inspired by: Fingal's Cave

I am in no way a connoisseur of classical music (like, my roommate, for instance), but I very much enjoy it. It's the type of thing that just has eternal beauty. A few days ago I played in an orchestra concert. I've been in a few different orchestras through the years...the only notable ones being the Music in May ones. Currently, I am enrolled in the BYU University Orchestra...nothing special...basically the "non music major" orchestra. Yeah, I know there are music majors in there...but I say, they don't count. They shouldn't be in that orchestra. Anyone who is planning to major in music at BYU should definitely be in an auditioning orchestra. Period.

Anyway, a couple of days ago, we had our concert. We played "Fingal's Cave" by Felix Mendelssohn. It is absolutely gorgeous. He wrote it after visiting Fingal's Cave off the coast of the British Isles. Our conductor said that Mendelssohn saw the waves, heard the melody, and couldn't get it out of his mind...so he wrote it down. He was 21 when he finished Opus 26...of which "Fingal's Cave" is a part. Outstanding.

The parts are pretty fantastically difficult...especially for someone like myself who is mediocre, at best. None of the basses could actually play all of it...even Richard, my stand partner (who also happens to live in the same apartment complex as I). Richard loves the piece as much as I do. I went to his apartment one night and we just listened to a recording of it three or four times...which is saying something because it's fairly long. There is that moment...that moment that I love. It's so delicate...oh, it's spine-tingling. Also, I can't get over how much it actually sounds like waves lapping against the mouth of a cave. Can you imagine understanding the world musically? To feel things through melodies? It would be amazing.

Fingal's Cave

A list of my favorites:

"Träumerei" - Robert Schumann
"Fingal's Cave" - Felix Mendelssohn
"Jupiter" - Gustav Holst
"Allegretto" (II Movement, VII Symphony) - Ludwig van Beethoven
"Bacchanale" - Camille Saint-Saëns
"Wachet Auf" - Johann Sebastian Bach
"Romeo and Juliet Overture" - Peter Tchaikovsky
"Carmen" - Georges Bizet

Right now I'm too tired to think of more and I've got some homework yet tonight. I will be adding to this list, rest assured. Hopefully, everyone who reads this will post a comment with all of their favorite classical-type music. I always love listening to more, and some lists of favorites would be helpful.

This is the picture that made me want to cry when I saw it.
Thank you britta. I will forever love Oregon.

As britta said, it kinda sums up the Pacific Northwest.

And I love that the Megler is there.

"Everytime you use a piece of paper, an Oregonian dies."

-- Elizabeth

Ode to Garamond

A while ago, I was helping a certain friend edit a certain blog. We were having troubles because apparently the font Copperplate does not transfer between PCs and Macs. PCs call it “Copperplate Gothic” and Macs call it “Copperplate”. After the commotion, I thought, “I use Garamond. Heh.” It was this thought that sparked my thinking of how fabulous this font is.

Garamond.

You are so lovely.
You look great on posters.
You look great anywhere.
You are my IM font.
You are my blog font.
You make my papers look so classy.
You look wonderful all the time...when you're small and when you're large.
You remind me of britta and Jessi.
Your italics are dang awesome.
You transfer between PCs and Macs.
You make my formatting look extra terrific.

and

You have the best numbers of any font, ever.

"Is this a political question?""Well, yes. Everything's political."

Okay, this isn't the post I wanted to write---but I don't know if I'll ever be able to write decently enough to actually get the one I've been thinking of onto this blog.

Instead, I will pose a question that has crossed my mind lately.

The student body elections here at BYU this week sparked these thoughts. However, I intend for this question to apply to national elections and ballots and things. Now, ideally, a person would research each candidtate or issue and vote according to his/her beliefs and ideals. Exclude this as an option. Instead, here are the others to consider:

A. not voting

B. voting the same way that a friend is (political affiliations of this friend being unknown/inconsequential)

C. voting for the candidate who's name you have heard the most

So, what do you think? If those three options were the only ones, which would be the most responsible? Or rather, the least irresponsible?