The Amazing Adventures of a Music Theorist

To Our Veterans

2009-11-11T08:05:00.005-06:00

Thank you for the service you have and continue to give. When you signed up to protect our country, you were willing to give your life for it. Many have. This isn't a light matter to me. My Grandpa Madsen served many years during WWII and beyond, and nearly did give his life. My brother-in-law is in the Air Force. I have other family members and friends who are serving in the military in one way or another.

Today is the anniversary of the Armistice of WWI, which ended that first world war 91 years ago. Hostilities ended on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour when the Germans signed the Armistice. Years later, Congress asked the President to officially recognize November 11th as Armistice Day, and an Act was passed making this an official holiday: "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

In 1954, the name of the holiday was changed in the United States to Veterans Day (no apostraphe), so as to include all veterans of any war. In many other countries, the name of 'Armistice Day' was changed to 'Remembrance Day'.

Armistice Day was supposed to recognize the end of "the war to end all wars." Unfortunately, there have been many more wars. Fortunately, we still have those who are willing to give their life for their country and for the freedoms we enjoy.

Happy Anniversary Sesame Street!!!

2009-11-05T08:55:00.003-06:00

If you haven't gotten onto Google lately, you are missing a small treat. The Google Doodle's (at least, for American Google) have been tributes to Sesame Street...they are marking their 40th this year. I grew up on Sesame Street, and loved it...

Here's to the letter F...for forty years...:)

Sunny day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street

Trunk or Treat...

2009-10-31T00:24:00.002-05:00

I know, I am a single girl...on a Friday night you would think I would have something better to do...but yes, I went to the Tuscaloosa/Northport Wards Trunk or Treat. Why? Cause I felt like it and I wanted to show off my costume...which all you internets (yes, I am stealing that word from you Reva) get to see hopefully tomorrow...it's awesome...

You know when you are in Alabama and the ghosts and goblins coming to your doorstep instead of the usual 'trick or treat' say 'Roll Tide!'. Yes, it happened, and it was an awesome moment...his Dad happened to overhear him too, which made it even better...

But my costume...let me tell you...it took Bishop Martin a good while to figure out who I was...Sister Richetto, after talking with me, still couldn't figure out who I was...I mean, it was awesome...

Don't worry, you will get a picture or two...PROMISE!!! I'll have you know, it took about 7 times washing my face and arms to get all the makeup off...:)

Halloween Flashlight Recall

2009-10-28T08:08:00.005-05:00

If you bought flashlights at Target for your kids for trick or treating, check out this recall:

LINK

They were pulling a wicked witch act...smoking, catching on fire, and melting...yes, I am serious, just take a look just in case you or a friend of yours bought them...

Breaking the News...

2009-10-25T16:31:00.003-05:00

I am moving back home sometime in the next couple of months...probably around Christmas time, but things may change. I don't have a set date yet.

Q & A

Q: Why?

A: For a lot of reasons, including I need to be closer to family, there is no good reason for me to stay (however much I do love Alabama), and a bunch of others...

Q: Where?

A: First New Mexico, but that is expected to be a very short stay. As much as I love my parents and sister, I do not have fond memories from any time I have lived there...yes that can change, but...last time I thought it would be different, it certainly was and in a very bad way.

After New Mexico, I hope to go to AZ, BUT I need a good job. I will only take one in the West unless some incredible, cannot pass up this opportunity comes along.

Q: When?

A: Date not set in stone, but probably sometime around the holidays...that can change however. I have my Dad's schedule, my own schedule, and my current job to think about. I don't want to leave the people I work for high and dry...I actually like the people I work with, and last time I left in such a hurry...I was just beyond happy when Jason hired me back. I try not to burn bridges...

Q: How?

A: Well, I will probably take a good bit of stuff back out there over Thanksgiving...and then will pack up my car...anything leftover I will give away, throw away, or mail home. I will be driving my car back, and probably have someone else with me...probably my Dad.

Q: What?

A: Um...not sure what to put here...I am moving...there!

I broke the news at a stake meeting recently, and the stake president asked me if I was happy about this move. My answer was yes and no.

