BA(Mus)

A Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. Sounds pretty official, but that's because it really is. And I own it! :)

Not many people know that I never finished high school, or that I sat out for nearly 10 years before timidly applying for college. NEVER ever believe the lie that you're not smart enough, or that you're to old to pursue your dreams when God places a desire on your heart and opens the door!! 

"But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Christmas Greetings!

Making it to the President's List (ie., having a 3.75 or higher GPA for the semester) may have something to do with my silence on my blog in the last several weeks. Reflecting on the four plus weeks that we have come through are somewhat of a blur. It must be either my caffeine is wearing off, or my body is still sleep deprived, or both. :)

But I do remember that the string quartet I was in this last semester had the great honor of playing Christmas carols in the university's widely acclaimed Museum & Gallery when it was open to the public early on in the month. Discarding the traditional black for the evening, we chose to wear festive colors.

Growing in friendships and musically with these girls this semester was great fun! For our chamber recital we played

Glazunov's AllaSpagnola and All’ Ungherese from his 5 Novelettes. Check out the links for an idea of what we were playing, played by real pro's...)

The rest of the semester was a whirlwind of completing classes, passing my senior recital note check, and taking eight finals. One of the weekends a couple friends and I went to watch the Nutcracker live, played by  the city's symphony. I think I would enjoy it more if I were to experience it again, since that night I was so, so tired. What I do remember was that I enjoyed it. :)

Prior to driving home for Christmas Break I went up to a surprise birthday party that was being put together for my Grandma's 85th birthday. It was the weekend right after finals, so it worked out perfectly to make the drive up north. She was completely surprised, and it was such a joy to spend a weekend with her. Michigan had lots of snow, too, which was a delight.

And now I've been at home for just under two weeks. What have I been doing? Mostly sticking very close to home and resting alot. Being a college student is exhausting (but oh so rewarding!!) and this semester was no exception. There have been a few occasions where I've gone out with my sisters, or up to the mountains for a morning in a coffee shop, or spent some time making Christmas treats in the kitchen, so I haven't been a complete lazy bum. ::winks::

With less than a week now before I head back for my last semester of undergrad, it is doubtful that I'll get anything added to my etsy shop (so sorry!). My priorities lie in some more rest and keeping up my senior recital repertoire. I'll spare you those juicy details, since most of you have had your fill of musical dialogue for one post! But I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas season and will have a joyous new year!

(If you love the delights of this season as much as I do, check out this wonderful new blog that will keep you occupied with lovely writings and pictures! I still have many more posts to catch up on, which I'm off to now after I fix myself another cup of TWG's vanilla caramel tea.)

Autumn Scenes

Little time to write very many words, but I have not been completely lost in practice, papers, and productivity. In the last month I've gone on little excursions for my own sanity (and most likely my roommates ::ahem::) which included trips to an apple orchard and the mountains.

Tonight I fixed this copycat recipe of Panera's Autumn Squash Soup. The only thing I did different to it was use 1/2 cup of almond milk instead of 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. I may or not be on my second bowl. :)

The Gift of Solitude

["Turn your loneliness into solitude, and your solitude into prayer." -E. Elliott]

In the busyness of college life, sometimes there is a great struggle to find solitude. Perhaps my mommy-friends can relate, or my friends who work full time jobs and come home to spend the rest of their time in some kind of ministry or community outreach. Go, go, go. Do, do, do. Hurry, Hurry, Hurry. At times it can seem as if life is a never ending cycle - whether its the washing machine, the online assignments to turn in before midnight, or the phone than never stops notifying...

A college friend of mine shared with me one of their favorite spots, a lake I never knew existed until just a few weeks ago. I've discovered a time in my weekly schedule to where I can put everything else down and spend a couple of hours down at the beautiful waters. As I scribbed away in my journal this morning, my thoughts and prayer were parallel to the words penned by Horatius Bonar, words with which I will leave you this weekend:

In the still air the music lies unheard;
In the rough marble beauty hides unseen.
To make the music and the beauty needs
The Master's touch, the Sculptor's chisel keen.

Great Master, touch us with Thy skillful hands;
Let not the music that is in us die;
Great Sculptor, hew and polish us, nor let
Hidden and lost, Thy form within us lie.

Spare not the stroke; do with us what Thou wilt;
Let there be naught unfinished, broken, marred;
Complete Thy purpose that we may become
Thy perfect image - Thou our God and Lord.

Popping In

In the life of a musician, there can be semesters where midterms stretch into two weeks, with an orchestra concert thrown in the mix. Such as been my life. Not to mention that college in general is an never ending cycle of reading, papers, memorizing, practicing, listening, sleeping, etc, etc. :) This weekend there is a small chance of being able to catch my breath, and maybe, just maybe I'll get to venture out and take a hike in some hills and woods not to far from here.

We've been having such lovely weather here lately, and spring has just arrived here in SC. How do I know? Just yesterday I noticed a thin layer of yellow dust coating my car. Thankfully spring pollen has never bothered me (only wild grasses in the month of June back home; odd, I know) and clusters of yellow are budding in the neighbor's yards with a patch or two of lily-of-the-valley here and there. Down the lane there is a redbud tree that is just starting to bloom.

In the last day or so I've been itching to be in the dirt again, dig up the hardened soil, and water the signs of green life. Or gather nosegays from my rose gardens. To confess, I'll be adding another rose bush somewhere in one of the gardens back home. My favorite source for English roses had a recent sale which was to hard to resist, so I'm having a plant being shipped here for me to look after until I can get it in the ground. While most college students go to the malls to buy clothes or shoes, this odd person splurges on a rose bush. ::winks::

Comings and Goings

The fall semester came and went. The start of Christmas break found a friend and I taking a road trip back home with lots of music (Can you believe I never heard the music from Phantom of the Opera? I got choked up, I won't lie...), philosophical discussions, coffee stops, and sneaking in pictures as we traveled along the beautiful highways.

Christmas Break. It was wonderful. It was a time of...

sleeping in,
my persian cats snuggling up to my face,
lazy mornings on the couch bathed in sunshine,

laughter, stories, and movies,
Christmas books, and candles,
late night sister talks,
going on two brother-sister dates,

shopping at all of my favorite thrift stores and antique stores,
lots of rest,
caroling with good friends, 

 

snow storms,
family gathering around the kitchen with steaming mugs of tea or coffee,
having someone pour encouragement and prayer into your life (and then buying you a scarf and a matching necklace & earring set and saying, "When you wear these, remember I'm praying for you),

and much more could be said about the break. It was wonderful. But then it came time to leave and make the same trek back to school. This time driving solo, but it was good to spend that time in solitude, prayer, and thanksgiving.

The semester is only 1 1/2 weeks underway, and we have already been blessed with a three day weekend. Snow and ice came two nights ago, so classes were canceled yesterday, much to everyone's delight! This morning we woke up with a little bit more snow and a magical-looking world. I slipped into my moccasin shoes and took a couple pictures from our back porch.

My roommate and I have been making use of our extra time for rest, making a mess of the kitchen (she made pumpkin cinnamon rolls this morning, which we enjoyed over piping-hot mugs of coffee), and homework or practice.

Perhaps with being so busy with college, I have to say that I never miss sewing but then yesterday some kinda of wave went over me and I was longing for a sewing machine, soft fabrics, and paper patterns. :) If I'm not writing in vain, (though I can't blame anyone for deserting a blog that used to consistently appear with with posts, but then die away once school became a higher priority) what are some sewing projects that you all are working on this winter?

Before you know it winter will have come and gone, too. Growing up and even now, I've loved the winter (but then maybe only because my favorite season follows it) and whether it's the earth seasons or seasons of life, I want to learn to savor each one for what it is.

I close with a good quote I read on a blog a while back:

"The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination." - Terri Guillemets

These Last Summer Days (and an important shop announcement)

Where has summer gone to? It seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago that I was putting my garden in, or going outside every two days to weed after the heavy spring rains. Was it actually 6 days a week that I worked in three different towns? And I'm truly going into my 4th year of college? How has all of this taken place? and so fast?

Time has a way of slipping by in slow, circular intervals at times and at other times, rushing by so abruptly that it takes your breath away...

It was great fun to ride the Ferris Wheel at our local county fair this summer after  a long space between childhood and adulthood. 

