La Dolce Vita

Once again, fall is in full swing, and as I'm sure I gushed over the season last fall in my blog, I will do it once again. Fall kicks ass. It makes everything wonderful. It gives me an energy and momentum I don't feel any other time of year. Fall is electric, nostalgic and beautiful. The sky is never so blue any other time of year. Fall smells good. Really really good.

As far as the momentum mentioned in the last paragraph, I'm kicking ass at life. I always sat here in front of the computer, contemplating how to get my wheels moving, how to get my life started. How to get my ass in the practice rooms, achieve a high level of playing on my horn, make a demo cd, take auditions, ask people to hook me up for playing opportunities, land a steady job for much needed extra cash, organize all my crap, schedule my day, balance my checkbook. It's all happening, as a part of growing up.

Don't get me wrong, CCM still stares me straight in the face every morning and asks if this is really what I want to do with my life. And some days I still quake in fear and tell myself I don't really know. But I've gotten halfway through, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I might as well run with it after all the work I've already put in. College shouldn't be any other way.

My recording date is set for two weeks from now. Even closer, the Clayton brothers are coming on Friday. I'm very excited to play for them. Although being in the basement of CCM for two days straight will be a bummer with the nice fall weather (no sunlight for us jazz majors, just fluorescent lighting and recycled air in the basement).

Last Friday Trent dragged me kicking and screaming away from my horn to spend the day with him, since it was his birthday. I did insist on going to my classes and a scheduled job interview (for UC tutoring, I landed the job!). While sitting at dinner, I had a nervous twitch and was silently thinking to myself, "must....practice.....must....practice...." and my anxiety got even worse when I saw the bill! But it was still a very nice evening. I'm glad I cut out from my work before 8-9 pm to partake in sushi and all sorts of good alcohol.

Hmm, what else? Mom is stepping on my toes a little by sending me random newspaper articles on everything from relationships to flu vaccines to mediocre jazz musicians. But I can deal. The important thing is to tell her what she wants to hear, and keep her off my back in order to live my own life. Which I feel I am doing very well.