Zo kun je het ook bekijken

Ik zit best wel vaak te stressen over m'n leven na school; hoe lang zal het duren voor ik mijn huur niet meer kan betalen, ik vervolgens in de goot beland en mijn lichaam moet gaan verkopen om in leven te blijven?
Maar aan de andere kant levert het ook veel leuks op; tijd en ruimte. Fysieke tijd en ruimte (voor zover dat kan), maar ook de tijd en ruimte in mijn hoofd. Want mijn studie aan het conservatorium heeft echt een groot deel van mijn leven overgenomen. Nee wacht; mijn studie aan het conservatorium ís mijn leven. Afgelopen 4 jaar was dat gewoon alles waar ik tijd en ruimte voor had. Over grote projecten gesproken dan. Ik ben ook nog wel eens naar de supermarkt geweest enzo.

Maar laatst, onder positieve invloed van de film Julie&Julia (heerlijke vrouwenfilm) dacht ik ineens: Potverdorie! Straks kan ik meer dingen gaan doen!! Dingen die ik eigenlijk nu ook al wel kon doen, maar niet deed omdat er in mijn hoofd geen ruimte voor was. (hopen dat er straks nog wel geld voor is).

Dingen als; koken, meer bloggen, meer schrijven (muziek en gewoon), meer tekenen, meer creatieve dingen!
Ik wil ook echt meer sporten (eehhhh ja).
Paardrijden.. dat zou ik ook graag weer willen.. misschien is er wel íemand in Utrecht die op zoek is naar een oppaspaardenmeisje?
En dan wil ik ook over meer dingen bloggen.. serieuzer bloggen. Niet alleen meer mijn persoonlijke gezever over hoe ik straks mijn huur niet meer kan betalen en de prostitutie in moet en over dat ik heel graag lang haar wil (om het vervolgens DAN TOCH WEER AF TE KNIPPEN). (nee ik heb geen spijt hoor, het moest gewoon.) (Maar ik wil wel weer lang haar alsnog).

Oke, ik ga even naar m'n bijna affe artwork kijken! God wat is Rosa toch fantastisch. En daarna toch weer met.. school bezig. Nog eventjes.

Liefs,
Fleur

Nu en later

Kijk nou eens wat een schatjes, die Tini, Miranda, Mijke en Marieke. Dit was met m'n verjaardag.

Het is zo druk! Van hot naar her en soms ook niks, maar dan ook even compleet niks. Ik schuw een beetje weg van mijn computer af en toe. Die dwingende rode meldingen en mailtjes die op een antwoord wachten. Aan de scriptie wordt hard gewerkt, en ik heb alleen nog deze en komende week les (eigenlijk heb ik maar 1 les, verder geef ik zelf coaching). De EP gaat ook z'n gangetje.. al gaat het wel langzamer dan ik wil/hoop.. iedereen is ook zo druk! Maar het krijgt steeds meer vorm. Ik hoop maar dat 'ie op tijd af is voor m'n assessment NEGENTIEN JUNI. Dat is al bijna. Dat is m'n afstudeerpresentatie. Spannennnnnnd ja. Dan nog wel even 27 juni de scriptie inleveren en dan.. ja dan.. dan ben ik klaar! (als het goed is)

Ja en dan...
Ach, dat zie ik later wel.

Fijne dag.
Liefs, Fleur

Goed nieuws

Ik noem deze; het monster dat er uit ziet alsof iemand een regenboog heeft gescheten. Of; regenbooldrol

Zoals ik in de vorige blog al schreef was er even een gtst-scenario in mijn leven, namelijk; misschien niet afstuderen dit jaar. Maar zoals het er nu naar uitziet mag ik hoogstwaarschijnlijk gewoon afstuderen, en dan daarna nog mijn scriptie inleveren. HALLELUJAH.

Het bovenstaande monster tekende ik toen ik het even niet meer zag zitten (niet op zó'n dramatische manier doch), hij is zo lelijk dat ik 'm weer schattig vind. Maar dan wel schattig op een manier van; ja maar je ziet er wel echt uit als een drol. Al weet ik niet zo goed wat voor manier dat is om schattig te zijn. Drollen zijn niet schattig.

