Finals week is upon us and I don't think I've ever known so much about music history.
Unfortunately, four of my five finals are falling on the same day, which isn't really a situation I'd like to find myself in. Plus, they're all early in the week, which gives me less time to study. What this leaves me with is a ton of studying to do with not a lot of time, so I've been listening to my fair share of Disney music to keep me sane.
It seems that as the years go on, things get both harder and busier...which probably isn't surprising considering the fact that, theoretically, junior year should be harder than freshman year. The great part about it though is that it almost motivates me more...to a point. Because I have so much more going on, my will to prove that I can handle it all increases, meaning that I study a little harder to achieve that 4.0 and spend a bit of extra time making sure everything is in order for the end of the year meetings across campus.
Although it doesn't give me much more time to blog...
The semester is rounding out, and that means that my usually busy schedule is almost worse than normal. Of course, everything decided to fall on the weekend before finals, much to the dismay of myself and many of my fellow SNC students, since our jazz band played for the Dean's Reception, which was held in the library. Not the best idea, really. We did have fun with it though, playing some of our favorite tunes and checking Yik Yak every few minutes to see who was complaining about us being there. It was a nice break from all the studying though!
It also happened to be State Solo and Ensemble, which put me going back and forth between SNC and another nearby college campus to hear my brother and other members of the Seymour High School Band perform for state competition. I think I drove more than I really needed to for one weekend, especially right before finals, but it did give me a chance to listen to Finding Nemo the Musical, which I just found the soundtrack for on Spotify!
All in all, life at the end of a semester of college is pretty boring apparently. There's not really time to work on the blog, trips are usually still pretty far away, and most of the day is spent reading textbooks that maybe should have been read earlier in the semester.
And that's about it. Responsibilities have kept me pretty busy lately, so there isn't much Disney to report. It's too bad really, because everyone can always use more Disney in their life!
Finals are only a few weeks away, and that means that there's a lot of work left between now and then that has to get done. With a concert coming up this weekend, a music analysis due next week, a final paper to write for the Friday after and then finals to study for in addition to preparing a solo and scales for Barrier Juries, things are getting pretty crazy. It's the reason the blog gets behind from time to time, and it's also the reason that I find myself and my fellow classmates more stressed out than ever.
However, there is a silver lining. With so little time left in the semester, it also means that there's only a short time left before my summer of Disney trips, and just over a month until Disney World. That means I'm pretty excited at the same time. In fact, I find that most of my daydreaming in between study sessions ends up being about one of two things: Once Upon A Time and Disney World. In addition, I've spent more time watching Disney Parks YouTube videos in the last two weeks that I think I have all year, and I've officially declared the music from the YouTube All Stars #DisneySide Videos to be my Jam, but beyond that, there are a few other things on my Disney-centered mind that help ease some of the stress when I need a break from getting frustrated with my saxophone.
Today I stumbled across this video in my searches and I realized how excited I am to be staying at Wilderness Lodge for the first time in June! We were originally going to stay there in January, but when we added people on we moved to a bigger room over at Saratoga Springs, another resort I hadn't stayed at previous to the trip. It all worked out well, but when mom announced we were staying at Wilderness Lodge in June after all, I got pretty excited. You guys have no idea how many pictures I'm going to take.
I've also spent a lot of time recently trying to figure out what I want to wear when I'm in the Parks this summer. I know, this sounds ridiculous to most, but I've explained this before. DisneyBounding and looking good, even on my vacations, is important to me, mostly due to the fact that I need to make up for all those pictures I avoided as a child...or rather, the pictures I'd like to replace from those awkward years. Now that I'm comfortable and happy taking pictures, I want to look good in them so I can treasure them for years to come! However, quite a bit of planning goes into these things. There are already things in the works for DisneyBounds with one of my friends out in California, and when it comes to hot and humid Florida, I've got to think about what will both look good and keep me cool. Think me crazy if you want, but I'm going to just keep planning.
Of course, there's plenty of other things to plan, little things like a new bag for traveling, what else I need to pack, when to make my packing list, what I want to eat and so on and so forth. When paired with a bunch of Once Upon A Time it keeps me pretty calm...or at least calm enough to get back to work on that Music Analysis. Speaking of which...
