I'm staring at stacks of papers and piles of clothes, my bed is an ultimate disaster and my suitcases are laid open in the middle of my floor. My wall is half decorated, a random gingerbread man sticks to my window, and my desk is so cluttered I can't see its top.
I'm packing. And it's 2 in the morning. Where did this semester go?
I have been so incredibly busy! In the last 2 weeks, I completed all 7 of my finals, performed in 4 classes, had 2 auditions and a vocal coaching with Victoria Browers, a classical soprano in SongFusion, an ensemble group in New York devoted to art song. She's fabulous. http://www.victoriabrowers.com. Check her out. The coaching was incredible, I was sick through both my auditions and performances and am surprised I'm still standing after the music history exam I had to take. I swear if I hear one more Latin church mass, I'm going to cry. But I made it. Here I am! I'm taking off for Idaho in 2 days. After that, it's England, then Italy, and a semester filled with adventuring is ahead! I feel very confident in this last semester. It was very challenging, but it was a semester filled with immense personal and musical growth.
Speaking of musical growth... I've reached a very exciting place in my voice. I've wanted to share it for the last two weeks with anyone I come in contact with. In my lessons, my voice teacher and I discovered this lovely little pocket that my voice sits so comfortably in. It's a new placement, and I don't know how to describe it except that it has made singing so much more effortless.
On the work front, everything is crazy. Don't work 30 hours during finals week. Just don't do it. If I could give you one suggestion ever, it would be this: don't work retail in New York City during the holidays. Wait I lied. Second suggestion: be overly kind to every salesperson you come in contact with. And hang up your clothes. And don't hide things in piles. And please, whatever you do, don't ask me a question when I have 10 pounds of clothes in both my hands and I'm walking up the stairs.
Christmas is magical in the city. I can never have enough of the holiday markets, music, ringing Santas, decorations and sparkle that everything seems to have at this time of year. I'm a romantic, I know it, but I just love everything about it.
I had the most incredible experience yesterday. The past few weeks have all been mind-blowing, but last night was phenomenal. Stephen Flaherty, composer of Lucky Stiff, Ragtime, Seussical, and the film Anastasia, was featured in a composer's forum at Steinhardt as a collaboration with the Society of Composers and Lyricists. Best of all? It was free to NYU students. So... Lauren and I spent last night listening to Stephen Flaherty talk about his inspiration for Lucky Stiff, Ragtime, Anastasia, his current work on Rocky the Musical in Hamburg (which a previous professor of mine produced). Remember last year when I met Tom Meehan? The writer of Hairspray, Annie, The Producers...? Well, Tom is the writer of Rocky the Musical, and Stephen Flaherty is the composer, and they both work with my professor, who is one of the producers on the project. Anyway, it's a very exciting work, it should be an interesting one to see once it transfers from the German stage to Broadway. So last night, I not only got to hear Stephen Flaherty chat about his life, but the singing voice of Anastasia, Liz Callaway, performed "Once Upon a December", "Journey to the Past", and a new song from the stage production of Anastasia that's in the works. It was fabulous! We spoke with both of them after the forum, talking to Mr. Flaherty about Rocky and Liz about her voice. Ah, it was amazing. It's such an inspiring reminder to me, just of what I'm working towards and what our industry really stands for.
Since I know it's been ages and a day since I last wrote, I'll also catch you up on the other exciting things that I've done. I saw the Mystery of Edwin Drood, and The Heiress. Both were fabulous, I recommend seeing either of them. The Heiress, with Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley of Downton Abbey), Jessica Chastain, and David Strithairn was a fabulous show. I loved the book, and I loved the storyline. My only problem was the line reading. Much of the delivery was very much the same. It sounded too rehearsed. Regardless, it was a fabulous show and David Strithairn blew my mind. Dan Stevens also allowed me to take a picture of him! (Geeking out) ... and I got his autograph. The Mystery of Edwin Drood was a very amusing melodramatic musical based on the Charles Dickens novel of the same name. The story is unique in that it was the last novel that Dickens wrote before he died. In fact, he left the book unfinished, taking the secret of the murderer to his grave. As many have theorized how Dickens intended to end his novel, others have been busy writing musicals like this one... and letting their audiences choose the ending instead. It was very interactive. We got to vote for our murderer, and the day we went, his fiancee, Rosa Bud, was our killer. It was a fabulous production with Stephanie J. Block (her voice is amazing), who is so fierce, she's incredible. Overall, an amusing tale and a very entertaining show, but my one complaint was that I couldn't understand a word they sang.
I feel confident in this post as a good summation of the month of December, and I again extend every apology for my lack of writing this semester. Since I'll be abroad in January, you can expect weekly posts again, as there will be much to report!
Coming home,
♥ Em
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
In praise of the arts...
"What I love about actors - and this is why I appreciate their craft so much - is that they are asked repeatedly, day after day, to explore the parts of their lives that hurt the most. To tear into the innermost parts of their being, and rip their insides out, only to be completely exposed to hundreds of people."
These words - the words of one of my professors - have rung inside me the past two weeks, resonating like the beat of a drum. Softly playing off my emotion, my reason, my logic... these words have been turning in my mind over again every time I step into a practice room. People I talk to seem surprised when I have 'so much homework'. "You're just a voice major", they say. When I talk to people about my major, oftentimes they don't realize that in order to do what I want to do, I have to take 12 classes a week, I can't take Friday's off, and my weekends are usually filled with auditions or performances. I can't stay up until the wee hours of the morning studying, because my voice must be rested to perform in my classes. I need to eat healthy and make sure I get enough exercise, because I have to be physically fit enough for my career. Being aware of both my physical presence, and the presence of others is of the utmost importance. It's priority for me to rest my voice when it's feeling tired. I'll call out sick from work if I think my vocal health is at risk. My homework is not filled with calculations and charts. I spend hours delving into the lives of many characters - discovering why they do what they do. What makes Eliza Doolittle sing her fiery "Show Me" to poor, unsuspecting Freddy who just wants to walk down the street where she lives? I pore over circumstances and scenes, objectives and motives, actions and verbs... The reason my homework is strenuous is because it requires not only my intellect, but my entire being. My work is very emotional, physical and intellectual. There's no doubt that it's challenging, which is why I love it so much. I get to watch my classmates perform every day. I go to Broadway shows to write reviews. I'm certainly not complaining. But I'm discontent. I'm one of many who thinks that something has to change, because something is not right.
I don't make a habit of watching pop music videos. Maybe because I don't listen to pop music if I don't have to. I just don't enjoy it. But when I do happen to watch a clip of a pop singer, I find myself in complete awe. I'm blown away by people who"make it" in the industry with little to no training, no technique, and nothing but a rich family member or two to buy their spot of fame. I don't know how to appreciate performance without technique, because I wasn't taught to. I don't mean to generalize. There are pop artists that I appreciate. There are pop arts who are vocally trained, and are truly talented. But I don't consider songs that span a grand total of 4 whole steps repeating the same 5 words over and over again "art". I don't even consider it entertainment. Now, I'm a classical musician and I may be old fashioned, but I'm surrounded by incredibly talented people every day, musicians, composers, and instrumentalists that never fail to amaze me. These people are studying music sacrificially - studying the very essence of music for the purpose of creating something full of quality and truth. Do I think that classical art is under appreciated? Absolutely. No one takes a night out to the opera anymore. And if they do, they either leave or fall asleep before the third act. When was the last time you heard someone say, "I am so excited for the symphony tickets we have for tonight"? It's sad, but there just isn't a market for classical music anymore. In his essay "Listen to This", Alex Ross says, "When people hear 'classical', they think 'dead.'... You see magazines with listings for Popular Music in one section and for Classical Music in another, so that the latter becomes, by implication, Unpopular Music." But classical music is, in the end, what all music comes to. Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" was once trendy, too, you know. But that's not entirely what's bothering me.
No, it's not just that art is under appreciated, it's that even art that is more appreciated than classical music - theater, film, and concerts - has become so commercialized, that it's been stripped of its true purpose. It's unfortunate that Broadway couldn't survive without commercialization. Everything is quantity over quality. The name makes the show now, not the other way around. I want to go back to the glory days of theater. I don't want to have to get 5 degrees to get a job off of which I can live. The problem isn't America, it isn't the government, and it certainly isn't partisan politics. Do I think that there should be increased government funding for the arts? Absolutely. A hundredfold! But I think that funding for the arts should start right here with you and me. I believe our money should be funding artists left and right. I believe this because I don't think that art is purely entertainment. That's what commercialization has done. Cheap art has become a way to be entertained. But true art is a reciprocation from the artist to society. It's the way that artists say 'thank you' to the world. It's something beautiful. It's what every actor is doing every night on the Broadway stage at 8. It's what the starving artist on the street is doing when selling their paintings, their carvings, their craft. It's what the writer on the subway is writing in their mind when people watching. It's
The next time you meet an actor, a musician, an opera singer - give them a hug from me. Tell them you appreciate the endless hours they practice every week. Tell them you appreciate them for their tireless commitment. Or at the very least, tell them I do.
