Pages

8.31.2008

If you've got it, flaunt it...?

After all the things that came together to make up last week, I have come to the conclusion that I absolutely have to start practicing voice again. Why? Let's see... Many of the first-year grad students have some kind of serious sports history - playing Ultimate Frisbee, or swimming, or training for marathons... and this makes me feel kind of silly, because the one thing I do very well (aside from Physics, I guess I have to say now that I'm actually a grad student) is singing. That, and apparently I blew people away sufficiently at the visiting weekend when I sang karaoke that they still remember, and if I let that slip, that'll just be silly.

Most of all, though, I just love to sing. The phrase is nothing original, the sentiment is genuine. When I finally had the opportunity to take voice lessons, I found that diligent practice actually made it more fun... partially because practicing meant I sang more every day, but also because I was able to actually find my own sound, as opposed to the adolescent choir sound I had developed. Then, somewhere along the way, I buried myself in musical theater pieces, and have since found all kinds of fun in expressing character and moods through tone and physical expression. Now all I need to do is find an amateur MT group so I can stroot my stoof.

But that is a different project. This week, as usual, I baked more cookies (8)! These ones have banana, semi sweet chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, and wheat flour in them (aside from the normal things). The recipe called for chocolate chunks, but when I was at the store, I found it was less expensive to purchase 12oz of chips than two 4oz bars.

These cookies ooze healthiness. I have to admit, I was one of those kids who LOVED white bread, and couldn't eat wheat bread unless it had all kinds of stuff on it. I eat whole wheat bread now because it's good for me, but I'm always very aware of the taste and it's not my favorite. That whole wheat taste is present in this latest batch of cookies, but I think it goes pretty well with the walnuts and bananas. The chocolate chips kind of save the recipe, though, by putting in something that's not so healthy. I think I may have put too much banana in the batter, since the cookies are a little spongy...but in a good way.

Of course, I will take these to the physics building on Monday, when people get together to do their homework (how lame are we, that we're taking our day off to go to work), and they will probably be gone by the end of the day. And hopefully, so will our homework.

**re-made on 7/19/10

2 comments:

  1. it is with much distress that i report the following, of which i was informed by Dave last night.

    it seems that Rachel might be too busy with completing the courses she needs to graduate this December to sing with us on the worship team this semester. and contrary to my earlier impression that Daniel was going to drum for us, he has bought a new guitar, an Ovation (i will relate a funny story involving me and an Ovation guitar later) which means that the current instrumental line-up sees him and Dave on guitars. it immediately follows therefore that i will not include myself as a guitarist, for you know that a line-up with even 2 rhythm guitars violates my musical principles.
    we have Uni to play the keys, which makes me redundant there, but only for the better of course; and it appears that Josh has taken his bass away.
    i think you get my drift.
    it looks very possible that i'm going to have to learn to sing for reals, a thought that frightens me into an insecure mess. it would probably be easier for me to arrange a Chopin impromptu version of Oh God Our Help in Ages Past for piano than to sing it at worship in front of people.
    practice starts today, so we'll see what happens. but whatever it is, i'm sure the band setup is going to be however God wants, especially since Daniel said last year that he'd only get a new guitar if God wanted him to. which brings me to my story:
    the first actual acoustic folk guitar i bought on my own to play in church after i had had some training was an Ovation. some months later, i sold my Ovation and upgraded to a Custom Acoustic (it's a brand, though i wish i had enough to custom make my own too)
    which is the one you saw at my house. anyway, when that happened, the first time i played that at worship practice, my bandmates were so glad they were cheering and on the verge of congratulating me : they hated the Ovation, but were too polite to tell me before.
    so that experience has forever coloured/tainted/marred my liking for Ovation guitars. we'll see how long i have to endure the plasticky, unresonant sound of it. ;P
    back to my original point. i have to learn to sing for serious and that's just the scariest thought ever.

    i suppose for you, practicing voice is a matter of strueting your stuef, but for me it's a matter of not becoming obsolete.
    after all, ya gotta get a gimmick, if ya want cred on the street.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Remember: if you can't find an amateur theater troupe, you are obligated to start one! ;)

    I loved white bread as a kid too, but then I switched to wheat bread, and now I can't eat white bread anymore because it tastes like newspaper! This is another sign that I am becoming unhealthily healthy.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails