Daybook - No. 6

Outside my window...
I hear busy sounds of the highway. It's late at night, so not so busy, though!

I am thankful...
That over the past few weeks, I was able to go to Sydney to play with the London Symphony Orchestra, audition for the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Elder Conservatorium of Music (in Adelaide) (Bachelor of Music Performance - Classical), and see all my close friends while I was doing it! I'm also thankful for a feature in the local Newspaper! One more thing to be thankful for: I received the 'Student Of The Year' award at my local conservatorium!

I am thinking...
About how I will spend tomorrow - my birthday.

Learning all the time...
I have learnt this week a little bit about baking - I haven't done too much in the past, but tonight and last night had me in the kitchen baking doughnuts and cupcakes!

From the kitchen...
Not too much now, but I did cook some 'Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes' - I'll post the recipe up after this post!

I am creating...
Lately, just wonderful memories.

I am working on...
Trying to stay relaxed more often!

I am going...
To see friends, also to our local Ice Cream store's 5th birthday this week!

I am hoping...
That next year will go smoothly and fantastically!

I am praying...
For the victims of the Sydney Siege - and for the person responsible for it.

I am pondering....
What is meant to be for my future?

I am reading...
Nothing at the moment

I am listening to......
Just the sound of my fan and the highway.

I am hearing...
^ Ditto!

I am struggling...
Not really struggling at the moment: that's something new!

Around the house...
People are asleep

One of my favourite things...
My friends and family!

A few plans for this week...
I have my birthday tomorrow (well.. today, Wednesday) - will visit some friends! Later in the week we will head off to our local ice cream store, as it's their 5th birthday. I also need to finish my Christmas shopping this week!

A little peek at my day...
Today I woke up quite late, and lazed around a little because I didn't feel too well. Then I cooked dinner, washed up dishes, and cooked cupcakes! 

Front page!

The Article!

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Things Have Been Happening!

I'm afraid I have become very slack about my blogging over the past month! How lazy of me!

Admittedly, though, I have been doing a lot of things. I'll give you a quick rundown of my past couple of months!

In July, I went down to South Australia. To Adelaide! I went down for South Australian Music Camp, which went really well. I loved going down, as well, because I saw some of my best friends. It was disappointing that I could only be down for a week, but that's life sometimes!

My next big trip was in August. I went down to Sydney for a workshop with the AOBO (Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra). That was a lot of fun, we had a tour around the opera centre, and played in the Opera House! I learnt quite a lot about the process of putting on an opera, it's quite fascinating!

I also saw some of my close friends, and made more friends while I was there! It was amazing! Again, I was only down for a week, but it seemed like longer, and I saw more people, as I stayed at Campion College, where all my friends are. Also, in Adelaide I only had one full free day, in Sydney I had two, and the workshop days were only half-days.

Last Sunday, I had a big thing happen. I performed a solo-duet, with a soprano, and with an orchestra behind me! We played 'Totem in Corde Langueo' by Franz Schubert.

It went really well, and everybody loved hearing myself and my fellow soloist play/sing!

I also wore a bowtie!

Another thing that happened was that I played in a concert at my local conservatorium. The Sinfonia ensemble, which I am in, played with a guitarist by the name of Bruce Mathiske. It was an awesome, and very educational, experience!

Last thing, I received my result for my Grade 8 AMEB Clarinet exam. I received a B, which I am quite happy with! That's a good result, considering I was sitting the highest numbered grade!

Anywho, that's the major things that have been happening in my musical life!


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Very Inspiring Blogger Award!

I was surprised, and so happy, to find out the other day that Imogen from Imogen Elvis: Gossping With Dragons had nominated me for the 'Very Inspiring Blogger Award'! Thank you so so much, Imogen!

The rules:

1. Thank and link to the amazing person who nominated you.

1. List the rules and display the award.

1. Share seven facts about yourself.

1. Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.

1. Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

So, thanks again, Imogen! It was really unexpected!