It begins here. :)
These words - the words of one of my professors - have rung inside me the past two weeks, resonating like the beat of a drum. Softly playing off my emotion, my reason, my logic... these words have been turning in my mind over again every time I step into a practice room. People I talk to seem surprised when I have 'so much homework'. "You're just a voice major", they say. When I talk to people about my major, oftentimes they don't realize that in order to do what I want to do, I have to take 12 classes a week, I can't take Friday's off, and my weekends are usually filled with auditions or performances. I can't stay up until the wee hours of the morning studying, because my voice must be rested to perform in my classes. I need to eat healthy and make sure I get enough exercise, because I have to be physically fit enough for my career. Being aware of both my physical presence, and the presence of others is of the utmost importance. It's priority for me to rest my voice when it's feeling tired. I'll call out sick from work if I think my vocal health is at risk. My homework is not filled with calculations and charts. I spend hours delving into the lives of many characters - discovering why they do what they do. What makes Eliza Doolittle sing her fiery "Show Me" to poor, unsuspecting Freddy who just wants to walk down the street where she lives? I pore over circumstances and scenes, objectives and motives, actions and verbs... The reason my homework is strenuous is because it requires not only my intellect, but my entire being. My work is very emotional, physical and intellectual. There's no doubt that it's challenging, which is why I love it so much. I get to watch my classmates perform every day. I go to Broadway shows to write reviews. I'm certainly not complaining. But I'm discontent. I'm one of many who thinks that something has to change, because something is not right.
I don't make a habit of watching pop music videos. Maybe because I don't listen to pop music if I don't have to. I just don't enjoy it. But when I do happen to watch a clip of a pop singer, I find myself in complete awe. I'm blown away by people who"make it" in the industry with little to no training, no technique, and nothing but a rich family member or two to buy their spot of fame. I don't know how to appreciate performance without technique, because I wasn't taught to. I don't mean to generalize. There are pop artists that I appreciate. There are pop arts who are vocally trained, and are truly talented. But I don't consider songs that span a grand total of 4 whole steps repeating the same 5 words over and over again "art". I don't even consider it entertainment. Now, I'm a classical musician and I may be old fashioned, but I'm surrounded by incredibly talented people every day, musicians, composers, and instrumentalists that never fail to amaze me. These people are studying music sacrificially - studying the very essence of music for the purpose of creating something full of quality and truth. Do I think that classical art is under appreciated? Absolutely. No one takes a night out to the opera anymore. And if they do, they either leave or fall asleep before the third act. When was the last time you heard someone say, "I am so excited for the symphony tickets we have for tonight"? It's sad, but there just isn't a market for classical music anymore. In his essay "Listen to This", Alex Ross says, "When people hear 'classical', they think 'dead.'... You see magazines with listings for Popular Music in one section and for Classical Music in another, so that the latter becomes, by implication, Unpopular Music." But classical music is, in the end, what all music comes to. Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" was once trendy, too, you know. But that's not entirely what's bothering me.
No, it's not just that art is under appreciated, it's that even art that is more appreciated than classical music - theater, film, and concerts - has become so commercialized, that it's been stripped of its true purpose. It's unfortunate that Broadway couldn't survive without commercialization. Everything is quantity over quality. The name makes the show now, not the other way around. I want to go back to the glory days of theater. I don't want to have to get 5 degrees to get a job off of which I can live. The problem isn't America, it isn't the government, and it certainly isn't partisan politics. Do I think that there should be increased government funding for the arts? Absolutely. A hundredfold! But I think that funding for the arts should start right here with you and me. I believe our money should be funding artists left and right. I believe this because I don't think that art is purely entertainment. That's what commercialization has done. Cheap art has become a way to be entertained. But true art is a reciprocation from the artist to society. It's the way that artists say 'thank you' to the world. It's something beautiful. It's what every actor is doing every night on the Broadway stage at 8. It's what the starving artist on the street is doing when selling their paintings, their carvings, their craft. It's what the writer on the subway is writing in their mind when people watching. It's
The next time you meet an actor, a musician, an opera singer - give them a hug from me. Tell them you appreciate the endless hours they practice every week. Tell them you appreciate them for their tireless commitment. Or at the very least, tell them I do.
It begins here. :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Whether the weather is...
It's been forever. I know. But I have some legitimate reasons for not writing this time. I did happen to survive midterms, Hurricane Sandy and the Nor'Easter. I should've blogged whilst stranded during the Hurricane. Instead... I spent my time finishing Arrested Development with my lovely sister. Ah, the past three weeks! Where to begin?
Midterms. They were brutal. I expected as much, but still. I had four midterms in one day. What cruel education system thinks that four midterms back to back is a good idea? Somehow I lived. And I passed, too. :)
The weekend after midterms, I ran away to Brooklyn to weather out the impending "Frankenstorm", Hurricane Sandy. I stayed with my sister, Mary for what turned out to be the entire week. Her husband worked in the city most of the week, so we basically just hung out in Brooklyn and ate a lot of food. Sandy left the lower half of Manhattan without power for days, flooded subway tunnels and essentially shut down the city for half a week. Since everything below like 34th street lost power, my dorm lost both power and water and my roommates were forced to evacuate on Wednesday. :( Luckily, no damage was done to our building and everyone that I know stayed safe and dry. It's surreal to see the damage on the news and feel as though my life went untouched. Mary's apartment didn't lose any power, and we were able to spend time together as sisters for the entire week. I was so fortunate. So for everyone's concerns and prayers, they were much appreciated! We weathered the storm very well. After school and work opened back up, it was onto business as normal.
Nicole visited me! Her anticipated arrival was the Wednesday after Sandy, and with much anxiety, we watched weather patterns and airport closures, but she was set to go. Lovely little Nor'Easter marched in and snowed up a storm, which closed JFK for the night, so Nicole was re-routed to D.C. and didn't arrive in the city until Thursday morning. Despite the travel inconvenience, we had an incredible weekend. We saw a couple shows, did some major shopping, and saw the city! We had a blast. I love sharing my world with friends from back home.
I have a few blog post ideas brimming in my head for this weekend, so I promise now... there will be regular Sunday posts again!
I miss you all. I miss home.
-Em
Christmas Countdown: 40 days!
Midterms. They were brutal. I expected as much, but still. I had four midterms in one day. What cruel education system thinks that four midterms back to back is a good idea? Somehow I lived. And I passed, too. :)
The weekend after midterms, I ran away to Brooklyn to weather out the impending "Frankenstorm", Hurricane Sandy. I stayed with my sister, Mary for what turned out to be the entire week. Her husband worked in the city most of the week, so we basically just hung out in Brooklyn and ate a lot of food. Sandy left the lower half of Manhattan without power for days, flooded subway tunnels and essentially shut down the city for half a week. Since everything below like 34th street lost power, my dorm lost both power and water and my roommates were forced to evacuate on Wednesday. :( Luckily, no damage was done to our building and everyone that I know stayed safe and dry. It's surreal to see the damage on the news and feel as though my life went untouched. Mary's apartment didn't lose any power, and we were able to spend time together as sisters for the entire week. I was so fortunate. So for everyone's concerns and prayers, they were much appreciated! We weathered the storm very well. After school and work opened back up, it was onto business as normal.
Nicole visited me! Her anticipated arrival was the Wednesday after Sandy, and with much anxiety, we watched weather patterns and airport closures, but she was set to go. Lovely little Nor'Easter marched in and snowed up a storm, which closed JFK for the night, so Nicole was re-routed to D.C. and didn't arrive in the city until Thursday morning. Despite the travel inconvenience, we had an incredible weekend. We saw a couple shows, did some major shopping, and saw the city! We had a blast. I love sharing my world with friends from back home.
I have a few blog post ideas brimming in my head for this weekend, so I promise now... there will be regular Sunday posts again!
I miss you all. I miss home.
-Em
Christmas Countdown: 40 days!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Christmas is coming.
Ah, the season is upon us! And I can't wait for Christmas. I'll probably say it in every blog post from here forward. I just love the holiday season, and I have to refrain from buying every holiday candle we have in Anthropologie right now. I didn't blog last Sunday because I was both insanely busy, and had little to say. So, this post will serve to catch you up on both weeks.
Fiorello! was a success. I got to meet and talk with Sheldon Harnick, the lyricist of the show. He's such an incredible man, and he was so inspiring! He came to see our performance and met with the cast afterward. In addition, last Thursday, we had an amazing event at Anthro with two of our Made In Kind designers, Tracy Reese and Timo Weiland. The event also served as an official launch for the remodel of our store, and I got to meet Tracy Reese! She was so kind and genuine. It's so encouraging to see people who are so successful and yet so real in what they do and how they act.
I have big news. If you haven't seen my Facebook status, I'm going to Italy! I'll be studying in Florence this spring. :) I can hardly wait! You will get to hear all about my Italian adventures in the spring.
On Tuesday, we went to see "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" It was insane. Absolutely insane. It's brilliant. The direction is brilliant, the acting is amazing, and the book is just beyond belief. It's such a well written play.
Also, I have a couple confessions. I bought a nook. I didn't like it. So, then I took it back. And then I bought a kindle. And I'm still deciding whether I like e-books or not. I'm an avid reader. I absolutely love to read. And I love the feel of a real book in my hands. But I love the convenience of a kindle, and I bought a ridiculously cute case for it. Ah, the trouble.
