Yale Work: an interview

Well ladies and gentlemen, I guess my version of a week has turned into a month. I do apologize for my great delay in typing up this recorded interview. But I guess that gives you some sort of idea how my life has been this December--crazy! I took my last final exam today and I am very ready to go home tomorrow and then to Russia next week (more on that later)!

In the meantime, please enjoy learning about my colleague and good friend, Yale Work. Yale, 19, is a second-year piano performance major at Juilliard, studying with Matti Raekallio. He began studying piano in 1997. He is also proficient in cello!

Anyways, I can't do him justice with my words. Yale is one of a kind and I hope you will want to get to know him after reading his interview!

[The interview took place on a Friday night in the lounge of our lovely residence hall. Yale was at first hesitant about me recording him, but decided "I guess a recorder is better than having someone interview you and then, totally, totally screw up your answers"]

Marie: So Yale, now that we know the basics of why you are here at Juilliard, describe your family.

Yale: I’ve got two siblings: one older brother and one older sister. And they are the awesomest people you can ever meet in your entire life. And so are my parents.

Marie: So you say on the recorder… [winks]

Yale: Yes, they are. They are amazing.

Marie: Have any pets?

Yale: Yes, we have one cat and two dogs. One is a Jack Russell terrier and the other we don’t really know. She is a mix of a lot of different breeds and her name is Loki, after the Greek god of mischief. She looks like a fox a little bit, at least in her paws. She was a stray and she followed my mom home one day when she was biking home from school….It was the cutest little thing- it wasn’t that small, but her ears were floppy and she was sooo adorable. She had apparently escaped from all the pounds she had been put into. She was a little messed up but…we fixed her. And she loves us now. J Our other dog, the Jack Russell terror—excuse me, terrier--is what his name sounds like. There’s no controlling that dog. (His name is Tin Tin by the way). He’s the most obnoxious creature you can imagine, [sighs], but what can you do right?”

Marie: What’s your favorite thing to do besides music?

Yale: How can I answer that question? There are so many things I love to do. [pauses to think] Well, let me name a few…Tetris! Just kidding, that should not be the first one…ok, it’s not the first one, just the first one that came to mind. Um, bowling, tennis…

Marie: Well, I heard that you recently won the Juilliard ping pong tournament.

Yale: Yeah, but I’m not the greatest by any means, but I can kind of play…I love shooting pool, and skiing and biking, oh! And I love doing wheelies on bikes. I once went all the way around the block. It was 665 pedals! I was soooo annoyed that I couldn’t get ONE more in and it could be 666. I was so disappointed. The only reason I had to quit my wheelie was because a car was coming. That’s the funnest thing ever. What other things do I like to do? I also love to play chess, but I haven’t done that in a longgg time. Oh and ultimate Frisbee and soccer. Yeah, so if I think of other things I like to do, I’ll let you know [winks and smiles].

Marie: Where would you like to be in your career 10 years from now?

Yale: Oh, that’s another really hard question; but it shouldn’t be…Well, I don’t think concert musician (soloist) is very feasible, but I’ll try for that, regardless. I’ll probably be a teacher.

Marie: I think you would make a great teacher.

Yale: Well, I’ll probably be a little bit too nice. I wouldn’t ever say negative things about their playing.

Marie: Well, you could tell your students that you will keep telling bad jokes until they practice.

Yale: [laughing] Oh, there’s punishment right there.

Marie: Ok, so give me some.

Yale: Ok—a bear walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “I’d like a water……..and some peanuts.” And the bartender replies, “Why the big pause?”…(*say it out-loud to yourself and it will make sense).

I told you the one about the peanuts right? Two peanuts walk into a bar—one was ‘a-salted’.

That’s my favorite joke..and my other favorite: Two fish are swimming along and one runs into a concrete wall and says to the other, “Dam!” [laughs]

Oh, ok, and last one. I know I’m getting carried away…There are two muffins in an oven…

Marie: OH no! Not the muffin joke…

Yale: Aw, well one muffin says to the other, “Geeze, it’s getting a little hot in here, don’t ya think?” and the second muffin replies, “Oh my God, a talking muffin!”

