If you can't understand this event, and declare, "It's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare...if your iPod has "vanished into thin air", you are quoting Shakespeare...if you have ever "refused to budge an inch", suffered from "green-eyed jealousy", "played fast and loose", been "tongue tied", "hoodwinked" or "in a pickle"... if you have insisted on "fair play", "slept not one wink", or had "too much of a good thing"... if you have "seen better days", or "lived in a fool's paradise", be that as it may, you are, in point of fact, and as good luck would have it, brushing up on your Shakespeare.

If you think "it is high time", that I get to the point, and want to know "the long and short of it", just "lie low" and, "without rhyme or reason", "give the devil his due". Even if you bid me "good riddance" and "send me packing"...if you wish I were "dead as a doornail"...if you think the picture on the left is an "eyesore", "a laughing stock", "the devil incarnate", "a stoney-hearted villain", "bloody-minded", or a "blinking idiot", then..."by Jove!", "for goodness' sake", come to "Brush up your Shakespeare" where you will hear me, four other singers, and a pianist...explore songs that either were inspired by the Bard, or, in the case of the Willow Song from Othello (see video below), even inspired him.

Choosing a school of music that fits your needs is hard. After all, where you spend your college years will help to shape your life and career goals.

You won't get the whole picture of what a college is like for a voice major from a brochure or website. So, if you're a high school student in grades 11 or 12 (or a transfer student) who is seriously considering college vocal study, or if you have (or soon will complete) an undergraduate degree in voice and are seeking a graduate vocal program, you are invited to take part in a program that offers total immersion in the Hayes School of Music experience...be a Voice-Student-For-A-Day. Visit just for one day, and you can "shadow" a voice student, observe or take a private voice lesson, sit in on actual college classes, participate in a rehearsal, attend a performance, and much more. What better way to find out what it's like to be a Hayes School of Music voice student. During your visit you also can tour the beautiful Appalachian State campus, get to know voice teachers and administration, talk to financial aid and admissions counselors, meet other Appstate students and experience downtown Boone first hand.

How do I sign up?
Visit http://www.music.appstate.edu/studentforaday/index.html. Spaces are limited so it's best to apply quickly. Reservations are required.

How much does it cost?
This program is free.

Though the Fall 2007 program starts on 8/21/2007 and ends on 12/12/2007, here are suggested dates to visit the Hayes School of Music (not all may be available) and notable campus events for each date:

---

*Friday, September 14, 2007

---

*Friday, September 28, 2007

---

*Friday, October 19, 2007 OR Monday, October 22, 2007

---

*Friday, November 2, 2007

---

*Thursday, November 15, 2007

---

*Friday, November 16, 2007

---

*Thursday, November 29, 2007 OR Friday, November 30, 2007


---

*Monday, December 10, 2007

----------

Fast Facts about Appalachian State University

*For the last 20 years, Appalachian State University has been ranked consistently among the top universities by U.S. News & World Report and it has won TIME Magazine's "College of the Year" award. In U.S. News & World Report's 2008 America's Best Colleges Guide, the university retains a number-one ranking among the South's public master-degree granting universities that have a school of music accredited by NASM - the National Association Of Schools Of Music.

*The Hayes School of Music is the top NASM-accredited school of music in North Carolina (11th nationwide) that is part of a university recently identified by Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine as combining high-quality academics and affordable costs.

*Appalachian State University has once again been included in Consumers Digest magazine's listing of the top 50 best values for public colleges and universities. In the article "2007 College Road Map—Making the Right Choices," the magazine ranks Appalachian first in North Carolina (21st nationwide) based on cost, quality of education offered, academic excellence of freshman enrollment, student-faculty ratio, graduation rates and the number of faculty members holding the highest terminal degree in their field. These factors were weighed against out-of-state tuition costs. The listing appears in the May/June issue of the magazine.

*According to The Princeton Review, Appalachian State University is one of 186 colleges in the nation considered a best value for undergraduate education. The New York-based education services company features the school in the new 2008 edition of its book "America's Best Value Colleges." The guide profiles colleges chosen for their excellent academics, generous financial aid packages and/or relatively low costs of attendance. In the book's narrative profile on Appalachian, The Princeton Review's editors write that, "Challenging courses, accessible faculty, and welcoming administrators are among its treasures. Professors take their roles as educators beyond the classroom to serve as mentors and advisors within a cohesive community." http;//www.princetonreview.com.

----------

Fast Facts about Boone, North Carolina

*Boone earned a spot on the list of National Geographic Adventure magazine's "50 Top Adventure Towns," a special insert that appears in the September 2007 issue. It's part of the magazine's Best Places to Live and Play series, and the towns were selected based on the scenic offerings, recreational terrain, available activities and general recreation opportunities.
http://nationalgeographic.com/adventure/relocating/best-places-to-live-2007/index.html

*As part of CNN and Money magazine's series on "America's Best Places to Live," CNNMoney.com ranked Boone 11th best locale in the nation for singles. They noted, "Strap on your skis, zip up your parka and head down the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains at this lovely slice of the rustic South. Home also to Appalachian State University, part of the University of North Carolina, Boone is hot fun in the summertime..." http://link.toolbot.com/cnn.com/86242

*Boone, North Carolina, was noted by the New York Times as one of North America's ultimate outdoor adventure destinations as well as one of the country's premier small towns.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/10/21/travel/escapes/21hour.html?ex=1187755200&en=d6fb5c7326e6d682&ei=5070