Reflections, Pt. 3

The bane of my college existence: Music Theory. It was Payneful to say the least. My one consolation was the sympathy of former theory-takers along with that of my classmates. Of course there were the one or two geniuses that loved it (unnatural beings!), but most of us came out groaning together over the counterpoint and the tritones and the way we had "RAISE THE 7TH!" scrawled over every single homework sheet.

But we bond through the hard times.  In fact, musicians are the most closely bonded "tribe" I've seen out of all the other majors. It's a lonely business, spending hours upon hours in those practice rooms, trying not to go insane from those little black dots on the wall that feel like they're taunting your every move.

In fact, I think most of us did go insane. "Music people are just strange," my piano teacher told me one day. Then she paused, thought for a moment, and amended, "Actually, music people are the only normal ones. That's why nobody understands us."

I love our insanity.

Another treat for this homeschooler was playing in ensembles. While I'd played duets with my sisters and students before, now I was able to be a part of an amazing trio... and toward the beginning of the semester, all eight or nine of us gathered together in the keyboard lab and played a piece made especially for an orchestra of pianos! It was incredible... I've never experienced anything quite like it. It just astounded me, the way so many simple layers could come together and create something so complex. And then it was such a delight to be able to accompany my roommate's talented flute performance... at home, I seldom was able to play with other instruments, so that was a neat experience!

 And in the end... seems like every backache from sitting too long at the piano, every headache from squinting at rows of noteheads, every bout of stage fright, every upset stomach before a test, every all-nighter on account of mountainous quantities of theory homework ... it was all worth it.

Of course there's always that feeling of incredible satisfaction after a conquered recital or at the end of a weary, theory-filled semester, but even beyond that, I get to spend time with the handful of people that share my passion. What better way to spend my schooldays than up to my ears in all things musical?

 

Reflections, Pt. 2

After Orientation, classes finally started. My days began to fill up more quickly than I'd bargained for... homework started piling up...  and suddenly quizzes started popping out of nowhere... I started to realize just how BIG a thing I'd gotten myself into!

But, looking back... I still really had no idea.

 

My little circle of friends began to broaden... and I discovered that I had a decidedly frustrating incapability to remember people's names! So I started out with the ones I lived with. An early bonding experience I remember was hastening to the CVS on a Sunday afternoon with my roommate and our neighbor, Nicati. In the pouring rain.

 

I love adventures like this. Nothing brings folks together like a good soaking!

 

I also found a church family pretty early on, placing membership in an average-sized church at Antioch. They welcomed me and many other "college kids" with open arms. Settling down meant more new names to memorize, but they all did such a good job of remembering all of ours that it was a shame not to reciprocate the effort! Of all the congregations, this one felt the most like home, and it was such a blessing to me throughout the entire school year.

 

 

 

 

 Schoolwork marched ever on. I remember all too well several occasions when I called home in tears because I thought I was failing my classes... my plain-and-simple, write-it-down homeschooler brain didn't understand the fancy online grading method very well. That same brain was also trying to process the whole semi-new concept of deadlines. My days grew fuller every week, and I began to burn the midnight oil. Not one single night during the entire school year did I go to bed before eleven, and even that occurred only a few times. At first I enjoyed the independence of going to sleep whenever I wanted to... but as I soon discovered, "want to sleep" and even "need to sleep" didn't make a speck of difference when there was work to be done. But I wasn't the only one pulling all-nighters, and company made the task a sight easier.

 

 

  

Reflections

Last August, I had no idea what the following year would hold.

I sat here in this very spot in my room, eying the boxes lined up against the wall, each with its contents carefully labeled. I let my gaze travel over the room I had grown up in... memories flickering through my mind's eye. I knew in those moments that a chapter of my life was coming to a close, and that a new one was about to begin. What exactly it would contain I could only guess at, and my imagination was filled with dreams and ambitions for my very first year of college. I remember the nervous excitement, the doubts and the fears, but most of all I remember feeling ready.

I'll never forget that last night before I left for school. We were staying at the Casebolts', and all the other girls were already long since asleep as I lay there staring at the ceiling. Worrying. Wondering. Praying.

And so, the curtain closed. My life was about to change, and I knew I would never be the same.

The next morning, I was the first one awake. I gathered my things together as quietly as I could, then helped my dad carry all the suitcases and boxes out to the van. When we got to the college, time suddenly jumped into hyperspeed. Those first few minutes are a blur of memories... rain soaking the ground, someone offering to help carry boxes, my dad and me walking into Sutton. I received my key at the door... and headed down to the basement.

 

I remember the moment as I stepped into my room for the first time. I looked around me... and a whirlwind of emotions swept over me. It's small. It's dark. It's dirty. And yet, somehow even then I knew...

... this could be home. Many hours were spent unpacking, organizing, and decorating our little room. Sharon arrived mid-afternoon, and it was all a bit chaotic as many helping hands tried to work in such a small space. But by night, a sense of order was finally realized, and my new roommate and I fell gratefully into our new beds at. It was 11pm, and FC: Day One was tackled.

The next day was Sunday. It was the day I began to connect the names with the faces of my new cellar-dwelling friends. Ekioma and Amanda at the end, Ruth Ann and Nicati, Rebekah and Stefanie, Hannah, Ariel and Audrey, and our suitemate, Elizabeth. It seemed overwhelming, and I wondered how I would fit in with all these girls who already seemed so well-settled in our new home.

But then again, there was that one girl that seemed to like wearing various odd accessories such as suitcase straps....

I relaxed a little. Perhaps we'd all get along after all.

Orientation began, and I attended long, dry sessions one after the next, same as the other freshmen. With each session that passed, I became more at ease in my new surroundings. Learning about what I was getting myself into was scary, but also relieving. Now my questions finally had answers. I felt more like a collegian now, shouldering all the new responsibilities. There were places to go, people to see, and a strict schedule to follow. I could do that. And it felt good. Strange, but good.

(To be continued....)