Monday, December 31, 2012

Les Misérables

On Boxing Day, after much anticipation on Christmas Day, my sister and I did our chores like the good teenage daughters we are, and then we went to go and see the movie we had been waiting for: Les Misérables!!! 

My sister and I are musical junkies: we have seen them live, acted in them, read the books some are adapted from, have most soundtracks on our iPods, and I plan to make a career out of it, if that tells you anything. Les Misérables is one of our absolute FAVORITES and when we heard there was going to be a movie adaptation earlier this year......well, of course we had to go! 

Our original plan, before the opening days were changed for the film, was to go and see the midnight showing on the day it was originally supposed to open, December 7th. Then it got moved to December 14th, and our plans still didn't change, but then The Hobbit had to ruin our plans and Les Mis got pushed to Christmas Day. Now, of course we weren't going to see it on the holiday, that would be silly! So we settled for the next best thing, the day after. 

We got to the movie theater forty minutes early, got our tickets, then had to wait in line to enter the theater as the previous showing was just leaving and there were TONS of people. Once we got into the actual theater, my sister and I headed to the back row, where we could quietly deal with our emotions as the movie went on, as to not distract other moviegoers. But, in typical fashion, the movie started and we were squished in next to a woman who was on her phone throughout the movie and a couple who was, shall we say, very affectionate with each other as the trailers started and the movie started.  

Well, the movie started and my sister and I grabbed each other and started shrieking like the fangirls we are. We were just so excited!! 

As to not ruin it for anyone, here are my pros and cons of the movie, based on my standards: 

Pros  
-Hugh Jackman (for the most part) 
-Anne Hathaway 
-Samantha Barks (I've always though she was a wonderful Éponine, since I saw her in the 25th Anniversary Concert) 
-Amanda Seyfried (for the most part) 
-Colm freakin' Wilkinson (as the Bishop of Digne!!!) 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-EDDIE REDMAYNE 
-Aaron Tveit (the quintessential Enjolras. He was literally perfect and acted the heck out of his role. My other two favorites are Ramin Karimloo and Jeremy Hays.) 
-Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter (they were bawdy, crude, and perfect. Sacha Baron Cohen exceeded my expectations and went above and beyond). 
-THE FRIENDS OF THE ABC (HOLY LORD SOMEBODY HOLD ME) 
-Daniel Huttlestone (He embodies the word 'precious'. Aaron Tveit is quoted as saying, "I want to grow up and be like Daniel".) 
-The sets and visual effects, they were amazing!! 
-The finale!!!  
-Hadley Fraser (the Easter egg of the movie. He shines bright like the diamond he is).
-Hadley Fraser's mustache. (what contributed to the whole Easter egg factor). 


Cons 
-Russell Crowe (it should have been Norm Lewis. SHOULD HAVE BEEN. However, his death was quite epic.) 
-Hugh Jackman during Bring Him Home. He was definitely struggling. 
-They decided to omit some parts of songs to have less screen time in the movie. I thought this was an entirely stupid decision on the whole. 



As the movie ended and the lights went up, you would have thought I needed to be carted off to the mental ward, based on my actions. I was shaking and crying into my sleeve and my sister was a mess: sobbing into her hands and not being able to talk, so much that people were asking if she was okay. 

As we walked out of the theater, all I could say was "Wow". The movie was really, really, really great. I don't really think I would have loved it any more than I do now if it had been done any other way. It exceeded expectations, thanks to the vision of Tom Hooper, and he did not disappoint the millions of Les Mis fans around the world. 

Cheers to him, and hopefully, this movie will have a successful awards season. As it should!!! 

Happy New Year! (one day more.....)

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Book List

Since I spent about two hours today in my local Barnes and Noble and I am a satisfied customer and member there (plus its closing. wah.), I decided to look back into the teen section on their website and give you guys a list of books that I REALLY want to read for the New Year!

1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

2. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

3. The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

4. Matched by Ally Condie  

5. Crossed by Ally Condie

6. Reached by Ally Condie

7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Funny how my sister has had this book since summer of 2012, but I can't read it yet and she finished with it in August. Humph.)

