Today I found out I was featured in the January 2007 issue of The Business Monthly for playing piano at a local gallery reception.

I took these photos just when I was trying to get stuff together for my invitation postcard. I may still use something from this for the program for the recital. I haven’t layed that out yet. We’ll see what I come up with.

There’s obviously no big idea here, just show a piano for a piano recital. I didn’t want to have my face on the thing, that’s for sure.

Yeah so if you’re around, show up. If you know anyone in the area invite them. Hopefully someone will show up!

It wasn’t too long ago that I had to ask what I should be working on with my art. Now I feel like there’s stuff everywhere. I feel good about that too! The more people see me working actively on these kinds of things, the more advice and tips I get too. Sometimes artists are too shy to say hey, you really need to work on x, y and z. I have my own opinions, but if someone tells me to look into something, I usually look into it. In my brainstorming journal, I’m keeping a list of art goals. Some are more career oriented, some practice related, etc. It’s all mixed together and it’s good. I’m computering too much but hey oh well you’re at the computer too so what can you sy.

I’m prepping for my solo piano recital. The date isn’t set yet, but I hope soon. What, what, what is the best day of the week? My thoughts are family members and others would have work and school on weekdays so too early on a weekday they might not make it. But then people have plans on the weekend. School people would be more likely to attend on a day when school is in session. The obvious solution is to develop an eight day of the week.

Here’s the program in order that Prof Neal worked out: Beethoven: Sonata Op 14 No1, Chopin: Waltz Op 69 No 1 & 2, Scherzo Op 31, Liszt: Concert Etude No 3 “Un Sospiro”, Valse Oubliee, Ravel: Sonatine. So no Gershwin, but that’s okay. These are pieces I know pretty well so it shouldn’t be too much work. I’ve went through Anime from Sonatine over the past week since that is my finale. I think I play it better now than I ever did, I now got it note for note. I did a horrible recording of that movement before. Huh, no… It’s not that kind of anime.

Here’s my latest painting. I had to do a piano one because I play piano.

Art Auction

Progress shots and stuff

I just got back from playing at the senior center. It went well. I passed it at first, but I turned around and wasn’t too lost. The first floor is the community center and the second floor is the senior center. I came in and asked for the lady I talked to before. I had to wait a bit while she arranged for the piano to be moved to the right room. When I came in to the room I didn’t go right to the piano. I talked to some of the people there who were playing a game. I forgot what they said it was called. I asked what it was though. I don’t remember. It had some tiles of some kind kinda like scrabble. Iunno. Anyway, the coordinator introduced me and I played. Oh here’s the program I finally settled on:

Liszt - Concert Etude No 3, “Un Sospiro”
Gershwin - Three Preludes
Liszt - Valse Oubliee No 1
Ravel - Sonatine
Liszt - Sonetto 47 del Petrarca, Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
Chopin - Scherzo Opus 31

I had more Chopin and also some Beethoven, but I cut it out for time. At first I considered skipping repeats, but I thought it would be better just to play the full pieces and play less. After the Gershwin, one lady asked “Porgy and Bess?” and I nodded since it’s the same composer. She smiled and said “I enjoyed it!” After I finished all of the pieces she said “Come again sometime!” and I talked to some of the other ladies. One employee said she could hear from her office and I talked to her for a bit about the entertainment programs they have there. Then I talked to the coordinator and thanked her for having me. That’s about it. I volunteered. I need to do more volunteering this summer.

Yesterday, I walked out of class and a group of students from my class were talking outside of the arts building. So of course I went and tried to join in with the group. They look at me like I’m crazy. “Oh you have a question about the class?” “Oh no, I was just wondering what we’re talking about?” “We are talking about the film class that we are in.” “Oh okay, whatever. I’ll see you all tommorrow.” Hey I tried. Usually when I walk out of class I walk with this girl Jill and we talk about whatever. I have no idea what’s going on there. I did walk out with her today

What is up with this summer class! It’s Spanish 201. One hour a dayfor four days a week. The class is over one week from Thursday and we haven’t even finished a single chapter! And this chapter we already covered in Spanish 102. What the heck. Oh well, I didn’t remember any of it from the last class anyway so it seems new enough. Still, I paid for this summer class for one chapter?!

I’m in college for my education and I really want to get my money’s worth. Not much I can do since this is the professor and this is what she’s doing. I’m just studying additional material outside of class. I’m not going on to the next part of Spanish so it doesn’t matter if I’m behind. Who cares right, I get the credits and I’ll be able to finish my degree by the fall. I hope to actually be able to use some Spanish though. As a student, I’m still learning things on my own. I don’t think we can expect to do the minimum requirements in even the best class and then think you’ll learn. The teacher can only do so much to guide your education anyway. Of the things I feel I’ve really learned, it’s been by taking my teachers lessons and using that to learn even more.

My art professors always make it clear that you can’t just do the art assignments. They want us to do art on our own. For piano, you have to practice more than a lesson or two a week. These things really shape my work ethic, except for that I—like much of the geek universe—don’t really consider all the extras stuff as work. If I spent all day practicing piano, reading stuff or working on art .. chances are if someone asked what I did all day my first reaction is to say “Nothing.”

I got a new digital camera. My friend Jonathan helped me pick one out! Yay. (Note, he’s hot.) An Olympus C3030 on Ebay for less than $100 including shipping. Here’s a tour of my room!

This is my art table where I paint and things like that. You can see the last one I finished and some works in progress here. Ooo ahhh oh. A bit of a mess

This is my desk and keyboard. Quite junky!

This is my couch and bed. It’s the continuation of the same continuous stream of scattered junk!

I’m never careful enough. I just made rice and I saw all the steam coming out of the rice cooker. “Oh that’s kind of cool.” I opened it and the steam burned part of my right hand. My whole life is like that.

It’s not part of my hand that I ever use, but it hurts a lot. I always think that I’ll lose a hand or two one day, or go blind or deaf. I love piano, music and art so much that it would be hard to leave those senses behind now. Oh well, I’m prepared! Now I just got to be more careful with the damn rice cooker.

On the piano front, I have recovered Sonetto 47 del Petrarca into memory once again. I had to work so much on learning other pieces last semester that I had let a few others go. The next one I’m re-memorizing is the Trio from Beethoven’s Op 2 No 3. That one is pretty short and I’m half way through it. The rhythms on the first part are tricky, but the next part shouldn’t take more than an hour or two to get back into my mind. This fall is my last semester so I’m probably going to finally have my senior piano recital.

Yesterday I spent a good half of my day taking care of the insurance with the car and they cut the check. I had to drop my mother at work since I needed to use her car to do all of this The repair estimate is about $800. However, I doubt my mom will have that car repaired anytime soon. Oh well, it’s her car and her money. They car still drives but I was told by the insurance company that it’s really unsafe to drive it until it’s repaired. So of course my mom gives it to my sister to drive along with my two month old nephew in the backseat. I’m sure some disaster will happen and I’ll tell you all about it.

I went to the MVA to drive the 93 Nissan truck which I now will be driving. We got it a couple weeks ago when my mother bought it from her boyfriend. Well, bought it figuratively as she hasn’t paid for it yet. The MVA said part of the title—the lien release—was missing. I got that and took care of that today, got the tags and picked up the car at the gas station

I know! That wasn’t exciting at all. Hey, I’m just happy I got a few things done even though that meant that I wasn’t working on my latest paintings enough this week. I still have made progress on those as well. A few works sold on Ebay, there are other opportunities I’m working on. Next week I start my summer class SPAN 201, but first … three day weekend!