Local finds and fun times

     Today has been a productive and fun day. I had an audition for a choral position at a church and it went rather well I think. I would be terribly excited to get the job simply because I miss being in a choir and they sing lots of early music. Yay Latin!
     After  my audition I walked two blocks down from the church to a small coffee shop. I think I shall start mentioning local finds here in Lincoln, and this cafe will be the first. It is called Mo Java Cafe. If you are in Lincoln and haven't been there, I suggest you go. Take 48th to St. Paul st. and turn east (away from Wesleyan University). There is even off the street parking right next to it. The atmosphere in the shop is lovely. The people are friendly and the coffee is divine. I got their German Chocolate drink - Mocha with coconut and hazelnut added. It tasted so much like a German chocolate cake I was afraid I would inhale coconut shavings. I sat in a really neat comfy chair by the window, stared at their books and games and was more relaxed than I have been in a long time. They also sell teas, deli foods and deserts, and work by local artists. Today I saw some nice jewelry, beautiful ceramic mugs and plants potted in Japanese tea pots. I think I will be returning to that place quite frequently.
     For my evening activity I will be going to a silversmithing class. This should fun... or painful if I do something stupid and burn myself. I'll let you know how it goes.

Snow

     I really do not have much to say at the moment. I never do when I actually have the time to blog. It has snowed a considerable amount here, classes have been canceled today and tomorrow, there are a few things I need to go out for but the snow is a lovely excuse to stay home and get things done. My biggest regret is that I don't have a sled with me... and that there are no real hills around, but other than that I am perfectly content to have a snow day. I wouldn't mind a snow week actually.
     Lately I have needed time to think and have found none. My current route of study has not been very satisfying. I feel none of the passion that others around me talk about. Instead I would much rather be at home, pouring over some ancient history book, or some mythology of a tiny country, or studying a language long dead. I cannot for the life of me figure out why I stayed away from studying such things in school, and why I am still not seeking those things out now. I know that philosophy is a terribly important thing, but only because it is the ducktape of studies. It holds the universe together. I have felt none of that cohesiveness lately though. I have decided that this semester I will throw myself into studying with reckless abandon, make connections and see if I can salvage things a bit. If I cannot, then I will try to find where it is I really should be right now and get there with all due haste.
     In the meantime I will endeavor to discuss happier topics here. Such as: On the dangers of being a wunderkind, or, How to be a writer, or perhaps, How not to be a boring writer, or better still, How to live life and get all of the answers... but seriously, I will try to keep this blog a bit happier. I make no promises though.

My dog smells like grape, and other things I never want to forget.

     Hello all. It has been awhile since I last posted here and while much has happened, very little is noteworthy. A few things that are: I won the baronial bardic championship (an SCA thing), I sort of learned how to make cups out of leather and they actually are leak proof,  I was chased home for Christmas by a snowstorm, I realized that starting a monopoly game with a Jewish accounting major late at night is not the wisest idea if one wants to sleep ever, I will never be sure why my dog smells like grape candy but I like it. I'm sure I've forgotten something but, oh well.
     Since it is a new year I'm sure I should have made some sort of new year's resolution - finish my book, finally get in shape, plan out my future, go to Albania... something like that, but no. I have decided not to have dozens of broken promises littering my mind in this new year. Instead I will begin this year by accomplishing small goals. I will do the things I always should anyway, I will become more disciplined without being ridiculous and getting burnt out. I think things will be better that way.
     So, one of my small steps is to get exercise equipment that I will actually want to use. In other words, I got games that make me more active. PS2 has some great games I'm looking into, Nintendo DS also has one in particular that I'm trying called "My Health Coach". I'll let you know if anything is particularly good or bad once I've had time to play around a bit.
     And now it is time for me to make my exit once again, because I should really sleep at some point this year.

The boys who didn't cry wolf... or much of anything at all really.