8. Amy And Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

9. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

10. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

11. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

12. We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

13. I Like Him, He Likes Her by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

14. It's Not Like I Planned It This Way by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

15. Please Don't Be True by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

16. Alice In Charge by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

17. Incredibly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

18. Alice On Board by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

19. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

OK, so thats my list. If you guys have any recommendations for me, please comment in the actual post or on Google+.

Thanks, and in the words of Tyler Oakley, have a nice life!


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Update, For the Time Being

Hello, Google plussers, blog readers, and people of the world who enjoy viewing this blog!














I know, I know, it has been a while since I posted something. But I was busy with my school's holiday concert and homework and finals start THIS WEEK and I was Christmas present shopping and baking my butt off. I swear, this new Hersey Kiss cookie recipe I found is so easy, I make them at least once a week and my jeans are not fitting because of them.

BUT ANYWAY, I thought I would just give you a little update on what's going on with moi.

As you know from my last post, I participated in my school's holiday concert called the Crystal Concert, and it was stressful and exhausting, but beautiful and joyful too. It was such an amazing sight, to see the auditorium of my school decked out in white and pretty lights and to sing and play for a packed house every night. I can not WAIT for the holiday season of the next two years to do this again! To commemorate the concert, I took a picture of myself in my concert wear, which you can see above.

In addition, I had several projects due in some of my classes and a test almost everyday for the past two weeks so I have been pulling my hair every night asking myself why I keep going to school. VERY stressful.

But, finals are this week. "Oh whoops, I said the F word!" as my math teacher would say. But yes, finals are this week and then they will be over Friday and I will have a glorious, social Christmas break with some rollerskating outings, movie nights, and, hopefully, trips into Chicago.

I will give another update once the burden that are finals are lifted from my shoulders.
Peace out, and see y'alls in a bit!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

The Holiday Season

So, Thanksgiving is definitely over, but I'm sure the leftovers are still in your refrigerators!

As you continue to pick at that leftover stuffing and pumpkin pie, you might start to get ready for the upcoming holiday season with your family and friends. My family started yesterday and finished today, decorating my house with various strands of garland, lights, decorative Santas and snowmen, and putting up our two Christmas trees. It was a TON of work, but lots of fun, as the Charlie Brown Christmas CD motivated my sister and I to continue decorating the huge tree in our family tree and continue to run up and down our stairs with boxes.

At my school, the holidays start this week and continue through December with the annual holiday Crystal Concerts on the 29th and the 30th. All curricular and extracurricular music groups come together and play a seamless concert of holiday music. I attended my first one last year and it was really quite impressive!

This year, my sister and I will both be performing in Chamber Singers, an extracurricular/co-curricular women's group and I will be performing in the Symphonic Bands performance, as well. The Crystal Concerts occur over two days, with two performances per day. Even though it will be a great experience and I can't wait, I'm sure I will be exhausted afterwards!

Throughout December, our school will hold a Holiday drive to help families in poorer parts of the United States to have gifts for Christmas. I participated last year and it gave me a really great feeling to be able to be helping someone have a great Christmas! I will definitely do it again this year, and I'm sure my sister will too!

Enjoy the last week of November, those few Thanksgiving leftovers, and the beginning of the upcoming holiday season!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Appreciations

I love my family. But it's days like these that I really appreciate that they're MINE and no one else's. 

Today was a day that we planned to have family portraits taken for our Christmas card and just to have. We dressed nicely, took our dogs to the park where we were taking pictures, and just started with our friend who was taking them for us. 

As I watched my parents take pictures together and my sister take individual shots in the sunshine with that late afternoon shadow that is so unique to fall, I realized that I had a pretty awesome family: parents who care about me and push me to do whatever I want to, and a sister who is my best friend. 

I can't wait to see how these pictures come out and see how great we look together. I will treasure them for years to come!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

War Of 204....Part 2

Because Neuqua Valley High School is undefeated, 11-0 record, and the winner of their game last night, AND Waubonsie Valley High School has a 10-1 record (their one loss is to us), we will be playing them, our biggest rivals, in the football playoff quarterfinals this Friday at home. AGAIN. 

Be prepared, because if you thought the first War of 204 was something.....you ain't seen nothing yet. 

But personally, I wish we lost a while ago. I mean, it's awesome we have a great football team, but the music kids have this annual, private event called Swing Dance where the jazz groups play big band music and everyone is super classy and dances the night away and it's WAY too much fun. 

Well, this year, it's scheduled for this Friday. From four to six pm. Then I have to go play in the freezing cold with the band. 

I was so excited for this. I mean, doesn't it sound lame to hold it from four to six instead of, say, seven to ten? Like it's supposed to be? 

Four to six is not classy. Because of the football team. That's all I'm saying. 

Go Wildcats. 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Stress and Being Sick.

So marching band is over. I now get to come home four days a week and not have to worry about getting my homework done on time or going to bed too late. Hooray! 

But, unfortunately, two of my most important grades are slipping: Geometry and AP European History.  I am trying my hardest to keep up in these classes, but it has been a busy and stressful past two weeks with the season ending and football going into the playoffs. I failed two tests over the course of one week. 

Now that I'm coming home more often, I am going to take the opportunity to focus all of my energy into my studies. I have set expectations for my self for this year and I am determined to fill them.....without worsening my cold.  

One thing I've realized as I have started my high school career: being sick stinks and you just can't afford it. So, everyone, try to stay healthy and happy over the next few months so your health doesn't interfere with your own busy schedules! 





Saturday, October 20, 2012

Life Bucket List (possibly inspired by Tumblr?)

So, the past few weeks, my friends have introduced me to the micro-blogging, hipster website that is Tumblr, and I LOVE IT. Like seriously though, I can't get enough of it. There are posts and pictures and GIFs that I can completely relate to and I spend an unhealthy amount of hours on the computer just staring at them, being inspired and waiting for the day my life starts. 

So, Tumblr has pretty large blogs that TONS of people can comment on, and there is one called Teenager's Bucket List. Just google it if you want; it's really cute! Anyway, I have been inspired and motivated by it to create MY idealistic, perfect Tumblr bucket list......that  maybe, just maybe, I will follow through my life!  

(This is going to be a decent sized list, so get ready.) 

1. Drive across the USA. 

2. Spend a day in a busy city with a 'Free Hugs' sign. 
3. Learn to play guitar. 
4. Keep my New Years' Resolution. 
5. Get accepted to my dream college. 
6. Be kissed in the rain. 
7. Go to a masquerade ball. 
8. Go to a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 
9. Go sailing (I mean, LEGIT sailing). 
10. See the Mona Lisa 
11. Go to Venice's Carnival. 
12. Live in New York City. 
13. Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. 
14. Learn how to ice skate. 
15. Learn piano. 
16. Visit Paris. 
17. Live in Paris. 
18. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. 
19. Go to the Olympics. 
20. Go to Italy. 
21. Meet the love of my life. 
22. Have a gondola ride in Venice. 
23. Ride in a hot air balloon. 
24. Have a Tiffany ring. 
25. Spend a whole day reading. 
26. Meet One Direction. 
27. Kiss under mistletoe. 
28. Kiss under fireworks. 
29. Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square. 
30. Dance in the rain. 
31. Play Paint Twister. 
32. Cover my bedroom walls with twinkle lights, pictures, and lyrics. 
33. Be confident in my bathing suit. 
34. Have a road trip with friends.  
35. Have a closet full of shoes. 
36. Go cliff diving in Santorini. 
37. Let go of a flying lantern. 
38. Get out of my town. 
39. Take Polaroid pictures with the one I love.  
40. Sleep under the stars. 
41. Have a walk-in closet. 
42. Become a Broadway star. 
43. Chase my dreams. 
44. Change someone's life. 
45. Stop all of my bad habits. 
46. Experience Christmas in New York. 
47. Own Ray-Bans. 
48. Get a small tattoo that means a lot. (For me, it would be an infinity tattoo. But I can't get one or my parents will disown me.) 
49. Go to a concert (ANY concert). 
50. Go to a One Direction Concert. 
51. Ride on the London Eye. 
52. Throw someone a surprise party. 
53. Shop on Black Friday. 
54. Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. 
55. Dance in the rain WITH my best friends. 
56. Slow dance in the rain WITH the one I love. 
57. Tie messages to balloons and let them go. 
58. Get an apartment with my sister. 
59. Have my fairytale wedding. 
60. Build a blanket fort. 
61. Have an iPhone. 
62. Slow dance to 'Forever Young'. 
63. Write my name in sand. 
64. Write my name in concrete. 
65. Spend the day at a boardwalk. 
66. Design my own Converse. 
67. Design my own Vans. 
68. Go to an outdoor concert. 
69. Go surfing. 
70. Learn to play the ukelele. 
71. Carve my name into a tree. 
72. Master liquid eyeliner. 
73. Drink Starbucks on the beach. 
74. Wear red pants and a striped shirt together. 
75.  Own a nice camera.  
76. Own my own cupcake shop. 
77.  Watch the sunrise at the beach. 
78. Visit London. 
79. Live in London. 
80. Have an endless perfume collection. 
81. Graduate with straight A's (or a few). 
82. Have a photo shoot in a photo booth. 
83. Send a message in a bottle. 
84. Own a 'Keep Calm' shirt. 
85. Meet Ed Sheeran. 
86. Sing opera. 
87. Have an amazing iPhone case. 
88. Visit Salzburg, Austria. 
89. Go to the Caribbean. 
90. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral. 
91. Visit the Vatican. 
92. Visit Stonehenge. 
93. Visit the Louvre. 
94. Visit the Musee d'Orsay. 
95. Make my own piece of pottery. 
96. Win a Tony Award (or more...).  
97. Shop at Harrod's. 
98.  Date a British boy. 
99. Go on a no-budget shopping spree. 
100. Save someone's life. 
101. Have a girl. 
102. Have a boy. 
103. Spoil my children. 
104. Be a loving parent. 
105. Grow my hair long. 
106. Master the art of styling your hair and different hairstyles. 
107. Buy a pair of white shoes and personalize them. 
108. Go to New York Fashion Week. 
109. See an Adele concert. 
110. Own a Polaroid camera. 
111. Bake something in the middle of the night. 
112. Catch a bride's bouquet. 
113. Watch all of the Harry Potter movies in one day. 
114. Have a Starbucks date. 
115. Visit Big Ben. 
116. Visit the Mall of America. 
117. See a performance at the Sydney Opera House. 
118. Be fluent in another language. 
119. Be able to run a mile easily. 
120. Leave a note in a library book for someone else to find.  
121. Go to my prom. 
122. Have a wardrobe I actually like. 
123. Have a personal standing ovation. 
124. Have a fanfic moment. 
125. Go on a nighttime stroll in Paris. 
126. Have my own personal library. 
127. Witness a wedding proposal. 
128. Get rid of all the negativity in my life. 
129. Grow old together. 
130. Make melted crayon art. 
131. Go to a cupcake ATM. 
132. See the Northern Lights. 
133. Have an aquarium date. 
134. Go snorkeling. 
135. Tell people what I think about them. 
136. Make and finish a "Wreck This" journal. 
137. Donate a large amount of money to cancer research. 
138. Teach someone something. 
139. Have a picnic. 
140. Own and donate a pair of TOMS shoes for every day of the week. 
141. Be serenaded. 
142. Play hide and seek in IKEA. 
143. Stop being afraid and start living. 
144. Be remembered. 

I know, this is A LOT! But I want to have an exciting, crazy, random, its-the-little-things-that-matter kind of life. And if you never try, you'll never know. So, I'm going to remember this bucket list.....and try to fulfill it the best I can! 

Love to all, I hope this has inspired you to create your own bucket lists that are important to YOU. 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Neuqua Valley Vs. Waubonsie Valley 2012

These past two weeks have been very busy. Homecoming, the start of a new month, various music practices, marching band, driving lessons, etc. Just last night, the student body of Neuqua Valley High School got to let off some steam and and show their "NV Spirit" as the two biggest rivals in District 204 faced off in the biggest football game of the season, nicknamed "the War of 204".  

Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley are from two opposite ends of District 204. Both are large, well-known schools with excellent academics, good sports teams, and award winning music programs. These two schools also have a bitter rivalry with each other. Why, I truly believe that is a question we will never know the answer to. But last night was one of the biggest events in the history of either school; an annual football game between the two UNDEFEATED football teams that would pack the stands to full capacity, it would have to be moved to the local college in downtown. This week was dubbed "Spirit Week" to get the student body pumped and excited for the game with dress up days, various athletic events, and a pep rally. And I got to view it from the marching band's standpoint! 

Monday, the 1st: 
The marching band arrives at Neuqua at 6:45, ready to play outside the school with the cheerleaders welcoming teachers and students into the school. Yes, it was cold, and yes, we got weird looks from the crowd, but one of the teachers very kindly provided the band with donuts afterwards. That night was also the event Neuqua Knows It Can Dance, a spin-off competition of So You Think You Can Dance? The winner of that was Peer Partners, who did a really cute dance to Call Me Maybe. 

Tuesday, the 2nd: 
The dress up day was Retro Day, which I noticed not many people participated in. I didn't think the theme days for Spirit Week are as good as the ones for Homecoming week. No special events marked this day. 

Wednesday, the 3rd: 
The Twilight Invite! School from all around Naperville come to Neuqua's stadium to run a cross-country meet in the dark; the only way they can see their path is through the neon-clad crowd and neon trail markers. I've heard it's a really fun event, but I couldn't go because I had Chamber Singers that night. As I drove away from the high school, I could hear the house music booming from the press box and the crowd cheering on their friends as they ran, soaking wet, might I add, through the trail. 

Thursday, the 4th: 
That day in marching band was intense because we had only one more practice before the football game, which was the next day. We were so intent on making it perfect because this football game was going to be one of our biggest audiences of the year and we were the home team, so we wanted to look good. In addition, we had to prepare for the pep rally the next day which involved learning a flash mob to Gangam Style! I was able to check "participate in a flash mob" off of my bucket list. 

Friday, the 5th: 
Let me just start by saying the temperature at the pep rally was fifty degrees. Okay. 

The marching band got to get out of class early (YES.) and head out to the football stadium to "warm-up" but we only go out there an hour early to sit and chat with our friends. So we froze our butts off for an extra hour while the students sat in the warm and toasty school! 

The pep rally started with the flash mob. Which was way too much fun. Our principal started dancing to it too, which was pretty funny. 

The pep rally continued with the marching band performance, a performance from the Neuqua SWAG dance team, medal ceremonies for the Neuqua Olympics, a tug-of-war between all four classes (Sophomores came in 2nd, WOOT, WOOT!) and a performance  from the winners of Neuqua Knows It Can Dance. I have to say, it was probably one of the better pep rallies Neuqua has seen. The pep rally ended and we left to go into the school to resume the day. 

At marching band practice we headed out to the stadium to run and clean some things in the half time show really fast before going back inside for our pizza dinner! It had dropped another twenty degrees since the pep rally, and we knew it was only going to get colder as the night went on. 

We ate, changed into uniform, and left for downtown Naperville and North Central College! We got there an hour early, and the Sophomore game was still going on, so we went and sat in the stands and watched and played and shivered. The Sophomores won, hooray! 

The actual game started at 7:30. We watched as the Gold Rush came into the stadium and took their places next to us; they were so big this year, they had to move US down to the bleachers behind the goal posts, so we were on high alert the entire time as to not get hit in the face. 

When we went out to perform our pre-game show, it was the coolest thing ever. The audience was so receptive and respectful to us, and we marched it really well, too. At one point in pre-game, the band makes a star as one of its formations, and in the Neuqua stands, you can't see it very well, but at North Central the crowd FINALLY saw it and went wild!  

So we finished and went and sat back in our stands and froze until we had to do the halftime show and pom tune. At this point in the game, we were tied with Waubonsie, which had us all biting our nails because we really wanted to win. If we did, our state ranking would move up and we would be undefeated!  

We marched the half-time show, which the crowd loved, and played the pom tune very well.    We went and sat back in the stands and waited until the end of the game.  

But the game didn't end for a while. 

 The game was made up of plays that were just start-and-stop. After several tactile errors made by Waubonsie's coach and penalties for both teams, there was three minutes and thirty seconds left in the fourth quarter and Neuqua had to score to tie with Waubonsie to go into Overtime. We were sitting on the edge of our seats, standing, hopping from one foot to the other, nervous and cold and hoping to score. 

The ball came down to our end, and Neuqua was in possession. They only had to score this touchdown and they would be tied. We were screaming so loudly, we couldn't hear ourselves. Our drum major, Colin, was practically in the end zone, he was so into it. The players got into position, the ref blew his whistle and it started. 

NEUQUA SCORED!!!!!!!!!! In a matter of seconds, they scored!!! 

We were so happy, when we started to play the school song to celebrate, we didn't play it, we sang it. After our moment of joy, we went back to our positions and waited for the next point to be scored.

The ball made its way back down to the far side of the field, and after about seven or eight minutes, Neuqua scored again, making the game 35-34. 

That's right. Neuqua scored again. WE WON THE WAR OF 204! 
The level at which we were screaming was very unhealthy, but we didn't care, we were undefeated now! After the football team did their good game handshake with Waubonsie and left the field, the marching band ran onto the field screaming and jumping up and down and hugging each other, acting like we had won the game. 

We played the school song one last time, made our way back to the buses and went home. Tired and cold, my sister and I came home at 11:15. I made hot chocolate for us, we read the Entertainment Weekly together and just chatted for a bit, then went upstairs to bed, ending our busy and spirit-filled week. 

Go Wildcats!


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Wheaton North Marching Band Festival

Yesterday was a very long day: it was my first ever marching band festival! It took place at Wheaton North High School, in Wheaton, Illinois. Yesterday was a day to perform our marching band's halftime show (Cuban Fire) and receive critical comment and feedback from a panel of judges. The results weren't exactly what we had expected, but it was a fun day, and a learning experience overall!

So, we didn't have to be at my high school until two o'clock, so I spent the morning doing a workout tape, eating cereal and having a dance party in my room. This is what I do on the weekends; don't judge me. 

I picked up my friend Bethany and we (my sister, her, and I) drove to the school with a huge good luck from my mom as we were dropped off in the parking lot. 

When we walked in, you could tell the whole band was both really excited and super nervous. We had learned new sets (individual coordinates on the football field to make the cool patterns you see) on the practice field the pervious day and they were a little shaky and not many of us had memorized the music to those new sets and we had forgotten the last quarter of sets to the second movement of the piece. Although we fixed them that Friday, we weren't very confident we would remember the fixes and half the band would play when we weren't supposed to or move when we weren't supposed to. 

So if we remembered, the show might be a hit. If not, it was a recipe for disaster. Take your pick! 

We changed into uniform, boarded the buses, and left for Wheaton North! On the way there, I sat with my flute girls and somehow, on accident, our friend Maggie shoved herself into my friends Karen and Nancy's seats and pushed Karen to the ground! So Karen was stuck in the space between the bus seats, on the floor, and couldn't move. She screamed her head off for the rest of the trip over there. There are several videos and photos she will (apparently) use in court against us. Our section leader seemed amused. 

We pulled into the parking lot of the high school and I saw various things: about twenty other marching bands, all of varying sizes, uniforms, and instrumentation, pit percussion rehearsing in the fields next to the school, about thirty other buses parked in the parking lot, instrument trucks bearing logos from different townships, and a medium sized stadium with TURF! 

We unloaded our buses and headed to the field for the "opening ceremonies" of the festival, then walked back to our area to change into uniform and warm up. We walked to one of the nearby practice fields in a neighborhood and just warmed up in our sections and we played through the halftime show as a band. I could feel the tension, excitement, and nervousness in the air. There was so much riding on us from the directors and we really wanted to win, but we knew that it was a tradition here that our band never did. We hoped we could change that.

As we walked back to the school, there was a ton of enthusiastic praise coming from other high schools who weren't going on just yet, or had already performed. Everyone was so nice to us!  