As of today (And not including today's blog post), I have 30 posts to write in order to catch up. This is what finals do to me I guess. I don't know, this semester seemed to be especially crazy since while everything was pretty spaced out, that was the exact reason it was hard, everything was spaced out so I was just continuously working, and from the way things sound right about now, I'm going to continue that lifestyle for the next month.
BUT, I'm back and I'll be slowly making up all the days I missed (once I figure out what I'm going to write for each day. That can get complicated), among other things. I've got a new vlog going up on my YouTube Channel from my March trip later today, and tomorrow marks one month until the band trip, meaning that I'm going to go make a countdown later tonight so we can put it up in the band room tomorrow. I'm also working on another project that you'll find out about soon enough (it's a secret for a few more days!)
Other than that, I've finished my first year of college, moved (somewhat) back to my house, although I use those terms lightly since my dorm room is in boxes that are currently still sitting in my dining room, and it's only going to get worse since I want to clean out my entire room and put things away and so on and so forth. There's practicing marching and learning music for the band trip, oh and learning a new instrument. I guess I'm learning clarinet in the next month, which should be a real joy. But I do love a challenge, so I'm going to attack it and hope for the best. I mean, at the worst I just end up playing alto when we go down to Disney so there's that. Then there's catching up on the blog and finishing the editing for the final three vlogs from March, because I refuse to not have them done by June, because come then I'll have hours and hours of video editing to do. Plus, it's already been two months since my trip (Oh my gosh...it has...) and these videos need to be done.
So here's what you can expect:
1. A new vlog on my YouTube channel today.
2. Updates on the blog (I'm currently looking at about five posts a day to make up the lost time).
3. A special announcement/surprise on Monday.
Also, on my Instagram I'm doing another photo challenge to count down the days until my trip (it's about five days off but that's ok!), so feel free to check out the pictures there as well. Of course, as with every photo challenge, you'll see the full set on my blog once I'm finished!
And since she's here, miss Lillybelle says hello! Or meow, whichever you prefer.
Have a magical day, and thanks for sticking with me through finals!
Hello to my faithful blog readers, if there's any of you out there. I actually have no idea how any people read this, other than my general stats on views to the site in general, but whether you're just finding me or have been here for a while, just silently lurking, welcome.
I figured that after about two weeks of silence I should let you guys know that I am indeed still alive, I'm just super busy. Finals this semester is paired with the 2 Hour Season Finale of Once Upon A Time, meaning that I'm freaking out for just about every reason possible. I'm half on a social media hiatus, which will go into full effect on Sunday evening, since I won't be watching the season finale until Monday since my friends and I all have a Monday morning final to study for. Will I probably go insane? Yeah, but somehow I'll make it through the two hours which I'll spend in the library or music building, and then retreat back to my dorm room to will away the hours until I can see it.
This need for the finale is not being helped by my final research paper in Classic and Contemporary Fairy Tales, since I'm writing mine on the element of hope within fairy tales, specifically in the respect that it is necessary to keep fairy tales relevant in newer adaptations such as, you guessed it, Once Upon A Time. It's like a mix of a psychological and cultural analysis of fairy tales, and I'm actually quite excited to dig in and write it...if I can ever get myself to start. I guess I don't really want to write it because that means that the semester, and freshman year, is almost over, and I'm just not ready for that yet. I feel like I just got here and now I'm almost done with my first year! Crazy!
Anyways, I also have a bunch of music stuff going on, which is always a joy, and once I finish my paper, I've got reading and studying to do for just about every class before finals next week. In other words, the next 6 days should just be a real joy. But hey, finals. That's a thing. And, since I promised it, here's some Once inspired finals motivation:
Now, after the last episode especially I'm really not a Rumple fan, but I had to share these anyways, even if I do prefer this one:
Yeah, that one along with the "Not Studying? Bad Form" one might just be on my desk, although everything's going to have to move in a couple of days when we take our lofts down (NOO!) In general though, yes, I am still in the land of the living, and don't worry, I've got a document on Google full of my upcoming blog posts, once I get around to actually writing them. Every day I've missed WILL be made up (and considering that after finals I'm spending three days watching movies with Megan, I think there'll be plenty to talk about). Plus, I've got another Disney trip coming up soon, and there's still a few days left of freshman year...which is plenty of time for new and random Disney references (like one I'm working on today...which will most likely end up being a blog post on one day or another).