Behalve toen ik eens dacht dat ik een super schattige salamander zag en het een drol bleek te zijn. Die drol was blijkbaar wel schattig, behalve dan dat het uiteindelijk een drol was.

Oke, tiiiiijd om te stoppen.

Vandaag ga ik naar Rosa om over het artwork te brainstormen! LEUK!

Liefs, 

Fleur

Vegan challenge week 2

Week 2 van de vegan challenge! Eigenlijk gaat het me allemaal heel erg makkelijk af. Hoewel ik wel per ongeluk een hapje sla binnen heb gekregen waar wat mayo bij zat (het ging ongeveer zo: Oooh Tom mag ik een hapjeeee? - Ja hoor *ik neem hap* - Ooh lekker!..... wat zit er allemaal in? - Ohh ja.. oeps) en een slokje koffie met gewone melk omdat iemand even vergeten was dat ik geen melk drink ;-) Maar alles wat ik zelf in de hand heb gaat prima. 

Oke, deze week; noodles met paksoi, wortel en nog meer groenten met tempeh en een tahini sausje (ik gooi echt overal sesam pasta heen tegenwoordig*, yolo!) * één van mijn twee favoriete broodjes op het moment; pindakaas en mosterd, en koffie * Een nogal scherpe curry, gewoon vanuit een potje van de toko; helemaal vegan! Super chill! (Eergisteren nog eens gemaakt en toen zaten Tom en ik met loopneuzen boven onze borden omdat het zó scherp was, eh)

Mijn andere favoriete broodje van het moment! Boter en speculaas. * De quiche van hieronder * Vegan noms; sojabonen uit de oven (van de toko) en kikkererwten uit de oven (van onze eigen oven)

De groentes voor die 2 beruchte, veel te pittige curry * Mijn ontbijt bijna elke ochtend; havermout met rozijntjes, gedroogd fruit, kokosrasp, lijnzaad en soms cacao. * Toen we gisteren hoorde dat we onze scriptie niet op de deadline kunnen inleveren (wat uiteindelijk misschien in gaat houden dat ik niet jaar niet kan afstuderen HA!) had ik chocolade nodig. 

Over dat laatste; ik ben, vanzelfsprekend, sinds gisteren een depressieve dweil; ik ga echt schreeeeeuwen als ik niet kan afstuderen in juni. Gisteren heb ik al snel het hoofd van de examencommissie gemaild, om te kijken of we het iets later kunnen inleveren (lang verhaal, maar iets met een té late herkansingsdeadline en het niet eerder mogen inleveren dan dat; zolang ik mijn punten maar vóór 30 mei binnen heb kan ik afstuderen) maar nu is het afwachten wat hij gaat zeggen. Ik ga stilletjes dood van binnen. 

Liefs, 

Fleur

* Tom las net m'n blog en zei; je hebt een foutje maar het is wel grappig. Ik zag het ook gelijk helemaal voor me, hoe ik fanatiek overal handen sesam pasta tegen de muren aangooi. Maar voor de zekerheid; ik gooi dus niet overal sesam pasta héén, maar doorheen. 

A blog about my first week of the vegan challenge while I actually should be working on my thesis

Last November I also joined the vegan challenge; no animal products for a month. Back then, I decided to join on the 1st day it started. It was on an impulse. This time I decided upfront I wanted to join. So now I had more time to already stack up on the vegan goodies. Also, this time I already know a lot of recipes etc because I ate vegan for a month already, and because I ate vegan a lot even after the last challenge.

Anyway, here my first week in pictures. I try to take a picture of my dinner everyday, just for nostalgic memories later on.

THANK GOD COFFE IS VEGAN. * I threw together some beans and sweet corn, cut up a cucumber and some tomatoes; great school lunch.* The first vegan dinner; potatoes baked in the oven with rosemary, some Mexican salsa we had left, and a spicy bean burger on bread, with some veggies on it. Yum.

I fucking love smoothies. This one is bananas, raspberry, oats, and water. I kept 1 part aside and threw some spinach and spirulina in it; hence the green inside. It was so gooood. * Yeah, vegan home made chocolate! Just melt 1/4 cup of coconut oil, then throw in 2/3 of raw cacao and some agave sirup to taste (about 1-2 tablespoons). * Butternut squash lasagna with a salad. This recipe from My New Roots was amazing.