I really do like living here...it's refreshing to be around so many God-fearing people. It is quite common to see people outside reading their Bible, or at work, on the plane, etc. As stressful as this calling has been, I love it, and I love working with the president and counselors in the stake YW and the other auxiliaries, along with all the ward leaders and of course the girls. I love my coworkers...I feel really lucky to have had a job here where I have such good coworkers.

BUT I am so far away from my family, and the last thing I want is for my sister to start having kids and me be far away...and being so far away from cousins, aunts, uncles, and most especially my parents.

I told those in my presidency that the only thing that would keep me here is if I found someone to marry and live with here...being single and in Alabama sucks. It really does for me at least. Would I move back here? Of course! But the dating pool...ha!

Oh!

Q: Have I finished my degree?

A: No, but I have hopes to finish it.

There...that is done.

Update...

2009-10-24T00:41:00.001-05:00

...there is nothing to update...just relishing in the fact that I don't have to travel this weekend for once...in fact, I get to be in my own ward for two whole weekends in a row...yay!

That's all, unless you want to hear about my totally exciting evening that consisted of going to Target with the roommate and then going over to Nichee's to watch the Nightmare Before Christmas (EXCELLENT movie...)...yeah, I didn't think so...

Perhaps tomorrow will bring something interesting with it...

Long Sabbath...

2009-10-18T22:55:00.002-05:00

Began with Ensley Ward Conference (last surviving inner-city Birmingham Ward...)...which then turned into an unexpected 1:30 Stake Welfare and Correlation Meeting...

...unexpected because my president who is supposed to attend that meeting was sick, and the counselor already had plans...so I got to make the calls on the 2010 calendar and report why our budget looks so screwy and make the calls on the 2010 budget...and you know, being in Young Women, the other auxiliaries took about five minutes, where we took about an hour...fun times...great learning experience actually...

...the best part is I won't be here in 2010...I am made all these calls for events I won't be here to attend...very odd...(the president and I met last week and went over budget and calendar, so I knew where she tood, but still...)

Got home at 5:30pm. I won't complain too much, the stake presidency and high council had more meetings after that...

Sister in town part two...(lots of pictures...)

2009-10-13T23:50:00.006-05:00

Per the request of my sister, and just because I feel like it, this is part two of all the fun things we did while she was here for a few wonderful days...

Traveled to Huntsville...

To see this place

And I am still giddy about the fact that we got in for free...I need to take my sister more places...I said this many times on the trip, but I will say it again, she married VERY well...for many reasons, this is just one of the perks! It costs $25.00 normally for the museum...which includes a G-force ride, rocket launch ride, mars experience and a rock wall.

This is what we will be going to the moon in...did you know we are going back to the moon?

My sister, the astronaut...

We took this and the below for Nichee's benefit, but seriously, this is going to be totally cool...might just have to fly out to see it...

Me...going over to the dark side...

This was a machine that told you how many of 'you' it would take to get a rocket out of the earth's atmosphere...it would take a lot of us...I wish the picture would've shown the number...cute picture, nonetheless...

Emily...don't play underneath the rocket...

Big engine-rocket-boost-thingy...

Ha...so, it was raining by the time we left, and when we got to the car Emily insisted on my not fixing my hair and taking a picture of the two of us...I think this just became my favorite sister picture...

Emily taking my profile...

The temple...

So, I am the stake YW Secretary, which means I need to go to stake youth dances, which there was one Saturday night. My sister was so excited about going (seriously, she was...she even asked if I thought she and her hubby should volunteer to chaperon at their stake youth dances...)...we made root beer (w/ dry ice) and then rocked out...Us at the dance...yes I am wearing an MJ hat...

Good good times...:)

Columbus Day Soapbox...

2009-10-12T21:51:00.003-05:00

I am getting old...

The day has come when Christopher Columbus has become a bad guy.

Seriously...it is his fault that thousands of people died because he brought smallpox over on purpose...which led to more people coming over bringing more disease and killing off more thousands on purpose. And then they took over land that wasn't theirs, stole their gold, and he single-handedly caused the slave trade.