Marie: [laughing] That is such a weird joke.

Yale: But it’s amazing! I mean, whoever came up with that is pure genius.

Marie: If you could have one superhero power, what would it be?

Yale: Infinite wishes--the power to grant myself infinite wishes. So then I can have any superhero power. See what I’m saying?

Marie: Yep, that’s pretty smart. Any final remarks?

Yale: Nope! [as he folds his hands, puts them on his lap, crosses his legs]

Marie: Ok, let’s play pool!

Home for Thanksgiving

Well, over the Thanksgiving break I was lucky enough to be able to return home to Texas for the holiday weekend. I was very happy to see my dad, mom and brother, and lots of cousins! (and my little doggie Annie and fat cat, Faith :) The weather was great, pumpkin pie was everywhere, and laughs were abundant when I got to see many friends.

It was interesting, however, that I started to make observations about home in the same way that I had made observations about New York when I first moved here. I never would have imagined that I'd adjust so quickly to NYC, but I guess I shouldn't complain!

So now, in contrast to my earlier post of observations about New York City, I now post my observations about home.

• Speed limits: I start seeing all these speed limit signs when driving back from the airport and it made me realize- there really is no "speed limit" in the city. Cars just drive as fast as possible.

• Showering without shoes: I don't have to shower in flip flops at home! My tub has never felt so slippery to my feet!
• Silent nights: My first night in my room at home, there was a deafening silence that I haven't heard in quite a long time!
• Trucks: Don't see too many of these in the city. See quite a few too many of these in Texas.
• Roadkill: Yep, good old squashed squirrels and raccoons can be found along the streets. I guess squirrels in New York are smarter?
• Young drivers texting: First off, in the city you really never see young people driving because most of the cars are either taxis or rich middle-aged/old people. Sure, some of them might be texting...but I highly doubt it- you would definitely crash.
• Scatteredness: Everything is so spread out!
• Grass ditches: I kinda miss these, they were fun to run on.
• Large coffee pot: The first time I went to pick up the coffee pot at home I almost dropped it because I was so used to picking up my 4 cup one that the 12 cup one felt so heavy! Nevertheless, it runs out much faster when all members of my family are fighting for it

So, I shall conclude with that for now. I'm sure I have failed at keeping you throughly entertained with these random observations, but that's usually what happens when I try to entertain people with something besides viola.

Love,

Violamad

P.S.- come back for next week's special: Yale Work gets interviewed!

People watching

As I write this, I am sitting just across the street from the Lincoln Center which includes the New York City ballet, the Metropolitan Opera and Avery Fisher Hall (the home of the New York Philharmonic). Looking straight ahead I see cars and taxies zip by in the intersection where Columbus Avenue crosses Broadway. I just stopped in Starbucks to grab a coffee and drop off my application to manager Francisco (I should’ve spoken in Spanish to him!) and as I was walking back to the dorm, I felt compelled to sit here on this island of concrete and write a blog about…you guessed it- people watching.

I’ve always enjoyed people watching, but nevertheless, I always feel like it’s “judging” people and of course, that is a known vice. However, I’ve noticed that maybe there is an art to it, a way to make it beneficial to the people and myself.

So let’s go with the couple crossing the street. They look happy, holding hands, having a conversation together, no rings visible on their hands. Let’s wish them the best in their relationship.

Next, the girl struggling to carry a huge (and probably) heavy bag from Bed Bath and Beyond. Maybe she’s new to the city and just moved into an apartment. I pray that she will adjust well and find her place in this crazy city.

Oh, we have to do this one: husband and wife, holding hands with a toddler in pink walking between them, and a stroller with an infant being pushed by the right hand of Mom. So cute! I pray that the parents will be able to sleep through the night (haha) and find joy in the simple minds of children.

Andddd a guy just walked up to me and said “I take it pink is your favorite color.” I look down and see a pink computer, pink computer bag, a pink corduroy jacket and pink tennis shoes. My response: “yeah, just a little bit.”

The guy photographing the sun reflecting off the buildings- I hope he can capture exactly the image he is looking for!

