Leaving

I'm driving to Boston today for a moderately humorous audition tomorrow for Yellow Barn, which I'm 95% sure I won't get into, but I'm trying to be optimistic about it being a "positive performance experience." In other words, I'm bullshitting. I'm also trying not to stress out too much, since being stressed has:
1) Made me lose my appetite and my ability to process food.
2) Made me tired all of the time, even after 8-9 hours of sleep.
3) Made me grumpy.
Hopefully, this weekend will diffuse my stress, or at least 6 hours in a car will do that? We'll see. In other news, I'm happy to see some friends in Boston, like Julia! And spend some time with her roomies, and be immersed in the liberal feminist mormon experience. So yes, this will eventually be a good trip, once I chill the f*ck out. (And why won't Itunes open? I haven't been able to open it for a week, which is unfortunate, and I can't update my phone or listen to Contra, except in the car. Suggestions appreciated.)

Watch out

If you watch this video too carefully, or more than once, you will lose it.

That being said, say to yourself that you're glad you don't do drugs.

Personality Stereotypes on facebook

I saw this funny piece from the LA Times that pretty much summarizes all of my facebook gawking.
In other news, I'm proud to have not used farmville, the ultimate facebook game villain, in 5 weeks, ever since I went to california and only had dial-up internet, making my animated farm null.

Proof the white boy can't dance

I often have major crushes on the indie/alternative/other bands...grizzly bear, decemberists, vampire weekend...but this video is absolute proof that my favorite paul simon stylized band singer (graceland era) simply can't dance like everyone else in this video. And it's kind of a amazing. Here is ezra koening soloing with "The very best" and his vocals sound terrific, but man, he doesn't hold a candle to the band's booty shaking. But I manage to love him anyway, even if he is wearing a plaid shirt over a striped or plaid shirt. Too bad he doesn't wear glasses.

In other news, there's a great quote from pitchfork: ""I just love the Grizzly Bear. That project was great. It sounds like these church cathedral chords-- it's just sick what they're doing."
-- Jay-Z, sounding more and more like somebody's cool grandpa every day. The Grizzly Bear!"
I wish grizzly bear would take the hint and make a super sweet collaboration with THE Jay-z. ok? Because that could be awesome.

Stressed like whoah

I've been stressed...like whoah? since I've gotten back to rochester. I have a ridiculous amount of shit to deal with right now, in terms of auditions and repertoire and concerts and travel and money, and it's all pressing down on me. I also have no idea what I'll be doing next year, and frankly, that scares me...a lot! I have three auditions for "things to do next year" but I don't have time to obsess about any of them in detail, which is rather inconvenient. I also don't know when I'll have time to focus on the New world excerpts on learn Harold in Italy. Aack!!!! I guess part of the problem is that I just don't feel prepared for anything. I know that's not rationally true, but it's damn frustrating. I simply can't play the last movement of the arpeggione sonata amazingly. I don't have the penderecki solidly memorized. I have three weeks. (i guess it could be worse. people do pull their shit together in less time than that, and are simply less prepared than i am.) on the bright side, here's my recording of the loop from the ligeti sonata that i recorded last week.

While I hate doing videos of myself, Bang on a can wanted a video, and i didn't have time to burn a video, since that takes about 45 minutes, so i just put it on youtube and sent them a link. Also, on the bright side, I didn't pass prescreening for Yale or the academy, which is frankly, two less things to truly worry about. I just have a little more room to breathe. Which I need to do.

listening to: the new vampire weekend album

vampires, weekends, horchata

New Vampire weekend album IS awesome. Horchata. Remixes. Bliss. Dancing in my apartment. 'nuff said. This is the only band that can make the sounds of Paul Simon hip again, post-Graceland. Afro-beats, rock instruments, a taste of Animal collective...delicious.

In other news, I've also become addicted to the HBO show, TrueBlood, and have spent the bulk of the last three days watching the first season, which is the only one on DVD. This may be a short-lived obsession, since I don't have access to HBO or the second season. But it's fabulous, and 1000 times better than Twilight. In fact, Twilight is kind of a rip-off of this whole series, and I'm glad the books and author are getting her dues, since these totally pwn the Twilight series.

the weird and the hateful

There were a few golden news articles that i read today of strange hatred, that of greece and haiti.

greece is old, but still...

sad, but true.