Somewhere

There's a place out there for us,
more than just a prayer or anything you've ever dreamed of.
So if you feel like giving up cause you don't fit in down here,
fear is crashing in, close your eyes and take my hand.

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.
It's written in the stars that shine above,
a world where you and I belong, where faith and love will keep us strong,
exactly who we are is just enough
there's a place for us, there's a place for us.

When the water meets the sky,
where your heart is free and hope comes back to life,
when these broken hands are whole again,
well will find what we've been waiting for,
we were made for so much more

Uhm, yeah.

Perhaps this is why we blog?

"I find myself astonished at mankind's persistent yet vain attempts to escape the certainty of oblivion; expressed in nothing less than the ancient pyramids and by nothing more than a stick in a child's hand, etching a name into a freshly poured sidewalk.  To leave our mark in the unset concrete of time -- something to say we existed.

Perhaps this us what drives our species to diaries, that some unborn generation may know we once loved, hated, worried, and laughed.  And what is there to this?  Maybe nothing more than poetic gesture, for diaries dies with their authors -- or so I once believed.  I have learned there is more to the exercise.  For as we chronicle our lives and the circumstances that surround them, our perspectives and stretching rationalities, what lies before us is our own reflection.  It is the glance in the mirror that is of value.  These are my words in the matter and I leave it at this -- if we write one book in life, let it be our own autobiography."

- Richard Evans in the prologue to "The Timepiece"

I get email reminders of birthdays.  They come with this phrase, "Would you like to send an e-card to ______"?
Today I got a reminder... it said "Would you like to send an e-card to Dad Mixter?  He will be 89 tomorrow."
Sigh... I wish I could.   So, in lieu of that....

Happy Birthday, Dad!! I miss you!

It's Over, When's the Next One?

After months of practice, culminating with a week of rehearsals and 5 performances, "Bye Bye Birdie" is now over.  This was Mt Whitney High School's first musical in over 25 years.  As tired as I am, and as exhausting as the week leading up to this was, I am sad it's over and eagerly anticipate next year's show... after a bit of a rest.

Worth 1000 words

I was getting some wedding pictures out for an upcoming family reunion.  (I put a few of them on Facebook.)  When I was looking at them again I saw a look in my father's face that just made me miss all the more.  His birthday is coming up next week.  He would be 89.

Books

What I've been reading since Christmas.  I'm almost done with the top one.  I've read the other two.  I'm gonna have to find something else to read pretty soon.

Last week one of the gals in our production of "Bye Bye Birdie" had a cerebral hemorrhage, was put on life support and just passed away this morning.  This is quite a blow to the cast of the show, and to my daughter, who was her dance partner in one of the songs.  Her family is donating her organs... making life possible for a number of other people.  Shaylynn's funeral is Saturday (after a dress rehearsal).  The show will be dedicated to her.

Just a smattering...

As I've said in other posts recently, I am fully engulfed in music right now.  (I mean, more than usual.)
At school there are 6 different choral groups (7 if you count the vocal jazz group) with 3 pieces of music each.  Also at the school is our first ever musical, this year - "Bye Bye Birdie".  We are into full rehearsals now with the show starting in less than two weeks.
Yesterday I spent the day at honor choir rehearsal, (I had the privilege of accompanying some of it!) with a total of 5 choral pieces. 
On Sundays it's hymns, choruses, preludes, offertories, postludes...

I'm thoroughly enjoying all the different types of music in which I am involved.  Here's a smattering:
Honor choir music:
"Dies Irae" - by Zdenek Lukas -  listen to it!  Tough piece!
"Signs of the Judgement" - man is this one fun!   I wish I could sing with them!
"I Am Not Yours" - a poem set to gorgeous music.  The accompaniment is beautiful!
"Nox Arumque" - Eric Whitaker.  This is so hard to learn, but they did well on it yesterday. It's beautiful and dissonant at the same time. 
And -  at school:
"Yo Le Canto" - a bright and very rhythmic latin piece
"Festival Gloria" - In Latin, and multiple time signatures... fun!
"Ave Maria" - by Camille Saint-Saens, a beautiful arrangement of a very familiar text.
"Earth Song" - a cappela, google it!  It's beautiful!
"A Ce Jolie Mois de Mai" - early renaisance French piece
"Wipip!!" - this one is in Creole!  It's fast, rhythmic and really complicated to learn, but fun!  "Wipip!" means "Wow! and talks about how beautiful life is and how someday there will be no more wars, no more guns, but we will all be one people. 
"Sebben Crudele" - traditional Italian art song
"Joshua" - a jazzy arrangement of "Joshua fit the battle of Jericho".
"Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies" - a beautiful ballad sung by our men's choir. This one will make all the women swoon!
"Daemon Irrepit Calidus" - which I think I just posted on here.
"Felices Ter" - Latin, unaccopanied
"Las Amarillas" - a Stephen Hatfiled composition - for 4 part women's choir.  Our advanced women's group is doing this.  It's a fun, fast piece and includes all kinds of "noises" and clapping!
"Allons au Vert Boccage" - French piece for our advanced women's group.

Well, you get the idea.  I didn't mention all of them (partly because I don't have my music in front of me and can't remember them all.). 

This could be why I don't "blog" as much right now.  All this coupled with private piano students after school most days, keeps me kinda busy!  I never know what kind of music I'm going to have going through my head at any given moment.  I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I sure would like to have less going on in my life at times.