Heck yes healthy snacks * Pita bread with veggies and falafel and a garlic sauce made from lima beans. I kind of made up the sauce, it was so good! Just throw in the blender; 1 can of lima beans, about 1/4 cup of water, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, some lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. It's so creamy! * We sometimes buy soy milk; Tom likes it in his oats (I do to), and I looove soy cappuccinos (happicuppas!)

Okay, so I see now I didn't take a picture of every meal.. only of 4! What did we eat the other days.. I don't know.. soup or something? And some spaghetti with soy-cream sauce, vegan bacon bits, broccoli and tomatoes. The picture you see above was rice with veggies and tempeh. I made a sauce with a bit leftover coconut milk, a bit of water and some tahini (sesame paste). If you've never tried making a sauce with tahini before; try it, it's good!

Okay, well, time for me to actually go and do something.. I'm busy writing my thesis. It's about Dutch singer-songwriters writing in English and why they do this. It's really interesting but after reading and writing about fucking Bob Dylan for 2-3 days I kind of want to never see his name again.

BOB DYLAN BOB DYLAN BOB DYLAN

Have a nice sunday!

Love,

Fleur

Exams etc

 Oh the irony!
(Or well, is it irony? I always get confused about irony. It's the fault of Alanis Morissette and that Irish dude.)(or is he Scottish? Can't remember)

Anyway, I was in one of my: OMG I'M GOING TO DOWNLOAD AN EMULATOR AND PLAY POKEMON ALL DAY-moods, and then when my geodude wanted to learn selfdestruct I came upon this. I thought it was funny mostly because it seemed so sarcastic, and also because I really need to give up on selfdestruct myself. But alas, I'm not a rock-pokemon (or voltorb or etc.), it's not just a matter of giving up on bad habits and selfdestruct, it's more a matter of unhabiting and working and sweating (maybe more brain-sweating than real life sweating).

Enough of this semi-psychological-amateuristic-blabbering. I did yoga twice this week! And Tom and me went swimming again on saturday. Also we went running.. or was that last week? Can't remember.
And I walked a lot. So so far so good on the exercising more. I started reading again also, I kind of quit that for a while due to the busy school stuff: oh yes btw; I passed both my exams! Whoopee. 

Yesterday I watched episode 2 of Sherlock season 3. I LOVE THAT SERIES SO MUCH. I want to be the annoying 3th party in that series. Like, following Sherlock and Watson around and bake cupcakes and drag coffee in a thermos with me wherever they go. Or no, coffe should be tea of course. And no cupcakes but biscuits. Yes. Great plan.

Love,

Fleur

ps. I just found this link and wanted to add it: http://www.ariseindiaforum.org/nurse-reveals-the-top-5-regrets-people-make-on-their-deathbed/ :-)

Books

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKS


I'm hoping to do a free minor for school next year, with which I will focus on improving my English with, for one thing, reading a lot of books!

Ah, sweet, black on white, other-wordly books. AWESOME. So this got me excited and made me google "books you must read" which resulted in "100 books you must read before you die" which I thought was a little bit dramatic, but hey, okay.

For now I have the following:

David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas

Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre

Franz Kafka - The Metamorphosis

Sarah Hall - The Electric Michaelangelo

Italo Calvino - If on a winter's night a traveler 

Chuck Palahniuk - Haunted 

Raymond Carver - What we talk about when we talk about love

Aldous Huxley - Brave New World

Richard Matheson - I am Legend

Vladimir Nabokov - Lolita

Albert Camus - The Stranger

Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange

William Golding - The Lord of the Flies

Hunter S. Thompson - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Joseph Heller - Catch 22

Mark Z. Danielewski - House of Leaves

F. Scott Fizgerald - The Great Gatsby 

Joseph Conrad - Heart of Darkness

Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5, Breakfast of Champions

Ken Kesey - One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest

Margaret Atwood - MaddAdam

Haruki Murakami - 19Q4

J.D. Salinger - The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zoeey 

George Orwell - Animal Farm

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray

John Steinbeck -The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden

Sylvia Plath - The Bell Jar

Truman Capote - Breakfast at Tiffany's 

Kazuo Ishigoru - Never let me go, The remains of the day

Gabriel García Marquez - Love in the time of Cholera 

Virginia Woolf - Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse

Bret Easton Ellis - American Psycho

There are a few in the list I already read (Great Gatsby, Catcher i/t rye) and I few I once started on but never finished (animal farm, catch 22, house of leaves)

The reading hopefully will also work inspiring, and feed me with poetic words to STEAAAALLLLL. Well, maybe not steal, but maybe do steal though. Mysterious right?