7 Facts About Me:

1. I have been playing the clarinet for 9 years, and learning for 4
2. I studied the human face for around 7 years, because I wanted to be able to draw portraits.
3. My favourite book series at the moment is Ranger's Apprentice, although I am currently reading The Dark Is Rising sequence, and I am thoroughly enjoying it - it won't surprise me if that becomes my new favourite book series!
4. My favourite Marvel hero is probably Iron Man, and my favourite villain is Loki.
5. I recently dyed my hair red!
   
   
   
6. I recently completed my Grade 8 AMEB practical exam, I'm hoping that I'll receive the results soon! I don't think I'll get the A I wanted, but you never know!
7. I've tried to think about what my life will be like in ten years, but, in all honesty, I have absolutely no idea. I could be anywhere, doing anything. I know my next immediate step in my music career, but I have no idea what will happen after that, let alone what my personal life will be like. I can't even fathom many possibilities of what may or may not happen. I guess I'll just keep all options open, and not think about it!

Nominations

I'd like to nominate Sue Elvis from http://www.storiesofanunschoolingfamily.com/ , I always find her posts extremely interesting, and inspiring in the ways of unschooling!

I think I need to read more blogs, though, because that's the end of my very inspiring bloggers list.

Thanks again, Imogen!

Seeing The Worst In People

It astounds me some days how people automatically jump to the worst conclusion (or, at least, a bad one). If someone does something 'nice', it's because of some unsaid horrible reason. People think this especially if we don't particularly like said person. Oh, they gave us a bag of clothes? It's because that person wants to see us walking around in 'their' clothes. No, no, it couldn't be because they had spare clothes, and saw our family as a good family to give clothes to. The just couldn't be doing something nice.

One example: While someone parking a car, the driver the car parked it in a 'no parking spot'. I mean, everyone parks there, so that makes it OK, right? (The answer is no. Just because it's the 'norm', just because 'everyone does it' - this does not mean that it is 'OK' or 'right'. I might come back to this later). As the three people got out of the car, another lady drove past. They had taken the last 'spot' in the car park, and she was driving right past them. She stopped and leaned out her window. "That's a No Parking zone," she told them. The driver got back into thecar and drove to park the car elsewhere. One passenger's and the driver's reaction was; 'Oh, she probably wanted the park herself, and she was just annoyed, so she made it so we couldn't park there.'

Seriously?

We don't know her thoughts or reasons for doing what she did. Maybe she was being spiteful. Maybe she was doing something nice by pointing out that we had parked in a No Parking zone. People don't seem to think about the latter reason. No, they automatically jump to the former.

The thing is, though, that we can't read minds. We don't know what's going on in other people's heads. We don't know if they're doing something to spite us, or doing something to be nice. So what's the point in jumping to conclusions? What's the point in talking about them like that behind their backs, when they just showed some common courtesy? I, quite honestly, don't understand it.



Okay, time to go back to that other point I made up there. The one about it being 'OK' if everyone does it. Yeah, that. It's quite ridiculous, actually. If something is wrong, it's wrong. Simple. It shouldn't matter if 'everyone' is doing it, it shouldn't matter if it's the society 'norm'. If it's wrong, it's wrong, and we shouldn't do it.

Lying is wrong. People lie all the time. This doesn't make it OK. It's still wrong. Everyone knows this.
I believe that abortion is wrong. It's the society 'norm' to think it's 'OK', though. Does this mean that I'm going to waive my view? No. It's still wrong.
Parking in that parking spot is against the law. Everyone does that. It makes it OK? No. It doesn't matter who does it, or for what reason, if it's wrong, it's wrong. Simple. I don't understand why people have to complicate matters so much.

Another point is that, even if you have a good goal, if your means of reaching that goal is wrong, it's still wrong. A positive plus a negative is a negative. When people think of something really nice, something amazing, that they want to do, but the ways they fulfil this vision that they have is not right, then it doesn't really matter, because they're doing wrong things.

What do you think about people seeing the worst in others? What about the things that are considered 'normal' around us, but just aren't right? And about when people try to achieve a good goal, but use wrong means?

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Daybook - No. 5

Outside my window...
It's dark. I'm having a late night - I couldn't get into the bathroom to have my shower until midnight, and then I made a cup of tea, and now I'm writing a blog post. I really should go to bed.

