Trip to the Salt Flats

So music majors? They’re crazy. Sometimes they wake up at 3 in the morning, get on a bus at 3:30, drive to the salt flats up north just so they can get an amazing video shoot during the sunrise. Yeah. Sometimes.

Excuse my phone pictures. I actually think they weren’t that bad.

Pre-video photos

Setting up for video

We’re so happy to be here!! (So tired…..)

Some post-video photos

The picture I shot from the violin section in-between shoots.

Life is beautiful.

Life Update

From last month to this month.... I almost have a different life. Here's what's happened:

NEW TOWN: I'm back in Provo! I was pleasantly surprised at how happy I was to be back here and attending BYU again. 

NEW YEAR: Thank the heavens I am no longer a Freshman! It would be impossible to express just how happy I am about this. No getting lost. No "you're a freshman, aren't you?" looks. No American Heritage.

NEW APARTMENT: I'm so thankful to live so close to campus. One of my least favorite parts of last year (as much as I loved Wyview) was living so far away. I'd either have to walk 40 minutes to get to campus, bike up that awful hill that I cursed daily, or face the trauma of finding a spot in a BYU student parking lot (which by the way is almost impossible).

NEW JOB: I found a job 2 days before school started! I am currently a custodian at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum. Most common response: "So it's like night at the museum?!" Um. No. Well kind of. Since the museum is currently under construction, animals such as cougars and wolves tend to be there one day and not the next day. So it's kind of like magic. Not really. Cleaning bathrooms doesn't really compare to being taken on adventures by Teddy Roosevelt. 

and announcing the biggest news of all...... 

NEW MAJOR! It was a crazy first week of school to say the least. Auditions for orchestra are always the first day of class. I went in there as confident and happy as I could possibly be because for once, this was an audition where there was no pressure to get a certain thing. I was just there to do what I love to do. Let me tell you, I've learned that confidence makes all the difference cause guess what happened? I got put in the Philharmonic (the premier orchestra at the Y) AND was offered a spot in the music program!! It's a LONG, hectic story that you might just want to hear in person. This is a journey I've been going through since my senior year of high school and I'm FINALLY where I know I'm supposed to be..... and that's in the music program at BYU. So there ya go. I am now officially a Music Education Major and honestly couldn't be happier. In love with life right now? You could say that.

My Favorite Practice Room

Oh the Harris Fine Arts Center at BYU. Some people claim it’s Hogwarts, with it’s secret passageways that you seem to find only once and people waving their wands…. among other things.

At the beginning of the year I found myself practicing diligently in room E231 in the musical basement of the mysterious HFAC. There was a trapdoor on the ceiling with a sticky note that said, “more practice rooms through here.”

As I’ve continued to use this practice room, the notes have progressed. They’re speaking to us…

If you can’t read them they say:

“Extra practice rooms through here…”

“At Hogwarts!!”

“No, no, no. To Narnia!”

“For Aslan!”

“E231 3/4”

I LOVE BYU!

A “Devil Wears Prada” Reference

Today I was walking from the HFAC (Harris Fine Arts Center) to my car and had an insight that referred to my one of my favorite movies.
My lesson went well as far as lessons go. I’ve definitely had worse. I worked very hard this past week on the things my professor asked me to do and I was ready for him to be proud of my practicing accomplishments. However, it didn’t go as expected. He didn’t criticize my practicing efforts but simply went right into the next thing I should work on. Um…. hello? What about a little compliment for doing well on the last thing you asked me to work on? I mean after all, I had dropped a class, skipped out on social events and sleep so that I could put in, what used to be one, three hours of respectable practicing.
As I walked to Helga (my car) I thought, “I would just like a little credit for the fact that I am killing myself trying,” and I realized that this was an exact quote from the fabulous, Devil Wears Prada. Of course, I heard Nigel say right back to me,  ”Marisa, be serious. You are not trying. You are whining.”
And I quoted that part of the movie to myself for the next few minutes. If you’re not familiar with the movie. (First, shame on you!) But let me help you out:
Andy: She hates me, Nigel.
Nigel:  And that's my problem because... Oh, wait. No, it's not my problem.
Andy: I don't know what else I can do because if I do something right, it's unacknowledged. She doesn't even say thank you. But if I do something wrong, she is vicious.
Nigel: So quit.
Andy: What?
Nigel: Quit.
Andy: Quit?
Nigel: I can get another girl to take your job in five minutes... one who really wants it.
Andy: No, I don't want to quit. That's not fair. But, I, you know, I'm just saying that I would just like a little credit... for the fact that I'm killing myself trying.
Nigel: Andy, be serious. You are not trying. You are whining. What is it that you want me to say to you, huh? Do you want me to say, "Poor you. Miranda's picking on you. Poor you. Poor Andy"? Hmm? Wake up, six. She's just doing her job. Because this place, where so many people would die to work you only deign to work. And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day. Wake up, sweetheart.
I’m going to keep practicing. I am going to get better.  I will not live off compliments, in fact I will strive off criticism. I am going to make the music program. Thank you. That is all.

