I'd like to think that I'm pretty environmentally conscious.
I mean, considering that the high today was 65ยบ and only four days ago we were supposed to get 10 inches of snow, climate change is a pretty serious concern.
Anyways, I recycle and compost daily, and I'm a big fan of both. One thing that does irk me about recycling though, is that so many places superficially do, but actually don't.
A lot of places and businesses have recycling bins next to each trash can, especially because of the waves of green thinking that have been coursing over the past few years. The job of a business to recycle doesn't end by them just providing the recycle bin though, it also includes actually recycling the material. Sadly, a lot of the material in recycle bins in reality end up in landfills.
This happens mainly because of the general public. In providing recycle bins, places and businesses set the public responsible for one thing-- to only recycle recyclable things. Unfortunately, people aren't just recycling the wrong things because of ignorance, but also because of blatant disrespect. Throwing trash into a recycle bin means that either the whole bin has to go into the trash, or someone has to shift through all of the recycle bins to check whether or not all of the material is okay. Not a good job. Also, business simply don't have the resources to waste someones time by forcing them to sift through recyclables.
A little bit of a tangent, but still notable.
On a more positive note, one of the things I really love about recycling is the amazing pieces that can come out of reusing. On a previous post I included photos of a stage that I built this summer in Montana, made 60% out of reused palet pieces. There are so many things that end up in the landfill that could turn into either extremely cheap, handy tools and furniture pieces, or unconventional, but awesome art pieces. Especially with the internet, there are so many DIY ideas for reusing materials to create wonderful pieces. So take the time and think about a project that you could do during the summer. It doesn't have to be expensive, and it could be an excellent way to personalize your room, not to mention, save a little bit of the world.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Concerts
Technically, I've been going to concerts since I was a baby.
Then again, that statement is really misleading.
When I was actually a baby my parents would take me to rock concerts quite often. (Don't worry! I was equipped with earplugs and never went near the mosh pits.)
Since then though, I hadn't been to a concert, with the exception of a few school band concerts where, I assure you, there was no moshing.
In the past three weeks though, I've been to two different concerts.
On February 5th, I went to see Flogging Molly at the Fillmore. It was awesome! Even though I ended up going an hour and a half after it started, I still got there when the first opening act was playing.
The first musician was David Hause, who had excellent crowd manners. The following band was Skinny Lister, who, I must admit, I've become pretty smitten with since then. I love their music, and hearing it live for the first time was excellent.
Finally, when Flogging Molly actually got to the stage, I found out that I actually liked Skinny Lister more than them, but it was still a great concert. I ended up in the mosh pit a couple of times and got to crowd surf.
The weirdest part about the concert was probably the mosh pit. It's just such a weird tradition. It was particularly strange at the Flogging Molly concert because the mosh pit was so polite. As soon as anyone fell, or if someone needed to down the rest of their beer, the pit rushed to get them to their feet again or to protect them from extra sloshing. The politeness seemed so contrasting to what the mosh pit was at it's heart when people were violently throwing themselves around, and purposely, at each other.
Weirdness of the mosh pit aside, it was a great concert.
The second concert I went to was to see Pentatonix at the Fillmore. It was FANTASTIC. I've always kind of liked a cappella, but when I first heard Pentatonix on youtube a while back, I never imagined that I'd get to see them in concert.
One of the awesome things about seeing an a cappella group live is that it makes it more real. With technology and lip synching and autotune and all of this fancy stuff, an a cappella group on youtube, especially one that sounds as good as Pentatonix, almost might seem suspicious. But truth be told, they are great.
The other really nice thing about the concert was because they are such a small group that got started off not too long ago, is that the concert was pretty relaxed (aside from the screaming girls of course). Two of the members, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, got to show some of their insane musical talents.
Avi, an incredible bass, not only sang Misty Mountains from the Hobbit (fangirl freakout!), but also showed his ability to sing overtones, which is singing two notes at the same time. Let me say that again. Two notes, were produced by him alone, AT THE SAME TIME. It was awesome.
