Run, Katie, Run!

Celebration Iowa Update
Part One

I guess since I want to tell everybody everything that's happening here (rehearsal camp) the smartest thing to do would be to post updates on my blog. So I think I will. End intro.

I feel like I've been here forever. There's so much crammed into one day that the days last an eternity, and they all blend into each other. I spend a vast majority of the time not knowing what day it is. When I found out that it's only tuesday today i flipped.

We rehearse so much. 8:30am-11:00am, 12:30-4:00pm, 6:30-9:30pm. Of course we get breaks in there...and the jazz band experiences of variety of things such as big band rehearsals, sectionals, individual practice, theory/improve sessions, and listening. I can't imagine the shape our chops would be in if we didn't have those little theory/listening interludes.

In rehearsals back at home I'm used to people telling me that I'm doing a great job. that doesn't happen as much here. It's just because talent isn't an issue. It makes me feel a little insecure, but then my insecurity makes me feel really needy. It's always been really easy for me to get discouraged when I think about the vast world of trumpet playing. There's the stuff which I can do, and I'm pluggin away at it, but then there's a whole world of things I can't do, because I don't have the skills. and those are the things that I need to be a good performer.

at least I did have somewhat of a breakthrough today. It's so easy for me to ignore breathing. To breathe correctly doesn't come naturally so I decided a long time ago to just ignore it. It can't be that important, right? all year this year people have been trying to get me to breathe differently, and today I think I finally understand. It's that trumpet guy from UNI. He came bursting into my practice room, scared me half to death, and then told me to make the inhale and exhale in one fluid motion...and to breathe bigger. So now I have something to practice! :)

Is there a barfing face?
:()<~<

I don't think that works.

this is the most rambling blog I've ever posted. I love it.

so i heard yesturday that my band director, that rascal, is planning a celebration iowa show AT MY SCHOOL. i don't know how other CI people knew this and I didn't, but it made me so incredibly happy.

so, that's where it is. the des moines show, it's at hoover.

...then you will want to see me this summer.

This is a tour schedule that I got off the Celebration Iowa website. When I get more information about the Des Moines show I will post that as well. Take particular note of when the breaks are because that's when I will be home, frantically trying to hang out with friends and family...and do laundry.

2008 Celebration Iowa Schedule
Rehearsal camp at Luther College begins June 7 and ends June 26.
Thursday, June 26th - Luther College (Dress Rehearsal)
Saturday, June 28 - Vinton
Sunday, June 29 - Manchester
Monday, June 30 - Newton
Tuesday, July 1 - Fairfield
Wednesday, July 2 - Solon
Thursday, July 3 - Sheldon
Friday, July 4 - Storm Lake
Tuesday, July 8 - Jefferson
Thursday, July 10 - Pella
Friday, July 11 - Jesup
Sunday, July 13 - Davenport
July 14, 15, 16 & 17 - BREAK
Friday, July 18 - Eldora
Saturday, July 19 - Ottumwa
Sunday, July 20 - Waverly
Monday, July 21 - Oelwein
Tuesday & Wednesday, July 22 & 23 - CD Recording, Luther College
Thursday, July 24 - Nordic Fest, Decorah (Opening Ceremonies)
Friday & Saturday, July 25 & 26- Nordic Fest, Decorah
Sunday, July 27 - Dubuque
July 28, 29 & 30 - BREAK
Thursday, July 31 - Ft. Dodge
Friday, August 1 - Des Moines
Saturday, August 2 - West Branch
Sunday, August 3 - Clear Lake
Monday, August 4 - Cedar Falls
Tuesday, August 5 - Sergeant Bluff
Wednesday, August 6 - Spirit Lake *
* Final Show
Please check back for more additions to our tour.
Thank You!


Also...click here for something nifty.

So there I was
Stuck
Inside a gumball machine
Not knowing why I was in there
Not caring if I ever could get out
I was a happy kid
Not even three years old
There were gumballs
All so brightly colored
And I was happy.

I looked out at the world
And smiled
And laughed
Because my brothers were freaking out
How to get her out?
But I smiled.

I didn't realize it was candy
Until it started to get sticky
Really sticky
I put one in my mouth
I was not used
To the consistency
They'd never let me have gum
before
So I started choking on it
I wasn't even three yet.

Luckily I did not stay
In the gumball machine
Forever.

I was recently involved in an epic game of chess. I really like chess and it was a lot of fun. Especially since I was playing with someone who didn’t know any more about chess than I did.

Chess is a game about strategy. My problem with it is that I can’t think ahead. I can’t visualize all the possible moves that my opponent or I could make in the turns ahead. I see the small picture. It’s hard to form a strategy when you’re focused on moving one piece at a time.

In this particular game that I was playing, there were several people watching. Several people that are much better at chess than I am. They CAN see the big picture. They CAN see the best moves to make. The big thing is that these chess-savvy people can think just a few turns ahead, so they can see what the best moves will be in the future. This is why they are good at chess and I am not.

These chess-savvies ended up giving a lot of advice throughout the game. Unfortunately, most of it was directed at my opponent, but every once in a while someone would tell me what to do.

Throughout the game I was exercising free will. There were people telling me what to do, but I had the choice to listen to them or not. Of course the smart thing to do is to listen to them. Why? Why not make my own choices? Because THEY are the ones that can think ahead. They can see what will be good for me in the long run. It’s my choice to trust the experts.

It’s kind of like God (parrick, isn’t that your line?). We, as people on earth, are like me in the chess game. We usually can’t see very much outside of ourselves. And we definitely don’t know what will happen in the future, so we really are clueless as to what choices to make. God is like the chess-expert. He invented the game and he knows it so well that he knows every move that could or ever will be played.

So, when God tells us to do something, it’s probably a really good idea to go ahead and do it, even if it doesn’t make sense to us. He can see the big picture and we can’t, and you know that he only wants what is best for us. However, sometimes we ignore what God tells us to do, or we’re simply not listening for it. Maybe it’s because we think we know what’s best for us, or maybe it’s just because we like to make our own choices. Sometimes we make the WRONG choice, and it turns out really bad for us.

So, wait a minute. If God loves us so much, then why does he let us make those wrong choices? Why doesn’t he just MAKE us do what’s best for us? Because then we wouldn’t have free will, would we? I think it’s cool that he allows us the option of choosing whether or not to listen to him. I’m sure that it hurts him to see the people he loves hurting because of the bad decisions they make, but it’s better than a bunch of robots just doing whatever he says without thinking about it.

We have free will.

Near the very end of the chess game, it was as if I wasn’t even playing anymore. In fact, I just let one of those Chess-savvies take over for me. I wasn’t even paying attention to the game anymore.

So this is my question:

Since that person made all my moves for the rest of the game without me even looking on, did I still have my chess free will? After all, it was MY CHOICE to let him play for me.

At what point does free will crumble?