Forget the fact that he was going on uncharted (seriously, he didn't have a map...yes others had sailed it before, but there was no map for him to go by, so I call that gutsy) waters to try and find a way to China and India so that it would be easier to trade with them. Forget the fact that it would've been quite a while longer before another would've made that trip and started the European movement...it was going to happen at some point...

People have done all of this during the ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE EARTH. God even commanded people to do that, for those of us God-fearing peoples...

My word...

Tender Mercy...

2009-10-08T23:27:00.004-05:00

So about a month or so ago my sister calls me with some rather lovely news. Evidently she and her hubby had a free ticket voucher that was going to expire...and Emily had a 2 week break coming up...and well...she said they were thinking about having her come out to see me! :)

The look of joy...

She just got a new haircut...isn't it absolutely fantastic!!

So what did we do the first morning of her long weekend here? Being from New Mexico we thought that it would be cool to go to the Native American Festival going on in Moundville...

After walking around for about 20 or so minutes we realized that we had yet to see any Native Americans...the crafts for sale were either made in India (with the sticker on them) or being sold by people who were definitely not Native American...the dance lesson was being taught by a guy paler than me (hard to do) with a fairly strong southern accent, food being cooked by non-native looking people...we finally saw two as we were on our way out...there were mostly kids from all the elementary schools in the area with annoyed-looking parents (half the kids had these $1 whistles and recorders from the 'craft' stands that were also made in India)...

My poor sister...I get out of the car in Moundville and say 'wow, this is a nice day'...she walks out and thinks 'This is a nice day???'. Comparatively, it really was!

The humidity was getting to her...

(staged in front of the ambulence...'Emily, do that face again...')

I had to get a picture of a mound...and I found this sign too funny to pass up...yes, Moundville is named for all the mounds that the Native Americans built in this area...some are rather pyramid shaped, but I think they were built to keep the people out of the flood plane...

Only 3 mosquito bites for me, and none for her...my blood is sweeter than hers evidently...which I find very hard to believe. :)

I am so glad that they (Emily and Ison) thought of having her come here to see me, and am so grateful that Ison was willing to let her come to see me. It is so lovely having someone here 24 hours a day for a few days!!! And even better that it is my sister!!! :)

I am just happy beyond words...

Now hear this!

2009-10-05T16:37:00.004-05:00

An ear infection...I can't tell you when the last time was that I had an honest to goodness ear infection. I really think the last time I had one was when I was a kid...

An ear infection...in both ears...that takes talent...

And in all likelihood, I have had it for a couple of weeks...I was just trying to not be a hypochondriac about every little detail, so the ear pressure was being ignored until this morning when the right ear began throbbing...at least it wasn't an aggressive infection.

Fun times, fun times...

GC...and VISITOR!!!!

2009-10-04T21:06:00.005-05:00

Boy, I thought the chandeliers were going to come crashing down during Elder Holland's talk...my word, can he give a moving talk...he is on a roll...

I am going to be a better person for the next 6 months...that is my goal...and then next conference I hope to be moved again to be a better person for the next 6 months after that...

////////////////////////////////////////

I am also going to restart posting pictures...I am going through the last month and seriously, so few pictures...I will have PLENTY of pictures starting WEDNESDAY and I am so way beyond excited!!!

Elizabeth is getting a visitor...and I get her to myself for an entire weekend...baby sister is coming to visit ME!!! I mean, I am so happy, I can't even tell you...

Like...I have NEVER gotten a visitor who came just to visit me like this before. Scott and Penny came one weekend for a day when they were still dating, but this is like way different...I have always wanted a visitor who came just to be with me...and we are just going to hang out, and we have a billion options of things to do...museums, parks, botanical gardens, zoos, the Moundville festival is that weekend, etc. etc...which is great, because I haven't been to many of these places either! :)

so.totally.completely.freaking.excited!!!!

Oktsoberfest

2009-10-03T00:22:00.002-05:00

Nope, I didn't spell it incorrectly. That is what we had tonight...Okt-sober-fest...complete with homemade root beer, homemade ice cream, non-homemade pies, pumkin muffins from Sam's Club which were amazingly good, and BRATS (pronounced brawts, not brats like a snoody kid) complete with sauerkraut, brown mustard, etc...