My second confession... I broke vegetarianism. I've been a committed vegetarian, and a wishy-washy vegan for a little over 2 years, but recently I started craving meat. Now, I don't really like the taste or texture of meat, and I was more than happy to be a vegetarian. But I've been sick on and off, and I just feel like my body was missing something nutrient-wise. So, I took a bite of turkey bacon a couple weeks ago. It was really gross. I don't like turkey bacon. Strike one. Last week, I had a bite of Lauren's lemon chicken. It was really good. Success! So, I ate a bowl of chicken soup as my third, official "meat dish", and I liked it. I'm trying to very slowly reintroduce animal products back into my body. We'll see how this journey turns out, because if you know anything about me, you know I'm allergic to practically everything under the sun.
And lastly, I bought a plane ticket home for Christmas. :) No more staying in the city and working this year for me. I'm coming home! Time to play Christmas music. But really.
Missing home,
♥ Em
Christmas Countdown: 71 days
Fiorello! was a success. I got to meet and talk with Sheldon Harnick, the lyricist of the show. He's such an incredible man, and he was so inspiring! He came to see our performance and met with the cast afterward. In addition, last Thursday, we had an amazing event at Anthro with two of our Made In Kind designers, Tracy Reese and Timo Weiland. The event also served as an official launch for the remodel of our store, and I got to meet Tracy Reese! She was so kind and genuine. It's so encouraging to see people who are so successful and yet so real in what they do and how they act.
I have big news. If you haven't seen my Facebook status, I'm going to Italy! I'll be studying in Florence this spring. :) I can hardly wait! You will get to hear all about my Italian adventures in the spring.
On Tuesday, we went to see "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" It was insane. Absolutely insane. It's brilliant. The direction is brilliant, the acting is amazing, and the book is just beyond belief. It's such a well written play.
Also, I have a couple confessions. I bought a nook. I didn't like it. So, then I took it back. And then I bought a kindle. And I'm still deciding whether I like e-books or not. I'm an avid reader. I absolutely love to read. And I love the feel of a real book in my hands. But I love the convenience of a kindle, and I bought a ridiculously cute case for it. Ah, the trouble.
My second confession... I broke vegetarianism. I've been a committed vegetarian, and a wishy-washy vegan for a little over 2 years, but recently I started craving meat. Now, I don't really like the taste or texture of meat, and I was more than happy to be a vegetarian. But I've been sick on and off, and I just feel like my body was missing something nutrient-wise. So, I took a bite of turkey bacon a couple weeks ago. It was really gross. I don't like turkey bacon. Strike one. Last week, I had a bite of Lauren's lemon chicken. It was really good. Success! So, I ate a bowl of chicken soup as my third, official "meat dish", and I liked it. I'm trying to very slowly reintroduce animal products back into my body. We'll see how this journey turns out, because if you know anything about me, you know I'm allergic to practically everything under the sun.
And lastly, I bought a plane ticket home for Christmas. :) No more staying in the city and working this year for me. I'm coming home! Time to play Christmas music. But really.
Missing home,
♥ Em
Christmas Countdown: 71 days
Sunday, September 30, 2012
I am so happy.
I am so content. I'm snuggled into a corner with a warm cup of apple cider, an overcast sky and a pad of paper brimming with scattered ideas, hastily written down so I wouldn't forget them when it came time to write. But I don't mean I'm only content now, at this exact moment. I mean, I'm wholeheartedly content in every way possible.
If you've lived on this green earth for an extended amount of time, which I'm presuming you have if you're reading this, then you've most likely realized to some extent that humanity is terribly, existentially flawed. And as a result of our flaws, we are constantly searching. We never stop seeking, searching, looking, striving for... that one thing, that will bring us satisfaction. I don't presume to have it, or to tell you that you don't have it. That's not my place. I'm just blogging about my week of observations on human nature, not writing a self-help novel. But I am sharing with you a revelation that I deem to be important, even crucial, to this time of my life.
I've seen the finger point at everyone and everything. The blaming usually begins with "The reason our society is..." or "Well, this generation..." These conversations never turn out well and usually end in someone shouting, crying, or both. It's true that our society is not an ideal one. It's true that the state our country is in is not ideal. But was it ever? I've heard more and more from the older generation about the 'glory days', reminiscing about a time where everything was 'better' and 'simpler'. Were we as technologically dependent 50 years ago as we are today? Absolutely not. My parents saw the rise of television, shared telephone lines, and the makings of the internet. They saw cell phones, Wi-Fi and smart phones become widely accessible. They saw much, much more than I have in my short two decades. They didn't rely on technology like we do. And maybe that means that things were simpler. But better?
I have been taught to question everything. I think it's a byproduct of how my generation has been raised, coupled with my pursuit of a liberal arts education. I want to know why, not what. I want to know whether life was 'better' - more enriching - two generations ago, than it is now. I have, in the words of the great Uta Hagen, "an insatiable curiosity about the human condition." Hagen insists that to be a great actor, one must learn not only to face the world, but also to face themselves. Not the flattered, puffed up, image of ourselves, but our raw, harsh, brutal selves - our thoughts, our attitudes and opinions. In short, we must be able to be entirely transparent with ourselves. In an age that is centered around social media, we have become a generation that is extremely prideful. We are obsessed with making our lives seem as appealing as possible on the outside. We've become so reliant on the approval of others, that we hardly know how to survive without it. Social media has become our stand-in, our substitute for reality, and it has devalued much of our human to human interaction and communication. As a result of this, I think the older generation has lost much respect for us. There is an overwhelming majority of young adults who can not hold a meaningful conversation, because they are so used to instant digital communication.
Digital communication - texting in particular - has changed our society incredibly. The ability to reach someone The accessibility of technology has had an immense impact on how we behave. Not only is it the biggest marketing venue ever - as Americans are now convinced that if they don't have the iPhone 5, they are nothing short of worthless - but it is one of the biggest distractions to human kind. I must say, technology has its benefits, and it has many of them. Mankind is more connected to each other now than they ever have been, ideas are spreading like wildfire, and yet, we're constantly distracted. I am amazed at how little focus or patience I have come to have when forced to sit in an hour long math lecture. That's why my focus this week has been one of presence. I'm yearning to be as present as possible at all moments, to keep my focus on my work and on the relationships in my life - because those are the things I can cultivate and in which I find enrichment. And it's difficult. I never realized how much I used my phone as a distraction until now. There is so much to learn and so many other ways I could be spending my time. Budgeting time may be one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I'm trying to come to terms with our consumer mindset. I don't need a new wardrobe. I certainly don't need to buy a $200 pair of pants, or an iPad 2, as desperately as I might want them. I'm trying to be wise with my money and my time (and that's something I fail at daily). But in differentiating between my wants and my needs, I've come to a very solid place. I began by telling you that I was content. I truly am. Nothing has really changed in my life - I just realized that I was forgetting how immensely blessed I already am. And, that's more than enough reason to be satisfied. I am exactly where I want to be.
Thanks for reading. ♥
-Em
Monday, September 24, 2012
A Taste of Fall
It's finally Fall! If you don't already know, Fall is hands-down my favorite season. There are few things I love more than cords, boots, sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, and warm apple cider. It's such a comforting season.
While thinking about what I wanted to blog about this week, I realized that I wanted you to experience Fall with me! Fall is absolutely beautiful in New York. Last year around this time, I went apple picking. Now, I let the apples come to me! I live on Union Square. The Union Square Farmer's Market is literally right outside my front door. And that means fresh apples every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday! I buy almost all of my produce at the farmer's market. It's cheap, fresh, and local - what could be better than that?
I didn't publish my blog post yesterday because my roommates and I threw a fall party, and I knew I would have pictures to share. We invited over a bunch of people and watched the Emmy's.
While thinking about what I wanted to blog about this week, I realized that I wanted you to experience Fall with me! Fall is absolutely beautiful in New York. Last year around this time, I went apple picking. Now, I let the apples come to me! I live on Union Square. The Union Square Farmer's Market is literally right outside my front door. And that means fresh apples every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday! I buy almost all of my produce at the farmer's market. It's cheap, fresh, and local - what could be better than that?
 |
| Pumpkins! |
I didn't publish my blog post yesterday because my roommates and I threw a fall party, and I knew I would have pictures to share. We invited over a bunch of people and watched the Emmy's.
We had a caramel apple bar.
I made homemade pumpkin spice lattes from scratch (and kind of improvised).
And we painted pumpkins!
All in all, it was a lovely evening.
Fiorello! opens this weekend. We're almost completely sold out. As such, this week is tech week - which means rehearsals like crazy. I've planned and prepped all my meals, and somehow managed to get my clothes folded and organized. "I've been busy" is the understatement of my year.
Now that it's officially Fall, I can begin my Christmas countdown!
All my love,
♥ Em
Christmas Countdown: 91 days!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Facing Goliath
The first few weeks of class can be a little nerve-wracking and exciting. It's often a week of little or no homework obligations and a week of adjustment - filled with reading endless syllabi and meeting professors. A time to catch up with old friends, reminisce about your too-short summer, or stare into your empty coffee cup and wonder why you're expected to be awake and functioning at 8a.m. This year, my first couple weeks were much, much more. Diving headfirst into a busy year, I have a stack of new songs to learn, books to read and music to analyze. I feel like I'm already halfway through the semester, but it's only been two weeks. It's been an exhausting, but very productive time of work and dedication. I love my professors, and I love all my classes. Overall, I'm very, very excited for this school year. But I can't help but admit I'm a little overwhelmed. I'm working, rehearsing, studying and singing my little heart out.
I'm back to working! That's right, folks, I have dipped my toes back into retail and have almost purchased half of Anthropologie's clothes. Rehearsals for Fiorello! are going really well. They're occupying every spare moment of my time, but it's an incredibly rewarding experience. We perform September 29th and 30th - so if you're in the New York area, don't judge my shameless plug and purchase tickets here: http://www.nyuskirball.org/calendar/fiorello. :) I'm taking 10 classes this semester including acting, music history, theory and ear training, song analysis, and the like.
Friday night at rehearsal, the lyricist of Fiorello!, Sheldon Harnick, came to our rehearsal. It was the most incredible experience. If you're not familiar with his name, he's most known for his collaboration with the composer Jerry Bock. (They wrote music & lyrics for Fiddler on the Roof, and She Loves Me, just to name a couple.) He essentially added another song to Fiorello! in the second act, and so he observed our rehearsal on Friday night and was gracious enough to answer our questions about his life and the show. It was inspiring not only to see someone who had such a successful career in the industry, but also to hear his stories about writing the songs and where they came from.
I know this is just a quick update, and I apologize for skipping yet another week for posting, but it has been so busy and I haven't made enough time for blogging. My goal is to get posting every Sunday again, but it's hard because my weekly updates all sound the same. Rehearsal, work, sing, study.
I do have some exciting news, though. I've started a food blog! Follow me, tweet me, pin me, share me! http://crowleycooksandeats.blogspot.com/ It's one post so far. I have quite a few up my sleeve, though, so you can start eating vicariously through me!
Sending my love home to Idaho,
♥ Em
I'm back to working! That's right, folks, I have dipped my toes back into retail and have almost purchased half of Anthropologie's clothes. Rehearsals for Fiorello! are going really well. They're occupying every spare moment of my time, but it's an incredibly rewarding experience. We perform September 29th and 30th - so if you're in the New York area, don't judge my shameless plug and purchase tickets here: http://www.nyuskirball.org/calendar/fiorello. :) I'm taking 10 classes this semester including acting, music history, theory and ear training, song analysis, and the like.
Friday night at rehearsal, the lyricist of Fiorello!, Sheldon Harnick, came to our rehearsal. It was the most incredible experience. If you're not familiar with his name, he's most known for his collaboration with the composer Jerry Bock. (They wrote music & lyrics for Fiddler on the Roof, and She Loves Me, just to name a couple.) He essentially added another song to Fiorello! in the second act, and so he observed our rehearsal on Friday night and was gracious enough to answer our questions about his life and the show. It was inspiring not only to see someone who had such a successful career in the industry, but also to hear his stories about writing the songs and where they came from.
I know this is just a quick update, and I apologize for skipping yet another week for posting, but it has been so busy and I haven't made enough time for blogging. My goal is to get posting every Sunday again, but it's hard because my weekly updates all sound the same. Rehearsal, work, sing, study.
I do have some exciting news, though. I've started a food blog! Follow me, tweet me, pin me, share me! http://crowleycooksandeats.blogspot.com/ It's one post so far. I have quite a few up my sleeve, though, so you can start eating vicariously through me!
Sending my love home to Idaho,
♥ Em
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Back to the Square.
These past two weeks have flown by, and so much has happened! The week after I last posted, I went to the beach with my friends Dylan, AnnMarie and Juliet. Juliet has a really amazing beach house on Long Beach Island and graciously invited us to stay a day at the house, swim in the ocean, tan (or in my case burn) on the beach, eat food and keep good company. It was a blast. Being the fair skinned Irish lass I am, I burnt to a crisp and looked like a lobster for the next week. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to spend one of my remaining summer days. That weekend, Mauri arrived from Idaho. She was here for a five day trip before she headed to England for school. We did everything touristy; Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Chelsea Market, the Highline, Chinatown... She absolutely loved Wall Street, and New York bagels. It was great being able to spend a few more days before we both start school. And, I was excited to share New York. When people from home come to visit, I always love it. It not only brings a piece of home to me, but they take a piece of New York with them. As everyone who visits will attest to, you rarely leave New York unchanged. We went to Babycakes, a vegan, gluten-free bakery. I had the best donut. Mind you, I haven't eaten a donut in years. It made for a happy tummy. We saw a French film, "Diabolique". We drank a lot of coffee, had Sunday brunch, and explored the city at our leisure. Overall, it was a lovely visit and I can't wait to see her again!
This week was filled with rehearsals, practicing, buying textbooks, and preparing for classes this week. It seems like there's always something to do. Last night, we went to see Newsies. It was insane. I grew up watching the Disney movie and have anxiously awaited its opening on Broadway. It opened earlier this year and initially was set to close August 16th, but it's been extended, so I finally saw it! It was mind-blowing. The musical is quite a bit different from the movie, so to any theater-goer who might be expecting the classic Disney tale, you're in for a bit of a surprise.
Jeremy Jordan is an absolute delight, thrilling theater regulars and newbies alike. His voice is incredible. The character choices he made fascinated me; he was definitely the quintessential Jack Kelly, and he worked well with a lacking script, adding motive to lines that seemed sort of out of place. The script was possibly the thing that bothered me most. It just wasn't that strong. For me, it didn't do much. The music underwent an interesting change in the translation to the stage as well. New songs were added to incorporate different characters and their role in the story, and a lot of lyrics in the original songs have been changed. The plot is quite different; characters were both cut, added and changed. The storyline strays a lot from the movie version, although it maintains the "main" idea of the newsboys strike, there are different subplots that change the motives of each character. There's a new "love interest" for Jack, who plays a much larger role in the stage version, Jack is an artist, and his drawings serve in part as inspiration for the strike. The choreography and staging was brilliant. The dancing was absolutely insane. A very athletic, dance-oriented show, Newsies was very entertaining. Although I had my complaints, Newsies is definitely a must-see, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's been a great few weeks back in the city, and I'm looking forward to a bright new school year. Also, if you are in or around New York, buy tickets to the show I'm in - Fiorello! at the Skirball Center on September 29th and 30th. http://www.nyuskirball.org/
Saw this in Washington Square. "I was in love with New York. I do not mean "love" in any colloquial way. I mean that I was in love with the city the way you love the first person who ever touches you and you never love anyone quite that way again. -Joan Didion"
This guy's work was featured on HONY a few months ago. Look up "Honschar" on Facebook. He writes things on sidewalks around New York. It's pretty cool.
Sending my love back home to Idaho.
♥Em
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| Stumptown Coffee |
This week was filled with rehearsals, practicing, buying textbooks, and preparing for classes this week. It seems like there's always something to do. Last night, we went to see Newsies. It was insane. I grew up watching the Disney movie and have anxiously awaited its opening on Broadway. It opened earlier this year and initially was set to close August 16th, but it's been extended, so I finally saw it! It was mind-blowing. The musical is quite a bit different from the movie, so to any theater-goer who might be expecting the classic Disney tale, you're in for a bit of a surprise.
Jeremy Jordan is an absolute delight, thrilling theater regulars and newbies alike. His voice is incredible. The character choices he made fascinated me; he was definitely the quintessential Jack Kelly, and he worked well with a lacking script, adding motive to lines that seemed sort of out of place. The script was possibly the thing that bothered me most. It just wasn't that strong. For me, it didn't do much. The music underwent an interesting change in the translation to the stage as well. New songs were added to incorporate different characters and their role in the story, and a lot of lyrics in the original songs have been changed. The plot is quite different; characters were both cut, added and changed. The storyline strays a lot from the movie version, although it maintains the "main" idea of the newsboys strike, there are different subplots that change the motives of each character. There's a new "love interest" for Jack, who plays a much larger role in the stage version, Jack is an artist, and his drawings serve in part as inspiration for the strike. The choreography and staging was brilliant. The dancing was absolutely insane. A very athletic, dance-oriented show, Newsies was very entertaining. Although I had my complaints, Newsies is definitely a must-see, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's been a great few weeks back in the city, and I'm looking forward to a bright new school year. Also, if you are in or around New York, buy tickets to the show I'm in - Fiorello! at the Skirball Center on September 29th and 30th. http://www.nyuskirball.org/
Saw this in Washington Square. "I was in love with New York. I do not mean "love" in any colloquial way. I mean that I was in love with the city the way you love the first person who ever touches you and you never love anyone quite that way again. -Joan Didion"
This guy's work was featured on HONY a few months ago. Look up "Honschar" on Facebook. He writes things on sidewalks around New York. It's pretty cool.
Sending my love back home to Idaho.
♥Em
Sunday, August 19, 2012
The end of an endless summer...
Well, this little girl is back in the big city and ready to take on another year filled with adventure! I had a lovely arrival into the city on Thursday and I've already had a weekend packed with things to do. On Friday, I had oodles of time to kill in the city. So, I helped my sister bring her compost into the Union Square Farmer's Market. After that, I got coffee with my friend Sarah and finally ended up wandering New York. I meandered my way back to Union Square and bought lunch at the farmer's market. There's this incredible vegan bakery that had a stand there that day (I wish I could remember what it was called), so I got this ridiculously good vegan empanada. I would've taken a picture, but I ate it too fast. I window shopped at Bed Bath & Beyond and stumbled upon the most incredible craft store I've ever set foot in. I guess I can't call it a true craft store. It's a stationary/paper creations store. I easily could spend every penny I own in that store.
I browsed Barnes & Noble, I sat in the park and read, and finally made my way to the Strand! The most incredible book store in the United States (easily). After the Strand, I went to visit my sister at her workplace and then we headed back to Brooklyn.
