Why I Can't NOT Major in Music...

I know I always write stuff about school....it must seem that that's all there is to my life. Well it's not true; school is just very important to me....it's kind of a big deal.

I've had some internal arguments with myself lately with which path to take in life. It seems like there are so many opportunities laid out ahead of me. And in some cases just handed to me.

I've started to come to the conclusion lately that maybe I should just slow down and see where my life is already taking me. And it's pretty awesome :) I am the kind of person that never sees what is right in front of me because my focus is always on what's ahead.  It turns into a downfall when I become so wrapped up in where I am NOT, rather than recognizing how far I have really come.  I worry about stuff like that.

But lately, I'm beginning to see things differently, and I know now that I am in a good place, as well as headed in the right direction. Haha, I guess I'll let you in on what I am talking about......

Blah Blah Blah.....switching majors.....and re-auditioning for Schools of Music.....etc....

I was recently cast in the chorus of "Oklahoma!", which I am very excited about. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is with Moore OnStage, which is the closest thing to professional theatre around here (in other words, it is the biggest deal around here)....and it will be directed by Patrick Wickham (from Wickham Vocal Studio in New York City). It's a wonderful opportunity, and I am so excited to say now that I am a part of them. (And it's my first paid performance gig :)

Also, on Thursday night, I was watching "Survivor" with my family (our regular Thursday-night ritual) when I received a phone call from the music director of Moore OnStage's latest show, "Holiday in the Pines", informing me that one of their singers quit, and they wanted me to take the part. Of course I agreed!  So on Friday afternoon, I received the music, which consists solely of songs from the Celtic Woman's Christmas show. I have spent all weekend learning and memorizing the music.  Lucky for me (and for them, I suppose), I can learn and memorize music very easily and quickly....The show is this weekend!  And these aren't melodies...they're all harmonies, some dissonant. (Usually I'm a soprano, but I have an abnormally large range, so they're having me sing alto...which means all harmonies.) I am SOOO excited, because this is a paid gig too, which means this one will actually be my first official paid gig :)

Beside that, I have really taken a crunch time searching for new college audition pieces. During this endeavour, I have discovered through comparison of last year's recordings with ones from now, that the top of my range has stretched much more than I realized. The keys I struggled singing in last year are actually below the ones that are easy for me now. So that was a cool discovery.....that also gives me a larger pool of pieces to choose from. And I think I have them chosen: "Per la gloria d'adorarvi" by Bononcini and "Sure On This Shining Night" by Samuel Barber for one audition, and "Per la gloria d'adorarvi" (Bononcini), "Mein Herr" from "Cabernet", and "Angels Ever Bright and Fair" by Handel for another audition. I am so excited :)

Enough of my music high for now. I have to rest before hell week (of rehearsals) begins.

Buenos Noches, tout le monde!

S-COOL!

School is great. My current classes are kinda boring (except Calculus, which I love because I went from failing to acing it!), but whatever. I am excited about next semester. I just registered for my classes, and they're awesome!

General Chemistry (not so much...)
Introduction to Computers (not so much...)
World Literature (not so much...)
Piano
Applied Voice
Chorus II
Dancing for Fitness

I cannot wait for the last four!!


On December 5, I am planning to re-audition for the East Carolina School of Music. I applied to, auditioned for, and was accepted at the School of Music at ECU last year, but under the advice of my father, I switched majors to Business (and am therefore still taking classes at the community college).  I hated the idea of studying Business, so we compromised on Communications. Then about a month ago, he came back to me, worried that I wouldn't be able to do anything with a Communications degree either. So he chose Business again. I said, "Fine, I will major in Business if you let me double-major in Music." He said, "Absolutely!" and told me that was the best idea we've had yet. So, here I am re-auditioning, hoping and praying they will let me back in.

I have also applied to NC State University because that's where my brother is graduating from this year. But they don't offer a music major there (only a minor), so it is much less appealing.  We'll see. If I do get into the School of Music at ECU, I'll be a junior in the business program, and a freshman in the music program, which is kinda weird, but after I finish my first (boring) degree, then I'll be set with just the music degree to focus on.