Big hit, I think people had a good time, more than half of the brats were eaten...we watched A Knight's Tale after no one wanted to dance the Chicken Dance...and I forgot all the beer songs I learned when I was in German class in high school (yes, we learned them in public school...it was okay because it is a major part of German culture, and we had to volunteer at the Oktoberfest in town which included singing...).

I love throwing parties in October. It's the best month to throw parties, in my mind...

Ah Isaiah...

2009-10-01T00:32:00.002-05:00

Setting: Institute

Class: Book of Mormon

Scripture: 2 Nephi 19:6 (aka, Isa 9:6)...go ahead, open it up...

President Archibald asks one of the guys to read it...and he does...while I am bouncing around in my chair, mouthing the words in a unique way...

...then President Archibald stops him and says 'now, this is the way this should be read' and points to me...and so I begin singing:

I wake up...

2009-09-29T08:16:00.004-05:00

...25 minutes before I am supposed to be at work. AND I have to iron my clothes, unload and reload dishwasher because I was too lazy to do it last night, clean up the counter a bit (again, lazy)...wash face is a must today, and brushing teeth is always an imperative...funny enough, we talked about our morning routines and essential role brushing the teeth in the morning has on that morning routine last night...

Instead of ironing, I sprinkle the scrubs with a bit of water and throw them into the dryer...giving me the ability for 5 minutes to take care of the kitchen.

The kitchen put away and cleaned 4 minutes later (a new world record, I am sure of it), I put on the hot scrubs which are perfectly pressed (I need to incorporate this technique more often...) and suddenly realize how cool the house is...I turn the AC to 80 for the day, and notice that the house was at a lovely 71 this morning (I turn it down to 75-74 at night)...

Splash water on face, brush teeth (A MUST!!!)

Socks...where are my socks?!?! Oh, there they are...k, am I forgetting anything?

Ha, only the most important thing...knees hit the ground for about 3 1/2 minutes I am guessing in severe gratitude that I woke up despite forgetting to turn the volume up on my phone which doubles as my alarm, then grab the culprit phone, bananas, purse, earrings, mascara, lotion...oh yeah, and the thing that I stayed up until 3am this morning to find that I really needed to mail forever ago...

Car is COVERED with dew/moisture...it was in the 50's last night evidently...my car being the evidence...longest line EVER to turn onto not even the main road...not quite longest line to turn on an even mainer road (is mainer a word??) but a very smart person in front of me reminded me of a shortcut and I followed...this entire time rolling my windows up and down to try and see through the blinding morning sun and the oh so reflective wetness that is attacking my car...

Amazingly, I arrived 25 minutes after waking up...

Now, to finish waking up...:/

Anniversary...

2009-09-28T13:13:00.004-05:00

Happy Anniversary Emily and Ison (minus one day...I never hit POST!)

I am so glad Emily found you...or you found Emily...that you found each other, and that you are a part of our family!

Relief Society...

2009-09-27T16:47:00.004-05:00

Alright, I know I am going to sound like a broken record, but Sister Beck is seriously AWESOME...

I mean...changing the name of 'Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Meeting' or whatever the official name of 'Enrichment' was...to 'Relief Society Meeting'...:) LOVE IT!!!

If you happened to miss the General Relief Society Meeting last night (as I did because I was babysitting for one of the doctors I work for), you can now watch it online. I love that we can now get these videos pretty much immediately after they occur...I am listening to it right now...

And 'Enrichment' night, as most Relief Society's referred to that meeting, is now called 'Relief Society _____ Meeting'...you just fill in the blank depending on what is going to occur during the meeting. :) Brilliant!!!

Oh, and where did she get that coat???...it looks soooo good...

Children's and Infants' Tylenol Recall...

2009-09-24T14:22:00.003-05:00

Thought you should know...many of you have little kids and probably have bought Children's Tylenol in the last year...the products being recalled were made between April 2008 and June 2008...but who knows when they were on the shelves...there aren't any reports of injuries/sicknesses due to the problem found, but it could cause problems...

Article HERE

Hot Chocolate Heaven...