And now to wrap this post up, I will be closing my etsy shop for the next several months since I really don't wish to bring all the items with me along with packaging supplies. My mom doesn't need to have me calling her up with "can you send this out to…" while I'm away, either. As much as I hate to actually close it temporarily, I can't think of a better solution.



So to lesson the blow, I'm offering free shipping all day today and part of early tomorrow morning in order to make any last minute runs to the Post Office before they close for the weekend. Just use code SHIPFREE while checking out when purchasing stateside. The shop will be officially closed tomorrow since I leave for school this weekend.

All She Wanted for Christmas

This pretty much sums it up. ;) However I have been very grateful to have been able to get some good naps in the last couple of weeks, partly from sheer exhaustion and partly from my body fighting off the various sickness' going around campus.

This coming week there are just a few finals to finish up, and then I will be on my way home for Christmas break. Looking forward to some much-needed relaxation!

Weekend Favorites

[No. 1] Having a roommate who likes candles, is something I'm thankful for. If fact, she burns them more than I do, and we've been enjoying fallish candles in the last couple of weeks. Not long ago I was in Anthropologie and splurged to pick up this favorite autumn scent. Do any of you have favorite go-to's for candles in the fall?

[No. 2] My roommate got her undergrad degree in music, and started grad school this fall. It's quite lovely hearing her practice Bach on the piano. She says she's not good at it, but she is. :)

Photo source

[No. 3 and No.4] Having coffee and quiet moments are things that aren't taken for granted in the life of a college student. :) While dependant on coffee is not something I'm remotely close to, it does bring some warmth on a chilly autumn morning as does a cup of tea before bedtime.

And yes, quiet moments for books. My life is surrounded by them, and while they primarily consist of college textbooks, I was sure to bring some favorites with me from home. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was an excellent read, and I'm close to finishing Agnes Grey. They are a bit lighter than other books the Bronte sisters are well-known for, but certainly not less engaging.

Weekend Favorites

Well, I am back in the south, but now in a state that is north of my former one. Any readers from the Carolina's? I need to know of some good thrift stores!! :)

The theme for this post is rather obvious. Due partly because I auditioned today and partly because I just love music. All pictures are courtesy of Pinterest.

[ No. 1] This quote.

[No. 2] This music from BBC's "North & South" is so pretty. Wish it were longer.

[No. 3] Such good reminders for me, especially with transferring to a school that is known throughout the country for it's music school.

[No. 4] No picture for this one, but I've realized lately how blessed I am to have learned from some of the greatest of violinists & violin teachers, and been under some of the best teachers and professors from my former college. I'm anticipating learning and growing even more here over the next couple of years.

Joy & Peace

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Isaiah 10-13

Often quoted are the two verses just before these ones. The ones that speak of God's thoughts and ways that are higher than our own, but the above verses are just as full of promise and hope if you really think about it. God's Word is true and not some source of floating bubbles to try to catch and hold onto in hopes of it not breaking, but something that goes far beyond the visible to the invisible … and works in wondrous ways.

One of those wondrous ways is that it's looking more and more probable that I'll be back in school this fall. Most of you know that I've been home working this past school year (hence, my irregular blog posts!) and have been working towards my tuition for the college I'm transferring to. I can't tell you how exciting it is to see details starting to fall into place.

If you could help me out with the fruition of a small, but important detail, I'd like to ask if you might help spread the word about my etsy shop. All of the proceeds (obviously) go to my college fund and it would honestly be nice to have it emptied by the time I leave, Lord willing, next month. I'd rather not lug around shop items with me to the east coast! :) I'll be going through some personal historical clothing that have been lying around, and hope to get those up in the next couple of weeks.

If you're needing some "bait" to throw out to your FB friends, blog readers, or whoever, I'm offering free shipping to all US customers on any order, any size.

A Bit of Spring and Hope

With working lots of hours at the coffee shop I've barely stepped in the sewing room, let alone turn on the machines. It may be this way for an unknown amount of time as I race to save up for college this fall. Transferring to a college that is 4x more expensive than the last is no easy task, but I have hope in "Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20, emphasis mine).