Anyway, if there are any books not in the list that I most definitely should read, please recommend away.

I saw Cloud Atlas yesterday, jesus christ what a puzzle, it was a bit long, a bunch confusing and kind of too fast but also really cool. I'm definitely going to read the book and hopefully I'll understand it better after. 

Love,

Fleur

Complete Vocal Technique

Awesome! Yesterday we had vocal technique lesson: Complete Vocal Technique lesson :) (you have 2 types of vocal technique, estill voice training system and cvt). I may, say things that might not be entirely true according to the masters of those techniques, but this is how I feel it is. Don't pin a needle to it. ;)
EVTS is more about controlling your vocal folds and learning how every small thing works. And CVT is more about a few main things; controlling your airflow, a small amount of necessary sharpness (twang) on your voice, 4 voice functions and last, but not least, effects. 

EVTS is in origine more a classical technique, but the way we get it at school is adjusted to pop singing.
CVT is more popbased.

We had CVT 1 in.. a month something, for this year. We started by focusing on the airflow control, then on the necessary twang, then on the 4 functions (which took a long time since they all need lots of attention :)) and at last, last 2 or 3 lessons, we started on the effects. You see, for you to healthily and safely do the effects, you first have to master all the 3 other things. You have to be in the centre of your vocal function, and to be in that centre you have to be okay with your airflow and the twang.

I never really use effects in my songs or my singing, but I think it's so cool to learn! And maybe, I never used it because I didn't know how to do it. And not that I do now, but the thing is; I could do every effect! So if I wanted to do the effects now, in a song, I would "only" have to practice!!

Vocal Technique just gets me so excited!! It's SO COOL how sometimes something is just too high, or too.. anything.. and then after 1 lesson of the CVT it's just possible!
At first I was so interested in EVTS that I even thought of maybe do more with it, maybe study it more so I could teach it eventually, but the CVT really speaks to me more. It's much more quick. (Though, I think we had an advantage because we know the EVTS).

Okay, well, let's give some examples! For the ones who haven't stop reading :)

Here you see Jeroen Manuhutu, our voice whisperer (;)) at work. Sad news is though, yesterday was our last lesson with him.. he's too busy :( really sucks because it's always so interesting and barrhhh okay stupid. I'm hoping now we'll be getting a new CVT teacher. But well, he was always really cool (and good!), so it's sad he won't be teaching us anymore.

Overdrive is one of the 4 functions.

Here a video with 2 effects:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKlGcrFpoWU

On 0:13 when she sings "a melody I start" on -I- she's using the effect creak.

And at 1:28 (and somewhere later on) "I don't know"  she uses 'growl' on the word don't.

And emm.. someone like the AC/DC singer, he uses rattle a lot (rattle right? yes I believe so)

At the end we practiced 'distortion'.

which I thought was really scary because it sounds so "Hi! I'm distortion, I'm gonna fuck up your vocal folds!" but actually it went kind well! :D And that is exactly what I find SO AWESOMELY COOL about CVT.

You think you can't do something, you take 5-15 minutes: you can do it. (of course you have to practice , but still)

End of CVT rage!

Love,

Fleur

ps. OMG TONIGHT 1st DUTCH SOCCER MATCH!! AWESOMMMMMMMMMME.

7 things that don't really have anything in common

Gooood Liv Tyler is SUCH a beautiful woman.
Well, not much to say, got much to do. 2 tests coming up next week. And one concert, one we already did before, but because something went wrong with the video recording... we have to do it again.
So I'll be singing Mas Que Nada and If I Were A Boy for a second time on stage...

