.
I hate playing by myself in front of everyone.
Fortunately for me, what I was supposed to play wasn't too hard. There's this section where there are hooked D's on the A string (1st position), and the cellos are supposed to play them fairly loudly. Since it's a hooked bow, there's a certain way you're supposed to apply the pressure. The conductor had us (celli) playing the section by ourselves, and apparently it wasn't that great. So.....she asked me to play it for everyone so "they can see what I'm doing."
I didn't see how I was playing it any differently than most of the other people. My stand partner was playing basically the same, and I wasn't hearing anything weird.
So I played it, and luckily I didn't make any weird failure. (You know how you're really good at something until you do it in front of others)
As the rehearsal went on, I started getting extremely hot. In the sun of course.
...So I'm sitting there, sweating like crazy.
By break time, I'm soaked in my own perspiration. After getting food, I take my sweatshirt off and go outside to try to cool off. (Santa Cruz is like a beach, so there's wind)
I go sit with a friend and warn him that I smell bad.
He responds by saying that I do, indeed, smell bad. He then says that I smell like rotten cheetos.
lolwut.
The rest of the rehearsal was pretty good.
The sun went below the building, so after break it wasn't deathly hot.
When we were leaving, I looked around the parking lot, and I was actually kinda sad. I didn't know it at the time, but I'm going to the senior orchestra next year. (I found out this past week)
Even then, on that Monday evening in Santa Cruz, I knew that, if I made it to seniors, I would probably never go back there.
The drive back was mostly uneventful. I was thinking to myself most of the time, and everyone else was pretty quiet. I can't even remember if we were listening to that "classical music history" cd.
But there wasn't as much traffic so we got to go faster.
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by EpicSkills32, May 31, 2014, 3:04 AM
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