As I approach college age, my life in making an inextricable shift toward Facebook.  It really makes no rational sense, as I still MySpace does the whole social networking thing better. Or at least did. Here, I had a paragraph written, but a list would be better:

MySpace

Blogs offer statistics, and better viewing history

Pictures – More room, easier viewing format

People – mostly teenagers and bands

Comments aren’t as streamlined as the Wall

Bulletin board is still awesome

Has no IM

Profiles themselves are more user friendly

Apps are either ripped off of Facebook, or are the same app, only accessible from both networks.

Is more centered around the profiles and interaction at least used to be through the profiles.

Facebook

Notes allow you to see all your friends’ notes on one place

Pictures – better tagging engine

People – friends and many professionals, less bands and the like; profiles are for individuals

Wall beats Comments

Has no bulletin equivalent

IM is functional

Profiles themselves are a bit confusing

Apps are interesting

Is more centered on other people, regardless of who they are, as long as they’re on or interacting with someone on your friends list. Interaction is generally to a person, with all interactions more or less mashed together.

Anyway, I don’t really think that any of these services are better… Actually, I think MySpace is a little better, but each ‘improvement’ to MySpace thins the line. But more things seems to be going on with Facebook, and the things that do go on, you know about. With MySpace all you really see is status changes and bulletins and the little subscription things. On Facebook, you see, and can comment on, EVERYTHING.

I think I’m going to start making the transition. I think I have already started.

Well, that’s all my thoughts for now….

"Your success is measured by your ability to finish things"
~LazyBoy

"What people say behind your back is your standing in the community."
~Egdar Howe

"The highest position is any organization is that of active member"
~Thomas Jefferson

"Sit down and stop having stupid ideas"
~Doc Baranowski

"Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part"
~Bill Beam

"Oh that's what the black stuph on the pizza crust is! It's cheese! I've been eating pizza for 16 years and I just figured out what that is."
~Justin Brown

"Don't treat me differently just because I'm carrying a tuba. I can go every where you can go. A tuba should never be seen as something that limits where you can go in life, quite the contrary, a tuba will let you go places you otherwise wouldn't have been able to."
~Me

Allow me to begin by saying "Holy crap, Chicago is the most amazing city I've been in so far."

This summer, I had the privelege of living on the campus of Northestern University for a week to take part in a masterclass taught by Rex Martin, the instructor at NU, and Gene Pokorny, the principal tuba for the CSO, Arnold Jacobs' replacement.

The first day I was there, I got to go see a DCI show, Cavalcade of Brass, in Naperville. I got my first taste of what DCI is really like, and I was awestruck. The Cavaliers, the host corps, were phenominal. I have never heard a marching ensemble play so loud, musically or in tune. And the drill was, in my ill-experienced eyes, nearly flawless.

Wow. I know what I want to do next summer.

The next day, I had the first day of classes. We dod a warm up that was awesome in the fact that it was only meant to be a 20 minute warm up. It covered everything in 20 minutes, from flexibility to intervals to speed, range, tone, and dynamics. And it's all accompanied. I recommend it. I'm going to use it in my sectionals.

After a day or two of basics, we each got individually cliniqued. I played the Rag from TubaTunes. The most prominant outcome was a little rubber pad Rex uses to hold his tuba. He let me use it, and I was playing about twice as loud instantly. Gene threw me a quarter cuz I sounded so good. ^_^
I'm a professional musician now.

Throughout the course, I got to listen and take notes on everyone's clinic, and heard everything from a new composition buy a player's compostition student called Blue Grace (it was about the composer's sister's stillborn baby named Grace, and it was beautiful) to the concerto I'm playing next year (Rex had never heard of it).

Then a guy can up with Fountains of Rome.
Now, allow my to briefly explain Fountains of Rome. It's an extremely difficult, loud, and low orchestral excerpt in an odd meter. I was feeling drowzy that class, but whever I heard Pokorny play low Es, I sat upright and was wide awake. That man has the most powerful tone I've ever heard.

Afterwards, I was exposed to a few other orchestral exerpts, most natable Fountains of Rome, Ride of the Valkyries, and Bydlo, which goes up to a G in the treble clef. Even the euphonium player had a bit o' trouble hitting it every time.

So all told, I learned a bunch, on every aspect of playing. At the end of the week, I got to tour the neighborhood of Chicago that NU was located in. I love the area, and not least because it's literally Right on the shore of Lake Michigan.

I kinda could in a way see myself going there next year. Yes Justina. Next year. In 2009. Anyway, I don't think I left out any of the important things, so there ya go, and now I'm going to go back to imagining how awesome band camp, our tuba section, and playing music in general is going to be next year.

Talk to ya later.

Hmmm... 
Very exciting times...

That's a phrase I've thought to myself countless times throughout the last few months.  Countless.

So much has happened; I've grown so much since winter – mainly as a musician, but also in other fields.  My Eagle Project in unbelievably well-known in the city; I have people I don't even know congratulate me on it. Even if it wasn't handicapped accessible, nobody seems to care.  We even walked on it when Davis took their Prom pictures. ^_^

I also made NHS, something I had pessimistically given up on.  But I made it because of my IB classes. Barely.  But it's a huge honor, and I'm going to try my hardest to keep it.

Lastly, and most importantly, I took Third in the State.  I'm FINALLY proved my proficiency in a form that Goranson CAN'T dispute.  With this, I've realized that if I want to learn, I have to do it myself.  Since then, I've begun planning a recital for all the solos I won't get to compete with, and started taking private music theory and piano lessons.

Mr. Beam once asked me, "You just took third at state.  But it's funny, you don't act any different." "Should I be acting different?" "No. But regardless, people are starting to notice you."

And it's true.  I went to a recital for the tuba instructor at UPS, and he basically offered me a 4 year scholarship.  Band directors have begun requesting me to perform at their schools.  I've begun to think about composing, and have started arranging music, something I've never thought I could do. I love music.

Now, the less positive.  Behind all the extra curriculars I've been successful at, there's the regular curriculars. Which suck. Between zero period history, and the increasing tension between me and Goranson, my GPA has dropped to just above 3.1.
Shit.

I've taken measure to remedy this, but I'm still ashamed that I ever let that happen in the first place. My work ethic has improved slightly, but still not enough apparently. I fixed History and IB Music, but I still have to work my butt off for Chem.

Next, I'm going to play my strengths: teaching, leadership, and Mr. Beam. We'll see where that gets me.

Speaking of future plans, due the aforementioned issues with Goranson, I'm decided to take a back seat role in leading the band. I've been seemingly barred from leadership positions, so my plan is to:
Make sure my section is the first to memorize the show, the best behaved, the best marchers, and an example to others how they should behave.
Assist in running other sectionals for every section I can, to give what advice I can on the music, and help the other section leaders with the difficulties with leadership.
Be the first go to guy for the DM's, and make sure to stay involved with the freshmen.
Quietly review and filter for feasibility the ideas for "comradery" that the DM's keep having, and
Plant my own in a form that won't immediately be shot down by Goranson because they came from me.

...Anyway, back to Chemistry....