Saturday was less eventful, as we spent the majority of the day lounging around, but Saturday evening I headed back into the city to meet my friend Curtis for dinner! We went to this place called Caracas Arepa Bar. It's an incredible Venezuelan restaurant and ridiculously affordable. I had an arepa with guayanes cheese, fried plantains and avocado. Arepas are basically a Venezuelan food staple - they're a corn "bun" that have a similar texture to an English muffin, but are slightly sweeter and a bit more spongy. They're also gluten-free, which makes my tummy very happy, and super delicious.
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I browsed Barnes & Noble, I sat in the park and read, and finally made my way to the Strand! The most incredible book store in the United States (easily). After the Strand, I went to visit my sister at her workplace and then we headed back to Brooklyn.
Saturday was less eventful, as we spent the majority of the day lounging around, but Saturday evening I headed back into the city to meet my friend Curtis for dinner! We went to this place called Caracas Arepa Bar. It's an incredible Venezuelan restaurant and ridiculously affordable. I had an arepa with guayanes cheese, fried plantains and avocado. Arepas are basically a Venezuelan food staple - they're a corn "bun" that have a similar texture to an English muffin, but are slightly sweeter and a bit more spongy. They're also gluten-free, which makes my tummy very happy, and super delicious.
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| My arepa! |
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As you can see, it's a tiny place, but it's a great restaurant to meet one or two people for lunch or dinner. I highly recommend it. Afterward, Curtis and I made a quick trip to Butter Lane, a yummy cupcake shop just down the street from Caracas. Butter Lane is a quaint, really cute cupcake shop that lets you choose your cake and frosting combination. It's delightful. I had a vanilla cake with honey-cinnamon frosting, and Curtis had a chocolate cupcake with sea salt chocolate frosting. Amazing. (Since those were scarfed down rather quickly, I also didn't get a picture of those).
Afterward we met up with our friends Jake and Dylan. Before long, it was time for me to head back to Brooklyn and get packed and ready to move in. Today, my sister, her husband and I moved my stuff in and got slightly settled. I've spent the majority of the day trying to be productive, and it hasn't worked very well. So, here I am, finally catching you up on my life! I'm trying to get back in the swing of things, which is much easier said than done. I miss and love everyone from home, and can't wait for another successful school year!
♥ Em
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
A true man of honor.
I have the incredible responsibility of typing my grandfather's journals this summer. He kept a series of journals, 17 in total, starting in June of 1979. He was in the midst of building the beautiful log cabin on Swan Lake that he and my grandmother would spend the next 28 years living and loving in. The home came to be more than just a place for them to retire: it was the trademark of every grandchild's summer memories. Each summer, my parents would load up their 1979 Datsun pickup with all 6 children and make the 8 hour trek to Northern Montana. My siblings have stories beyond compare of times at the lake, going tubing down the river, games played with the cousins, and so much more. I came on the tail end of things - the 7th child, 10 years after the "youngest" before me had been born. And though I don't share all of their memories, I still remember losing quarters to my grandmother to "buy" back the stuff I didn't put away. I still remember the smell of Saturday morning waffles, the way my grandfather sat at the head of the table making the waffles. I remember sitting on the window seat, watching the birds feed early in the morning. The sound of my grandfather's laugh. Playing horseshoes and always losing. (Gramps was the champ). There were many memories I didn't experience. I was too young to play with the older cousins, needed to stay inside more often, had to be "looked after" all the time. But the lake was still my favorite memory, and remains my most beloved place in the world.Typing up these journals has been an amazing experience. It's like reading a book, but you know the characters, and you've been to the setting.
Later in his life, my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He passed away 5 years ago today - July 4, 2007. It seems appropriate. He loved his country: he fought in World War II, being honored with a Purple Heart for being shot in the head. He spent the rest of his days serving his fellow men in various ways. He was the most considerate, loving, genuine man I've ever known. He took care of his neighbor's properties when they were gone, looked after them, was heavily involved in the betterment of his community, and had a genuine concern for government and righteousness. He was an educator, a principal before he retired, and had an incredible mind.
We love you and miss you, Grandpa. Thinking of you today and always.
Later in his life, my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He passed away 5 years ago today - July 4, 2007. It seems appropriate. He loved his country: he fought in World War II, being honored with a Purple Heart for being shot in the head. He spent the rest of his days serving his fellow men in various ways. He was the most considerate, loving, genuine man I've ever known. He took care of his neighbor's properties when they were gone, looked after them, was heavily involved in the betterment of his community, and had a genuine concern for government and righteousness. He was an educator, a principal before he retired, and had an incredible mind.
We love you and miss you, Grandpa. Thinking of you today and always.
These are my cousins - they're awesome. This song is dedicated to my grandpa.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Some ponderings since being home...
Idaho Falls is a relatively small town. I say relatively, because we have a fairly decent population size, yet in relation to any large metropolitan area, we are by comparison, quite small. These past two weeks have been a constant reminder of how small of a town it truly is - everyone seems to know everyone. It's always at the most inconvenient times that I run into someone I know. You'd think that I would at least be wearing makeup during this chance meetings. Nope. The other night my nephew graduated from high school. It was a very interesting moment. Revisiting my high school was a crazy reminder of my past and how many things I didn't want to remember, and a strange and sweet reminder of the beautiful memories that I did want to remember. Sitting in the gym in which I graduated, I could only hear the echoes of my thoughts: "It all has come full circle".
The phrase "come full circle" was thought to have been coined somewhere around 1878, However, Shakespeare's use of the phrase in his famous tragedy, King Lear, "The wheel has come full circle" was the first written introduction of this concept in the 1600s. A concept that is most interesting, because it depicts that the wheel had completed its cycle, and yet only ended up where it began. It is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a series of developments that lead back to the original source, position, or situation or to a complete reversal of the original position". I remember my first month of school, during my vocal production class I came in contact with this lovely phrase. We were in the classroom in which I auditioned for NYU. My professor kind of chuckled and said, "Ah yes. This room. Everything comes full circle, doesn't it?" And being at Skyline, revisiting those "hallowed" halls, being overwhelmed with a sickening sense of nostalgia, the phrase "come full circle" couldn't have been more pertinent.
But this realization was very encouraging because I was able to reflect on an incredible year. I don't feel like I've returned to the original position. Rather, I feel as though I'm tracing a spiral. I'm at a new point, right across from last year. You can see the other side, but you're not there, you're just slightly removed, infinitely cycling around. And it's unbelievable when I reflect on where I've been, what I've seen, and how much I've learned. A very dear friend once gave me an Idaho postcard that said, "Never forget where you came from". I couldn't if I tried, and I'm so excited to see what else is in store!
Upon coming home, I have realized several things about myself.
I need to stop starting new books. I think I'm on book #4 now, and I'm only halfway through Game of Thrones. I just don't know how else to make it through my huge summer reading list.
Idaho is dry. Very dry. After my 193rd glass of water yesterday and my 70th chapstick application, I just about threw in the towel.
I love not paying for laundry, toilet paper, food, and cleaning supplies.
Eggs make me sick. No wonder I don't eat them. Blech.
I've missed Mauri Green sooooo much.
I need to go to Europe.
I hate driving.
In addition, I've realized...
There is not enough time in the day. There never is.
Pinterest is addicting, and completely destroys your planned-for-years wedding ideas that you previously thought were so great. Now I have to plan everything all over again.
All my dearest love,
Em ♥
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Chasing rainbows.
I'm home! Well... not right now. I mean, I'm actually sitting in the middle of a coffee shop. There's nothing like the atmosphere of a coffee shop for artistic inspiration. Forgive me if this post ends up being short and sweet, I'm sure I'll have much more to say in a week's time! It is so good to be back in the land of potatoes, where laundry is free, toilet paper is soft, and coffee is cheap! :) I do miss New York (I've already started a countdown), but I look forward to the precious moments ahead of me this summer.
I'm writing a book! It's quite a daunting prospect, but it's a challenge I'm welcoming with open arms. If it fails, then I'm all the better for it. And it's a perfect summer project. Along with reading the Game of Thrones series. I'm drowning in words.
I arrived home last night to a joyous smothering of little people hugs and kisses. The nieces and nephew were waiting on the porch steps when we pulled into the driveway, and it couldn't have been more precious. :) I spent the evening settling in and spending time with the family. And it seemed like Idaho was happy to have me home, too, for it greeted me with this! A beautiful, yet brief, lightning storm and rainbow.
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Thank you all for reading my blog! I want to encourage you to follow me, and I want to remind you that I have an awesome "follow by email" option. It sends you my posts via e-mail! That way, if you're not on Facebook, or you don't always see my link, you can get an awesome e-mail each time I post. It won't spam you or send you anything other than my post. I'm subscribed to a couple blogs I follow by e-mail, and it's a really handy feature. I'm so happy to be home, and will continue to blog through the summer, so stay tuned!
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I'm writing a book! It's quite a daunting prospect, but it's a challenge I'm welcoming with open arms. If it fails, then I'm all the better for it. And it's a perfect summer project. Along with reading the Game of Thrones series. I'm drowning in words.
I arrived home last night to a joyous smothering of little people hugs and kisses. The nieces and nephew were waiting on the porch steps when we pulled into the driveway, and it couldn't have been more precious. :) I spent the evening settling in and spending time with the family. And it seemed like Idaho was happy to have me home, too, for it greeted me with this! A beautiful, yet brief, lightning storm and rainbow.