I'm rehearsing again with my new band on saturday! And of course I'll be watching the goddamn soccer match on saturday eve!! I'm not into soccer at ALL, except when it's EK or WK.. then I LOVE it.
I'm actually looking forward to it... big time.

And sunday I'll be playing 2 songs at a music play thingy day which is organized by my 'old' singing teacher! There'll be more old students of her playing, and current students! So I'm curious about it! Not really looking forward to playing.. but that more because of the resentfulness that comes from the nervousness I get when I have to play.

Ah well.

Love,
Fleur

The funny thing

Yay I passed my technique exam in the estill voice training system (EVTS). I don't know with what grade, but at least I passed it. We had to take it with a computer this time, you sing stuff, and the computer measures what frequencies and shizzle you use, and if it's right.

I used to be very into the techniques, and I still kind of am, but not anymore in the way that I'd like to become a techniques teacher. I'll be glad teaching "normal" singing lessons!

And songwriting lessons.. I would really like to do that!

I'm reading Number Ten bij Sue Townsend.. so it's not really a brilliant piece of work, but it's okay. I don't read so much and often at the moment. Oh, I finished a new Margaret Atwood a while ago by the way.. what's it called again.... Surfacing! I found it at the Slegte.. but.. meh.. a bit too weird and vague.. I actually didn't really get the main clue of the story. Bit sad. But I still want to read more of her! Just maybe the newer stuff.

My roomie and I just went to the market, we bought paprikas, courgette, eggplant, potatoes, bananas, strawberries, tomatoes.. and I got 2 springrolls from her, omg so good. AAHH WANT MOOREEEEEE.

Well I think I'm going to do some sight reading and some piano playing.

Love,

Fleur

ps. omg! Haven't watched the new GoT episode yet! Exciiitttinnngggggg. When this season is done, I will probably go and buy the 1st book just so I won't have to miss it for such a long time.

pps. http://penabranca.tumblr.com/ this is where I found the image above, cool stuff.

 

Wow, smoke is such a beautiful thing. Especially when in pretty colors. Makes me want to float around in it.

I should hang my laundry.. but it's one of those things you need to do while not wanting to do it at allllll.

But well, yeah.. it's necessary.

Don't have much to say. It's projectweek, which means lots of workshops, stressful things (we had some kind of stress-performance today and tomorrow we have bandlab! I'll be singing If I Were A Boy! omggg) and am.. yeah that.

Going to hang my laundry up to dry and lie in bed. Mmmm sleeping.

Love,

Fleur 

Oh look at the time

Ooohh what a bad blogger I am!! So busy, I hardly have any time for doing nothing. Of course, I could spend all the time I spend on facebook on something more useful. Yes, Tineke (other half of Tree Like Fun) is right. I'm a facebook junkie. Well, that was a nice conclusion to end that topic.

Normally I almost never practice my own songs.. and I should.. but when there's no reason (show or exam) to practice.. I don't practice. But now, I have a show this thursday, so I've been practicing the last weeks.. and it reminded me of how nice it actually is to rehearse and play my own songs.. so weird it came to be a thing I dislike to do.. playing my own songs, or really more the practicing.. I'm playing in the Vestzak (niet vetzak) theater in Enschede, this Thursday 20:00. I'm really looking forward, but since the last time I performed as 0neTrickPony is literally almost a year ago (I know this because the last show was the weekend after Marco and I broke up, and we broke up on 25 nov (which I can remember because we had a bandlab concert that evening) it's a year ago this weekend.) So aaahh scary!

Ooooh and we have a cat now in Enschede :D she's so sweet, her name is Effie (like Effy from Skins).

Oh well, I have to go! I'll be coaching a 'band' during our band coaching education lesson. Pffffff don't want to.

And Tineke and I recorded Tree Like Fun songs this weekend!! We recorded 8 hours of video stuff, so there should be a nice videoblog in a while again. And the recorded songs of course! Can't waaaaaaiiiiitttt!!

Love,

Fleur

All I want is for you to have a little faith in me

9gag why u no my boyfriend?

No okay, I guess that would be a bit awkward.

Busy, as always! Rehearsing with Tineke, school, thinking about a cat, cleaning, doing massive dishes every day..