Then Kevin, the beatbox for the group, showed his talent for cello beatboxing, which honestly sounded so cool, I thought that it had to have been recorded. But no.
Over all, one of the things I liked about both concerts was how accepting the crowds were. People were polite (well, most people were) and even in the tight vicinities, helped each other. Also, so many different people and ages all came together over one band. It was lovely.
Then again, that statement is really misleading.
When I was actually a baby my parents would take me to rock concerts quite often. (Don't worry! I was equipped with earplugs and never went near the mosh pits.)
Since then though, I hadn't been to a concert, with the exception of a few school band concerts where, I assure you, there was no moshing.
In the past three weeks though, I've been to two different concerts.
On February 5th, I went to see Flogging Molly at the Fillmore. It was awesome! Even though I ended up going an hour and a half after it started, I still got there when the first opening act was playing.
The first musician was David Hause, who had excellent crowd manners. The following band was Skinny Lister, who, I must admit, I've become pretty smitten with since then. I love their music, and hearing it live for the first time was excellent.
Finally, when Flogging Molly actually got to the stage, I found out that I actually liked Skinny Lister more than them, but it was still a great concert. I ended up in the mosh pit a couple of times and got to crowd surf.
The weirdest part about the concert was probably the mosh pit. It's just such a weird tradition. It was particularly strange at the Flogging Molly concert because the mosh pit was so polite. As soon as anyone fell, or if someone needed to down the rest of their beer, the pit rushed to get them to their feet again or to protect them from extra sloshing. The politeness seemed so contrasting to what the mosh pit was at it's heart when people were violently throwing themselves around, and purposely, at each other.
Weirdness of the mosh pit aside, it was a great concert.
The second concert I went to was to see Pentatonix at the Fillmore. It was FANTASTIC. I've always kind of liked a cappella, but when I first heard Pentatonix on youtube a while back, I never imagined that I'd get to see them in concert.
One of the awesome things about seeing an a cappella group live is that it makes it more real. With technology and lip synching and autotune and all of this fancy stuff, an a cappella group on youtube, especially one that sounds as good as Pentatonix, almost might seem suspicious. But truth be told, they are great.
The other really nice thing about the concert was because they are such a small group that got started off not too long ago, is that the concert was pretty relaxed (aside from the screaming girls of course). Two of the members, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, got to show some of their insane musical talents.
Avi, an incredible bass, not only sang Misty Mountains from the Hobbit (fangirl freakout!), but also showed his ability to sing overtones, which is singing two notes at the same time. Let me say that again. Two notes, were produced by him alone, AT THE SAME TIME. It was awesome.
Then Kevin, the beatbox for the group, showed his talent for cello beatboxing, which honestly sounded so cool, I thought that it had to have been recorded. But no.
Over all, one of the things I liked about both concerts was how accepting the crowds were. People were polite (well, most people were) and even in the tight vicinities, helped each other. Also, so many different people and ages all came together over one band. It was lovely.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Beginnings
Throughout our life we are constantly being confronted with endings and beginnings. Endings can also often be beginnings.
Last weekend I had closing night of Taming of the Shrew/Tamer Tamed. It was extremely exciting and went very smoothly. My cast had a full house for our last performance, and the energy was higher than it had ever been (with the exception of a spastic student run rehearsal we had, which was just crazy). Then of course we had the cast party!
The cast party wasn't the end of the show though, because this past Tuesday and Thursday we had set strike. Set strike is always bittersweet. On one hand you get to look back and be proud of the show that you put on, all of the new friendships you made, and how much fun you had. On the other hand you're completely cleaning the stage of the show, leaving it an open canvas for the next show.
I really love stages.
You might think, of course you do, you're an actor, but it's not just about being on stage. Sure, I love to perform and be a part of a performance, but there are so many things I love about "the stage" in general.