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Thank you all for reading my blog! I want to encourage you to follow me, and I want to remind you that I have an awesome "follow by email" option. It sends you my posts via e-mail! That way, if you're not on Facebook, or you don't always see my link, you can get an awesome e-mail each time I post. It won't spam you or send you anything other than my post. I'm subscribed to a couple blogs I follow by e-mail, and it's a really handy feature. I'm so happy to be home, and will continue to blog through the summer, so stay tuned!
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I came home to you! ♥
All my love,
-Em
Monday, May 14, 2012
Tourist week! ... kind of.
After a long internal battle of whether to write a summary of my year thus far, what I've learned my first year of college, or to just post about my week, I came to no conclusion. So... this post will probably be a rambling tangent complete with pictures, little tidbits of my beloved NYC, inspiring quotes, summaries, and opinions. But it is time to blog again, so here I go.
Tonight Lauren, Juliet and I headed to Chinatown to get some dumplings for dinner. Mmm. And then we headed to Little Italy to finish off the night with a Cannoli! After our tourist-y dinner, I went to see the Avengers with Steph. Very entertaining. :) And since it's ridiculously late and I have to wake up in 5 hours... I leave you with this. My final New York picture, to celebrate my successful first year living in the Empire State...
Our initial plan for the week (or rather, 3 days) after finals was to be tourists! We were going to call it tourist week and take a lot of pictures. We also were going to look lost, ask for directions, stop in the middle of the sidewalk and look up, and go to Shake Shack, take cheesy Times Square photos and the like. Well, we kind of became ridiculously busy practicing for Grad Alley, so we just spent the last few days in the city enjoying the time we had free.
After our last final, Lauren and I headed down to SoHo to get some tasty Georgetown Cupcakes. (free, I might add) and took a walk around, window shopping and keeping it classy as always. If you haven't had a Georgetown cupcake, you have not lived.
I had the Hummingbird cupcake. Hummingbirds remind me of both my grandmother, and my mother. So it was an appropriate cupcake for Mother's Day weekend. They are truly the most incredible women in my life. I will always look up to their strength, independence, and determination, and to their feisty spirits and loving arms. When I was young, we used to spend a week or so every summer at my grandparent's lake. In their dining room was a window seat just behind the kitchen table, and it looked out to the deck where the bird feeders were. I remember sitting each morning at breakfast, waiting to see the hummingbirds come to the feeders. Hummingbirds were my favorite because they were so beautiful. I loved how fast their wings moved.They were always moving, never slowing down, never stopping for anyone or anything. I mean, they even ate flapping their wings a mile a minute.
I suppose they reminded me of my grandmother's spirit, the same spirit that my mother held in her - always moving, stubborn and feisty. Regardless, they have always held a large amount of appeal to me. On days like today, gloomy and overcast, I find myself yearning for the lake - warm and sunny weather, dipping my toes in the water.
David and I spent dinner together last night, as our last "hurrah" in New York together. He has a full three weeks of school left. Lucky fella. My ride home from the Upper West Side last night was not exactly adventurous. Although it took me 3 trains to get there, I settled on only one transfer on the way home. Stupid B trains. They're always out of service. But... I couldn't help myself at Times Square. Pictures just had to happen.
I mean, really. Just look at these babies.
I suppose they reminded me of my grandmother's spirit, the same spirit that my mother held in her - always moving, stubborn and feisty. Regardless, they have always held a large amount of appeal to me. On days like today, gloomy and overcast, I find myself yearning for the lake - warm and sunny weather, dipping my toes in the water.
I see this building every day on my walk to work. I love it, and so I finally decided to take a picture of it. It's one of my favorite buildings in New York.
David and I spent dinner together last night, as our last "hurrah" in New York together. He has a full three weeks of school left. Lucky fella. My ride home from the Upper West Side last night was not exactly adventurous. Although it took me 3 trains to get there, I settled on only one transfer on the way home. Stupid B trains. They're always out of service. But... I couldn't help myself at Times Square. Pictures just had to happen.
Which brings me to the rest of my weekend. Filled with Grad Alley pactice, storage pickup, throwing so many things away and packing for Idaho... it managed to be a crazy weekend. Andrew and Bonnie are in the city this week, so I had the pleasure of meeting up with them on Saturday night, which was incredible. We met at Dolce Vizio, a Tiramisu shop and then browsed the shops of SoHo. While I was waiting to meet them, I went into the World's Smallest Store. And I met this guy! He said that there was only one thing in the shop that would interest me, and he found it. It was a necklace made out of a vintage typewriter key. He asked me why I was dressed all vintage-like. (I was wearing waist high polka dotted pants and a lacy blouse and pearl earrings.) But then he said, "No wait. I know.... You're an actress, aren't you? You're a performer?" And I laughed and said yes. Although that doesn't really explain why I like vintage clothes...
We had dinner reservations at Hangawi, the most incredible vegetarian Korean restaurant. Afterward, we went to see Sleep No More (for my second time... and since I've already blogged about it, I won't give you another summary). Needless to say, I thought it was great, but I did find that I enjoyed it much more the first time.
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| Sleep No More |
I'm coming home in one day and three hours. Idaho, I'll see you soon. ♥
-Em
And since I promised you a quote...
"Many people think that they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
-William James
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The year of beginnings.
It's almost the end of my freshman year of college... the year of "beginnings" so to speak. It's an overwhelming thought. I'm excited because of the tremendous growth that I've experienced this year, and I'm excited at the prospect of many years to come. And yet, it's bittersweet, because the year of beginnings is coming to an end, and I now have to leave this place with which I've grown so comfortable. I was fortunate enough to engage in a very intriguing conversation this week, one that I feel is in desperate need of telling.
I was browsing the Container Store one afternoon with my friend Lauren. It was warm, muggy and overcast - the type of weather that makes you uncomfortable and cranky. We were searching for, well, containers. And where else to go but the Container Store? After finding a couple totes that we found were most suitable for our summer storage needs, we both realized that neither one of us had the least bit desire to trudge back to our dorms with the extra burden of 66 gallons of space and plastic. So, we hailed a cab. Or rather, two cabs.
After I hopped in the taxi, the driver struck up a conversation with me, which I normally find odd and sometimes annoying. I hate making small talk, especially when I can't understand what someone else is trying to say. But this man, dressed in boots, jeans, a denim jacket and a cowboy hat, was a conversation guru. He began by stating that containers were growing increasingly expensive, which to my disappointment, is completely true. (This is one of those moments when I miss things known as Wal-Mart and Idaho Falls, where you can buy a large tupperware tote for under $10.) He asked me how long I had been living in the city and what I was doing here, which inadvertently led to his inquiry about my major. After telling him that I was studying opera, he brought up the topic that has been plaguing my mind all week. My roommate Betty posted the link to a very incredible article on my Facebook wall regarding the under appreciation and lack of funding for not only the arts, but for opera in particular in America.
I highly recommend reading it. It's a short read, super simple, and very thought-provoking.
http://jenniferrivera.squarespace.com/blog/2012/4/6/arts-in-america.html
This woman, Jennifer Rivera, wrote this blog in response to a prompt that was projected by Spring for Music as part of their annual blogger challenge. Their prompt was, "Many countries have ministries of culture. Does America need a secretary of culture or a secretary of the arts? Why or why not?"
Rivera posits that as artists, we have a social responsibility to uphold, protect and advance the arts. While studying at Juilliard, she was involved in an "Arts in Education" class in which she taught two classes a week for under privileged first and second graders in the New York public school system. The experience that she gained was life-changing and rewarding - not only for her, but for the students. By the end of the semester, she said that "their collective excitement was absolutely unabashed" - and what an incredible image! First and second graders excited - truly excited - about opera.
And so, you can imagine my surprise at this Bulgarian taxi driver's deep appreciation for opera. His sister was a singer, he said, yet she never studied professionally. It was incredible - this conversation was so timely and coincidental. And as he continued to express his utter disdain for popular culture, I brought in the idea of educating our youth in the classical arts - both visually and musically. It has to start young, I posited, as echoes of Rivera's article reverberated in my head, and we have to take action. Because art appreciation can only lead to increased interest, which consequentially will provide more funding. And more funding will inadvertently turn into more opportunities for performers that have spent their lives working twice as hard for under-appreciated, mundane gigs with little pay. Because the life of a performer, unfortunately, is only defined in terms of "fame" and "success". But I have to agree with Rivera, whose vision for opera is echoed in the hearts of opera singers and advocates around the world. The extent of our career does not stop at the stage door - we are forever artistic ambassadors - our own "ministers of culture".
James Baldwin once said, "The world changes according to how people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it." And when we take the malleable perceptions of children and expose them to the beautiful production of an art that has become so foreign and estranged to a culture that recognizes auto-tuning and synthesizers as musical talent, we can and do change reality. Rivera confidently believes that the first and second graders she worked with will "have a different association with opera than most of their peers, who simply have never been exposed to anything like it". American culture has long associated classical music to a very specific target audience. In the words of Alex Ross, "The classical audience is assumed to be a moribund crowd of the old, the white, the rich and the bored" (Listen to This). But when I picture Rivera's second graders, begging to hear her play the opera L'Enfant et les Sortileges to sing along to, I feel as though I'm drowning in potential.