So, you get the idea- be positive, not negative. It’s really refreshing and you might just find yourself smiling as you walk down the street.

Love,

Violamad

Why viola?

Though many of you have heard the story I'm sure, I feel compelled to fully explain why I chose the viola. I cannot confirm the validity of this story since I don't remember this particular day, but my Granddad loves to depict the scene in this way.

Scene: Marie, Dad and Granddad in a gymnasium full of 4th graders trying to pick out what instrument they will play next year in orchestra.

Marie: Granddad, I want to play the viola.

Granddad: Why's that, Marie?

Marie: Because I like the way it sounds.

Granddad: (a little impressed that his granddaughter even knows what the viola is) Oh really?! When have you heard a viola?

Marie: No, I mean, I like the way it sounds- veeohlaaaa

(*insert cheesy sound here*)

So yes, maybe it's true, and that is why I chose viola. But now, looking back on it, I realize what a wonderful decision it was. Though these are not necessarily viola-specific, here are a few more reasons why I love playing viola....

(in no particular order)

1. No plane ticket.

Ever sat next to a tuba or cello on a plane? Well let me tell you, I'm glad I don't have to pay double airfare every time I have to go somewhere.

2. No E string.

Ever heard an E string squeak? Not the nicest sound ever.

3. Less competition.

It's true, I admit.

4. More eighth notes, fewer sixteenths.

Some people might find repeated eighth notes boring in orchestra parts. I relish in them as I watch the violinists' eyes bulge when they try to read all the notes on the page.

5. More gigs.

Chamber groups are always in need of a lovely violist!

6. Alto clef.

Yeah, we have our own clef. And it rocks.

7. Viola jokes.

Why was the violist wandering outside? Because he couldn't find the key and didn't know where to come in!

8. A permanent excuse.

I'm a violist. What's your excuse?

9. Great way to start a conversation.

"What instrument is that?"- "It's a viola"- "What's a viola?"

10. A great sound.

Besides the way the word sounds, the viola played actually can sound quite nice :)

Love,

Violamad

To miss

WEll, despite the fact that I'm living in the most amazing city in the United States, the time where I start to miss things was bound to come. But while I started thinking about the things that I miss most, my curious crazy little mind lead me to look up the actual definition of the verb "to miss". Thus said, I here will now define ALL the dictionary.com meanings of the verb "to miss" with examples from my own life. Dang, quite an intro- let's begin!

Miss

-verb (used with object)

1. To fail to hit or strike;

-When trying to learn how to hit the ping pong ball with a back-spin, I often miss the ball entirely.

2. to fail to encounter, meet, catch, etc...;

-Too often I'm not paying attention when I get on the elevator and forget to push the button and miss my floor!

3. to fail to take advantage of;

-Because I am so busy, I missed the chance to be an extra in a small movie being filmed. Oh well...more opportunities to come?

4. to fail to be present at or for;

-I have yet to miss any classes! (because of Juilliard's strict attendance policy and small classes where my absence would be easily noted)

5. to notice the absence or loss of;

-Every time I go into the laundry room I see some socks that are missing their partner!

6. to regret the absence or loss of;

-I miss many things about home:

• Family and friends: Mommy, Daddy, aunts, uncles, cousins, Joan, Annie and Faith!
• Food: Mom's cooking, Tex-Mex(!!!), Freebirds, Panera, Brooklyn Cafe bagels, Blue Bell
• Stores: HEB, Target, Aaron Brothers, Walmart!
• Random: private restrooms, Ecclesia, driving a car, pine trees, carpeted stairs, the couch in the gameroom, fresh air, solitude.

7. to escape or avoid;

-Fortunately, I have managed to miss meeting all the "cold" people at Juilliard. Everyone I know is absolutely wonderful :)

8. to fail to perceive or understand;

-When I open my New Harvard dictionary of music to read up on "polyphony" before our theory test, I feel like I am missing 90% of what I'm reading when I start to see things like "isorhythmic motet" and "ouvert-clos rhyme schemes" (which I should maybe know about...?)

Well, I guess now you have a pretty good idea about the verb "to miss".

Did I miss anything?