That (sort of) segues into my next announcement:  I will be graduating from the community college in the Spring with an Associate in Arts degree! :)  I know it doesn't sound that exciting, but it means all of my general education courses will be out of the way, and it's also a tangible milestone that many four-year University students don't have to opportunity to receive.  For me, it's kind of proof that I'm actually getting somewhere, and also a reminder that it won't be much longer before I finish my (first) Bachelor's degree.  It's another motivational factor that's really going to push me through the rest of my education, which I need. :)  I'm actually more excited than I thought I'd be, haha.

Anyways, other than to let you know that "2010" was a sick-awesome movie (not-so-great acting, but FANTASTIC graphics), that's about it for now. My Thanksgiving Resolution (lol) is going to be to blog more. I think about it sometimes, it's just a matter of doing it.

Tootles!

The car gods are smiting me :(

I've had very bad luck with cars lately....it all began with Gerry (my '99 VW Passat) breaking down when I went to get my grandmother from the airport. I sent it to the VW dealership to get fixed, spent $750, and got it back with the same problems. Plus, they turned my rotors, so the shuddering (when I brake) stopped, but then my brakes were squeaking, which they weren't doing before. So I took my car somewhere local, and they fixed the squeaking, but the shuddering came back. As for the main problems, they told me their computers determined my car is in perfect condition...And they broke my center console compartment-thing. I was pretty upset about that.

While Gerry was getting "fixed", I drove my mom's car...a pearl-white '99 Lexus SC300. On my way to the audition for "Oklahoma!", a  high school girl failed to stop at stop sign, and hit my mom's car. Fortunately her dad was a cop, and he determined it was 100% her fault, and agreed to pay for the whole thing.

When my mom used her car, I drove the '94 candy-red Miata. (By the way, I LOVE driving that car!)...But, of course, as soon as I drove it, I got pulled over because the registration AND inspection were expired. I told the officer that it wasn't even my car (I guess that's not the BEST thing to tell a law-enforcer), but he understood that it's my parents', and only issued me a warning. I took it to get inspected, and it didn't pass because  one of the parking lights was out, but when they replaced the bulb, it didn't work. So I had to take that one to the Mazda dealership to get fixed, and they said it worked fine. :/   SOOO, I eventually got everything with that car taken care of.

After the local service shop determined there was nothing wrong with my car, lo and behold, Gerry worked fine (without any extra service done)...Until today. The check engine light came on, on the way to my grandmother's house. Which is where I am right now. And my dad told me to take it back to the local shop--the one that turned my brakes back to their original problem, broke my center console-thing, and determined there is nothing else wrong with my car that constantly acts like it's going to stall. Ha. Whatever.

Anyone interested in purchasing a clean, beautiful, green '99 VW Passat with brand new rear brakes, brand new hubcaps, brand new a-ton-of-other-things, and virtually no problems?

GRRRRRRandma!!!!! and Youtube :)

Last week, my grandmother asked me if I could pick her up from the airport this Wednesday (tomorrow) around 3:00pm.  I looked at my schedule, saw that I would be free all day after 11:00am, and I told her I would absolutely pick her up from the airport on Wednesday.

This morning (Tuesday), my dad gets a call from my uncle, who is staying with my grandfather while my grandmother is away, and who says my grandmother told me the wrong day, and that I need to pick her up THIS afternoon.

That really complicated things.  I live about an hour and a half from the airport, so I would have to leave my house between 1:00pm and 1:30pm, to be there in time to pick her up, because her flight comes in at 3:06pm, and we would get back sometime between 5:30pm and 6:00pm.

