1999: Music Camp roommates. Mostly singers and brass players. I think the girl on the right is actually a famous singer now.
Today I am quite aware that I should be organising study for Commercial Law, so of course right now I am feeling compelled to create new blog entries.
I have a feeling I kept a journal during my week-long music camp in 1999, though I have no idea where it went. Perhaps it doesn't really exist.
I remember our primary school music teacher coming around to class encouraging everyone to apply for the state Music Camp, something which every other friend of mine thought sounded like the most amazing experience and were just itching to be accepted. It's actually quite competitive it would seem, and they will only accept a certain number of people. I applied mostly because everyone else told me that I should apply for it, despite me really not having a huge passion for music. Of course, I was the only one who actually got in.
Consequently I spent a week at Stanwell Tops spending most of my waking hours practising in an orchestra. At audition they were apparently impressed with my violin skillz and put me into "First Violin" however they did not quite take account of the fact that I could not read music. Thus in fact most of the week was spent with me alternating between staring at the dotted piece of paper in front of me, trying to follow the bow movements of everyone else around me, and reflecting on how much I really don't like orchestra.
We also had the privilege of picking a secondary activity for the week, which I think I had put in as wind instruments - given my actual interest in playing clarinet and recorder. However the wind instrument group was too full, so I was assigned to the next available activity - CHOIR. I can never get the vision out of my head of our overly militaristic choir instructor doing some kind of interpretive dance to "Waaaaade in the waaaaater, waaaaade in the waaater chiiildren (God's-a gonna trouble the waaaaateeeeeeeer)" I was also alongside actual singers and I don't think musicians can properly understand that being able to handle a string instrument does not denote any such skills with vocal chords.
However the benefit was that I met a lot of new people from all over the state, and we had daily "fun" activities such as ropes courses and other such wholesome things. I also believe I fell off the abseiling wall. I cried on a couple of occasions.
I remember sitting in the main hall at night as they led us through our nightly ritualistic chanting (or they probably call it singing) and thinking.... You are probably going to remember this in the future and think.... oh yeah Music Camp, that was fun.... but I am telling my future self now - do NOT do it again, you hate it.
It turns out I know myself pretty well... reflecting on Music Camp now I do assume that I had fun. Though then there is this niggling memory of a message to my future self.
However the good thing to come out of Music Camp was that they ended up inviting the orchestra to perform at the Opera House in conjunction with the NSW Choral Concerts later in the year. This was actually achievable music-wise because I had already been practising the same songs with our own school choir all year so already knew the music - thank you Suzuki method this time. Thus I got yet another week off school to spend playing fun music, making new friends, potterng around the Opera House and Botanical Gardens in our spare time, and generally impressing my other school friends who were left in the numerous choir stalls while the orchestra took centre stage.
I suppose my mental message to myself now is... never turn down an opportunity.
Wow. That was 10 years ago.
Commerical Law is really not my thing.