Just Life

It is an odd feeling when one's life is at a "stand-still", yet be one of constant busy-ness at the same time. Such has been my life for the last couple of months. Even more craziness seems to be on my horizon, so you most likely won't see very many sewing related posts any time soon. Not to mention that I have z.e.r.o. motivation or desire to sew. Thankfully there is just one project on my table and it's one of those to work on "just for fun."

Happily, I can just confess that the blog may take a little turn towards other things and not disappear off the face of the earth. In fact, I still want to show you pictures of my sister in her 1940s Swing Dress. I playfully teased her that she'd need a chaperon when wearing that dress. ;) She pulls off that classy-vintage look so well.

S&S 1940s Swing Dress in Midnight Blue

It was on Wednesday that I locked (figuratively) myself in the sewing room to finish up everything on my table. There was an alteration for a friend from church, and then my sister's dress. Both were completed. What a relief, and yet what an odd feeling to not having anything to sew. ;)

As requested, I took a couple pictures of the completed dress. Using another wonderful pattern from Sense & Sensibility, I only made very little alterations to the 40s style dress. The biggest "fix" was the length of the skirt, since my petite sister wasn't wanting anything super long but a modest somewhere-below-the-knee. Since she's currently in Mexico, I had to guess on the length! :)

The fabric she chose was a poly satin crepe fabric, and while she is a classy lady, she didn't want the shiny side of the fabric so I used the crepe side. It's such a pretty blue color, and will match her eyes perfectly. I've teased her that she'll need a chaperon when she wears this dress. ;)

The front bodice is softly gathered at the shoulders and at the waist which meets the front yoke. I suppose my sister could wear a camisole or a pretty brooch at the neckline to keep the front crossover part from becoming scandalous!

The sleeves are just-above-elbow length and straight. The gored skirt is a-line, making for a slimming silhouette.

The dress features a hidden zipper on the side that starts in the bodice and extends into the skirt. I was thanking the Lord that it went in flawlessly the first time. The back of the dress has simple pleats at the bodice waistline, and has ties in the back.

Hopefully this fall, I'll have a picture or two for you all of my sister modeling the dress. Did I already mention that she'll be wearing it for a Retro-Diner themed dinner at a conference that she's photographing? With a set of kid gloves and a pearl necklace, she's bound to look fabulous!

Shakespeare was right: "Summer's lease hath all too short a date..."

Desiderata

After the Aural Skills II students did their "rhythm performances" (Takadimi system in compound meter, anyone???) our professor gave us a lovely lecture that detoured from music, chord functions, melodic and rhythmic dictation.

She brought up a poem that was apparently found on an old church wall several decades ago, and read it to us. It was so beautiful that I almost got choked up. Glean what you can, as I did, and be blessed:

[The pecan trees behind the music building have been in full bloom this week]

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

--Max Ehrmann

Greetings from the Tower

Yes, I like to practice in the tower. It is an actual upper room in the music building and hence the name. Usually no interruptions (like on the 2nd floor with a banging pianist or a tooting horn in the practice room next to you, or even friends walking in just to say "hey") and alot of stuff gets done.

 

I laughed when I read this quote, because it is SO true:

Caution: Use of this instrument can lead to excessive anxiety, heightened levels of self-criticism, acute concern about the opinions of other people, over-awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of others, and a tendency to spend prolonged periods of time alone in very small rooms (often staring into a mirror.)

 

I'm off to go practice and then head to work for the remaining part of the day. Have a lovely weekend!

Life

As you all might have guessed (and you would have assumed correctly), "Cheri is busy." This is my attempt of coming out of my hole/practice room/busy schedule/(insert any other word here) to give you a brief update.

 

We had snow a few weekends ago. Being born and raised in the mid-west, and live in a snowy part of the world when I'm not in school, getting an inch or two of snow doesn't phase me. It changes everything down here. Schools and businesses close while people frantically run to the grocery store for bread and milk. (Don't they realize that it will be gone in a couple of hours? Especially when it's in the south?) 

 

 

The majority of people are literally scared to come out of their front door if there is snow on the road, while I leisurely took a walk early Sunday morning before church (and yes, the snow was gone by the time I got there) to grab a few pictures before the sun began melting it all away.

