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Skuff

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  2. What sweetens your coffee today II

    in Random Thoughts

    Posted

    I mainly looked at colleges in DC, because I'm pretty sure that is where I want to go, plus it's great for what I want to do (Business/Entertainment). My mom said no to NYC, so DC was the next best thing

    There also is another reason for not looking at Notre Dame, but we can leave sports rivalries out of this... :P

  3. What sweetens your coffee today II

    in Random Thoughts

    Posted

    This is kind of a compilation post of what has happened to me recently, so bear with the blocks of text. They're all good things. :D

    This year was the first year since my brother's junior year of high school than anyone from my school has made the PMEA All-State music festivals: I made a trombone I part in the concert band. So, my band director just recently found out that NAfME holds an All-National music festival. He figured I should audition, since the only requirement was to be a member of your state's All-State ensemble. I gave it a shot back in April not expecting much--what could an audition hurt? I made my recording and filled out the form and was told the results would be sent out in mid-July.

    So I get an e-mail this past Wednesday from NAfME. I'm on the way home from work and I open it on my phone (I'M NOT DRIVING). I read the first paragraph and it sounds like a typical rejection letter:

    Thank you for your support of the 2013 NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles. We received a record number of applicants this year and were faced with very difficult decisions regarding selection.

    Then I scroll down:

    Congratulations! You have been selected as a member of the 2013 NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles. You will receive a packet via e-mail next week – please make sure your e-mail is up to date in Acceptd.

    And I'm f**king floored. I was not expecting this. So guess who's going to Nashville in October?

    Another kid from a local school also got in, but he'll probably be playing horn in the orchestra.

    Also, this weekend I visited some schools in DC: American University, Catholic University of America, and George Washington University. I like all 3, but am leaning towards American because of its urban, but not too urban location and their Business and Entertainment program. It'll probably come down to which school gives me the most money though. :/

    But this past week was very cool. One last week of work before Lollapalooza (:D) and then band camp. (:/)

  4. Random Music Thoughts V

    in Music Discussion

    Posted

    I recently bought Less Than Jake's highly-praised second major-label release from 1998 "Hello Rockview" as a box set of 7 45s. I just now am getting around to listening to it the whole way through, and I'm realizing how inconvenient it is. Getting up every 2-3 minutes to flip a record/change it kind of sucks. But it is a cool way to package a record and a nice collectible. I believe it was limited to 5000 copies.

    And, old woman next door, if you can hear this punk/ska masterpiece, I don't care. I can hear your phone ringing when I'm trying to focus on studies, so oh well. (I doubt she can hear it though.)

  6. Music Lists A-Z

    in Fun & Games

    Posted

    Songs with a Medieval Times word in the Title

    (Royal figure, castle, etc)

    Arthur - Rick Wakeman

    Battlefield - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

    Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson

    D

    E

    F

    G

    H

    I'm Henry VIII I Am - Herman's Hermits

    Joker, The - Steve Miller Band

    Knights of Cydonia - Muse

    Lady Madonna - Beatles

    M

    N

    O

    Princes of the Universe - Queen

    Queen of the Reich - Queensryche

    Renaissance Fair - The Byrds

    Spanish Castle Magic - Jimi Hendrix

    The Knave - The Purge

    U

    V

    Wench - April Wine

    X

    Y

    Z

  7. Songfacts Albums You Must Hear Before You Die

    in Music Discussion

    Posted

    Here we go!

    (My first two albums have the same reason behind them)

    220px-Titus_andronicus_The_Monitor_album

    Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

    TRACK LISTING

    1. A More Perfect Union

    2. Titus Andronicus Forever

    3. No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future

    4. Richard II

    5. A Pot In Which To P*ss

    6. Four Score and Seven

    7. Theme From "Cheers"

    8. To Old Friends and New

    9. ...And Ever

    10. The Battle of Hampton Roads

    HIGHLIGHTS

    "A More Perfect Union," "The Battle of Hampton Roads"

    If you like this, you may like: The Gaslight Anthem (see below)

    220px-The_Gaslight_Anthem_-_The_%2759_So

    The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Great Expectations

    2. The '59 Sound

    3. Old White Lincoln

    4. High Lonesome

    5. Film Noir

    6. Miles Davis & The Cool

    7. The Patient Ferris Wheel

    8. Casanova, Baby!

    9. Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

    10. Meet Me By The River's Edge

    11. Here's Looking At You, Kid

    12. The Backseat

    HIGHLIGHTS

    "Great Expectations," "Meet Me By The River's Edge," "Here's Looking At You, Kid"

    If you like this, you may like: Titus Andronicus (see above)

    These two punk/rock albums basically defined my junior year of high school. I first discovered The Monitor in an article that mentioned it was a concept album about the Civil War (sort-of) and my interest, as a US History nerd, was piqued. I listened to it and many of my fears and worries were addressed by Patrick Stickles. I then heard about The Gaslight Anthem and checked The 59 Sound out and fell in love with the way Brian Fallon writes his music. So, these two albums helped me get through one of the most stressful years of school for me: whenever I felt bad or unmotivated, I'd blast either one of these records and I'd feel better.

