Rise, You Dead People!!

Alright. I am fully aware that it is not October 31, and that dead people (either real or fake) will not be rising out of the ground anytime soon, but yes, the title of this post is calling the musty, moth-eaten bodies up from six-feet under. Why, you ask? Great question. When poorly-timed music puns and awkward lyrics come out to play, there can only be one logical explanation:

CHOIR CONCERT

Today was the day of the Spring Semester Concert for the Women's Choir at this fab university I attend. We performed this great little piece by this guy you may have heard of. Which one? Oh, you know, that "Place of the Blest" by that chap Randall Thompson. NoBigDeal. We just invited the Campus Orchestra to come and join us up on stage (they took up far more than their fair share of it...) and to revel in our glory. The Baylor Bronze hand bell choir and Bella Voces select women's chorus also made guest appearances, performing this nifty little duo Vivos Vocos, English: Rise Living! Really an awesome, awesome piece. If I can find a recording of us singing it, I will be sure to post it on here for all of you to enjoy, though I doubt an audio or video recording can do it much justice (WARNING! Music Major Moment Ahead!!!) the overtone sequence throughout the work is just stellar, something only the most advanced recording technology could pick up, probably. As those old geezers no one ever listens to say: ain't nothing like the real thing!

...well maybe that's just me. Congratulations, we've just affirmed that I am, in fact, a grandma. Moving on...

So it was a great concert, both of my ensembles performed (no, I'm not biased!) and it was a fun time had by all. Sort of. Really, I hate concerts of the choral variety. Not because I hate choir, but because I always get stuck next to the people who find it necessary to sway and undulate to the music. Now, I honestly have no earthly idea why they feel the need to do this. Honestly, the notes and diction won't get better if you throw your body every which-way while singing. All that's going to do is distract the audience and make the poor girl next to you (me) have to dodge your every move. Doesn't exactly make for a pleasant afternoon of singing, does it?



Here's a loverly photo of my choral friends to send you off with. Aren't we puuurty?



In other news: today was the best frannnnn's birthday! No, I did not make her a cake. Yes, I did post a picture of cat ladies on her Facebook and spent the rest of the day cracking really lame old person/cat lady jokes. Love you, hanaaaaa!

Keep it klassy, kiddoes!

Sing Like a Frisbee

Yesterday, I came to a profound realization, and I hope you don't mind if I share it with you. Well, if you do mind, why on earth are you reading my blog??? Anyway, I realized that the title of my blog is "When the Solange Sings." Great sleuthing, Solange, any half-wit with eyes could have told you that! Well, by the title, yes. But yesterday I realized that I had totally forgotten my purpose for even writing a blog; my goal was to share with the unsuspecting public my journey through music (and a bit of my trip through the craziness of the collegiate world). So as of today, I will try to limit the randomness that occurs here on "When the Solange Sings" and speak more about the music-ness that's going on here. Don't worry! I didn't say my sassy commentary on the rest of the world would cease entirely! You're more than welcome to have your cake, and eat it too, but I feel like I need to better document my journey as a singer rather than documenting my crazy sassiness and creative ideas all the time. Kapeesh?

So, it begins here.

Obviously, today is Saturday. Now, that can only mean either one of two things: I'm either sleeping or I'm at Starbucks nomming down on a Cranberry Orange Scone and an Iced Coffee with sooooy while at the same time attempting to study for religion, French, and any of those other silly classes I'm required to take. Guess which one I'm attempting right now?? And now guess what I am successfully failing at...

It is really going to be quite a beautiful Saturday today, quite the perfect day to play Frisbee. Shame I'll be stuck inside all day studying and practicing. Speaking of Frisbee... During my lesson yesterday, Soon Cho and I realized that the way to get my breath support just right, I have to think about throwing a Frisbee off into the distance of the clear, blue, beautiful sky. Really, I just made that last little bit about the sky up, but it is literally amazing what thinking about something as random as Frisbee can do to one's tone quality. On a happier note, I finally mastered the stupid I mean wonderful French in "Beau Soir." Ridiculous, I know, but I've been working on it like crazy for almost 4 weeks!! So much, in fact, that I've neglected to work on any of my other pieces for my final jury, which, by the way, is my Level I, so I absolutely HAVE to do well in order to go on to the onety-fourth grade. (Sophomore in college for those of you who have never seen an episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies." Which, if you haven't, go watch one NOW. You won't regret it!)