We walked onto the field as Naperville Central High School was performing their show, "Beethoven Crüe" (a tribute mashup to Beethoven and Motley Crüe). For a visual purpose, they used folding chairs in their show, I thought it was creative, but didn't really understand the usage of the chairs. 

They finished and we headed to the back sideline, where we marched on and took the field for competition. I was so ready, but at the same time so scared! But, the drum majors started conducting, our lead snare, Drake, did the tap-off to the first movement and we just started to play. 

The first movement was GREAT! 

The second movement was good up until those sets I was talking about before. Some of us didn't hit them correctly and didn't make the formations we needed to, but we all ended in the correct charts to start the third movement. 

The third movement was a disaster zone. We weren't counting right when we had to change tempos, we missed a horn move, and our sound wasn't confident. We had just learned most of those sets the previous day, so we knew it probably wasn't a good idea to do the third part, but our directors just really wanted us to do it. It was an incomplete movement too (meaning we hadn't finished all of the charts we needed to learn to complete the show?, but I am sure by our next festival we will have it down pat. 

We marched off the field, got some closing comments from our director and the drum majors, and went back to the carts to the change into uniform. Somehow, my parents and our neighbors (whose daughter is a senior in color guard) found us and wanted to take a picture with me and my sister, which I found very nice. 

I found my friends and we went to the concession stands for an hour long wait to get food. We were STARVING!! After the wait, we ate with our band on a hill next to the stadium and watched the other bands compete. There were some that used props, cool costumes, or told a story, but the musical aspect of their performance wasn't as strong as their visual aspect. Comments were made throughout by my friends and I. 

At around nine-thrity, the awards ceremony started! We were silent and crossing our fingers while the other bands around us were disrespectful and and loud. I honestly wanted to go over there and tell them to shut up in the sassiest way possible because the awards meant a lot to my band and we really wanted to win, even though we knew we wouldn't. 

And you know what? Those bands won, while we got nothing. It was a little disappointing at first, but as we headed back home, we realized it was a learning experience for all of us and deep down, we were happy we had came! 

Cheers, and wish us luck at our final festival at University of Illinois on October 13th!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The One Direction Infection! Or, How Five British Boys Took Over My Life

So in case you can't tell, I am a HUGE fan of One Direction and I am writing this blog post tonight mainly because it is Niall's birthday. Happy birthday Nialler!!! 

Like most people, I started out absolutely HATING One Direction. I did not think they were cute and thought their music was stupid and they were the new Justin Bieber, except there were five of them. I went as far to say Harry Styles looked like my dog. That was a moment of pure heartlessness. 

Then, the catalyst to start my incurable infection was school ending. I had accomplished a busy year and my whole family was proud of me. To express this pride, they gave me an iTunes gift card as a little gift. If you know me, iTunes gift cards are like a precious resource to me, so this was an important thing to have. 

One night, about two days after school ended, my parents went out and my sister and I were home alone. She was shopping on iTunes in the office, I was surfing the Internet on the laptop in the other room when I hear the opening chords to One Direction's hit song "What Makes You Beautiful". I remember distinctly coming in and almost chucking a book at her head when she made me stop and listen to their voices matching each other and singing in unison. The she clicked on another song to listen to; it wasn't too bad! We listened to the whole album that night. 

Then we looked them up on the Internet. 

Then we looked them up on Tumblr. 

Then we saw the Youtube videos. 

Then we read their quotes. 

Then we started taking personality quizzes to decide who we would be best matched with. 

Then we started reading the fanfiction (OH BOY).  

This all took place in one night, by the way.  

By the time we had finished laughing our heads off at the video diaries, finished awwing over their inspiring stories (plucked from obscurity to be on the X Factor to worldwide fame) and learning they did have ACTUAL talent, and finished screaming over their totally, shall we say, GORGEOUS AND PERFECT AND BRITISH AND IRISH AND OH-MY-GOD-CAN-I-MARRY-YOU faces, I was in love. Offiically. And I took it all back. Every unkind word spoken, every insult to their music, every hurtful comment. Because the boys have been quoted saying that hate does affect them and it does hurt because they try really hard to please their fans (aww!).   