Haha, yesterday we were rehearsing, and we were really really tired, which ended up in some miscommunications at first, but then, after a while we just started laughing and fucking up songs..

Is it there.. again? That thunder in your stomache ?
Is it there, again? That train in your eyes..

Well, it doesn't sound like much when you read it like this (train normally is rain) but haha, we couldn't sing properly anymore after that.

We should get the video today! I am sooo excited :) and really I want to start editing the new videoblog! Maybe record some new stuff with it.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles (Haruki Murakami) is really nice, amazingly written as ever. He really mixes up poetry in his writing sometimes; the way he expresses feelings, or situations, or describes the scenery..

My brain needs coffee and my rumbling tummy needs food.

Love,

Fleur

WOOO!

I like dolphins, they kill sharks, with their noses.

Happy post! I yesterday we got the last result back, it was of solfège, the.. well.. yeah, the most difficult class we have. And like I explained a while back, you have to get at least 50% of every question right.. and I did!!! I PASSED the test in 1 try! Soooooooooo happy :D even when I think of how I came out of the test, I'd made a mistake so fucking stupid I smacked myself in the head for being so angry with myself.. the idea of not passing because I make one dumb fucking mistake.. but I think he saw I actually knew it, but just had some weird brainfuck while writing the answer down. I FUCKING PASSED EVERY TEST! oh wait, international capslock day was 2 days ago.. ah well.

So, this should mean I got my P (if you get all the points you need for your first year, we call that a P, it's very important you get that in the 1st or 2nd year, otherwise they kick you out) in 1 year! Last year this one happened with 3 people of the whole year or something.. and they won a 100€ photoshoot! I'm a bit like.. well.. I already have the wonderful Rosa for my pictures, but well, it's also pretty cool of course. Don't know if they'll do it again this year though.. it seems that more people got it at once this year!

I'm so proud of all my homies :) Oeh and, Wednesday night I had a sleepover, at first I just asked Tineke, Miranda and Mijke, but we ended up with also Jurriaan, Jogchum and Niko :) It was really cool, had a great time doing awesome games like "who am I?" and "the mob" .. which is about.. someone is the mob and the mob kills someone every night, and you have to vote who the mob could be.. and .. well, it's just really cool.

We should do sleepovers more often!

Oh and, then yesterday Jurriaan and I went to school to make some music, he plays cello! And we tried some songs with cello.. Atheism, Chitty.. and then when I started playing Mushrooms.. is was just like, wow.. cool! He played such beautiful stuff and it's just the perfect addition!! Can't wait to try it again today.

Pffff but first.. coffee.. we're going out for dinner tonight with most of the year, and afterwards we have 4 birthdays (that passed already) to celebrate, and also of course the end of the year! So this should be one heck of a party.

Love,

Fleur

I kept my eyes shut for such a very long time

Tonight is bandlab night! All my schoolhomies will be playing in Atak in Enschede (20:30). ;-)

And then, this morning I got up, and thought.. wow.. bandlab.. then it's already 6 months ago.. a half a year.. that Marco and I broke up. Not precisely, but symbolically at least (it was.. the 25th of november, and now it's june 22).. so that's really weird..

And of course, I'll be singing The Sharks tonight; the song I wrote about zhe breakap.

..

I'm looking forward to it, it's gonna be a nice night I think.. if not while playing, then afterwards, we're gonna throw a party like only the partiest parties are thrown!.. Ahm.. well, we'll just go to Molly's and all be veeeery happy and relieved it's FINALLY done. Though of course we also really liked, or I did atleast, playing in the band! My band has such nice people, and I just think they're awesome :) and then I also mean in playing!

for the curious, we'll be playing these songs:
Eryka Badu- Stay http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryLzh5Wfu7w

Beth Hart - Monkey Back http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koqGZQxxqsY

Tower of Power - What is hip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnUFVyt1dHQ

The Sharks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sI5fVfMMoM&feature=channel_video_title

Porcupine Tree - Halo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoyli2D4i58

Woohh well, better do some h&m faire du shopping!

