MORE BRAZIL PICS (Finally figured out how to link 'em)

Face painted by the Thais

South African style beer (it has chocolate in it!)

Chillin' with the Lithuanians

Enjoy!

Two Down, Two to Go

It's funny being a music major. First of all, you don't feel so bad being a little older because there are quite a few music students who are either doing a second degree or didn't figure out what they wanted to major in until just now. Either way, I felt like high school again, saying hi to all these people I haven't seen in about three months.

The music program is really like high school, because everybody has to take the same theory and ear training classes. This means that if we stay on course, everybody in 1st level theory will have the next four semesters together, plus at least two or three semesters of ear training. So for the past two years, I've had the same classes with KT and Maestro. It's kinda nice, because I know I have people to rely on when I ditch classes and stuff. Well, actually I owe both of them a really nice dinner because they've saved my @ss so many times.

So I auditioned for Chamber Singers/University Chorus and Jazz Chorus. Chamber Singers wasn't so bad -- just a little bit of vocalise [i.e. la la la la la la] so that Dr. Habermann can figure out my range and voice type. As it is, I am back to Tenor I, which means I get all the high tenor parts. It also means I can't be lazy singing the lower tenor parts.

Now I just need to audition for Afro-Cuban and the opera. I need to woodshed a little bit more in the practice rooms next week.

In other news...

I'll be playing tomorrow for the I-Hotel Celebration. They're expecting at least a few hundred to show up, but I only got about 5 peeps to play. Oh well, we'll be jammin' and representing anyway.

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

Off to school...

I'm heading off to the first day of the semester, and I still have 2 incompletes I have to do...

I guess putting them off won't get them finished any faster!

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

I found the game that I played with the Chilean/Rapa Nui folks while I was in Brazil. I can't find the name but the description was found on another website.

"But the best game, the most intricate of all . . . involved a tennis ball and a tower of flat rocks about a foot and a half high. The game starts out serenely enough, kind of reminding me of cricket. One team stands behind the rocks, while each of the members of the other team have three tries to fling the ball at the tower and try to knock it over. The team in the outfield calmly throws the ball back if they miss. But if the ball makes contact, then the game – I swear this is true – turns into a frantic game of dodge ball. The team that threw the ball rushes forward to try and stack the rocks back up, all while the other team flings the tennis ball at them. If they hit a team member before the tower gets restacked, then they win. It is possibly the best game I have ever seen in my entire life."

Except we played it with a soccer ball and used bottle caps. Otherwise everything else is the same.

*Extra Notes*
- In the version from Chile, every person on the team trying to hit the tower (and eventually restack the tower) gets one chance to knock the tower down, as opposed to only three as stated above.
- The other team (the one that gets to throw the ball) has one team member straddle the tower
- You cannot throw the ball while running. You must be completely stopped.

Now go have fun!!!

Make Mine Music

~No Tations~

Geez, I'm still feeling so lazy after coming back. I have some singing to practice plus work later on and I just feel like taking a long nap.

I would post pics up but I haven't figured out how to do it yet, so we're still confined to ones that Gary and Cristian took:

The Bad@ss Percussionists
(that's me on the left, looking out of place because I forgot my sash to tie around my waist DOH! One of my many rookie mistakes)

Almost everyone came down with bronchitis and other viral infections. I'm loading up on Vitamin C, grapefruit seed extract and garlic. I'm not getting sick dangit!

Me, Raisa and Cassie with a hoarde of Brasilian groupies.

My first day back on the job, and I got tired around 630. (1030 Brazil time)

Then I went home and played Diner Dash for like 3 hours.

I should be sleeping.

Oh yeah, I'm hosting karaoke tomorrow, 8/19, at Rick's Restaurant on 30th and Taraval in San Francisco from 1030pm - 130am. No cover, bring your friends and I'll make sure you all sing to your hearts' content.

Makin' Mine Music

~No Tations~

For pics, here is the Official Websites' Pic Page

(A partial summary of my brazil trip, original sent to MOM on 8/9/2005)

To everyone:

Sorry it´s been so long since contact. The flight went okay and it was long, but we made it. Nova Prata is a town in the state of Rio Grande du Sol, which is the most southern state in Brasil. It is wintertime right now but when we got here the weather was really nice, and then on Saturday up till tonite, it´s been biting, icy cold with rain. Still we´ve been trooping through it.

Here's a quick summary of what I've done:

- learned how to say hello, goodbye, thank you and cheers in: Lithuanian, Swasi [south african], Thai.

- practiced both portuguese and spanish

- talked about easter island history with the rapa nui people [who are from Santiago, Chile by the way!]

- played a Chilean childrens' game

- learned dances from all those countries

- jammed with the south africans on their drums

- endured shows with bad sound, no special lighting, and in the worst cases, having the power go out in the middle of the show!

I've been taking the acidophilus and thus have not gotten any bacterias yet. This trip was wonderful and I'll tell you more about it when I get the chance. Unfortunately we were never able to find international phone cards and so that's why I haven't called yet.

Makin' Mine Music

~No Tations~

(A part summary of what happened in Brazil)

To everyone:

Sorry it´s been so long since contact. The flight went okay and it was long, but we made it. Nova Prata is a town in the state of Rio Grande du Sol, which is the most southern state in Brasil. It is wintertime right now but when we got here the weather was really nice, and then on Saturday up till tonite, it´s been biting, icy cold with rain. Still we´ve been trooping through it.

Here's a quick summary of what I've done:

- learned how to say hello, goodbye, thank you and cheers in: Lithuanian, Swasi [south african], Thai.

- practiced both portuguese and spanish

- talked about easter island history with the rapa nui people [who are from Santiago, Chile by the way!]

- played a Chilean childrens' game

- learned dances from all those countries

- jammed with the south africans on their drums

- endured shows with bad sound, no special lighting, and in the worst cases, having the power go out in the middle of the show!

I've been taking the acidophilus and thus have not gotten any bacterias yet. This trip was wonderful and I'll tell you more about it when I get the chance. Unfortunately we were never able to find international phone cards and so that's why I haven't called yet.

Love to you all,

Makin Mine Music

~No Tations~

A Brasil vamos...

In about 1/2 hour I'll be heading off to Brasil with Likha to take part in the Internacional Folclore Festival in Nova Prata, Rio Grande do sul, Brasil.

I have about 24 hours total travel time...

It should go by pretty fast because I've pulled an allnighter.

Updates when I get there...

Makin' Mine Music

~No Tations~