So in case you didn't know who's who and like One Direction (or love) and want to know more, here is the break down of the band, boy by boy! 

HARRY STYLES aka Hazza, H, or Haz. 

 My sister's favorite, the one who is hot and dangerous! The youngest of the band members, he is known as one of the main heartthrobs because of his charm, his brown curly locks, and gorgeous green eyes. He is known to be a player and likes older women! He has a strong voice that perfectly matches the rest of the group and sings solos often. His personal style is very prepster with bow ties and blazers. Birthday is February 1st, 1994, has one older sister named Gemma and has (I think) five tattoos with personal meaning!
Just some pictures of Harry:  




  







   







    


LIAM PAYNE aka Daddy Directioner   

The smart and sensitive one of the group! He has classic good looks (brown hair, brown eyes, nice skin) and is as cute as a puppy! He is just plain adorable and loves looking out for the boys. He auditioned for the X Factor when he was 14, but came back when he was 16 and made it through! His voice is arguably the best in the group because of his tone quality and maturity. His personal style is classic, with plaid shirts and Converse.  Birthday is August 29th, 1993, his favorite movie is Toy Story, he has a fear of spoons, and has been together with his dancer girlfriend, Danielle Peazer, since he was on X Factor  
Pics of Liam: 









   








   


LOUIS TOMLINSON aka Boo Bear, the Tommo, Lou Lou, Queen Louis 

The sweet and sassy boy! He is the oldest and my second favorite in the group. His adorable face, playful smile, and personal style (Stripes and TOMS!!!!) would draw any girl in. He is known to be the sassiest one of the group (need proof? Go read any interview or watch any video with him) and the band's prankster. His voice is great for someone of his age; he can go really high, but not sound whiny! Birthday is Christmas Eve of 1991, he has five sisters, and has been with his university student girlfriend, Eleanor Calder, since Harry introduced them. His inspiration to try out for the X Factor was when he played Danny Zuko in his school's production of Grease!
Pics of Louis: 






   








    



















NIALL HORAN aka Baby Nandos, Nialler, the special snowflake 
OK, so this boy is the cute and Irish one!!! He is also perfect in every way possible. His blond hair (it is naturally brown. i like it better brown), gorgeous see-to-your-soul eyes, and perfect smile will steal any girl's heart! He is my favorite, so watch out! His voice is beautiful, so clear and a perfect range and UGH too many emotions talking about him. His known as the one who has no flaws in the group and the baby because the boys all like to protect him. His personal style of form-fitting polos, bro tanks, snapbacks, and wayfarers make him look AMAZING. IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. Birthday is September 13th, 1993, he has one brother, he plays the guitar, and is constantly hungry!! 
Pictures of Niall:    





   


















   










    









    
Yeah, that is Zayn behind him. Awk. 

WHICH BRINGS ME TO........THE END. 

ZAYN MALIK aka Vain Zayn, DJ Malik, The Poser 

The quiet and mysterious boy! I once compared Zayn to Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights because both are from Yorkshire and quiet and mysterious! His soulful eyes, exotic looks, and bad boy appeal just scream COME GET ME! Not really, but you get it, in a non-stalkerish way. His voice is soulful and you can also hear him as the cool backups on the songs they sing. His style of monogrammed letterman jackets, quiffed hair, and tattoos just say bad boy, but he is the good little one! Birthday is January 12th, 1993, has eight tattoos (and counting!), is very protective of Niall, loves Bruno Mars, and has been with his girlfriend, Perrie Edwards of girl band Little Mix, since he confirmed it in May, 2012. But we all know its been longer than that! 
Pictures of Zayn: 





     











    












   

So, if you take thing one thing away from this blog post, it is that I have no life. JK, but really, these boys have taken over! Again, just kidding. I am just a dedicated fan who loves their music, the fact they are themselves, and the love they give to their fans everyday. So I hope to see you ordering Take Me Home on November 13th, 2012 when it is released and dressing up as 1D for Halloween! 

Peace out, and TANKS!