2009-09-23T12:50:00.002-05:00

About 4 years ago I traveled to NYC for a music theory conference. Since it was over Spring Break, I decided to be a tourist for the other half of the week I was there. I met up with some high school pals at this lovely little restaurant called 'Serendipity'. A movie was made by that very title, and you see the actors eat there a couple of times...

Everything I ate there was surprisingly fantastic...as it should be, with a place titled 'serendipity'...

But the best thing I consumed at that restaurant by far was their Frozen Hot Chocolate. It was better than I thought it would be...

I was thinking about how nice it would be if I could figure out the recipe for it...and lo and behold I found it!!!

It is VERY easy to make, it looks like. As long as you have a double boiler and a blender you too can enjoy the serendipitous pleasure of partaking of this delectible treat...

(Man, do I sound like an advertisement or what?)

On Stravinsky...

2009-09-21T22:10:00.003-05:00

I have always known that Stravinsky was an interesting fellow. Why? There is a pattern amongst composers who make it somewhat supernaturally big in their lifetime: they are a bit crazy. And I mean crazy with as much admiration as one can muster in the definition of that word.

Beethoven...Mozart...Brahms...Tschaikovsky...all a bit crazy. For example, Brahms (known for such masterpieces as Brahms Lullaby...) He threw away pretty much all of his sketches. All of them. (for the non-music nerd types, that is unusual to do) Thus making it difficult to figure out exactly how Brahms created his masterworks. He only allowed his final masterpieces to survive. Sure, we can guess and pretty much figure out how he made them...but sketches make the work MUCH easier.

I spent last Friday reading through a number of letters Stravinsky wrote to various colleagues. I also spent a good bit of that time reading aloud excerpts of those letters to a colleague of mine...he (Stravinsky) was so dry...much more so than I originally realized. I have read bits and pieces of Stravinsky's words before, of course, but this was my first really in depth study...it felt more like entertainment than studying...

His travel schedule...I mean, he was in New York for 2 days, Boston for a week, Berlin for a night, Paris, Los Angeles, South Africa, Santa Fe, the list goes on and on...and his wife went with him all those years.

You have to be a little bit crazy to keep up with a schedule like that on a constant basis...

On a dark and stormy night...

2009-09-21T09:02:00.002-05:00

a long long time ago...

Wait a minute...that was LAST night! I slept VERY poorly last night...the timpanist was practicing on and off all night long. I am thinking about submitting a complaint...

RAIN! GO AWAY!!!! My sister is coming in town in a couple of weeks, and I will NOT be pleased if it is still raining when she gets here...get me???

My New Philosophy:

2009-09-16T10:18:00.001-05:00

Michael Bublé - Haven't Met You Yet promo video

Manners/Etiquette 101

2009-09-14T17:25:00.006-05:00

1. Don't yell at the President of the United States during the middle of an address to Congress. Whether you agree with him or not, he is still the President of the United States...a position that deserves respect.

2. Don't yell at a linesman in the middle of your match...and then say something that when taken literally is a threat on their life...you will lose the match...and get thrown out of the match.

3. DON'T jump onstage during the middle of an awards show when not invited. Whether you don't agree with who won, or you feel moved by the performance, you are still not invited. You will look like an idiot, and in this era of youtube, twitter, facebook, myspace, blogs, etc., that moment will permanently be a part of your history, whether you want it to be there or not.

4. DON'T EVER make a sweet 17 year old girl cry. EVER. Unless it's a happy cry.

5. If you do any of the above, start learning the true art of apologizing...which includes sincerity and follow-through...not just a bunch of words. And turn your Caps Lock OFF!

My word, people. Come ON!!! I mean, when your mom taught you 'mind your manners', there was a reason! Etiquette, people, etiquette. We need a modern day Emily Post!

I may continue to add to this post...we'll see what the rest of the day has to bring...

Inspirational...

2009-09-13T22:16:00.003-05:00

I have to say, the women that are in the General Auxiliary Presidencies are incredible. Every single one of them. Every time I hear them talk, I am baffled at their intelligence, their speaking ability, and how in tune they are with the Spirit. President Archibald (1st counselor stake presidency here and my institute teacher) said his vote for the new apostle (before Elder Anderson was put in) was for the General Relief Society President, Sister Julie B. Beck. Obviously she can't, but his point was that she was an incredibly sharp, intelligent, in tune daughter of God, which I totally agree with...and I have to say the same goes for Sister Elaine S. Dalton...

