pandagirl1995

1) What did you want to be "when you grew up" when you were younger? Has your "dream career" changed since then?

I wanted to do something like my dad; he works with sheet metal and welding to make custom repair parts. When I was in kindergarten, there was a station where you would nail pieces of wood together to make things. I made a paper towel holder with a removable top. My teacher told me that I was going to become an engineer or architect when I grew up. I got into middle school and became more and proficient in computers. I took many classes and excelled, but at the end of the day I struggled at finding the patience to work with such a frustrating medium. My mom kept going on about how I was going to make a lot of money designing computers. At the start of middle school, I picked up piano and started memorizing songs. By high school, I was so excited by the idea of learning new instruments. I found me a guitar at a thrift store and eagerly hoped one day they would open the instrument case for me to look for new instruments. I picked up saxophone and flute these last two years by chance and this has been by far the most memorable of my “hobbies.” I started composing my sophomore year and it almost feels like I understand music more than I understand English. For my whole life people have been telling me what to do with my life, just this once I want to be someone different. I plan on taking as many music classes and learning as many instruments as I can these next two years of college. And then at the end, where ever my heart takes me is where I will go whether that is composing, teaching, or sound engineering, or both.

2) If you could win any award currently in existence (Nobel peace prize, Superbowl ring, Grammy, etc.), which would you most want to win and why?

You probably saw this coming but I’d like to win the Guinness book of world records for most instruments I can play. XD

3) Suppose you are an astronomer who has just discovered a new galaxy. What will you name it?

Zelda 231 (in Ocarina of Time there is a puzzle where you have to remember the code by, “23 is number 1”)

4) What song was most recently stuck in your head?

My favorite things. In the anime, Kids on the Slope, they sing it for a music festival. My favorite line is, “I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.”

5) If you could witness any moment in history, but not have the power to change anything, which moment/event would you go back and see?

I don’t feel a strong connection to the past. I’d rather put all my resources into building a brighter future.

6) Who is your favorite character in the book you most recently read?

I’m going to change this to anime. In Tsuritama: the fishing anime, there is a side character named Akira who has a pet duck he talks with named Tabioka. He is part of a secret organization called Duck and is ordered to look after this boy that is an alien. He becomes friends with the alien through fishing with friends and abandoned his entire organization to protect him in order to save the world. He’s smart and wears a cool turban.

7) What is your favorite geographic shape? :b

I love triangle. I really like patterns and if you’ve ever seen the triforce or Stravinsky/Pascal’s Triangle, there’s so many cool patterns.

8) List three things that make you happy. :3

Music, Friends, I don’t need anything else.

9) Which do you think conveys a more powerful message: pictures or words?

Pictures can convey so many colors. Like music, words are often secondary because its not about language but emotion.

10) You are trapped on a deserted island! D: Supposing food and water are provided, what three things would you most want to have with you?

- An awesome pocket knife to build things like shelter and a wooden flute

- Goggles for swimming

- Anything else I could build myself

I have come full circle.

When I was in freshman marching band, I sat at the end of the clarinet section next to Justin the saxophone section leader. In the show we had partners. Leslie, the other saxophone section leader was mine and she was like my psuedo section leader. It’s like all along the saxophone has been calling out to me and I could hear its words but couldn’t understand them.

Before Christmas break, I decided to learn a new instrument. Since I play clarinet, brass was out of the question and I would instead learn a woodwind. I decided either flute or saxophone. My first inclination was to learn flute since my sister played flute and I learned the mouth position from my event in science olympiad on a copper flute that tasted like pennies.

But I asked my sister and she said no to flute because the notes are complicated and difficult. I asked my mom and she said I would do better on saxophone because of the reed. So I asked my band teacher to check out a saxophone and he said all they had were tenors. So I told my mom and she said that I don’t have enough air capacity for tenor and a week later she presented me with an alto saxophone case.

When I came back to school from winter break they had jazz band sign ups and said they needed more people so I signed up for clarinet. But when we had the first meeting, they didn’t include clarinet so I came to the first practice with my saxophone and thus began my journey on saxophone from jazz band to marching band to freshman band to pep band all the while looking up the new saxophone section leader, Adrianna.

A year later, its Christmas break again and I’ve been wanting to learn a new instrument. My original thoughts were to play French Horn but I’d want to play it with the upper band and my teacher won’t let me switch from clarinet so I’ve pretty much given up on French Horn for atleast another year. Instead since I’d been assisting the 5th graders with flute, clarinet, and saxophone, my band teacher asked if I’d consider playing flute in the freshman band. I was so excited that he actually believed in me.

And thus I’ve come my original decision: flute or saxophone? I began by asking my friends. Some of them were very excited while others thought looked as if they’d miss me if I switch sections again. I asked my brother and just like when I wanted to join choir, he told me to stick to what I know. I was afraid my mom would say no because she’s paying for my saxophone that I wouldn’t be playing as well as saxophone lessons, but she said do what you want.

I finally understand what my sister meant when she told me not to play flute. The notes are quite different from anything I’ve come across and I’m still mastering the flute mouth position. But I’ve spent an entire semester looking up to my amazing section leader Adrianna and only have one semester left to see how far I can go in band before I start college. So I’ve decided its time for a change in pace and a new challenge to satisfy my ambition. I will spend the rest of my senior year learning flute and looking up to my amazing drum major, Katie. I named my clarinet, Clarimonde, and my saxophone, Saxel. Now I can add a third instrument to the family with my sister’s flute, Fluessa

I sped walked across my lawn when I felt the ground slip under me. I fell with a thud on a pile, I mean a vast ocean, of acorns.

Two days later before bed…

I need to be a beacon of hope and friendship. I need to help others.