One thing is that stages are such a part of culture. The architecture is personally tailored to the people and community where the stage resides. An effort to have a stage built is an amazing thing.
The stage gives you power. Have you ever just stood on an empty stage by yourself? It activates your imagination. It makes you feel like you are the center of attention, even if no one is in the room. Even when there is an audience, you can't actually seem them because of lights typically, but you can feel them.
The stage is an amazing vehicle for communication. It houses live music (and I think we can all agree that music is very powerful), and gives countless opportunities to get your voice out there simply by existing.
*******
I'm pretty closely connected to the stage. These are some of the pictures of me from Taming, as well as pictures of the stage I built with a group this summer in Montana. A friend and I built the doors by ourselves.
Last weekend I had closing night of Taming of the Shrew/Tamer Tamed. It was extremely exciting and went very smoothly. My cast had a full house for our last performance, and the energy was higher than it had ever been (with the exception of a spastic student run rehearsal we had, which was just crazy). Then of course we had the cast party!
The cast party wasn't the end of the show though, because this past Tuesday and Thursday we had set strike. Set strike is always bittersweet. On one hand you get to look back and be proud of the show that you put on, all of the new friendships you made, and how much fun you had. On the other hand you're completely cleaning the stage of the show, leaving it an open canvas for the next show.
I really love stages.
You might think, of course you do, you're an actor, but it's not just about being on stage. Sure, I love to perform and be a part of a performance, but there are so many things I love about "the stage" in general.
One thing is that stages are such a part of culture. The architecture is personally tailored to the people and community where the stage resides. An effort to have a stage built is an amazing thing.
The stage gives you power. Have you ever just stood on an empty stage by yourself? It activates your imagination. It makes you feel like you are the center of attention, even if no one is in the room. Even when there is an audience, you can't actually seem them because of lights typically, but you can feel them.
The stage is an amazing vehicle for communication. It houses live music (and I think we can all agree that music is very powerful), and gives countless opportunities to get your voice out there simply by existing.
*******
I'm pretty closely connected to the stage. These are some of the pictures of me from Taming, as well as pictures of the stage I built with a group this summer in Montana. A friend and I built the doors by ourselves.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
A Stressed Time
Well it's getting to that time of year, and I am freakinnnn out.
It is currently in between show weekends of the Taming of the Shrew/Tamer Tamed for me, so I figured I would have a little time to relax a bit. So I decided I'd like to see Flogging Molly at the Fillmore.
Hopefully it will be awesome fun, but it's making it quite difficult to get everything done.
Everything that I'm doing I would usually enjoy a lot. In English we're starting our short stories, which I've been looking forward to all year. I so much prefer creative writing and the freedom it brings. I also love the success of finishing a great story, which I must say I struggle with a lot.
In Journalism we're also starting in on our feature stories, which I'm also pretty interested in, but I'm extremely concerned that I just don't have time for the proper amount of dedication and work it will take to write a decent story and do it justice.
In Media we're taking a break at least, but by the end of the week we will be back to trying to finish our documentaries, and the deadlines that are coming along with this short project are nothing if not intimidating.
In NSL we've been doing some pretty relaxing things, but it's kind of making me tense up for what's to come.
I hope that besides my classes I can get everything together, especially with missing some class next week to sing on Valentine's day (Intonation, Blair's a cappella group, is performing singing grams! Buy one near the SAC on February 11th, 12th, and 13th, during lunches).
Also, auditions for the spring musical, Into the Woods, are coming up just next week which is slightly terrifying.
I know this post is kind of ranty and pretty much just me complaining, but hopefully I'll be able to get back on track by the time the next post is due.
It is currently in between show weekends of the Taming of the Shrew/Tamer Tamed for me, so I figured I would have a little time to relax a bit. So I decided I'd like to see Flogging Molly at the Fillmore.
Hopefully it will be awesome fun, but it's making it quite difficult to get everything done.