Unfortunately, my voice lessons are every Tuesday from 3:00pm-3:30pm, and if they are not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance, I still have to pay for them.  Also, my mom asked me to babysit Michael after school, and take Patrick to karate this afternoon from 4:30pm until 6:30pm. Patrick's karate class has already been paid for, so he can't miss it.  My dad is out of town until around 7:00pm tonight, my mom has to work, and then teach yoga at 5:30pm, and my sister is babysitting from 3:00pm until 7:30pm.

So I was pretty upset with my grandma.  I felt kind of bad because I agreed to pick her up, but I only agreed because I had nothing going on on Wednesday.   If she had asked me to get her on Tuesday, I would not have been able to agree (because of my voice lesson), and she would have worked everything out accordingly, found another ride, no harm done.

But anyways, I am still going to get her. I rescheduled my voice lesson for tomorrow, Michael skipped school so no one has to worry about picking him up or babysitting him, my mom is dropping Patrick off at karate, and I am picking him up when I get back in town.

On a different note, since my last project for my dad is finished, and the one I am working on now does not take up as much time, I have a lot of my free time back!! Which means, I am back to making Youtube videos!!! :)

Check them out! http://www.youtube.com/cgallagher08

Sample Books....and How They Got Me Robbed.

Wooooowwwwww, I haven't posted anything in quite awhile...

I have been working on this HUGE project at the office for my dad. I'm his, what he likes to call, Marketing Manager, which means I'm the one heading up the production of Sample Books. Which means I'm the one who makes them, ha. Anyways, it goes like this:

• It begins with the Master Sample Book, getting it edited by the head boss-man (a.k.a. my dad), revising it, making sure all the right styles of fabric are in, and all the wrong ones are out. 

• Next I take an inventory of each style we have in stock, update the organization to match the Revised Master Sample Book, and place orders of any styles we are out of or running low on. 

• While that is all being taken care of, I do an inventory of the pre-cut samples, again making sure we have all the styles that belong in the book, and taking out ones that no longer belong.

• Meanwhile, I have to maintain a healthy supply of the pre-cut samples (the ones that go into the book), which means I cut each individual piece from the sample roll, and organize that according to how it is all placed in the Sample Book.

• Of course, after each piece (and I'm talking about 600 pieces of each 22ish styles...you do the math.), I have to label each one, so the customers know what to order.

• Which means I have to make sure we are never out of labels.

• BUT, there IS a top and bottom to each piece, so if anyone else is helping cut or label samples (which there were this past couple of weeks), I, personally, have to make sure there were no mistakes made. (It has happened in the past, and it was not pretty...I spent half my summer fixing Sample Books that had been messed up because the fabric was upside down). 

• Anyways, after the samples are all cut and labeled, they need to be stacked altogether into the books....very neatly, perfectly aligned, making sure each label on the samples are lined up so you can't see them through the fabric, and stapling the headers on to keep it together, thus forming a book.

• Which means the headers always need to be available and ready also....which means printing them, and cutting them out, trimming the edges perfectly (after all, this is our main marketing campaign, and the sample product needs to be perfect in order to be presented to potential customers.

Me, being a perfectionist, and also being the liability for the department, took the time to create, type up, and hang a detailed outline of all the instructions regarding making a correct Sample Book.

And we actually produce two different kinds of Sample Books, which use some of the same fabrics, but different headers, and different labels, with different style names for the fabric....

So, anyways, if you didn't read all of that, it's perfectly okay because I think you get the gist without reading it. So, after I finished making the books for last month's convention, my boss/Dad, ordered 200 of type one, and 100 of type two for this month's convention....(I had SCRAMBLED to make the 75 I had sent him with to that convention)...He called before he even returned home to change his order to 400 of type one, and 200 of type two for this month's convention, after realizing the demand for the books, and the potential marketing benefits...

Not ONLY that, but i worked 57 hours in those two weeks, but was only paid for 46 hours; the government robbed me of 11 hours through taxes and deductions. Welcome to the American Dream.

So, that's why I have not posted anything for a while....now its 1:37am, and I am going to sleep. Buenos Noches, imaginary reader.

 ;)