The solution to this problem is so accessible, it leaves me thirsty for change.
It's not just up to opera singers, classical musicians or rich old patrons. If my Bulgarian semi-cowboy taxi driver is talking about it, you can be too. So please, I ask you, share your thoughts with me. Share my thoughts with others if you concur. Help me to be an artistic ambassador - because the potential for change is at our fingertips!
Altering millimeters,
-Emily
I was browsing the Container Store one afternoon with my friend Lauren. It was warm, muggy and overcast - the type of weather that makes you uncomfortable and cranky. We were searching for, well, containers. And where else to go but the Container Store? After finding a couple totes that we found were most suitable for our summer storage needs, we both realized that neither one of us had the least bit desire to trudge back to our dorms with the extra burden of 66 gallons of space and plastic. So, we hailed a cab. Or rather, two cabs.
After I hopped in the taxi, the driver struck up a conversation with me, which I normally find odd and sometimes annoying. I hate making small talk, especially when I can't understand what someone else is trying to say. But this man, dressed in boots, jeans, a denim jacket and a cowboy hat, was a conversation guru. He began by stating that containers were growing increasingly expensive, which to my disappointment, is completely true. (This is one of those moments when I miss things known as Wal-Mart and Idaho Falls, where you can buy a large tupperware tote for under $10.) He asked me how long I had been living in the city and what I was doing here, which inadvertently led to his inquiry about my major. After telling him that I was studying opera, he brought up the topic that has been plaguing my mind all week. My roommate Betty posted the link to a very incredible article on my Facebook wall regarding the under appreciation and lack of funding for not only the arts, but for opera in particular in America.
I highly recommend reading it. It's a short read, super simple, and very thought-provoking.
http://jenniferrivera.squarespace.com/blog/2012/4/6/arts-in-america.html
This woman, Jennifer Rivera, wrote this blog in response to a prompt that was projected by Spring for Music as part of their annual blogger challenge. Their prompt was, "Many countries have ministries of culture. Does America need a secretary of culture or a secretary of the arts? Why or why not?"
Rivera posits that as artists, we have a social responsibility to uphold, protect and advance the arts. While studying at Juilliard, she was involved in an "Arts in Education" class in which she taught two classes a week for under privileged first and second graders in the New York public school system. The experience that she gained was life-changing and rewarding - not only for her, but for the students. By the end of the semester, she said that "their collective excitement was absolutely unabashed" - and what an incredible image! First and second graders excited - truly excited - about opera.
And so, you can imagine my surprise at this Bulgarian taxi driver's deep appreciation for opera. His sister was a singer, he said, yet she never studied professionally. It was incredible - this conversation was so timely and coincidental. And as he continued to express his utter disdain for popular culture, I brought in the idea of educating our youth in the classical arts - both visually and musically. It has to start young, I posited, as echoes of Rivera's article reverberated in my head, and we have to take action. Because art appreciation can only lead to increased interest, which consequentially will provide more funding. And more funding will inadvertently turn into more opportunities for performers that have spent their lives working twice as hard for under-appreciated, mundane gigs with little pay. Because the life of a performer, unfortunately, is only defined in terms of "fame" and "success". But I have to agree with Rivera, whose vision for opera is echoed in the hearts of opera singers and advocates around the world. The extent of our career does not stop at the stage door - we are forever artistic ambassadors - our own "ministers of culture".
James Baldwin once said, "The world changes according to how people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it." And when we take the malleable perceptions of children and expose them to the beautiful production of an art that has become so foreign and estranged to a culture that recognizes auto-tuning and synthesizers as musical talent, we can and do change reality. Rivera confidently believes that the first and second graders she worked with will "have a different association with opera than most of their peers, who simply have never been exposed to anything like it". American culture has long associated classical music to a very specific target audience. In the words of Alex Ross, "The classical audience is assumed to be a moribund crowd of the old, the white, the rich and the bored" (Listen to This). But when I picture Rivera's second graders, begging to hear her play the opera L'Enfant et les Sortileges to sing along to, I feel as though I'm drowning in potential.
The solution to this problem is so accessible, it leaves me thirsty for change.
It's not just up to opera singers, classical musicians or rich old patrons. If my Bulgarian semi-cowboy taxi driver is talking about it, you can be too. So please, I ask you, share your thoughts with me. Share my thoughts with others if you concur. Help me to be an artistic ambassador - because the potential for change is at our fingertips!
Altering millimeters,
-Emily
Thursday, April 26, 2012
As the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts...
The long-awaited, much anticipated account of our outing in London. Since this took an entire month to post, I do extend my apologies. I hope you enjoy our brief (yet picture filled) journey through the brilliant streets of London.
Our first stop was Camden Market, which was really awesome. And weirdly enough, it reminded me of Brooklyn. We window shopped at the market and took lots of pictures.
We did the "touristy" thing (which feels weird... coming from tourist central New York) and saw the Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus... and the like. It was incredible. We had some remarkable macaroons and tea at a place called Laduree. I had a raspberry one with a glass of sweet wine. Mmm.
We ended the evening grabbing dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant that had some tasty dishes. But! Before we could return to dear old Yorkshire, I just had to visit Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross. Oh, yes, folks. It exists.
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| The Eye! |
And now for more touristy pictures!
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| Big Ben |
I miss it very dearly. England was absolutely incredible to visit. Not to mention how much I miss my best friend, Mauri. I can't wait to go back!
♥ Em
Coming home: 19 days!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Long time coming.
I feel as though I should preface this post with a long apology coupled with a synopsis of what has otherwise occupied my time the past couple of weeks... but I feel like that would be a poor excuse. I should also commit to saying that aside from my two jobs, 18 credits of schoolwork, and rehearsals for both Grad Alley and the one-act that I'm in, I kind of got wrapped up reading the Game of Thrones series. So, needless to say... my time has been otherwise engaged. But with that... I have almost three full weeks of events to write about!
I was in the Player's Club One Acts! We performed today. It went well. I also have a choir concert in two weeks. If you live in New York, you should attend.
The past few weeks have been an ultimate blur. My birthday weekend was both insane and incredible. The weekend began when Lauren, Joe, Ben, Curtis and I went to see Leap of Faith on Broadway. I don't feel that I possess enough authority to adequately review the shows I see, but I cannot emphasize more strongly to anyone not to see this show. It was tremendously disappointing. The music was written by Alan Menken, so I suppose that I expected a lot more than what was delivered. The music wasn't bad, but the book was terrible - and the actors did very little justice to the script. We saw it the third night of previews, so I wasn't expecting that much, but they also had to stop the show for technical difficulties. Overall, it was extremely disappointing.
The next night made up for my Leap of Faith experience ten thousand times over. Mary, Matt, Lauren and I went to see Sleep No More on the night of my birthday. It was the most incredible experience of my life. The performance begins when you enter an old hotel - you're given a mask to wear the entire time in order to "preserve your anonymity", and you are forbidden to speak. The ambiance is a very dark, sort of mysterious, vintage feel. An elevator chauffeur lets you out on a random floor, and you are left to explore whatever you wish. The performance is actually a mostly wordless telling of Macbeth. The majority of the story is a choreographed set of physical actions between the characters - and you rarely see more than three of them together at a time. You can rustle through papers, go through drawers, open cabinets, wait in a room - or follow a specific actor through the hotel. Your experience is entirely yours to control. The scene I saw first was what I believed to be the killing of Banquo. After following Macbeth for a while, I found myself just exploring as much as possible. I was pulled aside by three different actors during my experience. Lady Macbeth used my hands to wipe her face (weird) after she bathed, a male actor took me aside and danced with me, and a nursemaid locked me in a cabin with her. The interaction with the nursemaid was my favorite. She took off my mask and made me a cup of tea, then spoon fed it to me, and told me a story about when everything was dead. She pressed her finger into my palm, and then grabbed my arm and stood me up. After placing my mask back on, she pushed me out the cabin door and sent me on my way. The entire performance lasts about 3 hours. We entered the hotel around 11:15, and the performance concluded around 2:00 a.m. I cannot begin to explain how unique and incredible the entire experience was. We began the next day with Saturday brunch at a restaurant called The Park. Mmm! I worked the rest of the day, and spent Easter Sunday in Brooklyn with the sis. :) It was a relaxing way to end the weekend.
Because this post would be seven years long if I chronologically accounted for everything I did over the past three weeks, I've resolved to just give you some highlights.
Once. The musical. The new musical. On Broadway. Incredible.
Joined Instagram. Mmmm. New Obsession.
Classes are over in two weeks.
Started writing a book.
Filed taxes.
Hung out with David.
Started new countdown.
Cheers,
-Em
Coming home: 23 days!
I was in the Player's Club One Acts! We performed today. It went well. I also have a choir concert in two weeks. If you live in New York, you should attend.
The past few weeks have been an ultimate blur. My birthday weekend was both insane and incredible. The weekend began when Lauren, Joe, Ben, Curtis and I went to see Leap of Faith on Broadway. I don't feel that I possess enough authority to adequately review the shows I see, but I cannot emphasize more strongly to anyone not to see this show. It was tremendously disappointing. The music was written by Alan Menken, so I suppose that I expected a lot more than what was delivered. The music wasn't bad, but the book was terrible - and the actors did very little justice to the script. We saw it the third night of previews, so I wasn't expecting that much, but they also had to stop the show for technical difficulties. Overall, it was extremely disappointing.
