Learning Piano (12 Hours)

     Since my last blog post about learning to play the piano, I have been trying to set aside even more time for myself to practice and learn. It has become some-what of a stress relief for me to work on advancing my skills. I usually try to spend at least a couple of hours per week rehearsing. I have tried to maintain this pattern throughout the semester. While continuing my rehearsal of the songs I listed on my last blog post, one of the songs I have had a lot of fun learning is “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat. It is not super complicated (unless you are not good and are still learning such as me) but it still took me quite a bit of time to learn. I enjoy playing it because it is one that is easy to sing along to. Of course, the singing only happens when I am absolutely alone in my room and no other living being can hear me 😊.

     Also, I have been practicing playing my absolute favorite song, “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers. Again, it is not super hard once you get the hang of it, and it is super fun for me to be able to play and sing along to something that I have listened to and loved for so many years. The third song I have been practicing is “Let it Be” by the Beetles. This is another song that I have grown up listening to, and it makes me very happy that I can finally play it.

     In addition to these songs, I have also continued my practice of the other ones. There have also been songs that I have practiced and played that have not been included in either of these blog posts. I have several friends and cousins who have played the piano for several years and who have taught me little “doodles” throughout the course of this semester. Overall, I feel that I have advanced my abilities quite a bit this semester, and plan to continue my practice in the future (especially over Christmas Break).

Honors Social

     Our annual ETSU Honors Social was held on November 6, 2018 from 6-10pm. This year, I was able to see the social in a slightly different light. That is because, as a member of the Honors Student Council, I was able to act as part of the planning committee who put the event together. We worked for several weeks in advance; talking to caterers, reserving/setting up the space, etc. I had not had a role in planning an event such as this since being on the prom planning committee in high school; therefore, I was very excited to take on this role yet again for something I truly enjoy taking part in.

     This year, we decided that instead of our usual semi-formal social, we wanted to create a laid-back atmosphere for our peers to interact and hang out with good food, live music, and fun! The event was held downtown at the Pavilion (outside) and the weather was perfectly cooperative. We had Barberitos and Mimi’s Icecream cater for the event. Everyone loved the food and liked that they could prepare their meal be what they enjoyed most. Mimi’s offered several delicious options, and all of the attendees were more than pleased with the variety! We also had live music, “Loose Leaves”. They were a hit! Everyone talked about how great they were; from their covers to their originals. Everyone loved having live music instead of our usual pop tunes. We also had corn hole, an opportunity to sign pumpkins depending on your class, and photo ops. It was also a terrific opportunity to meet up with friends and catch up. Where we have all begun progressing into our majors, we rarely see each other via school related events anymore; therefore, getting to be in one another's company always makes for an enjoyable time!

     Overall, it seemed that the night was a tremendous success and I was so glad that I got to be part of the group that brought it to life. I am so excited to see what plans we come up with for next year’s social, as well as our charity ball in the Spring.

Learning Piano (8 Hours)

            For part of my Collo project this semester, I had decided to take on the task of learning to play the piano. I have never played a musical instrument before except for my feet (I was a tap dancer for 16 years) and I knew it would be a large undertaking. My cousin took piano lessons when we were younger and I was always fascinated with how quickly her fingers moved over the keys and the beautiful music that she created. Though I do not have access to a grand piano, I do have a keyboard with a setting of “Piano” that matches the sounds and the keys available on a regular piano. Over the last few weeks, I have been practicing several chords and easy songs over and over and over again until I can get my fingers used to making the motions. The 2 chords I have been practicing are G chord and C chord. Those have not been too terribly difficult because they are played by pressing three keys down simultaneously that are one key apart. G chord is played by G + B + D and C chord is C + E + G.

            I also learned how to play the following songs: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, “You are my Sunshine”, and “In the Jungle”. The keys for each are listed below. Overall, learning how to play has been very fun and challenging at the same time. I love doing things that make me think and pull me out of my comfort zone. I cannot wait to see how much I learn by the end of this semester.

“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

CC GG AA G

FF EE DD C

GG FF EE D

GG FF EE D

CC GG AA G

FF EE DD C

“You are my Sunshine”

GCDEE   EEbECC

CDEFA   AGFE

CDEFA   AGFEC

CDEFDDEC

“In the Jungle”

CDEDEFEDC

DEDCED