Love,

Fleur

Lift up your skirt we wanna see you dance

by http://ulicam.blogspot.com/

Wow that was one busy, stressful, almost killing week. Seriously, at one point I was so tired I could hardly keep myself from crying - over nothing- all the time. Just because of the shitload of things I still had to do, and the little time I had, and because I was so damn tired. But I got a flippin' 8,5 for my songwriting! Passed my theory with an 8, my vocaltechniques with an 8,8, and my klank & stijl (sound and style :-B) with an 8!! (Sorry to all the people who were at school yesterday and had to hear me say over and over that I probably didn't pass it because it went sooo bad) (I was 1 of the 7 who passed it, and also with 1 of the 3 who had an 8.. I'm so embarrassed now about how I kept saying it went so bad.. but that's the stupid thing: I always absolutely sincerely think it went band and wrong and hell and doom, apparently I just can't judge that AT ALL. So now I made myself a promise I will not talk about how it went, if someone asks I'll just say "yeah I don't know" and moooove on).

Now I'm desperately waiting for my AML (music theory and harmony) grade.. How it went? Yeah I don't know.. ;) nah well, it actually went kind of well! But because last time I thought it went bad and then I got 9,1 (see! geezzzzzz Anne-Fleur!) now because I thought it went well.. I'm afraid it'll probably be not such a good grade. God my English is terrible.. I sound keep my sentences shorter because otherwise it starts to jumble and bumble and then it's all weird and crap. The same happens in Dutch though, when I want to put too much in 1 sentence.

Aaahmmm oh yes, well, now it's WEEEKEND and I kind of celebrated the end of the week with some faire du shopping yesterday, bought 2 dresses, a shirt, shorts, new shoes and a bag. (Hey I found 20 euros)

Now I'm watching Dunya & Desi, a really cool Dutch movie. And I already did some solfege, which I have on monday! AAARRRRRRHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! It's the one I'm reeeeeeally not looking forward to.. you have to get at least 50% of EVERY question. So you could have an 8, without having passed the test. Some things are okay, but some parts are also really hard.. like when he gives you one 1 note and plays it, and then he okays 2 chords, and you have to say which chords he is playing, by hearing which note the one he gave is in the chord.. ahm.. well.. anyway. It's hard.

Then friday the last test! Notationlab!.. I think that should be okay.. but it's also lots of work, in little time.. and if you don't pay attention it's easy to make sloppy mistakes. And ahm.. I made all the homework we got, but I never checked the answers.. so.. yeah. Maybe I should do that still.

Oh and I'll be singing and doing backings for 2 more tentams.. and then that's done too :) and then ooonhhh noo yes coming week we also have BANDLAB! I'm soooo excited for that :D and Sarah, Rosa and my dad are (probably?) coming! So cool :)

Well, geez enough jibber jabber and blaaaablablablablabalbalbabala for now.

Love,

Fleur

ding transmission says, The Social Network has arrived. has anyone seen it? was it nice?

Dang

Aaahhhh school is sooo busy and it's only the first day of this week!.. I'm sooo exhausted already. Have to print something for a classmate, 'cause of course; when you have a deadline in the morning, the ink runs out. I'll be doing backings by her 2 songs on her exam tomorrow. I'm curious about how I'll feel .. if I'll be nervous too.. will be a bit weird since she has the same songwriting teacher as I do.. he already told her he'd kick my ass if I'd do something wrong haha :) I'll just do my bestest.

And after that one other exam; one song. Then I'll be going home, finish my portfolio, print my own sheets and new stuff.. put them in my portfolio.... practice my songs one last time.. do some sight reading.....Yeah, it'll probably be something like that. And with lots of chocolate and coffee and/or cola in between.

So, printer is done, I'm off to bed.

x Flo

Give me a minute

'cause I need to brag a little about myself! ;-)

I passed my piano exam! YAY! Not brilliantly, but a 7,8 will do. At least I got every part, so I don't have to redo any of it. Woop woop!
And this morning, I woke up 6:20.. don't know why.. I was in bed at about 1 o'clock.. I got out an hour later, and then I recorded a demo for my songwriting exam! Now I only have to record the vocals of the last song.. which is also a recording I made for music production (2 birds 1 stone gimme some yea!). And then I'll have that done too..
Pophistory I already finished.. I'll email it later on (omg Regina on a tv commercial :D too bad it's the stupid bueno, but still omg yay :)) aaaand I already made all my sheets! (With the melodylines, which is fucking shitty work) And all the chords analyses, and the scale analyses.. And ahm.. well that's it I guess. But I was just kind of content about that and had to brag a little :) Now I can go party as if it were my birthday this weekend, without getting even a bit drunk of course, because I need to keep my voice.