The next night made up for my Leap of Faith experience ten thousand times over. Mary, Matt, Lauren and I went to see Sleep No More on the night of my birthday. It was the most incredible experience of my life. The performance begins when you enter an old hotel - you're given a mask to wear the entire time in order to "preserve your anonymity", and you are forbidden to speak. The ambiance is a very dark, sort of mysterious, vintage feel. An elevator chauffeur lets you out on a random floor, and you are left to explore whatever you wish. The performance is actually a mostly wordless telling of Macbeth. The majority of the story is a choreographed set of physical actions between the characters - and you rarely see more than three of them together at a time. You can rustle through papers, go through drawers, open cabinets, wait in a room - or follow a specific actor through the hotel. Your experience is entirely yours to control. The scene I saw first was what I believed to be the killing of Banquo. After following Macbeth for a while, I found myself just exploring as much as possible. I was pulled aside by three different actors during my experience. Lady Macbeth used my hands to wipe her face (weird) after she bathed, a male actor took me aside and danced with me, and a nursemaid locked me in a cabin with her. The interaction with the nursemaid was my favorite. She took off my mask and made me a cup of tea, then spoon fed it to me, and told me a story about when everything was dead. She pressed her finger into my palm, and then grabbed my arm and stood me up. After placing my mask back on, she pushed me out the cabin door and sent me on my way. The entire performance lasts about 3 hours. We entered the hotel around 11:15, and the performance concluded around 2:00 a.m. I cannot begin to explain how unique and incredible the entire experience was. We began the next day with Saturday brunch at a restaurant called The Park. Mmm! I worked the rest of the day, and spent Easter Sunday in Brooklyn with the sis. :) It was a relaxing way to end the weekend.
Because this post would be seven years long if I chronologically accounted for everything I did over the past three weeks, I've resolved to just give you some highlights.
Once. The musical. The new musical. On Broadway. Incredible.
Joined Instagram. Mmmm. New Obsession.
Classes are over in two weeks.
Started writing a book.
Filed taxes.
Hung out with David.
Started new countdown.
Cheers,
-Em
Coming home: 23 days!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Dreams and Denmark....
It was a late Sunday afternoon when I found myself on a Manhattan bound R train. It was Palm Sunday, to be exact. A fact I was reminded of by the lady sitting in front of me with palm fronds splaying from her purse. I was coming from a morning of church and Sunday brunch with my sister and her husband. I was deeply engrossed in the book I’m reading, Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. I had picked it up off the street for $3 a day or two ago. It caught my eye because I had fallen in love with the movie adaptation, and since I’m a sucker for books, I gladly parted with the small amount of change for a guaranteed weekend of reading. The train doors open and in pours a group of kids who look to be around 13 or 14 years old. I slide over as a skinny blonde girl in a hat and hoodie sits next to me. I sense her eyes on the side of my head and instinctively look up. Catching my eye, she smiles. I smile back and continue reading my book. I don’t know how to explain it, but I have the overwhelming urge to talk to her. I shrug away the feeling, silently chiding myself. It’s silly to talk to random strangers on the subway. I wouldn’t give someone the time of day if they struck up a conversation with me. That’s a lie. I suppose that I might make polite conversation. Blatantly ignoring someone is not in my nature. But the urge to talk to her doesn’t go away. At this point, it’s more than obvious that she’s reading over my shoulder, and I’m not sure how it happens, but before I know it, I reach the end of my chapter and close my book. Instantaneously, she asks me, “Have you seen the movie?”
“Oh yes,” I reply, “I loved the movie, so I had to read the book” She silently nods and smiles in agreement. “Have you seen the movie?” I ask in reply.
“Yes.” She says. I notice that a thick accent blankets her English. “Where are you going?” I ask. I find out that they are a group of students from Denmark, heading to “some Italian restaurant or something”. The boy sitting in front of us says few words, but seems to understand English better than she, translating one of my questions to the girl. Before long, an older boy in the group notices our conversation and comes to stand in front of us. His dark skin is accented by his short dark hair and dark eyes. He asks me where I study.
“New York University,” I reply.
“And what do you study?” He says. He doesn’t have as thick an accent as the girl.
“Opera… I’m a singer”
“You … study opera?” he asks, in some combination of semi-disbelief and awe.
“Yes,” I reply with a chuckle.
“Have you heard of Denmark?” He asks me.
I laugh again, “Yes, I have heard of Denmark.”
“What have you heard about it?”
What kind of question is that? Wait, what have I heard of Denmark? I’m baffled. I don’t know. It’s not like I strike up conversations about Denmark in passing. Erm…. I really don’t know how to answer this question.
“Oh, I don’t know… just… things… stuff?” I say. Ugh. That was a poor reply.
“Denmark is small, you know. It is small country.” He says.
“How many people live there?” I ask. Then I second guess my question. Would he know that? Should I ask that? I mean, really, it’s a freaking country.
“5.5 million. Is smaller than New York.”
“That’s awesome.” I say.
Yes it is. Wow. I live in a city with 8 million people. 2.5 million people more than a small country.
“But we do not need many people” he says, interrupting my train of thought. “We have a good system, and I like it there. It is good. We do not need many more people. I like it there.”
“That’s awesome,” I reply. This seems to be my catchphrase.
“So is opera the only music you like? Or do you like pop?”
Laughing again, I say, “Oh, no that isn’t the only music I listen to. But I don’t really enjoy pop music either.” I try to explain that I listen to neither rock, nor pop, nor hardcore… what do I listen to? It results in me explaining that I listen mostly to Indie music, music theater pieces and well…. Classical music. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is odd in foreign cultures too. He asks me if I will be famous once I graduate. I smile and say, “Yes, that’s the plan. I want to sing on Broadway, too. Not just opera singing, but all singing. I love to sing.” Maybe I threw the last line in the conversation for clarification or even emphasis, but the girl pipes up at this.
“You’re not the only one!”
“Oh, do you sing, too?” I ask.
“Well… not really…. But when I listen to the radio, I like to sing” she responds, blushing. I notice for the first time that she wears dark eyeliner and a lot of makeup.
Her sheepish remark is adorable, highlighting her youth, and it hits me that this girl is only 5 years younger than me at most. I feel like I could be her mother’s age. The taller boy interrupts again and asks, “Have you heard of Aqua?”
“Yes, yes I have” I respond.
“Barbie Girl?” he says again,
“Oh yes!” I laugh.
He smiles cheekily and says, “They are Danes. We are proud of them”, puffing out his chest ever-so-slightly. At this, the difference of cultures becomes subtle, but so intriguing.
“And H.C. Anderson?”
The name isn’t familiar to me… “Um, no, I’m afraid not.”
“The author of Little Mermaid?” He asks, this time not bothering to hide the disbelief on his face.
“Oh! Yes, I know who that is…” I suppose if he would have said Hans Christian…. No, not even then. I don’t know. I tend to not interest myself in authors I don’t discover on my own. I didn’t actually know who wrote The Little Mermaid.
“Do you know where he is from?” He smiles again.
“Denmark?” I ask, knowing the answer to this question.
“YES! We are proud of him!” At this point, I am thoroughly enthralled in the conversation, and I really don’t want it to end. The interesting emphasis on pride fascinates me.
“Do you play instruments?” I ask them. None of them do. None of them play sports, none of them play instruments, and not a single one of them claims to be a reader.
“What hobbies do you do?” I ask. (Please mind my grammar.) I get nervous around people that speak broken English. I’m always afraid I’ll mess up a conversation or say something that has a double meaning, resulting in offending their position or their character. I tend to mess up the English language when talking to people who don't speak it well. It may be silly, but then I’m racking my brain for the lessons I took in German verb conjugation. Do seems like a safe verb. It translates pretty well, right? Regardless, he understands my question.
“I do not play sports, but I run. It makes me feel… sporty and good. And I like French,” He says. “And Swedish. Sometimes when I am on my computer, I try to teach myself.” He seems, (not surprisingly) very proud of this.
I almost miss my subway stop because I’m so caught up in the conversation. Jumping up, I scramble to say, “Oh, I’m so sorry! This is my stop.”
“Oh, great! Bye!” They say abruptly, waving at me.
“Enjoy!” Meaning to say something more like, “Enjoy your time here”… or “Enjoy the rest of your stay!” Instead, I just manage to say, “Enjoy!” and hope they know what I mean.
Coming out of the subway station, I’m surprised to find that I feel giddy, inspired almost. I attribute this feeling to an interesting realization. It is the beauty of being able to talk to a group of teenage Danish students on a Manhattan-bound R train one late Sunday afternoon. It is beauty that reminds me of the incredible culture in which I live. But larger than that, it is beauty that reminds me of an incredible aspect of the world in which I live. I feel so uniquely a part of New York, and yet a part of a culture entirely removed. It’s hard to describe, but it’s an exciting feeling. It’s a feeling of promise and of unity. I didn’t even catch their names, but these three students, a mere 3 or 4 years younger than I, taught me more in a 15 minute subway ride than I could ever learn in a 4-credit class on global diversity or cultures and contexts. They revealed to me that we are all, so uniquely and inherently different, but universally and undeniably human.
I'm sorry this post wasn't about London, like I promised. I want to make my London post really good, and this encounter was just too good not to post.
Thanks for reading. :)
-Em
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