Vivace

So today started in an--intersting fashion.

It was roughly two am in the morning. Now I'm not really one of those people who wake up and are functional in the middle of the night, so I groggily rolled around, and ended up knocking my Ipod onto the floor. I grappled for it in the dark, somehow managing to wrap the cord around the leg of my nightstand.
Yes I know, I have talent.
While fussing and stuggling with this chord, I manage to knock over the cup of water I had on my endtable and fritz out my alarm clock. Needless to say, I need to buy a new one. This one kind of buzzes whenever you plug it in now, not to mention the fact that the numbers aren't really displaying themselves properly. And I've never seen a clock tell the time, E, but this unique feature can be yours if only you pour a good two hundred and fifty mililitres of water into the top of your alarm clock.


Vivace: lively, vivid, usually corresponding to a quick tempo.

That's how my day started, and that's the word that's been bouncing around in my head all day with regards to the incident this morning. It certainly was lively, for two in the morning that is.

The rest of my day was relatively uneventful. I did a lot of prep for an exam that I have coming up, but I'm feeling pretty solid about it. When I think about it too hard, my stomach flutters up into my chest, and that doesn't seem normal, so I try not to think about it. I've got this. I prayed about this, God's got my back.

Me and my sister prayed a prayer we knew was kind of ridiculous, that God would give us a hundred percent on all of the tests we have from here until forever. It was kind of a joke, but also kind of a prayer based around the fact that God gives to those who ask. Even those who ask crazy things. I did get a hundred percent on my last final exam, so--take from that what you will.

I know I'm a little all over the place right now, but I felt the need to mention that I'm currently listening to Gustav Holst's First Suite in E Flat. (I actually switched to the final segment of William Tell Overture after writing that. And yes, I'm aware that I'm a little bit self centred when it comes to music. I like stuff that blares the trumpet.)

 I'm fairly sure the reason I want to listen to this kind of music is that I'm writing on a music blog. (Perhaps it's a stretch to call it that, but I feel very musically inclined when I write on my blog.)

I love music that's written and/or performed by concert band. It makes me feel all nostalgic, and cultured. I'm telling you, if you don't make a habit of listening to concert band, try it sometime. It just makes you feel smarter.   

And now I'm listening to The Middle by Jimmy Eat World.

I don't really have a specific genre of music that I make a habit of listening to. I'm not sure if that's apparent or not.

On another, unrelated topic, a woman from my church may be dropping off her trumpet here tomorrow. She's giving it to me, which is so increadibly amazing. I was looking for a used one so that I could have one, without spending too much money on it. The cheapest I could find was a Besson, for two hundred and fifty dollars. Very cool that I'm getting one for free instead! I'm so grateful, and I'll probably end up playing a bit tomorrow if she drops it off. I might even whip out First Suite. Thing is, I actually have to stop studying for a moment if I want to do that. Not sure if that'll happen or not. Regardless.

My first trumpet was a rental from school. Well--the only first trumpet that mattered. I named it Leonitus, and we didn't get along very well. I was admant that I did not want to play the trumpet (even though I picked it as my instrument) and I kept trying to convince my band teacher to let me switch onto a different instrument. A reed instrument perhaps.

He wouldn't go for it.

I happened to be the only trumpet in the band. But at least he could let me switch onto second trumpet, because I couldn't get past a mid-range C, right?

He wouldn't let me do that either.

I'm indebted to my conductor, because he pushed me to do something I didn't think I could do. He pushed me to play the trumpet, to play first trumpet, and to take every solo with confidence. He never let me back down, and now I'm absolutely in love with my instrument.

While me and Leonitus fought, tooth and nail, and he tried to resist being tamed, we managed to come to an agreement by the end of the year. I could press his buttons, and sometimes he would do what I wanted, and sometimes he wouldn't.

It worked.

My second trumpet was another rental. Brand new, right out of the package. His name was Gabriel. I opened him up in all of his glory, and we got along great. I hit the high C for the first time ever on Gabriel.

And now I'm getting a new trumpet. Well--new to me. What will he be named? What will he* be like? I don't know, but I'm excited to find out!

*I don't know why, but all of my trumpets are guys. It just doesn't make sense to have a female trumpet (but female trumpet PLAYERS, now there's a different matter altogether.)

Thanks for reading, I hope your vivace is a bit more of a pleasant experience.

-Trumpet Player