    220px-Let%27s_Face_It_Bosstones_cover.jp

    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Let's Face It

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Noise Brigade

    2. The Rascal King

    3. Royal Oil

    4. The Impression That I Get

    5. Let's Face It

    6. That Bug Bit Me

    7. Another Drinkin' Song

    8. Numbered Days

    9. Break So Easily

    10. Nevermind Me

    11. Desensitized

    12. 1-2-8

    HIGHLIGHTS

    "Let's Face It," "That Bug Bit Me," 1-2-8"

    If you like this, you may like: Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, Less Than Jake

    This was one of the first "modern" albums my father introduced me to before his death when I was in the 5th grade and it instilled in me a love of ska, and alternative music in general, that has stayed with me to this very day

    220px-Dogproblems.jpg

    The Format - Dog Problems

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Matches

    2. I'm Actual

    3. Time Bomb

    4. She Doesn't Get It

    5. Pick Me Up

    6. Dog Problems

    7. Oceans

    8. Dead End

    9. Snails

    10. The Compromise

    11. Inches and Falling

    12. If Work Permits

    HIGHLIGHTS

    "Time Bomb," "She Doesn't Get It," "The Compromise"

    If you like this, you make like:fun.'s FIRST album, The Shins

    This album was the album of hope for me. We were moving out of the house were my father died into a better house, with a better future. It also was, after "Let's Face It," my first real taste of indie/alternative music.

    jukebox_the_ghost_everything_under_the_s

    Jukebox the Ghost - Everything Under The Sun

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Schizophrenia

    2. Half Crazy

    3. Empire

    4. Summer Sun

    5. Mistletoe

    6. The Sun

    7. So Let Us Create

    8. Carrying

    9. The Sun (Interlude)

    10. The Stars

    11. The Popular Thing

    12. Nobody

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    "Schizophrenia," "The Stars"

    If you like this, you may like: Ben Folds (Five)

    Time for some more happy personal stories! This album basically defined the summer of 2012 for me. (Notice how NONE of the albums' stories take place the same year the albums come out? Yeah, I'm weird like that) I first downloaded it to listen to in Wildwood for our Indoor Percussion trip, and while it was NOT the winning season we had in 2011, it was a whole lot more fun because we didn't have to stress about winning. I had a lot of fun that weekend and this album surely helped.

  9. What Song Are You Listening To Right Now?

    in Music Discussion

    Posted

    Streetlight Manifesto - "One Foot on the Gas, One Foot in the Grave"

    So what will you do when they call your name and you're not ready to go?

    Everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know

    That you're in too deep and you can't quite keep your secrets, one and all

    We might just make it after all, on our own

    We might just make it after all

  13. Your Top Favorite Albums of the 2010's

    in Music Discussion

    Posted

    Titus Andronicus - The Monitor (2010)

    Jukebox the Ghost - Everything Under the Sun (2010)

    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Magic of Youth (2011)

    Matt Nathanson - Modern Love (2011)

    The Shins - Port of Morrow (2012)

    Mumford and Sons - Babel (2012)

    Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse (2013)

    Streetlight Manifesto - The Hands That Thieve (2013)

    And I'm most excited for Matt Nathanson's "The Last of the Great Pretenders," due out July 16.

  16. What sweetens your coffee today II

    in Random Thoughts

    Posted

    ^I know, but a lot of people in my school take the fact that I share my good AP/SAT scores as bragging, but it's not. I'm just so excited...

    I was most nervous about World History...I would not have gotten that good of a score without buying a prep book. Not that the teacher was bad (the ringtone on his class phone was: tumblr_inline_mm1u4lDBjR1qz4rgp.gif after all) but the class was kind of slow and we didn't cover too much information.

    Same with Psychology. This time, it is the teacher. He is funny and very cool, but also too lenient and easy. Psychology is an easy class/exam, but a prep book saved me from failing this one too.

  19. What sweetens your coffee today II

    in Random Thoughts

    Posted

    If anybody's seem my post about AP results in the "What grinds your gears then" thread, here's the part 2:

    I logged in at 5 am this morning and I was so surprised when I saw these scores greeting me:

    • English Language and Composition: 5
    • Psychology: 4
    • US History: 4
    • World History: 4

    The scores are out of 5, where at most colleges, a 4 will get you out of the course or a similar one. So, no Comp I, Psych, US History, or World History in college for me!

    I was so happy to get the highest score possible in English Language, and I was pleasantly surprised I scored as high as I did in World History.

  22. What grinds your gears then?

    in Random Thoughts

    Posted

    In mid-May every year, students across the US (and some internationally) enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses take final, standardized, college-level exams to test how well you learned the material and to see if you have earned "Advanced Placement" in college. The scores reported are out of 5, and most colleges will accept a 4 for credit, but some courses/colleges will only accept a 5.

    This may, I took 4 of these exams (and they're not cheap either: $89 each!): Psychology, English Language and Composition, United States History, and World History. The scores begin to be released to students tomorrow. Early access is given to different geographical areas one day at a time, and the East Coast gets it first: A 24-hour period starting at 5 am tomorrow. (The scores will be officially available for EVERYONE at 5 am on July 8.)

    So what grinds my gears? That I've had to wait this long. That I always feel that I did horribly on standardized tests leading up to the scores. When I took my SATs in June (for the 2nd time) I was so afraid that my score would stay the same or drop from December, but they didn't. It went up 300 points, from 1650 to 1950.

    I would love to have all this anxiety and see four 5's on that score report tomorrow, but I'm not getting my hopes up: My Psych class was a f**king joke (I self-taught myself most of the material), English Language is very difficult to score a 5 on, US History is possible, but the essays threw me a bit, and I'm royally screwed for World History.

    But what can I do but wait for 12 and a half hours?

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