Everything that I'm doing I would usually enjoy a lot. In English we're starting our short stories, which I've been looking forward to all year. I so much prefer creative writing and the freedom it brings. I also love the success of finishing a great story, which I must say I struggle with a lot.
In Journalism we're also starting in on our feature stories, which I'm also pretty interested in, but I'm extremely concerned that I just don't have time for the proper amount of dedication and work it will take to write a decent story and do it justice.
In Media we're taking a break at least, but by the end of the week we will be back to trying to finish our documentaries, and the deadlines that are coming along with this short project are nothing if not intimidating.
In NSL we've been doing some pretty relaxing things, but it's kind of making me tense up for what's to come.
I hope that besides my classes I can get everything together, especially with missing some class next week to sing on Valentine's day (Intonation, Blair's a cappella group, is performing singing grams! Buy one near the SAC on February 11th, 12th, and 13th, during lunches).
Also, auditions for the spring musical, Into the Woods, are coming up just next week which is slightly terrifying.
I know this post is kind of ranty and pretty much just me complaining, but hopefully I'll be able to get back on track by the time the next post is due.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
A Day in my Life?
Our newest Independent Video Assignment was to create a 90 second video representing our typical day. Luckily enough, my life hasn't been that complicated lately.
That in no way means I haven't been busy (Yesterday I left the house at 6:30 AM and didn't get back until 10:30 PM), but my time is usually taken up with a few things, namely, school, rehearsal, and the transportation in between.
The transportation was what I chose to focus on in my video that I did with Samantha.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Imagination
I suppose that I was a lot more imaginative when I was younger.
I think part of this is because I was much more curious about, well, everything. I constantly asked questions, kept strange objects, and most importantly wrote, drew, and danced.
When I was little whenever I ran into a new word, I would always ask my dad what it meant. After a while I'm surprised I didn't stop asking him, because every simple definition I asked for turned into a 20 minute speech about roots, stories, and proper uses of the aforementioned word.
Part of this general curiosity of new words led me to creative writing. I was so interested in the power of the word, as I still am.
In middle school I attended the creative writing club we had, and always wrote original pieces for the dramatic arts competitions we had each year (I won second place in 7th grade!). I can look back at all of the poems I wrote and see more than anything the errors, but also the inspiration. Nowadays it's pretty difficult to come up with a purpose behind a poem or a story, that I might not of considered necessary before I started writing when I was younger.
Every once in a while I still do have some sudden inspiration. For some reason, this seems to happen a lot after exams. Maybe it's just my boredom, or maybe it's the universe's subtle way of laughing at me, because I am never able to keep the poems I write during exams. Although I never really do keep my favorite poems (I like to give people my favorites as presents).
This time though I remembered the poem as best I could, and then in a way sort of edited it.
It's kind of dark, and not based on any personal experience, but I still kind of like it.
I think part of this is because I was much more curious about, well, everything. I constantly asked questions, kept strange objects, and most importantly wrote, drew, and danced.
When I was little whenever I ran into a new word, I would always ask my dad what it meant. After a while I'm surprised I didn't stop asking him, because every simple definition I asked for turned into a 20 minute speech about roots, stories, and proper uses of the aforementioned word.
Part of this general curiosity of new words led me to creative writing. I was so interested in the power of the word, as I still am.
In middle school I attended the creative writing club we had, and always wrote original pieces for the dramatic arts competitions we had each year (I won second place in 7th grade!). I can look back at all of the poems I wrote and see more than anything the errors, but also the inspiration. Nowadays it's pretty difficult to come up with a purpose behind a poem or a story, that I might not of considered necessary before I started writing when I was younger.
Every once in a while I still do have some sudden inspiration. For some reason, this seems to happen a lot after exams. Maybe it's just my boredom, or maybe it's the universe's subtle way of laughing at me, because I am never able to keep the poems I write during exams. Although I never really do keep my favorite poems (I like to give people my favorites as presents).
This time though I remembered the poem as best I could, and then in a way sort of edited it.
