BOSTON

Song of the Day: Foreplay (Intro to Long Time) - Boston

Well, I am finally in Boston!!! And I think I am in love with this city! I flew in Friday evening and moved into my dorm on Sunday, where I have been happily living ever since. I live on the 4th floor of my dorm, and since the elevator is very small and very slow, I've opted to take the stairs most of the time. Good exercise, though!

This whole experience started out overwhelming in the sense that everything was new to me - new environment, new people, new school, new music. Now it is overwhelming in the fact that I feel like an inferior musician. I realized that I have a very limited repertoire with classical piano, and my jazz piano is mediocre at best (I do retain the belief that my other improv has some credibility, though). I feel like everyone around me is so much better than me, almost as if I got into Berklee on some stroke of luck. REGARDLESS, I have begun deliberately practicing my classical piano to help build my repertoire and gain strength on my instrument. Jazz piano will have to come later, but I want to start with the fundamentals before moving on towards other genres or styles. This makes me realize that I have A LOT to learn, and Berklee seems to be a wake-up call for me. This coming year, I know I will have to work hard to get better in order to get on par with many of the other first year pianists that go here.

All in all, the city is very nice. Although the main buildings are spread out from each other, it doesn't take more than a ten minute walk to get from my dorm to the main building. Commonwealth Avenue is a beautiful street, and it is very refreshing to step outside every morning The weather for the first three days was hot and humid and there was very little breeze, which wouldn't have been all that bad if my dorm had A/C. Well it turns out it doesn't, and apparently fans are out of season, so for the moment I am stuck with a small fan clipped onto the end of my bed. The weather since Tuesday has been cold and rainy, which I absolutely did not expect. It is actually cold enough that I have to wear my jacket outside. Anyways, I ended up stopping in Walgreens to buy an umbrella.

As well as donate to stop diabetes.

And then donate some more.

So I've been making friends, and I'm on really good terms with my room mate. I feel once classes start I'll be able to spend time with people on a more consistent basis, instead of meeting them once and never seeing them ever again, which seems to be happening right now. That way, I'll actually have a circle of friends I can hang out with in between classes and after school. I am quickly making friends with the people on my floor though, as well as other people in my dorm.

I cannot wait to start playing with my ensemble and seeing what that entails. And I can't believe I'm saying this but I also cannot wait to start taking private lessons. I feel that will help me tremendously. Now that I am consistently playing on a regular basis, I should be able to grow more musically. I am actually really excited about it now! So many new opportunities to perform and grow and learn! And with that I am out!

P.S. - Courtney I love you!