Graduation!!

      Yesterday was Graduation Day for my university! On one hand I'm ecstatic to be finished with my undergraduate years, but on the other I'm going to miss all the friends and the experiences and I'm terrified of the "real world." These last four years have been some great times, starting with my freshman year and learning how to function again after tearing my knee apart and having surgery to fix it and finishing with this last year and the insanity of Capstone and preparation for today--my first day as a college graduate.
     There's that worry and stress about "What are you going to do after college?" Well, apparently I'm going to sit on my computer and talk to the world... I don't have a long-term job lined up like some of my classmates, but I'm positive about discovering what I enjoy and working toward the goals I've set for myself. I'm willing to let those goals change, and move with where the world flings me. I'm not exactly just letting it happen, as my family thinks, but I will look around and maybe do something a little unconventional for a while.
     What will I do after college? I will have fun, make people smile, read for pleasure, do my own research on topics that fascinate me, and I will cultivate the relationships my undergraduate years have allowed me to develop. But I will start all of that by packing up my apartment and moving back home until I have that semi-permanent job and can afford my own place.

     I want to say "Thank You" to all of my wonderful friends, my crazy family, and the myriad of professors, mentors, fellow students, and other people that have supported me, pushed me, and been the person I prove wrong when I accomplish the impossible--you have helped to create the person I am today.

Just a thought...
Stephie

The Universal Unit System

     This semester I took a Ballroom class at my university and it was fascinating. Not only did we learn the dances (Country Two-Step, Cha Cha, Waltz, Tango, Nightclub Two-Step, and some others) but we learned about the Universal Unit System which is a way that you can measure music to make it easier to learn. It was designed by Skippy Blair and it is a pretty awesome way to learn difficult dances. 

     We had to write a paper to show we understood the concepts from class, here's some of it: 

     The Universal Unit System is designed to describe the weight changes in dance. Each two beats of music is one unit and the weight changes can be described in three ways: single, double, and triple. A single unit is one where there is only one weight change in the two beats. A double is two weight changes in those two beats, and a triple is three weight changes in two beats of music. There are two different types of single unit: a standard and a delayed single. A delayed single differs from the standard or regular single in that the weight change is on the second beat of the unit, rather than the first. There is also an empty unit where the dancer does not have a weight change.

     How these measurements appear on paper is with dots and slashes. The single unit will have either a dot and slash or a slash and dot—the dot is a weight change while the slash is a hold of some sort: a tap, ronde, or some other movement that does not shift weight from one foot to the other. The double unit will have two dots for a single unit, and the triple will have two large dots with a smaller one in the middle. This smaller dot means the triple step is syncopated: it doesn’t have an even distribution of the time between steps. The steps are placed against cards measured for the beat of the song. In the case of a Country Two-step, the dance is set to 4/4 time (4 beats of music with the quarter note determining the beat) and the steps are single, single, double. It looks like:  The “&a” between each count is how the space between each beat is measured. How 

this is counted is a “slo-ow, slo-ow, quick, quick, slo-ow, slo-ow, quick, quick” saying each syllable on a beat. The difference in the notation between a slow in Country Two-Step and a staccato dance like Tango is a smaller dot below the dot like musical notation has a small dot to indicate staccato.

     I really enjoyed the class and this system is something I think I'll be able to use in the future when I try to learn new dances.

Just a thought...

Stephie

Rediscovered Love

     This evening was a night out of a dream. I've always enjoyed music and the call from my mom about tickets to the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra came as a wonderful shock. My first worry was that I wouldn't be able to convince a friend to go with me (there were two tickets and I didn't want to take the opportunity form someone who could find a friend to go with) but it wasn't that big of a deal: my roommate decided to postpone her date night and join me.
     We dressed up in our finery--can I just point out that something like an orchestra concert should be attended by people in their best dress not jeans and a t-shirt, even if it's your kid's elementary school production, show you appreciate the time the musicians have put in and put on something that takes effort--our outfits weren't superbly formal, but tasteful dresses with reasonable heels for walking around downtown Tacoma were still a lot dressier than what we wear to school and work every day. We arrived in time for the show, but parking was terrible and I made it from the car just in time to take my seat before the introductory remarks began.
     One of the directors of the Orchestra introduced their sponsors from a local university and the conductor. The sponsors had their gratitude and fund-raising spiels, then the conductor got up to the microphone. The TSO had a guest conductor for the night: Paul Haas. Haas has an interesting background, but that's not really what I'm concerned with--he is hilarious! He directed a surprise for the audience; a piece he'd composed himself based on a of classic pieces he'd heard, then proceeded into the expected program.
     First was a piece by a local composer: Alexandra Bryant. It was beautiful, wavering back and forth between smooth, typically orchestral phrases and staccato sections that each draw the attention to the differences while allowing the listener to sink completely into her work. The piece, called Strange Attractors, was varied and showcased what a symphony orchestra is capable of.
     Next was Beethoven. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 was fun to listen to: the pianist was also a guest--Stephanie Leon Shames--and the interplay between the piano's line and the orchestra's began to sound like a call and response. The part that surprised me most about the pairing was Ms. Leon Shames's lack of score. She didn't use music at all during the entire half-hour concerto, playing from memory. I have been part of a choir for over ten years and still have trouble with pieces longer than eight minutes, and the piano requires more effort to make sure to hit the right keys and put the harmonies are in the right places. I enjoyed the faster pace of the piece, it seems like people like to play classical music that drags on and the Beethoven piece didn't feel like it took half an hour.
     After intermission the final piece was Brahms's Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98. Everyone (Haas and the program notes) commented on how sad the piece was, and I could see it, but what drew me was the constant movement and the joy that permeated the piece. Even in the slower portions, the melancholy was interlaced with a joy that drew the sound higher. It was as if Brahms was portraying the search for something lost--once it is found the searcher is glad, happy, joyful, but until then the searcher is upset with a hint of joy to come. The piece's premier was Brahms's last performance in Vienna as he died from late-stage liver cancer in the late nineteenth century and there is some of that ending feeling. However, the farewell is a goodbye based in shared experiences and the happiness of the memory together. It was my favorite piece of the night.
     I have not been to a professional symphony in many years--probably since middle school--and tonight was an opportunity to rediscover a love for classical music and the pomp of going out to the theater. I hope to continue the practice in the coming years.

Just a thought...
Stephie