Until then, note that I'm not on Instagram save for a few minutes on Sunday night to post my Disneybound for the finale (which I'm actually wearing on Monday). I'm also off of Tumblr for the week, and come Sunday night I'll be on NO SOCIAL MEDIA (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google, Instagram, etc.) for a period of about 18 hours. Don't worry, you'll know when I'm back. Oh yes, you'll know.
Good luck to everyone in my situation, also facing the cruelty of finals, and may the force be with you!
Ok, so technically it's long AFTER finals week now (or at least a week since it began technically), but that doesn't mean that I don't have to make up these blog posts, and it doesn't mean that there aren't still people out there who need inspiration to get through THEIR finals week. I mean, just because my college finished finals a week before everyone else doesn't mean that everyone else is done with their own.
So when I was on Tumblr the other day, trying to find comfort in the possibility that CaptainSwan might not happen, I came across these gems. I laughed for a good few minutes, and just had to send them to my best friend...and then made the split second decision that I'd make a blog post just on these things...and not just because one of my friends will love these to death.
And my personal favorite...
Seriously though, these like made my life. And don't worry, I've got another set waiting for the second round of finals coming up in the spring at the end of second semester...although those are a different character. You'll just have to wait and find out who though!
Here's today's Disney History: 1941: The day after the Pearl Harbor bombing, the U.S. Army has finished setting up camp at Walt Disney's Burbank studio for the repair of military vehicles and antiaircraft guns, and use as a primary defense station to guard the nearby Lockheed planet against possible air attacks.
Have a magical day!
(Note: This blog post was written on December 16 because of...well..finals).
While most people are in the stage of "I can't wait to graduate!" I'm still stuck in the "I don't want to leave" stage. I think it's largely because I'm happy where I am. I've actually enjoyed school for the first time in many years. There were many days when I couldn't wait to go to bed, just because it would make school come faster. That's a mindset I haven't had in a very long time.
So now, as I sit here in my English classroom, after seniors have technically been dismissed, I realize that I don't necessarily want to leave. I, instead, want to stay. But at the same time, leaving means that summer is beginning, and it means I'm one step closer towards becoming an Imagineer.
The past few days have certainly been interesting, filled with final projects that I have to say are some of my best projects in all of high school. When I go to college, I won't necessarily have the time or opportunities to continue making things like those I've made in the past few days, and that's part of the reason why I spent the last two nights working with very little sleep.
But there are other reasons as to why I worked so hard on my final projects, which, once I catch up with my blog, will be on the previous days that I finished them. My castle, which I created for my College Credit English final, was made because our assignment was to read an independent book, and I read How to Be Like Walt by Jim Denney. In a day or two I'll share my review of the book, but it taught me a lot, both about Walt, of course, and about myself. I put the extra time and effort into the projects not because I wanted praise, but because I knew it would make my teachers smile. It's just like how Walt didn't create Disneyland for people to praise him, but because he knew that the guests visiting would love it and it would make them happy. And my projects did that. Both my Poem Video, Memories, and my Sleeping Beauty Castle, brought smiles to the faces of the teachers that I have looked up to for the past four years. As I explain on the post about my video, I reminded the teacher why he loves teaching, and that was more rewarding than anything else he could have said. I make these things because it's fun to see what I can come up with next, and I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by a group of people who make my dreams become a reality.
But, for now, as I finish out my last day of high school...ever...I know that what I look forward to most is this: sleep. And after that, I can't wait to spend a summer with my friends, to travel back home to Disney World, to prepare for college, and to dream new dreams. Plus, with no homework to do, I have a lot more time to read, write and blog.
There will be plenty of time for the bittersweet thoughts of Graduation, but for now, here's today's Disney History: 1917: John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth United States President, is born in Brookline, Massachusetts. THe youngest elected to office, at the age of 43, events during JFK's administration include the Space Race. One of the 10 wealthiest U.S. Presidents, visit him and all of the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's the Hall of Presidents.
Have a magical day and remember to keep moving forward!