Looking Back On The Years of Cedar High

Well folks, I’m heading closer and closer to graduation and see the next two weeks slipping away so fast that I decided to do this post now. I want to reflect my high school years. Remember how I became the girl that’s about to graduate and head off to the college I’ve been dreaming of since…. forever? Let’s go in order, shall we?
Freshman Year
Oh yes, the year I entered high school with my best friends Chanel Anderson and Kara Stewart. Still having every desire to be popular, look pretty all the time, have a boy like me…. The year I was grounded all the time, had to turn in my phone at night, was proud of my 3.6 GPA, was about to quit violin, and made some of the biggest mistakes and causing the biggest regrets of my High School life. I mean it’s no wonder I’ve used all sorts of defense mechanisms to forget this year. But still, I know I couldn’t have become the better person I am now without all those things. Plus, it was still fun. I was in orchestra, had a lot of friends, had my first experiences with state music events like Solo and Ensemble, and got familiar with all of Cedar High’s traditions.

Sophomore Year
I got on top of things. I was passionate about music again, was in the pit orchestra for Big River, received my first 4.0, spent weekends four-wheeling (until the big accident), became friends with the amazing and beautiful Kelsee Jackson, was in German club, got my driver’s license, went to my first dances with dates, saw Wicked in Salt Lake, and again had wonderful, wonderful friends. I think this was my favorite year after being a Senior. It was relatively stress-free and I met a lot of new people. Oh, I just remembered, this was my first full year of school with braces. Yummy!

Junior Year
Definitely my hardest, academic year. Actually just overall my hardest year, but fun and definitely not my least favorite. I was in AP English, German 2, and Chemistry 1010 and 1050. I made up for all my slacking from Freshman Year and finally made it into Honor Society. We were all given more freedom. I could drive my friends down to St. George for a day to simply hang out, shop, ice skate, find adventures at Costco, go to the lake, and jam out to music. I got to play a violin solo with the Orchestra of Southern Utah. I made plans for Senior year by running for a Student Body Office and auditioning for Madrigals. I became especially good friends with Kaitlyn Friese. I also lost a best friend. This was the year my testimony of the LDS church grew the most. I had to overcome a lot of trials and really stand on my own in making decisions that involved being a righteous member of the church. I was and am lucky enough to have so many friends to talk about the gospel with, especially with my sister, Caitlin, being gone on her mission. They helped me so much. I almost forgot to mention my mom. Wow, my mom is amazing. She became my best friend. She became the person I wanted to confide in the most. What a wonderful mother I have.

Senior Year
I’m sorry this post is so much longer than I intended it to be, but I’m almost done I promise. Wow. This year has been great. My mom said to me the other day, “I haven’t had a child that was involved in as many things as you.” I suppose she was right. I had the opportunity to play a lead role in our school musical, The Wizard of Oz, I was in Student Government, Orchestra, Madrigals, German Club, Honor Society, Athena, and named Cedar High’s Music Sterling Scholar (which I consider to be my greatest accomplishment). I took on teaching 4 students, whom I love. Speaking of love, I also fell in love, it’s a crazy, wonderful thing. I was also Seminary Class President and Laurel Class President for half the year.  I got to be in Utah’s All-State Orchestra. I made it into BYU, which was a blessing and honestly a miracle. I’ve loved meeting so many new people and being involved in so many things. High School has been good to me. I’m going to miss it but I look forward to moving on to the next stage of my life.