     I have a backlog of things I should post about, especially since this is me attempting to keep in touch with old friends, but I have been thinking about one thing in particular all day today.
     You know when people scream in stores or parking lots and no one pays attention? I think ignoring such cries is ridiculous. From a very young age our parents and other authority figures tell us that yelling is the way to get attention if kidnapped, threatened, hurt, or other wise endangered. It took me a long time to understand what has dulled us as a society to plaintive cries for help and the answer presented itself to me in the form of a childhood story - The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
     Most, if not all, know this story. A boy from a village cries "wolf" and people come running to protect him. He is told not to cry for help unless help is really needed. He cries "wolf" again. There is once again no wolf. This goes on long enough that when there really is a wolf no one answers his cry. The boy dies. The moral of this story is supposed to be "don't lie", (well, that's not the Aesop version of the moral, but you get the idea) but I think the moral of this story should be "don't yell like something is wrong when everything is perfectly fine".
     I do not care how much fun it might be to run through a department store yelling for help like someone is chasing you with horrid intentions. Such actions make people less likely to pay attention when something truly sinister is occurring. Think about how little time people have to scream when being abducted. They might have time for one full scream of the word "help"... maybe. They might not have time to say the entire word. Would you notice? I think that on most days I would just continue on with life, probably a little ticked off that someone was yelling. Last week was different. I went to work and began my daily, never ending task when suddenly I was tuned in to every scream in the store.
     I still am uncertain why my senses were so heightened. Every time some little kid or frat boy yelled I was scared for them and almost ran in their direction. Every time the yell was only in play, and every time I tried to listen a little less.
     Towards the end of my shift I was standing behind the counter helping a customer when two little boys ran up and one said "Can you help us find-" and ran off. I figured their parents had sent them to look for something and he had seen it while he was asking. It would not have been the first time. Little kids are way better at finding things in retail stores. I kept working but something was nagging at me. A few minutes later the boys came back. I noticed that the youngest one looked scared. The older one was probably only five or six but he marched up to the counter again and said "We're lost. Can you help us find who we're with?"
    I think my mouth actually fell open. I thought 'Why haven't their parents told someone they were missing? Why did they pick me? Why did they run away the first time? What the heck am I supposed to do now?' and a lot of other things all at once. I told the boy that of course I would help him and at this point a woman marched up and asked me to do a price check for her... I mean, seriously? This one kid is crying, there is obviously no adult, I'm trying to help them and you stop me to ask how much something with a price label costs... ugh. I told her where she could find a scanner and went back to more important matters.
     It turned out that the boys had not come with their parents but a baby sitter - whose name they did not remember. I radioed for help and took the boys up to front of the store. No response on the radio. No one to help when I got to the front of the store. This is about the time the youngest one starting saying that he just wanted to "get out". He ran for the door. I followed. Because I was carrying a store radio the alarms went off. Of course people tried to stop me even though they clearly saw the little kids running without parents. Grr. I tried to explain and told them I was going right back into the store and as soon as this was all sorted they could do whatever they liked with me. They still tried to stop me. I finally got the kid to come back. His older brother was actually very helpful in talking him back into the store. We went back to the front of the store and I finally got some help, and the youngest child ran again. Again I had to deal with the alarms. The people trying to stop me were more forceful and the kid actually got into the parking lot this time. I was upset, but somehow the kid decided to come back before he was run over.
     As I brought him back to where his brother was waiting with my help their babysitter was rounding the corner as well. It was all over in probably fifteen or twenty minutes but I was relieved to be done with it. I kept wondering if I would have paid any attention to those kids on a different day when I was dulled to the world a little. I kept thinking of all of the horrible things that could have happened. Could still happen to other little kids. It drove me a little nuts.
     Anyway, all this to say - next time someone yells, pay attention. If they are in trouble, help. If they are in no danger, tell them the story of the boy who cried wolf.

Research in Music

I have decided to post here my documentation for an upcoming competition to see what my music friends think of it and whether or not it is stupid. Please do not copy, steal, cut, paste, sniff, or otherwise plagiarize it.

Written by John Dowland, In Darkness Let Me Dwell was originally published in a book entitled Musicall Banquet. Dowland contributed three songs to this book (including the one I have endeavored to study), which was a compilation put together by his son Robert. The book was originally published in 1610, though the song I chose was written several years before.

I. About the composer:

            John Dowland was likely born in the year 1563 as indicated by his introduction in A Pilgrim’s Solace and Varietie of Lute-Lessons. Though his birth place is debated he spent the majority of his life either in England or continental Europe. A talented singer, lutenist, and performer he was a prolific composer and held several court appointments. He received a Bachelors of Music from two colleges, Christ Church, Oxford in 1588 and the other most likely from Cambridge (though some argue his second degree came from Trinity College in Dublin). He does not speak of his parentage or childhood in depth, but in reference to his musical development he writes “from my childhood I haue euer aymed at [it], sundry times leauing my native country, the better to attain so excellent a science”[1]

            In 1580, Dowland went to Paris as a servant for Sir Henry Cobham, possibly to further his musical studies, and while there was converted from a Protestant to Catholic faith. He later came to believe that this conversion was a hindrance to his career because of his inability to receive an English court appointment until very late in life. While he believed this lack of appointment was caused by his religious affiliation, the idea may not be well founded. This is evidenced by the public declaration issued in 1571 by Queen Elizabeth letting her citizens know that as long as they did not break the law she had no intention of bothering them about their religion. Whatever the reason for his rejection, Dowland continued to seek out appointments in other courts until he was finally accepted to the court in England. His major works The First, Second, and Third Booke of Songes or Ayres were published in 1597, 1600, and 1603 respectively, followed by A Pilgrim’s Solace in 1612.

