If you need a little something to lift your mood and make you smile like the Cheshire Cat, watch this video.
h/t My French teacher
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Confession
"Oooooh" said the priest disapprovingly as I confessed my first sin. Taken slightly aback (it wasn't murder, after all), I continued, explaining that my sins were inward, in my thoughts, as opposed to outward. Not that it matters. Sin is sin.
As I reflected on his reaction to my confession, I realized how refreshing it was. Sin is ugly. It's not something to be stroked and smoothed over, like fur on a fluffy cat. Most confessors strive to make us feel better about ourselves. We're really not that bad, so we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves. Jesus loves us just as we are! (insert smiley face, unicorns, and rainbows here)
Instead, let us be faced with sin as it is- something dreadful, horrible. We hurt ourselves, the people around us, and the universal church as we wallow in our filth.
So let's just stop doing it, okay?
If only it were that easy.
As I reflected on his reaction to my confession, I realized how refreshing it was. Sin is ugly. It's not something to be stroked and smoothed over, like fur on a fluffy cat. Most confessors strive to make us feel better about ourselves. We're really not that bad, so we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves. Jesus loves us just as we are! (insert smiley face, unicorns, and rainbows here)
Instead, let us be faced with sin as it is- something dreadful, horrible. We hurt ourselves, the people around us, and the universal church as we wallow in our filth.
So let's just stop doing it, okay?
If only it were that easy.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Now I can relax
Just kidding.
My official Senior Recital went very well; in fact, Organ Teacher told me it was my best performance of the Widor that he'd heard (and it was.) I had no derailments on the Bach fugue, which was the one piece I was even a little concerned about. The dead acoustics of the venue meant that every mistake would be noticed (by me, anyway), so I practiced meticulously. The recording is not yet available in the library, but I'm looking forward to hearing it when it comes out. (Nota bene: I've never listened to my Junior Recital. Even though it went fine, I couldn't bring myself to do it.)
The second recital presentation, on a large organ in a large church, also went just fine, although I didn't play nearly as well as before. Happily, the acoustics hid most of my mistakes. I was so tired, and my thoughts as I played the first page of my first piece went something like this:
I was not prepared for my appreciative audience. In the university town, there are so many performances by so many people that it's considered nothing special. Although, to be fair, when fellow students hear an organ concert for the first time, they are really blown away since most of them have only heard bad church organists.
Anyway, a reception was held afterwards, and when I entered the room (I was the last to arrive because I'd been greeting audience members) everyone started applauding. I was not prepared for the celebrity treatment. What a strange sensation. My organ teacher made a comment about my "adoring public." This particular city has an active arts scene, but I don't believe they have a lot of solo artists coming around, which may explain the phenomenon.
The plan is to repeat the recital one more time over academic Spring Break, but for now it's back to the regular grind of classwork, AGO work (a party is coming up in a week and a half YIKES), preparing an organ piece to accompany the university choral group at the quarterly concert, singing at a concert this weekend (with another traveling choral group), and cooking, cleaning, ironing, and trying to be a decent wife and mother.
My official Senior Recital went very well; in fact, Organ Teacher told me it was my best performance of the Widor that he'd heard (and it was.) I had no derailments on the Bach fugue, which was the one piece I was even a little concerned about. The dead acoustics of the venue meant that every mistake would be noticed (by me, anyway), so I practiced meticulously. The recording is not yet available in the library, but I'm looking forward to hearing it when it comes out. (Nota bene: I've never listened to my Junior Recital. Even though it went fine, I couldn't bring myself to do it.)
The second recital presentation, on a large organ in a large church, also went just fine, although I didn't play nearly as well as before. Happily, the acoustics hid most of my mistakes. I was so tired, and my thoughts as I played the first page of my first piece went something like this:
I really just want to go to sleep. If I stopped and lay down it would look pretty bad. Stop it! You'd better play well! Your parents are here. All these people came to hear you. You've got an entire hour of music ahead of you so you'd better shape up right now. Focus your eyes! Am I really going to sing the Ave Maris Stella verses? I can't! My heart is beating too fast and I'll sound terrible. But I have to!.......etc...............
I was not prepared for my appreciative audience. In the university town, there are so many performances by so many people that it's considered nothing special. Although, to be fair, when fellow students hear an organ concert for the first time, they are really blown away since most of them have only heard bad church organists.
Anyway, a reception was held afterwards, and when I entered the room (I was the last to arrive because I'd been greeting audience members) everyone started applauding. I was not prepared for the celebrity treatment. What a strange sensation. My organ teacher made a comment about my "adoring public." This particular city has an active arts scene, but I don't believe they have a lot of solo artists coming around, which may explain the phenomenon.
The plan is to repeat the recital one more time over academic Spring Break, but for now it's back to the regular grind of classwork, AGO work (a party is coming up in a week and a half YIKES), preparing an organ piece to accompany the university choral group at the quarterly concert, singing at a concert this weekend (with another traveling choral group), and cooking, cleaning, ironing, and trying to be a decent wife and mother.
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