;)

Love,

Violamad

Sunsets

Well I guess the title says it all. I'm writing about sunsets, and if you have seen any of my recent picture uploads on Facebook, you probably already know that they have become my new obsession.

I just can't get over what a beautiful view I have from my tiny little room. It's perfect. To the left I can see the Lincoln Center with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet and Avery Fisher Hall (New York Philharmonic) buildings. To the right I see the Hudson River and there is a perfect open spot between buildings where the sun sets. I've now made a point of trying to be in my room around 6 pm just so I can enjoy this beautiful scene as much as possible.

I was finally inspired to write about this last night when the sunset was so extraordinary I made a point of asking everybody that evening if they had seen it. I happened to be in my room needing to do a little reading before I went to dinner and a peek through the window told me it was the right time. So I pulled back the shutters, put on my sunglasses, hopped up on the windowsill and just sat and read, only to pull away my eyes from the page every minute to take in the scene (and of course take a few pictures) It was definitely one of the most wonderful moments I have ever experienced. How great is our God!

My point?

Where are you when the sun sets each day? Have you taken the time recently to just step outside and watch the color of the sky change? Or simply looked out the window to relish in nature's beauty?

Try it. I think you'll find yourself feeling quite refreshed.

:)

The Reason for God

This Sunday I continued with my church-hopping and went to a more contemporary evening service of a multi-campus church (Redeemer) that I had visited two weeks ago. I'm not sure if it is the right church for me yet, but wonderfully enough it happened to be a Sunday that they were giving out free copies of the pastor, Tim Keller's book "The Reason for God."

I knew that New York was going to be pretty different from a relatively conservative part of Texas. It's tough being in a class with 15 people in which only two raise their hands to acknowledge that they have read the Bible.

INTERJECTION: Sure, I have previously had and still have plenty of wonderful friends that would also not answer yes to that question. Yet, I still feel like where I come from, the majority grew up familiar with Christianity, go to church, etc.

So- what about it? Of course it makes me feel a little uncomfortable and foreign. However, I shouldn't be. I am in the city of "anything goes"! Maybe people can take that a little too far sometimes...but the point is, people are very open. Thus, I shouldn't feel like they are going to look down upon me. I will not look down upon them. AND I'm very excited to use this opportunity to explore doubt and search for truth in Christianity.

I'm only in the first chapter of Keller's book, but I can already tell it is going to be great, and I hope I can pass it on to someone else (by the church's orders ;) when I am done. And to wrap up my thoughts here I'd like to post a few excerpts from the introduction.

"We have come to a cultural moment in which both skeptics and believers feel their existence is threatened because both secular skepticism and religious faith are on the rise in significant, powerful ways. We have neither the Western Christendom of the past nor the secular, religionless society that was predicted for the future. We have something else entirely....

Each side should accept that both religious belief and skepticism are on the rise...I recommend that each side look at doubt in a radically new way.

I commend two processes to my readers. I urge skeptics to wrestle with the unexamined "blind faith" on which skepticism is based, and to see how hard it is to justify those beliefs to those who do not share them. I also urge believers to wrestle with their personal and culture's objections to the faith. At the end of each process, even if you remain the skeptic or believer you have been, you will hold your own position with both greater clarity and greater humility. Then there will be an understanding, sympathy, and respect for the other side that did not exist before. Believers and nonbelievers will rise to the level of disagreement rather than simply denouncing one another. This happens when each side has learned to represent the other's argument in its strongest and most positive form. Only then is it safe and fair to disagree with it. That achieves civility in a pluralistic society, which is no small thing."

I have to admit I've already begun the process. Just the other night I had an hour long discussion with my good friend Konstantine (Look Konstantine, I wrote about the Greek guy in my blog! ;)) on the doubts of religion, Christianity, creation, etc. And I'm quite excited to do it some more!

Well, I guess I should stop blabbing here and get to making my cookies! It's Marie's cookie night in the lounge!

But here's my challenge for tonight- What's your reason for God? Or what's your reason for no God?

Think about. And email me your own story of your faith if you'd like :)

violamad@gmail.com

Love,

Violamad