ad astra per aspera

I am exhausted beyond words.

I did pretty well on a quiz in Macroeconomics.

And, when I got home, learned to play Remember by Josh Groban from the soundtrack of Troy on my cello. I’ve got the first few lines of music down… but need to give my fingers a break.

I’m listening to a beautiful piece by Scott Cossu right now, and it has a cello in it, and my heart is just breaking at how breathtaking the sound is. When you play an instrument, it becomes a part of your soul. As of two weeks ago, I hadn’t picked a cello up in over two years; so, naturally, I was wary of how much I would have to re-learn. So, hesitantly, I picked the cello back up and settled it against me like I always did, and looked at the music on the page in front of me. My mind was frantic, confused by all the different shapes and lines, wondering which note was which, but as my eyes followed the lines, my fingers followed the notes, and I ended up playing exactly what was there.

Proof: the music becomes a part of your soul, not your memory. It’s not a physical connection; it’s a connection much deeper than even the subconscious. And it never fails to take my breath away.

- Damien Rice (love, love love love, love)

- Ryan Adams

- Rachael Yamagata

- Sia

- Iron & Wine

- Ludovico Einaudi

- Balmorhea

- Ray Lamontagne

- Matt Nathanson (loved him for such a long time)

Let’s see if this works.

- being OCD about all the notes I take

- white cheddar Cheezits

- the perfume my grandmother got me last year

- my Damien Rice channel on Pandora (the only music I’ve played for three consecutive days; and I play a lot of music)

and, in his introduction PowerPoint, my teacher included several Chinese proverbs. I think I’m going to really enjoy his class.