It's kind of dark, and not based on any personal experience, but I still kind of like it.
Her silent protests,
his mindless words.
Her colorful arms
record his unprovoked rage.
She stopped fighting
to break his control.
The control that crazes him,
the control that tells him
to add blossoming purple flowers
to the garden that decorates her body.
The garden that is tended only by his unwanted love.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
The Final Countdown
As first semester is ending, my life seems to be exploding. I have a lot of exciting things going on, so I figured, why not share some of them?
Foremost, the thing that has thoroughly taken over my life is the spring play at Blair, Taming of the Shrew. It is endless fun, but also endlessly tiring. Until the show, (opening night is on January 31st!) I have rehearsal every day (with the small exception of next Sunday) but the rest includes Saturdays. I am really excited for the show, and one of the things that makes it even more exciting is that the stage is being used for a black box performance. A black box performance means that audience members are seated on the stage inches from the actors. Although this type of performance is extremely exciting, it's also extremely nerve-wrecking.
One of the reasons I am so excited for the show is because it is Shakespeare. I have always had an interest in Shakespeare, but performing Shakespeare is an entirely different beast than reading Shakespeare. There are so many little complexities, so many unwritten directions, and also cases where the language has changed so much that meanings of words and lines have changed.
I find that these changes are extremely interesting. Over time, language has a tendency to degrade in its meaning. An example of this that came recently at a rehearsal was the word "naughty". Nowadays, the line, should "naughty" be included, would get a laugh. But this is only because the meaning and power of the word naughty has degraded. Naughty used to be a description of something evil, quite terrible actually, but now it is more used to describe a disobedient child.
Some of the other things coming up are:
The Novagondy Ball (Yes I get to go to a ball!)
Exams (Not exactly exciting...)
SAT Math 2 Subject Test (Yay more tests!)
The British are coming, the British are coming!
Also, my mom just designed a website for her dad, my grandfather, who is a watercolor artist, who has apparently won many more awards than I thought he had (check out the awards section on his website!). Also, just go and check out his paintings! Some of them are from when he first started painting professionally and we are slowly uploading more recent ones. He's really excited about the site, so please go and check it out! It is at www.davidneilmack.com.
Foremost, the thing that has thoroughly taken over my life is the spring play at Blair, Taming of the Shrew. It is endless fun, but also endlessly tiring. Until the show, (opening night is on January 31st!) I have rehearsal every day (with the small exception of next Sunday) but the rest includes Saturdays. I am really excited for the show, and one of the things that makes it even more exciting is that the stage is being used for a black box performance. A black box performance means that audience members are seated on the stage inches from the actors. Although this type of performance is extremely exciting, it's also extremely nerve-wrecking.
One of the reasons I am so excited for the show is because it is Shakespeare. I have always had an interest in Shakespeare, but performing Shakespeare is an entirely different beast than reading Shakespeare. There are so many little complexities, so many unwritten directions, and also cases where the language has changed so much that meanings of words and lines have changed.
I find that these changes are extremely interesting. Over time, language has a tendency to degrade in its meaning. An example of this that came recently at a rehearsal was the word "naughty". Nowadays, the line, should "naughty" be included, would get a laugh. But this is only because the meaning and power of the word naughty has degraded. Naughty used to be a description of something evil, quite terrible actually, but now it is more used to describe a disobedient child.
Some of the other things coming up are:
The Novagondy Ball (Yes I get to go to a ball!)
Exams (Not exactly exciting...)
SAT Math 2 Subject Test (Yay more tests!)
The British are coming, the British are coming!
Also, my mom just designed a website for her dad, my grandfather, who is a watercolor artist, who has apparently won many more awards than I thought he had (check out the awards section on his website!). Also, just go and check out his paintings! Some of them are from when he first started painting professionally and we are slowly uploading more recent ones. He's really excited about the site, so please go and check it out! It is at www.davidneilmack.com.
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