I think I'll go have my well-earned breakfast!
Have a nice weekend,
Flo

ps. beautiful photo is by http://ponygraph.blogspot.com/ well worth checking out

Like a bridge over troubled water

Ohhh she is such a beautiful woman. And that voice! And those songs! I just looove Fione Apple.

I was reading about her on wikipedia, since I'm writing a paper for Popmusic history about the 3 amazing women who actually are the reason why I started writing and playing piano (Amanda Palmer, Regina Spektor (!!!) and Fiona Apple). And I read she'd done a cover of Bridge over Troubled water with Johnny (fucking) Cash! How fucking awesome is that.. 2 of my most favorite songwriters, doing a really beautiful song. I like the original better, but still. So.. of course I haaaaad to write a blog about that. And, because, of course, otherwise it might be 2 weeks again before I post something new again :-)

whaddayathink?

I'm going on with my paper.. I've been spending the last 45 minutes trying to find a beautiful picture of Fiona Apple so that's kind of my 'being useless while trying to NOT to any school work' of the day.

Love, Fleur

One hundred years of solitude

It's been a while!.. Pff.. it's not that I haven't had the time.. well, I aaam busy, but.. just busy enough to not have an opinion on anything other than school and my exams.

Next week (Wednesday) I have my first exam.. pianolab. We have to play Gavin Degraw - Follow Through, Lionel Richie - Hello, Cindy Lauper - True Colours, R. Kelly - I believe I can fly.. and oh.. ahm.. Marco Borsato ft... someone - Wat zou je doen ..

Ahhhrr and if that's not (difficult) enough.. we also have to re-harmonize every song.. change the chords in other chords, different kinds of chords.. and well, some songs are just difficult to play anyway. I think I speak for all of the 1st year (except maybe 3 or 4 people) when I say this class is a pain in the ass. I mean, it's also nice! To play this much piano again.. but crappy songs... and that it's for a grade.. it just makes it less fun.. everything now depends on: will I get an sufficient on every song? puhleeeeaaasseeaaahh.

The week after next week, all hell breaks loose: AML, notationlab.. and scariest: my songwriting exam.. Actually I am not scared about getting sufficient, well maybe a bit for the theoretic part, but not for my songs. I am so happy with the songs (especially The Sharks and Lady by the River) I wrote this semester! And I know my songwriting and singing 'teachers' also like the songs. So now the thing to get a real nice grade is to just fucking nail the performance during my exam, to not make any mistakes and to just perform the songs like they should be performed!

Still gghaahwhwwwww getting nervous only thinking about it!!!

And then we have.. klank&stijlontwikkeling (sound & style development), vocaltechniques, solfege (aaahhhhhhh hh hhhhh this is also so hard!) ahm and.. I think that's it?

And damnit... then that's the end of my first year! I really can't believe how fast this went.. even with the break up and all.. the year flew by! Okay I'm not there yet.. don't .. blablabla while you haven't even blablabla..

And of course we still have our bandlab concert JUNE 22. Enschede. ATAK popcafé. Starts at.. I think about 21.00. So .. you know.. be there and bring your merry mates. It's fahree and we'll also play Halo by Porcupine Tree and some other cool songs and dus The Sharks.

Wellllll.. I think I'll go brush my teeth.. and lie in bed with my book (which is One hundred years of solitude atm). Today I picked some forget me nots (last year, when my sweet little Sjors died, I buried her in the garden and put all sorts of flowers on her grave; also some forget me nots.. and now they're everywhere in my moms garden! isn't that great :)) and I put them in my book, because I always love those dried up flowers.

But then when I went to take a look later on (I am a really impatient person sometimes) I saw those green plant lice in my book!!! ieeeeeee gross!

But, well, if you want gold you'll have to dig through the dirt. Or another something like that.

Love,

Fleur