II. About the piece and its performance:

I am using an edited, modern score with the lute tablature transcribed for keyboard instruments. Generally, the vocal line of this piece would be accompanied by the lute, but as I neither play the lute nor know anyone who does, I am accompanying myself on a small lever harp. This change in instruments will lead to a different sound in the accompaniment because of the difference in resonant qualities as well as tones created by different string fibers. Typically lute strings were made of animal intestine while my harp is currently strung with nylon. The sound of the nylon strings is brighter than gut would have been, but as gut is harder to keep in tune because of sensitivities to temperature and humidity (not to mention the expense and time) I have not changed my strings for this performance. However, I have changed, by moving up an octave, or simply left out several notes because of my harp’s lack in the lower register.

When deciding how to sing the piece I found that general practice of the time was to use a straight tone with little vibrato. The purpose of singing was to convey the meaning of the piece in every aspect of the song it. The words must be clear and the dynamics and tone must convey the correct emotion and not interfere with it. In a book which Dowland translated there are “ten precepts necessary for every singer”[2] of these number three states: “Let every singer conform his voice to the words, that as much as he can he make the Concent sad when the words are sad: and merry when they are merry.”[3] Using this as a guideline I have attempted to fit my voice to the mood of grief found within the poetry of the song.

 ____

(End notes (because I couldn't transfer the page breaks) are below the Bibliography)
 ____

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Dowland, John. Andreas Ornithoparcus His Micrologus, or Introduction: Containing the Art of Singing. (London, 1609). Quoted in MacClintock. Readings in the History of Music in Performance. Indiana University Press, 1994.

Dowland, John. In Darkness Let Me Dwell. Edited by Edmund H. Fellows. Revised by David Scott. London: Stainer and Bell Ltd., 1997.

Dowland, John. The First Booke of Songes or Ayres. 1597. Quoted in Poulton, Diana. John Dowland. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982.

Elliott, Martha. Singing in Style: A Guide to Vocal Performance Practices. Yale University Press, 2008.

Erber, James. “Preface.” In John Dowland Fifty Songs for High Voice Book 2, 2. London: Stainer and Bell Ltd., 1997.

Kimball, Carol. Song: a guide to art song style and literature. Hal Leonard Company, 2006

Nadal, David. Lute Songs of John Dowland: The Original First and Second Books Including Dowland’s Original Lute Tablature. Dover Publications, 1997.

Poulton, Diana. John Dowland. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982.

---

[1] John Dowland, The First Booke of Songes or Ayres, 1597 Quoted in Diana Poulton, John Dowland (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982), 26.

[2] John Dowland, Andreas Ornithoparcus His Micrologus, or Introduction: Containing the Art of Singing (London, 1609), quoted in MacClintock, Readings in the History of Music in Performace, (Indiana University Press), 160.

[3] Ibid.

Let's do the time warp again

     Tonight my boyfriend took me to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show, at midnight, in a tiny sweltering theater. Luckily the audience wasn't wearing much so heat didn't bother them. I had always wanted to go to one of these showings but I always found an excuse not to. When we arrived the line was down the block. The man at the door yelled down the ticket line "remember, this movie is rated R but the audience is rated X so if you're easily offended don't go in." How could I turn away?
     It was the first time either of us had seen the movie in theaters but we lied through our teeth at the door (on my uncle's sound advice) and waved a few props as proof of our veteran status (though I hadn't the foggiest what to do with them yet.) We escaped the lipstick V's on our foreheads which marked the "virgins", and received the lovely lip-print stamp shown below. I felt like a spy. I still feel as though I missed out on part of the experience because we lied though, nothing bad happened to the virgins anyway.
     We sat down in the back row, the old seats creaked and mine actually almost slid off of the frame (I had to keep readjusting it). The velvet covering was worn out but clean, and I felt like I had stepped into an old timey western theatre, especially since there were girls in garters, wrapped in boas, and wearing feathers in their hair. As the ushers (really just people who loved the movie so much that they were helping the virgins to know what to do) were explaining in a dirty manner that watching the movie at home did not count, one guy asked if seeing the songs on Glee did... and things were promptly thrown at him.
     The movie began wonderfully, there was a fight between the front and back row, people got in front of the screen to be killed by random objects, angels did dirty things and we played 'red light, green light' in a cemetery. Also, I had rice thrown down my shirt.