The following morning...

I’m late, I’m late….I woke up at 7 AM in a frenzy. I decided beforehand that today I would wear my forest green blouse and rushed down the stairs. I slipped on my slipper shoes and sped walked across the driveway when I felt the ground slide under me. I fell with a thud on a sheet of ice.

I started my car to find that an iceberg sheet of ice was attached to my window. I ran the heat and scrapped my windows but to no avail; the iceberg would not budge. I went inside and decided that I’d atleast try and make sandwiches for lunch instead of going without. I also grabbed my often forgotten get back into school pass. I noticed an empty milk gallon on the counter and filled it halfway with hot sink water.

I sped walked across the lawn towards my car. On the driveway I felt the ground slide from under me. I fell once more with a thud.

In desperation I fought my way back to my car and splashed the water across my window. Alas, finally I was free! The glass was free of all ice. I splashed some on my door window for good measure.

I got in the car and drove to school. I arrived late to band only to find that my instrument was too cold to play properly but was it played, the sound, the texture was pure freedom to me. With joy I played in band with friends of mine at every angle. I wished to be there for them at every possibility.

In freshman band my friend told me she lost her saxophone pep band music. I told her she could borrow mine tomorrow. I listened to both my neighbors’ sounds, finally beginning to understand blend with the saxophones.

Later I went to Encor, delighted that I had sandwiches to eat. I ate and studied vocab and doodled in my agenda. God has given me food to eat, I thought.

I walked down to the hall saxophone on my shoulder, head high with pride, and smile like sunshine. I passed by Brenen in the hallway in this confident manner. I know he noticed me. Soon I will get to help him too.

After talking to my friends I walked out to my car. I had almost made it to my car when I felt the ground slide from beneath my feet. I fell flat on my hands and knees once more. Humility. I pushed my key into my car door and turned the lock. After a moment it finally budged but the door would simply not open. The water that I had used to free my car had now locked me out like a prison. I tried to other doors but they were didn’t unlock with my key. I gave up and returned to school thankful that I had my pass for once.

I went straight to the band room and put away my saxophone. I shall go to B lunch, I thought. In the mean time I straighten chairs and stands and picked up the percussion section. I moved the chairs out of the way of the christmas tree and spread the presents underneath.

I left for B lunch pretending to be a choir/art kid and my friend immediately spotted me and made me sit at their table. I was delighted. Never had I enjoyed the company of my friends more, and never had they mine. One of my friends offered to help me unstuck my car. I was sad when the bell rang and followed them to their class. I even hummed some Zelda music.

One my walk back to the band room I hit the bathroom and grabbed a wet paper towel and a dry one, one for each pocket and went to clean the whiteboard. Walking on the tightrope between the board and the tuba cases was a challenge but I managed. I wrote the 13 elements of music and the balance triangle to replace what I had erased.

I went over to the lockers and stopped in front of one familiar name: Brenen Kress. I fumbled with his lock trying to make it lock but it was essentially there for looks. I went to the other lockers, closing open ones. I found a packet of alto saxophone 2 sheet music in one and decided to place it in my friends music folder for discovery tomorrow. I even spotted a locker that contained only window cleaner.

I looked across the room and wander what I needed to do to make it complete. I withdrew a blue sticky note from my bag and wrote, Festivus for the Rest of Us, on it and placed it on the Festivus pole. Feeling complete, I walked around the room analyzing every piece of history.

Vitruvian man: how I wanted that t-shirt. Heartbeat. Dreams of Flying. Everest: Brenen was wearing that today. He always wears black. Four Freedoms. Minally Speaking: how untarnished that shirt was. I read every quote on each of them. 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012….the years passing before me.

Better Because We Want To Be. Only Your Best is Enough. Success is a matter of luck, just ask any failure. Focus. Focus. Focus. FOCUS. Everywhere. I admired the beautifully drawn flag. The broken drum head. Contribute or Contaminate. The Office Door. And finally, the Mission Statement: the mind, body, and spirit. These kids of Vitruvian Man knew how to live.

Then I left to wash my hands of white board marker and went to English. Beside me sat Brenen, his body practically facing towards me with this leg crossed in my direction and his body oriented to follow. I began to talk to him. He sounded stressed. I asked him many questions. After our test, we began to talk about the group activity and what scene we would want. He read the scene I proposed. Then I asked him which part was his favorite, he said the part where everyone dies. Grim Brenen always into dark things like Majora’s Mask, but said he likes watching the snow. The girls behind us asked what we were going to do. Getting no response they asked if we were in a group together and he shrugged so I shrugged. I continued to ask him question until the class ended. It was great to see his face look Directly at me. I wasn’t used to seeing his expression like I did today.

I left class and went to the bathroom and filled my water bottle with hot water. I sped walked to my car and splashed the water on my door and tried everything I could but it would not budge. My friend found me and said we should get some strong guys to open it. I said nah I don’t want to break it but she called to Skyler Roth and his friend and they were soon co-attacking my door. My friend brought her car around in case I needed a ride. Skyler asked for my keys and after fumbling with my lock was able to get a side door open and between him and his friend conquered the ice on my door.

Despite the cold, I was warm inside. I hugged Cat and jumped around in circles. I had helped everyone else today but now it was my turn to be helped. In the words of Iroh: While it is always best to believe in one's self, a little help from others can be a great blessing.

As I drove home, Rescue Me by Hawthorne Heights was stuck in my head but instead I sang it with an altercation.

You rescued me from everything, you gave me a new life so that I could breathe.

On my visor sat a guardian angel that said please drive safely.

I've been wishing it would snow, and it did this morning. I got what I wanted, but even more, God gave me what I needed.