If you didn't watch Sister Dalton's CES Broadcast tonight, PLEASE take an hour of your time and watch/listen/read it. She is incredibly well read and there are quotes that she gave that I am making into posters and posting onto my mirror so I read them every day before I leave the house. And I don't do that ever. There is one up on my mirror at the moment, which also was inspired by her...and I promise you, I have never done that before. My sister and former and current roommate(s) can vouch for this. She is INCREDIBLY well read...she was quoting not only a number of scriptures, but Alexander Pope, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, etc...the Roosevelt quote was AWESOME...

And the music was actually great this time...no train wreck! The fermatas during the first piece the choir did were too much...dramatic effect dims when you do too much...BUT the choir was good, the soloists were fairly good (girl was awesome, guy was slightly pitchy but not enough for me to cringe). Second piece was very good. :) So your ears won't be assaulted...

My Story...

2009-09-11T23:27:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday one of the ladies stood up to bear her testimony...it wasn't really a testimony, but in a way it kinda was...of everything that was said, I think it was the one thing that everyone might just remember.

She was born and raised in Hawaii. She must be about 70 years old I suppose...that would make sense with her story. She was a little girl, was at Church with her family one Sunday morning. They didn't realize anything was wrong until they got out of Church and people were running around. The Japanese were attacking Pearl Harbor.

She was actually there...she was even shot by one of the planes flying overhead. Hit her shoulder I believe. That was a first for me...I've known plenty of people who served in the War, and my own grandfather was in Hell's Angels and was in a German Camp for 23 months...the same one that the Great Escape occurred at (if you haven't seen that movie, put it on your Netflix immediately)...but never had I met someone who had been at the event that caused America to officially become a part of WW2.

I am not sure why she shared that experience with us...perhaps she was thinking about the significance of today's date.

I was driving to school between Chandler and Tempe. It's funny, I had had my radio off for a long time...I would go through phases of listening and not listening to the radio...and even then, I would listen to just one station for a period...country, pop, classic rock, oldies, and classical, the last being what I turned to that day. It was early, just after 6am...I had to get a parking spot at the institute, and if you wanted one, you had to get there before 6:30am OR wait in line for forever...

NPR came on, and one of the pieces of news was that one of the buildings in New York had been hit by a plane. They moved on to the next item, so I didn't think much of it beyond thinking it was some little plane that had somehow lost control...

I walk into the institute and they had the TV on. They NEVER have the TV on. Instead of doing my usual of going directly into the gym, I went to the foyer where the TV was to see what was up. The institute director was watching it, along with a bunch of the staff. They are NEVER out of their offices all at the same time in the same place unless it's a meeting of some sorts.

I look at the TV...and just after I start watching it, the second tower was hit. I watched it...on LIVE television...I don't think I breathed for a very long time...

I immediately called my two friends in NY and of course got their voicemails and asked (begged) for them to call me back and let me know they didn't on a whim decide to go visit the financial district of NY for the heck of it...(they are fine, btw).

I tried to get those in the gym...which really was the eating/gathering/playing/talking area of the institute...to come watch the TV...but they were all 'studying' and gave me an annoyed look. I looked at them in shock...I remember thinking, but not sure if I said aloud, that this was going to be the 'Pearl Harbor Day' of our generation...

I watched it all...the towers falling...the reports of seven flights being hijacked, went up to 12 I think, down to 2 others, the Pentagon being hit, White House and Capitol being evacuated, the plane in the Pennsylvania field, President Bush...

Classes were cancelled for the entire day. One teacher decided to hold class (my music therapy class) so that we could talk if we needed to. One of the girls in the class...she lost someone in one of the towers that day.

And it was eerily silent. ASU is usually buzzing with activity, even during the summer, but especially on a Tuesday during the fall semester. And with ASU being so close in proximity to Sky Harbor...it was just weird to not constantly hear the Southwest, Delta, American, FedEx United Airlines flights coming and going and coming and going and see them line up to land...

A day to remember. Many heroes and cowards were brought to light that day.