Happy New Year!

I hope this year is YOUR year, whether it's to get your novel published, get an agent, write that screenplay, or get that symphony off to the publishers. I hope you spend lots of time with the people who adore you. I hope you get to experience new adventures, if that's your thing, or that you'll finally get the quiet hours to yourself you've earned. I hope your year is prosperous and merry - and if it's up and down at all, that it's mostly up.

Goodbye, Corner

I got a really nice journal for Christmas from my sister, one of those leather ones. It's far too nice for my transient musings, so I've re-started a novel in it - an idea that's been hounding me for a couple of years now. I'm only a little bit into it, but I've learned that writing things out by hand is something that really works for me. On the computer, it's too tempting to edit as I go, and I'm not one of those writers who can do that. I end up writing myself into a corner every time.

It's true of my composing, too. Despite the problems from last semester, I got a better grasp on my process. I know now I need to work it all out by hand before putting it on the computer. Otherwise, it's "Hello, Corner. Nice to see you again."

Lots of composing and writing over the course of break. There's lots of stuff I've been doing that I can't post because they're exercises set to already existing movies and there's that copyright thing. I'd like to share a Dropbox folder with all of you (that's an online file-sharing and storing service). It occurred to me recently that for the past year and a half I've been composing for other composers, and while that certainly has its merits and has been a great learning experience, I'm not getting much feedback from filmgoers who see movies for entertainment.

So if you're up for giving me feedback, let me know. Dropbox is free for up to 2GB. I pay $9.99 a month for 50GB, and it's been a lifesaver.

And please, no comments about how you're not an expert. Your lack of expertise is just what I need. : )

Merry Christmas!

I probably won't have time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas tomorrow, what with all the festivities and meal-making. So Merry Christmas! I may sneak on over to the movie theatre to see Sherlock Holmes as a Christmas gift to myself, but other than that, it's all about helping Mom and making sure Niece #2 is satisfied with her gifts.

Oh Yeah

I forgot to mention I won a signed copy of Stuart Neville's Ghosts of Belfast. It arrived last week, and I plan to take it with me and read it over Christmas break. I wonder what "win but win" means? That was in the inscription. Well, I shall spend a few pleasant hours pondering that.

Unintended Hiatus

I've taken an unintended hiatus. School is almost over; I just have a couple of papers and a small project to re-do. Almost there.

Looking forward to the break, when I will write a piece for a competition, read, drink a lot of tea, and relax. And work a bit. I've learned a lot this semester—not just about music, but about my current limitations and what I can handle. Next semester I want to be able to solely focus on school without all the distractions of trying to survive. So I absolutely must work out the details of my financial aid. It's coming, but over break I've really gotta get a move on. My health kind of suffered this semester. I managed to keep from getting really sick, but just. More salad, more water, more exercise (up from none).

How are things going with you all?