     On a side note - if you haven't guessed by now this show is heavy on the audience participation.My favorite was this: At some point one character waves a candelabra at another and the audience yells "You WILL celebrate Hanuka!" If you want to learn more about that part of it google audience response and props. It's a good idea to do it before you go, we would have gotten wet, possibly soaked if not for that. Also, there is a slight chance that you will get soaked anyway. Don't say I didn't warn you. (Now you're curious enough to go aren't you? Well, except for you. Yes, you. I see you frowning at the screen.)

     Anyway, We danced the time warp, but I got embarrassed and probably looked more idiotic because no one else in the back was dancing - all of the loud and fun people had gone up in front of the screen and taken off most of their clothing in order to dance more freely. They came back though... and after what I've been through tonight I really want to make a joke there....

     Somehow I knew that we would see someone we knew and within seconds of entering the theater (I'm not exaggerating) we saw someone we considered to be very prim and proper from one of our social circles. Later in the show she went in front of the screen and made our night awkward and amazing all at once. Sadly, we didn't say hi.

     I do not think that going to a movie has ever been so fun. There were so many nerdy and dirty references that most people would never understand or care to. I understand the sentiment I suppose... wait, no I don't. Going to this show was like entering a special club that everyone secretly wants to be in but most would not dare to enter for fear of someone else's opinion. To my someone else's I say - sorry, but I will remember this night forever, will you even remember what you were doing by next week?

     So to sum up - find that small theater in your town (or if you're near me come next Saturday or Sunday at midnight), get some props, learn a couple audience responses and then go and yell at a screen with a bunch of half naked people for a couple of hours. You'd be surprised how fun it is. Also, don't forget your newspapers.

Rocky Horror lip prints

Mmmwah!

A general update on life

     So reader(s), my life has been insane lately. I have started work in retail (joy) and find it... average I guess. It is certainly nice to have an income but there are certain kinks in my scheduling abilities now. When I have to work over time usually used for friends I feel guilty, when I need time off for school I feel guilty, I have no idea how to strike a balance between the two. Then again, this is only my second week of work so I probably need some time to adjust. Moving on to more interesting things...

Wasabi Sushi Roll

       I was able to go to Omaha with a few friends this past Sunday and while I did not accomplish my goal of finding winter clothes I did find an amazing all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. If you are ever in Omaha look up Wasabi, it is amazing. I was not expecting the great service and ambiance that my friends and I received. The food is made to order off of their rather large menu (which has not only sushi but the usual appetizers and fried meal items one might expect from a Japanese restaurant) and the waitress just kept bringing food until we asked for the check. The only disappointment was that they were out of the green tea ice-cream I was hoping to try. Also on my trip I picked up a great notebook with a beautiful picture of cherry-blossoms on the cover... even if the colors are a little odd. I may post a picture of it later.

     The reason I am currently awake is the coffee I had tonight. I ate at a Greek restaurant here in Lincoln and noticed that their coffee menu included "Greek Coffee". I obviously had to see what this meant and when I ordered desert (a Mediterranean cannoli) I ordered Greek coffee to go with it. The waiter brought a delicate espresso cup to the table and warned me that it was a Turkish style brew and there would be grounds in the bottom which I should not drink. I was concerned about this, how would I avoid drinking them? After the first sip I was no linger concerned. I closed my eyes and experience coffee bliss. This stuff was better than anything I have ever had before. It was sweet and spicy at the same time and was perfectly smooth. When I reached the bottom of the cup I understood why the coffee grounds had not been disturbed by my drinking. The bottom of the cup was covered in a half inch thick sludge. While I had always been hesitant to try this kind of coffee because of said sludge I now understand why Turkish women are allowed to divorce their husbands if not given their daily allowance of coffee and chocolate. I am still wired from that tiny amount of liquid.
     I have no picture for this paragraph and it is not about food, sorry if you are disappointed. Tonight I shot a crossbow for the first time ever. It was rather fun. A friend at the archery range brought his and offered to let people try it out. I still prefer my re-curve but if I ever needed to have better aim for some reason (zombie apocalypse with no guns?) I might switch to a crossbow. I may not have mentioned, but on Wednesday I generally practice archery with people from the SCA. I am new to the society but it intrigues me. I hope to continue "playing" in it for a long while to come. A friend from the SCA has put the idea in my head to write a short piece on what it's like to be a newcomer for the barony's monthly newsletter. Hopefully I will get around to that soon. I will post it here as soon as I am finished to see if anyone has any feedback.
     For now I will attempt sleep and try not to jump on the bed on like the little kid in me wants to.