Annnnnd this is the part of the post where I realize that I've literally spent two hours working on this blog/goofing around on Etsy/creeping on Facebook and that I should probably feast my eyes on some Thomas Grubb (his book, his book!!! Not him, he's gross...) and learn a little bit more about singing in French. Blech YAY!!!!! My favorite!!

NerdFest 2011

Dear GuyInTheLibraryWhoIsTalikingWayToLoud,

You're really starting to get on my nerves. For the past hour and a half you've filled the basement of the library with your incessant speech. Even if you think your group project is really cool, the rest of us down here are about to start a mob and march you right back to the prehistoric sludge you crawled out of. Though I do admit, your idea about making a mini-movie of a video game based explanation of the history of Confucianism is pretty creative, but your dreadlocks and receding hairline are keeping me from truly appreciating your full potential.

On behalf of the rest of the library, I feel as if I should inform you that talking VERY LOUDLY about manga and video games and the wardrobe (or not-wardrobe) of that geisha in that one video game does not make you sound as intelligent as you would like to think you are. In reality, you're just driving the rest of us crazy. So please, do us all a favor and either:

1. Change the topic of your video from Confucianism to the history of Christianity between the end of the fourth Crusade and Copernicus, which most of us in this library actually care quite a bit about right now, or
2. Go outside and talk to your group. The overcast weather and chilly temperature will probably suit your taste and they won't mess up your pasty complexion, keeping your status as an incessant video gamer intact.

I wish you and your group the best of luck on your project, and for Christmas, I hope Santa brings you a soundproof room for working on group projects in.

Love,

Solange

P.S. Asian couple making out on top of the table next to mine... You're next!

Amy's Purls

Hear ye, hear ye!

 My best good friend, Miss Amy, has recently become inspired to start a blog. She knits a lot. Currently, she and I are in a trade agreement. I'm painting her a lovely series of paintings for her room next year and she's knitting me some wonderful winter woolies to help me bear the freezing winter here in Wacko Waco. Yes, folks, it actually DOES get freakin' cold in Texas. Anyway, you should totally check her out at Amy's Purls, and while you're at it, "like" her Facebook page or even order one of her fantastic headbands, earmuffs, hair clips, or beanies! Totes presh.

Amy, dear, I hope you appreciate this free publicity. Obviously, since I have sooooo many followers, people are going to flood to your Facebook page and buy you out of yarn. Speaking of which, if you aren't doing so already, you should totally follow my blog and become an official "Super Stalker" of the wonderful and amazing ME! *DISCLAIMER: Solange is normally not this narcissistic but has recently consumed more than 3 cups of coffee, so watch out world, here I come!*

I apologise for not being more diligent with my posts on this loverly blog, but being a music major is super-duper stressful! For all of you out there who laugh at the thought of going to a school of higher education to study music, I encourage you stuff your throat with socks and count to 1,000,000,000 before removing them.

Moving on from that random outburst of violence...

I've gone for 3 entire weeks without a piece of meat passing my lips, and even though I felt like I was going to die for about the first week of Lent, this no-meat diet has had far more benefits than not-benefits. Before you get all judgemental and start ranting and raving about how I am using Lent as an excuse to go on a diet: hear me out. I am in college, therefore I eat like a teenage boy most of the time and make poor health decisions. Thus, the giving up of meat is forcing me to eat more green leafy things (nom nom nom) thus chosing much better eating habits.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but how does faith in God come into this?

Hold your horses, I'm getting there! By making better eating choices, I am becoming more healthy, thus treating my body better and building a better temple of worship for the Lord. If you don't believe me about this being Biblical, check out this site. Totally empowering.

Now, it is getting a bit late and I have a workout to get to at 6 tomorrow morning! So, here's a piece of greenery to help you keep it klassy!

This is my father. Holding a lot of lettuce. Itsn't it charming?

Ashes to Ashes

For those of you who haven't looked at a calendar, Facebook, or Google, today is Ash Wednesday, the Holyday beginning the 40 day season of Lent that leads up to Easter Sunday. It's a pretty big deal in the life of the church. This day is most memorable because it is the day that Christians everywhere "give up" something for Lent so that, through their suffering, they will become closer to the suffering Jesus went through before he died on the cross. I'm giving up meat. It's going to be tough, but I pray that I and all of the other folks who are giving up stuff for Lent remember the real reason that we are making such a small sacrifice.

In other news, it's only 52 days until the Royal Wedding.

Keep it classy Will and Kate. Keep it classy.