Sunday Self Indulgence

Yeah, I know I said I'd post videos on Sundays and today is Monday. Yeah, I know I haven't blogged in over a week. But I've been super busy. Saturday we went on a tour of the Labor and Delivery section of the hospital. Sunday my brother came over for breakfast with his furry baby and then I had a really awesome concert with my band. Today I was busy having a two hour delay from school, only to get to school and find out my school laptop was stolen over the weekend along with 11 others. And all during the past week I was busy stressing over a school concert, a school talent show, my baby shower in a week, and oh yeah, we're having a baby in 7 weeks.

And now that you're all caught up on what I've been doing in the past week, take a look at how cute my furry babies are. Take note please of how awesome my Penny is playing with my brother's Bella. They are new BFFs.

Your welcome.

Sunday Self Indulgence

One of the great things I discovered in the two years I lived in New York was called "Student Discount". Broadway shows at discount. Concerts at discount. I was in love.

The first time I did this, I saw 'Proof'. This was my first time seeing a straight-play, a non-musical. Neil Patrick Harris was in it and so was Anne Heche. From years of going to shows with my mom as a kid, I knew that if you waited outside the stage door after the show, the actors come out and will sign your Playbill and might even take a picture. It was seriously one of my happiest days in NYC. I saw 'Cabaret', a show I didn't like the revival of, twice because it was only $20 and Neil Patrick Harris was in it. I saw 'Urinetown' twice as well because it was one of the funniest and smartest shows ever. I saw Aida with Adam Pascal and Rent with Joey Fatone.

At this time, my love for Neil Patrick was rivaled only by my love for Joshua Bell. Joshua Bell is a classical violinist, only about eight years older than I am, handsome and amazing. I loved him and whenever he had a performance in the city I made sure I was there. He was doing a concert with the New York Philharmonic the weekend of Thanksgiving. Well, I couldn't do that, I would be in Connecticut. Well then I found out about open rehearsals. You could go and watch the orchestra rehearse! He was playing Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto, a piece of music I'd never heard until that day.

It is, to this day, one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. The first two movements are lovely, with lots of ups and downs. Very lyrical and melodic. But the last movement. That's what I want you to hear. The video obviously isn't Joshua Bell, I couldn't find him doing it on You Tube. I don't know the name of the girl performing in the video, the don't mention her name anywhere, but from reading the comments it sounds like she was the winner of a youth competition. Youth competitions are usually for high school aged students, keep that in mind while you listen.

Sunday at the Movies

So a friend and fellow music teacher recently opened my eyes to YouTube. I know, how sad that I didn't know about YouTube. I mean, I knew about it, I just never investigated it. It's wicked cool, friends!!

Then I was thinking about all the semi-cool, semi-lame things that I loved when I was a kid and still love now. And then I was thinking about how I can teach all of these semi-cool, semi-lame things to The Beaner because for a least a few years he'll think I'm the shit. And then I was thinking about how I can teach you all about these semi-cool, semi-lame things because you are at my mercy and will read whatever I write.

Call it 'Sunday at the Movies'. Call it 'A Few of My Favorite Things'. Call it a bit of self indulgence.

First up, Annie. My brother, sister and I watched this movie constantly. We knew it word for word for word. I know all the characters, all the lyrics, all the funny one liners. My sister and I loved "Its a Hard Knock Life" the best because, quite honestly we thought we had a hard knock life. We loved the line "Santa Claus we never see, Santa Claus what's that, who's he?"