“Le ciel bleu sur nous peut s’effondrer et la terre peu bien s’ecrouler peu m’importe si tu m’ai me…” Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there. I was just practicing for my recital that is coming up on Saturday. I’ve been working on this French piece that was recently recorded by Josh Groban. It’s an absolutely gorgeous song with a beautiful text that means a lot to me. It’s definitely the most beautiful French love song that I have ever heard. Now I just have to make sure that I have it memorized. Anyway, my senior voice recital is this Saturday and I’m getting really excited and very nervous at the same time. I will be singing a total of 10 songs in German, French, Italian, and English. I have been working on this program all year long and even last summer. But the more I really think about it, the more I realize that I have been working toward this moment for about 5 years now. No, it didn’t take me 5 years to learn 10 songs in 4 languages. What I’m saying is that I have been working really hard for the last 5 years (when I started voice lessons) to get to the point that I am at right now. I have realized too, especially in the last few weeks, that everyone sounds a little bit different and has a bit of a different style. I also know that everyone has their own little struggle areas in which they need to work the kinks out. I know that I have worked hard and I can hear the difference in the sound that I produce and the technique that I use. All I can do on Saturday is my absolute best and have fun. This is my “time to shine!” This is the time that I really really get to put into practice all that I have learned. Of course I will continue singing, practicing, and performing for the rest of my life, but there’s just something about a voice recital that is a little extra special. Plus, | Read the rest of this entry »
Senior Voice Recital…Almost Here!!
April 25th, 2008
Is it spring yet?
April 23rd, 2008
Sandals or shoes, jeans or Capri’s, this is the time of year when the weather is so random, you don’t know what would be suitable to wear. I have been so confused over the last couple of days regarding the type of clothing I should wear.
The weather has been wonderful every now again and then it gets ugly all of a sudden. Last week all the snow had melted and gone away and the grass was starting to turn green, and BOOM! We had about 4 inches of snow of on Friday. Then it got really warm on Saturday and all the snow was melting and it was wet and icky everywhere. Just plain old disgusting!
We had snow again this week and then it has been just absolutely gorgeous the last couple of days. I have been unable to decide whether or not I should put my winter jacket in storage and pull out my summer shoes. I am just going through a phase where I don’t quite want to give up my jacket but at the same time I have been walking around with shades onJ. People have been looking at me as though I am crazy, which I probably am at to a certain level, but hey, I can’t help it! And guess what? It’s supposed to snow again tonight. | Read the rest of this entry »
ISO Festival a Success
April 23rd, 2008
After weeks and weeks of planning it was finally here. I have been looking forward to and at the same time nervous about April 19 since January! We had decided that on this day we (the international students) would host the annual International Student Organization festival.
We planned on having food from various local ethnic restaurants, an arts and crafts display from different countries and a cultural show of all the countries represented on campus.
I have been working with a group of five people on organizing the event and making sure that everything for the event was taken care of and ready to go. I had to make reservations for the location of the festival, arrange for food, talk to the sound and light crew so they could set up the stage and most important of all advertise the event. On Friday night I found out that I had to go pick up warmers for the food the next morning and that was the last thing I would have to take care for the event.
So on Saturday morning I drive out to the rental shop, pick up the warmers and as I leave out of the parking lot- BAMM! I ran into someone’s car parked right behind mine. Way to start the day huh? | Read the rest of this entry »
Taking the “Mother tongue” for granted
April 23rd, 2008
So as those on campus right now at Concordia are either gearing up for finals or packing to go home, I am starting my second week of classes of my second semester here in Jena. The weather is getting warm, it’s not raining (at the moment!), and it’s getting really hard to go to class. However, as STUDYING is part of a study abroad program, I am willing to put in the effort to learn something here in Jena.
One thing I have found interesting here is that no one really buys books. At least not those in the classes I have taken so far and those I am taking now. No, instead the professors will either lecture you for the whole hour and a half while the students take furious notes, or there is more of a discussion class where one reads a few texts or articles before going to class and then talk about them.
I am taking a mixture of both classes…and thank goodness since my discussion class on Women in the Second World War has a HUGE three-ring binder full of articles to read for class (I’d say it’s a good two to three inches thick).
But hey, I go to Concordia. We read books in a couple of weeks and write papers at the same time…and that’s only in one class! I can handle it! But wait…those books and papers and articles at Concordia are nearly all in English. | Read the rest of this entry »
BON JOVI!!!!
April 22nd, 2008
Well… I only have two words that could possibly try and explain the fun I had last weekend… BON JOVI!
That’s right THE Bon Jovi… in Fargo… Right next to Concordia…BON JOVI!
If you haven’t noticed I enjoyed myself. Anyway back to the story at hand… So my girlfriend’s parents were generous enough to take Marisa and I along with them to see Bon Jovi at the FargoDome. Before going to the concert I wasn’t a huge Bon Jovi fan, I liked their stuff, especially “You Give Love a Bad Name,” but they definitely weren’t one of my favorite bands.
I was excited to go none-the-less because I love concerts, especially when I have good company.
We got there and started looking for our seats. Marisa’s parents were sitting in Row B Section 20 (good seats, but not in the pit) and Marisa and I were sitting in Row P Section 22, still pretty good seats. Well, right after we sat down a lady came up to us and asked to see our tickets, we skeptically let her see them. After she verified that we were indeed seated in the correct area she explained how we needed to be re-seated because of a jumbotron projector that was stationed a row ahead of us.
She told us our new seats would be in Section 71. Great, Section 71 is probably obstructed view in an area where we could cover the stage with our thumbs. Then I saw the sign that said 71. It was in the “pit” RIGHT NEXT TO THE STAGE!
We obviously were excited about that, but being the smart Cobbers that we are, we decided it would be best trade tickets with her parents. The concert started and was just a blast. | Read the rest of this entry »