 

With classes, practice, and work I rarely have time for socializing (unless you count a quick walk with a friend or two to Starbucks in between classes as being social) and even on Sunday I don't often visit with people from church. If it wasn't 1 1/2 hours away, that would most likely be different. However, last week I was blessed with a several hour visit from a MN friend who was in the area for a friend's wedding. Amy and I enjoyed visiting over Olive Garden, window shopping, and Starbucks. 

School is going well, work is going well, and so is music. Each day I count myself so blessed to be able to learn from some of the best professors and teachers I know of. God is so gracious.

 

And as a testimonial of my joy in learning music, here I am with my just-arrived unaccompanied Bach sheet music. I had a cheapy edition, and my teacher was practically begging me to get a better one. I am working on the Loure and Gavotte for those of you who may be familiar with unaccompanied Bach. It sounds so simple, clean, and pure, but it takes more effort and practice than you can imagine to endeavor to get it sounding that way. :)

Well, I'm off to go make a grilled cheese for supper. Have a lovely February, and may it be graced with clusters of blooming daffodils like we're seeing in yards and hillsides down here (though my northern and western friends may have to settle with a bunch of blooms on their kitchen table!).

Lots of "New"

Family time, Christmas, and New Years came and went. Way to quickly. School started on Monday, so the first week is offically over and my weekend started with working at Starbucks. I started training as a barista before the break, and now I'm a regular part timer there making everyone their favorite lattes and frappachinos. It's great fun, but what is even more fun is making the more complicated "custom" drinks for the regulars and them saying you did it perfectly. Yay! :)

Trying to juggle work with being a full time student and practicing violin and piano is a wee-bit more difficult than I had anticipated, but I think it should go fairly well if I can somehow prioritize and schedule my time. More often than not I'm one of those that takes life as it comes, but then get in a jam when there are "must-do" things to squeeze in that I run out of time for. Any tips from those who live by lists and schedules? :)

Yesterday I was super thrilled to have bought an ear training book for a music class. The campus bookstore was selling it for an outrageous price, so I looked it up on Amazon and found it there for close to $20 less. Yay! :) I got free two-day shipping, too, since I'm a student/Prime member. In fact, there is a special going on of getting a free 6-month trial period if you have an .edu e-mail address. Check it out!

All but one class is music this semester. Our orchestra is doing Mozarts 40th symphony and another work or two that is yet to be determined. For violin I'm working on the usual stuff (scales, arpeggios, double stops scales, ie, 3rds, 6ths, and octaves ::ahem:: must get those down before I start on 10ths ::ahem::, a couple etudes) finish up the first movement and start on the 2nd of the Bruch concerto, and then in preparation for my junior recital next semester, I'll be starting some unaccompanied Bach on Monday. After attempting a partita and completely ruining it a couple years ago, I've stayed away from even listening to it since, but I think I'm ready for it now. I love the clean simplicity of Bach. Of course Hilary Hahn's CD is always a favorite and a great inspiration to model after in the practice room.

Speaking of which, I'm behind on practicing and will be under the knife if I'm not prepared Monday morning, so I'll sign out for now. I've got a post in the works for next week, so watch out for that.

Autumnal Joys

It was such a treat to be able to fly home for Thanksgiving Break and spent the week with my family.

These are a few testimonials of my visit...

 

Three pumpkins greet guests as they come up the front step

By the back step wild fruit or berry of some kind can been seen that the birds love this time of year

I was surprised to still see the Johnny-Jump-Ups bravely blooming in the brisk late November weather. There must be a deep layer of leaves to protect them!

My sisters and I (minus one) on Thanksgiving Day. I think the only time I took my apron off was for the dinner. ;)

Sparkling Cider in my inherited glasses from Grandma. It (the cider) was a perfect addition to homemade pumpkin pie and chocolate pie.

My very tall brother (who also flew in for Thanksgiving) and I.

Now back in the south with just a little over two weeks of the fall semester, I cannot guarantee that you'll hear much from me. I would covet your prayers for physical, mental, and emotional stamina! :)

Anticipating Christmas break already, I've pulled out some of my favorite Christmas music. Can anyone recommend their favorite CD (preferably traditional or classic Christmas music of orchestral, symphonic, and/or choral? That is, nothing wild and crazy)?