This post will probably have very little to do with K’nex, but I needed an opportunity to show off my fabulous pun… However I do have plans over the Christmas break to rebuild the K’Nex roller coaster that I got 5 or 6 years ago because it was pretty cool, and Christmas is one of those times when things like that can be around the house and not be horribly in the way. It’s feeling like Christmas earlier than usual because I’m doing concerts in band and orchestra and only have 4 days left before holidays and stuff and it’s awesome…
I can’t believe the first semester of college is nearly over, it still barely seems like a week since I got my leaving results. I absolutely love Maynooth and I’m really glad I chose the course I did though so it’s all good. The only worry is that I may be developing a slight addiction to hot chocolate, I know, I know, I’m a student, it’s meant to be coffee… but chocolate is so much nicer! There’s a lovely feeling about having a gap in lectures, or a lecture you don’t particularly like going to, and being able to go sit with friends on comfy seats and eat and get a hot drink and just relax. It makes the breaks seem so much better than in school, when the best bet is normally lining the corridors and having to move your feet out of the way every time anyone of sufficient importance walked by.
I’ve been busy enough these past couple of weeks though, with band concert, the run of the show I participated in and other stuff as well. The show a production of The Sound of Music and I really enjoyed being a part of the orchestra for it. I was ever so slightly obsessed with the film when I was about 5 and I’ve also seen a stage production of it, so I was excited to see how it worked in a school. The first major thing to note was that it was a girl’s school.. which meant that any boys cast had to come from other places. There were a few of them, Catain Von Trapp, Max, Rolf and a few party goers and Nazis, but there were no male children. There are meant to be 7 Von Trapp children- Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretel. In this production, there was no Friedrich, there was no Kurt. There was a Frieda, and a Gertie, but eh… that’s not the same!! Especially when one of my favourite lines in the thing is “Kurt, that’s the one I forgot. God bless Kurt” it’s just not the same with Gertie. But aside from a few minor glitches, the show was a great success. There was a lot of ballet dancing in it and it was really annoying because whenever they were dancing I was playing and I couldn’t see but judging by the applause they got at the end, it was good stuff.
As well as that orchestra, I’m really really glad that I went back to my main orchestra, I’m really enjoying playing in it again, even if the rehearsal time of 10am on a Saturday can be upsetting. This year I’m a flute tutor so I’m having the really weird experience of trying to help other people as well as just managing to play the stuff myself. I’m not particularly good at that side of it at the moment but it’s a great skill to try develop and it’s a good atmosphere to try do it in, where there are lots of other musicians to help out when I’m not sure how to best aid the section and stuff. As a tutor one of the main things I do is run the sectional practice that takes up about half an hour of each rehearsal. Despite being in the orchestra for a seriously long time, I’d only ever had to run them once before, so it’s definitely a challenge doing it every two weeks. Basically I get all of the flutes into a room and attempt to work on the current pieces and see if I can help with anything. I now have a lot more respect for the people who have been doing it for ages and make it look really easy because I hate doing it!!
But in general I’m loving the orchestra and I’m already looking forward to going back in the new year. Even though I’m gonna miss the first day back thanks to a stupid exam, joys of college.
The Christmas tree isn’t quite up yet, but as I’ve heard my favourite christmas song (Stop the Cavalry-Jona Lewie) and seen the coke ad, holidays are definitely coming. It should be good, I love christmas… I also get my sister back from france. Which will be cool for about 5 minutes, and then she’ll probably get annoying.
But yeah.. stuff is good… holidays will be fun. Exams in January less so but I should get through ok… I hope so anyway… gotta learn the periodic table though so that’ll be fun… elements song anybody??