Today marked our first day of finals for seniors, which is, honestly a day I've been dreading for the entire school year. Finals means the end...and that means graduation...and that means leaving, and that's terrible. But finals also means that it's my last chance to make a lasting impression on those in the school, and it requires a little backstory.
Throughout high school, I, often times along with my best friend, Megan, have produced a great number of over-the-top projects. We made the Silent Film, The Amazing Chase, which was 8 hours of editing and two days of filming to create what really appears to be a silent film from the 1920's. There was the Les Paul National History Day Project...which is honestly the most stressful project I have ever done, but I'm proud of it none the less. There was our American Bandstand skit...which was just awesome. The Julius Caesar Project and Animal Farm Scrapbook, in which many sophomores still want to hunt us down with pitchforks for. Freshman year, Megan and I dominated in our Public Service Announcements, and our debate was a rift of only one vote between us (she won, but it was still a lot of fun!). And during this final year, while we had less projects, in psychology we were still on top, and our English papers were some to remember!
And so, when it came to my final semester of my senior year, and specifically my final projects, I wanted to keep going. I wanted to create projects that really showcased my hard work.
Now, it gives me great pleasure to share with you the first of my two final projects (The other will be in a blog post this Thursday), Memories. For my final in Creative Writing, we had three parts. First, the memoir I discussed on Sunday, second, a short story we wrote, and finally a collection of three poems. Earlier in the semester we had to write a total of ten poems, but for the final we were instructed to edit and digitally produce three of these poems to present to the class. It wasn't hard to decide on three poems: One I wrote on the Gettysburg Address, another on Google Chrome (Oh, I love thee!), and the last on my memories of Disney World.
But when it came to how to digitally produce each one, it took me quite a while to decide. The first two I created using Animoto, but the Disney one, I wanted to make that one special. My teacher, who I am absolutely and completely lucky to have as a teacher, hadn't seen some of my other projects. Megan and I didn't take the advanced English course our Freshman year, which he taught, due to some interesting circumstances, so I never had him up until creative writing this year, which I took both to have him as a teacher and because the class sounded like a great class for me to take. I spent most of Saturday attempting to figure out what to make for this Disney video, and came up with nothing. So on Sunday, when I was on my computer trying to figure out what music to use....it hit me. Stop motion and the tilt shift video.
If you have read my blog for a while, I have a series of posts on Disney inspired Youtube videos. The first videos I shared were the Disney Parks tilt shift videos for Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Each features a great soundtrack with music I love, and the music from the MK video was perfect for what I wanted to do. So I jumped in my car and went to shopko, picked up a big white board, came back and had my dad set up the camera and lights and went to work on my video.
Here is the finished project:
When it came to presenting it in class, I was a little nervous. My Creative Writing class is filled with a lot of really inappropriate people, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of them even politely asked me about how I made it and said honestly that they liked it. But it was the comments from my teacher that made it worthwhile.
Back in January, during my last finals, a teacher said to me "I don't think it's childish," five small words about my love of Disney that really meant a lot to me. This time around there were more words, but there are few that really stood out. I won't share them all here, but one was that it was projects like this and people like me that remind him why he loves teaching.
It sounds really strange, but I honestly don't like it when people lavish praise on me, and as I read How to Be Like Walt, it came to my attention that Walt was the same way. He didn't like to have all kinds of praise. He just loved what he was doing. He wanted to make people happy, and as I look back on all my projects in high school, I feel the same way. If I can bring a smile to someones face, often times the teacher, then my job is done. I have accomplished what I set out to do. It's things like reminding them why they love teaching that makes me want to do what I do, and that's hopefully something that will never ever change.
But along with that, this project opened my eyes to a few more things. It reminded me why I love Disney. It gave me a chance to reflect on why I personally love the company, and it brought me closer to home. It reminded me why I want to become a Disney Employee. And most of all, Memories sums up everything I have done so far, and it lays the foundation for what I want to achieve in the future.
Here's today's Disney History: 1994: Disney's Wilderness Lodge opens at Walt Disney World. The 728-room lakeside deluxe resort (inspired by the beautiful early American National Parks) features an 80-foot tall fireplace in its lobby. Only a mile away from the Magic Kingdom, the resort is surrounded by 56 acres of oak and pine trees and includes and artificial geyser and hot springs.
