Encyclopedia

My dad read these encyclopedias when he was a kid--he really likes history.
My older brother spent hours flipping through them as a five year old, looking at the pictures and absorbing the information. And they still sit there on our shelf, still being used.



Most of the time if I have a question I'll ask my mom, or Google it, or when I ask my mom she'll tell me to Google it. But a lot of the time I still like to crack open these dusty smelling books. Most of the pictures are black and white, but every once in awhile a page will just jump out in color



I like looking through the books because I usually stumble on a random something that I hadn't noticed before. There are silly pictures illustrating how a bill gets passed into law in the Canadian government, and also of the dangers of space travel.



And since it was published in the 1960s, there's a bit of information on countries that don't exist anymore and gadgets that have been proved obsolete.




Even encyclopedias are in danger of becoming obsolete. But as long as they're around, I'll keep reading.

You'd think playing 6 instruments would be enough for me already, right?
Well, think again.

I was basically in bluegrass heaven on Saturday. After I did a music scholarship audition at Augsburg College (which went very well, thank you), my parents willingly accompanied me to entertain one of my newest musical interests, the mountain dulcimer.

I was born in the land of beautiful-- but flat--prairies, and ever since trips to both the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, the culture that's evolved in those areas fascinate me. And what would the mountains--especially the Appalachians--be without the music of its people?

The name is pretty self-explain o' tory, but it looks like this:



It's not too common a sight in Minnesota, but the store we went to in Richfield had them. It's a place called Homestead Pickin' Parlor. The name alone tells you how awesome the place is, and it can basically cater to all your bluegrass/folky needs. If you want an interesting field trip, I would start there whether you're a serious musician or not.

When I asked the saleswoman if I could look at a mountain dulcimer, she sat me down with the last one they had in stock. It was a beauty and was shaped like an hourglass, with such a warm, bright, and happy tone. The saleswoman said she called it the "instant gratification instrument," because it's so easy to play, and anybody could learn in minutes. It had four strings tuned AAAD, and I sat with it in my lap, fingering the frets with the left hand and strumming with the right. After a few minutes I got the hang of it and was just about to abort my initial plan of only looking at the instrument. It was so cool and so fun to play!

But after seeing the price tag, I thought it better to stick with my plan. It wasn't an outrageous price, I just want to see if I can find good quality with a good deal. No impulse dulcimer buying for me. I was told that they had just ordered a whole bunch more, which should be there in the next few weeks, so they're going to call me so I can come back in and try some more.

~~The audition earlier in the morning at Augsburg went well, I think. I always feel slightly awkward during the whole thing. Beforehand I was really calm, and then afterwords I felt this shaky adrennaline rush thinking "what did I just do?!"

But once I get down to it, I really did make a positive impression. I'm just glad the whole process is over!

Some colleges wanted me to play 4 songs, some only wanted two. So, after my four-piece audition, I brain dumped the two extra pieces, a Beethoven sonata and Barber's 1st Excursion. I just didn't play them for about three weeks. It's amazing to me what those three weeks have done to them. I don't play them badly, but I don't play them as sharply, either. Heck, even if I don't play them for a couple of days they--by my own weird standards--start to suck.

Rachmaninoff said, "If I don't practice for a day, I notice. If I don't practice for two days, my critics notice. If I don't practice for three days, everybody notices." I would say that Rachmaninoff's worst performance is probably still better than my best, but he has a point. At the level that I'm at--and the next one that I'm aspiring to--I can't really afford to slack off. Except today, of course. Shoveling snow after a blizzard so I can get out of the driveway is a pretty good excuse, I would think.

I'm really not doing a good job of keeping this blog a regular thing, but I'll keep trying!
I like to read a lot of books about how to write, hoping they'll inspire me or give me the one secret that will write a novel for me. But then I remember that writing is not supposed to be done in a matter of seconds. Not good writing, anyways. Everything you've got is supposed to be invested in it, and to hell with other people. I try to take that attitude, but when I finish what I write, be it a blog post, journal entry or a song, lots of times I find myself second guessing it. The trick is to find out whether you're second guessing because you want people to like your hard work, which is actually quite good, or because you actually really suck. (How's that for a profound quote.)

The task of writing itself is so simple. Hold pencil in hand, apply pressure to paper, repeat. That fools me into thinking writing stories or articles is just as simple. But if I know anything, I know how to practice. This blog has been helping me practice, and I appreciate any feeback I get, good or bad. I'm sturdy like a lobster and can take anything you throw at me. (yes, I'm quoting "Lilo and Stitch!)

Now, for something that seems random but really isn't. My favorite author is Neil Gaiman and my favorite PBS kids show is "Arthur." If I ever become a category on Jeopardy, you will be glad to know this. And do you know what happened? A few months ago, Neil Gaiman made a guest appearance on "Arthur," in an episode called "Falafelosophy," and I was flipping out. Cartoon Neil was giving advice to the character Sue Ellen, who was trying to find her "Inner Neil" and write a graphic novel. I found it extremely funny and encouraging. So, watch it, enjoy, and hopefully, write.