I am thankful...
That I was able to spend such a wonderful week in Adelaide recently. I saw some of my closest friends, and had a generally wonderful time - I'm in the middle of typing up more detailed blog posts, which will go up as soon as the photos from my Adelaide week arrive!

I am thinking...
About my upcoming exam, and a student concert which I will be playing in tomorrow.

Learning all the time...
I'm learning more and more that there are a lot more to people than what meets the eye.

From the kitchen...
Nothing right now.. I just had a cup of chai tea!

I am creating...
I've written down the themes to a couple of pieces of music, not sure where they'll go, though!

I am working on...
Staying positive, and thinking happy thoughts. I've found myself subconsciously playing the 'glad' game (from the book Pollyanna), where you find things to be happy about all the time. It's been working like a treat!

I am going...
To mass in the morning, then driving down to a student concert.

I am hoping...
That my ear will be unblocked soon. It's been blocked for over a week - if it stays blocked for much longer, I'll see about getting it checked out. I have a cold right now, so that may be why it's blocked, but I'm not sure.

I am praying...
That everyone's lives turn out wonderfully, and that their choices lead them to happiness.

I am pondering....
What will Sydney be like? How will my exam go?

I am reading...
The Dark is Rising Sequence - Over Sea, Under Stone - by Susan Cooper

I am listening to......
Dad talking to me about a television show.

I am hearing...
The hum of the highway

I am struggling...
With a couple of personal issues in regards to thoughts on relationships.

Around the house...
Everyone is sleeping.

One of my favourite things...
Currently Chai Tea!

A few plans for this week...
TAFE and conservatorium things.

A little peek at my day...
I woke up late, then had a video call with my teacher and did some aural training for my upcoming exam. I then relaxed, played piano, and just generally chillaxed. It was a nice day!

Comparing Yourself To Others

We, as humans, like to compare ourselves to others. By doing so, we see where we excel at things, and where we fall short. This is good. This is all a part of our human growth.

The problems come through when we compare in a way that makes our faults shine through. Instead of looking up at someone and thinking "I want to improve myself to become like them." in a positive, we look up at people and feel that sinking feeling in our chest. We think that we could never be like them. We think that we could never achieve what they have achieved. We think that we're just not good enough for anything.

If you look at people and think this, or if you just think it anyway (which, by the way, you may not realise it, but it is probably caused by you subconsciously comparing yourself to others), then you need to do one thing. Stop.

These people you're looking up to: remember, they were probably like you once. They probably weren't born an amazing singer, a wonderful artist, or a fantastic writer. They worked really hard at what they loved. Also, they still have their faults. They're not perfect, nobody on this Earth is.

Please realise that you are good enough. You are an amazing human being, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Recognize your flaws, work on them, but remember that your flaws are not the only thing that makes you a human being. You have talents. You are amazing.

Realise that, while you may not be good at singing, say, you could be one of the most loving people around. While you may not be good at talking to people, you might be awesome at playing music! If you're not good at video games, maybe you're good at puzzles.

Remember that there are always new things for you to try out - keep trying new things, and just have fun with it!Also, even if you feel like you are hopeless at something, you might actually be really good, but you just haven't realised it! I've felt like I was pretty hopeless at heaps of things, but then, one day, I realised that I actually was pretty good at it. My problem was that the better I got, the higher the bench mark went, and so did my bass threshold of 'this is horrible' (for me to do).

Keep smiling, and keep doing what you love.

What do you think about comparing yourself to others?

Youtube?

In one of my previous posts, I said I wanted to make a few art tutorials. I've decided that I might start up my Youtube channel, again, to do these, plus other random vlogs and whatnot.

Anyway, here's the link to my Youtube. Feel free to check out my older videos! I hid my first video because it was really quite bad. I edited the channel around a bit: I organised for it to be managed from a Google+ page instead of my personal profile, I edited the layout of the channel, and I made a new 'channel art' picture, as well as updating my profile picture.

Anyway, this is just a really short update.

Have a nice day!