The Soundtrack Game!

This is one of my favorite little memes and it feels like it's the right time to resurrect it.  With YouTube links!

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don`t lie and try to pretend your cool... and a lot of the songs fit with the setting


Opening Credits:
"Shattered Glass" by Britney Spears

Waking Up:
"Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber.  Must have been waking up from a very sad dream.

First Day At School:
"About Schroeder" by No More Kings.  Aww...

Falling In Love:
"Be My Lover" by La Bouche.  Heh, I fall in love boisterously.
 

Fight Song:
"Somewhere With You" by Kenny Chesney.  That's one boring fight.

Breaking Up:
"Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson.  That's right, man!

Prom:
“Conga" by Miami Sound Machine.  Old school prom, yo.

Life:
“Telephone" by Lady GaGa. 

(I chose not to use the music video because it makes no freaking sense.  No really.)

Mental Breakdown:
“There You Were" by Jessica Simpson and Marc Anthony.  Some of my readers would probably consider this appropriate music to have a mental breakdown to...

Driving:
“Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong" by Martina McBride.  That is a pretty good song to drive to...

Flashback:
“You Belong With Me" as performed by Nonsequitur (Columbia University). 

Getting back together:
“Best for Last" by Adele.

Wedding:
“We Be Burnin" by Sean Paul.  Quite a party, this wedding.  And I hate this video, so we're going to omit it.  Hooray!


Birth of Child:
“Everytime" by Britney Spears.  Oddly poignant.

Final Battle:
“Waterfalls" by TLC.  Man, my fights are really low-key.

Death Scene:
“Help Save the Youth of America from Exploding" by Less Than Jake.  Dying is apparently much more exciting than fighting.

Funeral Song:
“Secret" by Maroon 5.  That's one inappropriate funeral.

End Credits:
“Addicted" by Kelly Clarkson.

So hey, kind of a dark movie overall...sometimes the shuffle gives me really funny answers and sometimes not.  Oh well!

Honor Choruses

Last Saturday, I served as an Honor Chorus accompanist for the second time (first time was 2008), with two gap years in between.  During the 2009 event, I had started my first teaching job with a brand-new choral department altogether and chose not to participate in any of the GMEA events, and in 2010 I sent my kids and just did the typical monitor-rehearsal-turn-pages duty.

In the 2008 Honor Chorus, the teacher with whom I student taught was directing the Senior Women's group and invited me to accompany for her.  To be honest, it was a tough experience.  I was seriously depressed over not having found a teaching position and was really struggling with the transition between college and married life.   Also, our shoebox apartment would not accomodate my piano, so I had to leave it at my mom's house and cram in practice sessions whenever I could.  Here's how pitiful I was: I would sometimes go back to my old college and practice in one of the practice rooms there just to be back because I missed the place and the people so much.  I came to the event less prepared than I should have been; the conductor was exceedingly patient with me on this front and it all came out in the wash on the recording.  But the hardest part was working with the kids and seeing what could have been if only I had interviewed more, had a better resume, worked harder, cast a wider net, blah blah blah blah...  I went home and cried both nights, certain that I was a complete failure for not having a school job.

What a contrast from that year to this one.  This time, I had a house with a piano in it and could practice until I fell over.  This time, I played for a choir that contained kids from my previous school and my current one, all of whom I glanced at frequently with a combination of mother-hen protectiveness and pride.  This time, I eagerly circled pieces in my program and listened to warm up routines that I might take back to my kids.  This time, when I watched the other groups perform, I saw familiar faces in each one.  Despite being sickly and coughing and such, it was still a wonderful experience. 

I love my job.  I love my kids.  I love my life.