Life is hard...

This statement probably seems obvious, but lately, there are so many things that just came crashing down at the same time. It's been really hard for Derek and I to juggle everything with coming down from the wedding and the move, getting ready for school, finding jobs, etc. It just seems like one thing after another.

A few weeks after the wedding, Derek's grandfather passed away. This was really hard for Derek and I felt awful because I couldn't go to the funeral, it was my first day of work. :( Yesterday we found out that Derek's grandma (well, our sister-in-law's grandma that everyone called grandma) passed away. We were devastated! Grandma used to come into the campus store all the time to see me and pick up some things. We would see her on campus walking her dog and would go over to visit her from time to time. It's just so hard to believe that she's gone! We really want to be able to go up for the funeral, but with money being so tight, we're not sure what's going to happen. 

Getting old is so difficult. It's hard to see the people that you've looked up to for so long get old, get sick and pass away. I'm not so sure I like this part of growing up...

News...

Derek got the job that I was talking about in the last post! :) He's very excited! He will be working as a cook at a local restaurant. Those of you that don't know Derek very well, he loves to cook! So it's perfect. Best Buy will start hiring on August 1st, so we're still waiting to hear about that one. If he got the job there, he would be working with their Home Theater & Audio department, installing systems in people's homes. It's pretty close to his dream job. He loves putting together new systems. I'm so excited that he is finally going to be doing work that he enjoys!!!

If you didn't look at the wedding pictures on Mary's website that I led you to in an earlier post, they are now also on facebook. :)

Checklist...

So, I like to make lists. They're all over. I have a list on the fridge with chores and another for shopping. I have one in my calender of bills. I have another in my school notebook of things that have to be done. They keep me organized and from forgetting things...which thankfully doesn't happen too often. I also really enjoy crossing things off when they get done. :) One of my longest lists right now is things that I need to do to get ready for school.

1. Read Teaching Your First College Class (yuck)

2. Take 5 online classes about teaching college classes.

3. Study 500+ years of Music History to prepare for entrance exam.

4. Study Music Theory for entrance exam.

Yikes. I've got to have it all done by August 21st. That's my first day of orientation/testing. I think I can get it done...I just have to be really proactive about it (I tend to procrastinate).

Anyways, Derek has a job interview today at 3:15, we're hoping and praying that that will go well! While he's doing that I'm going to go shopping at Target. :) Even though it's just for the essentials (toothpaste, soap, cleaning supplies, etc), I'm still excited. I like shopping! :) It's also cool because of my team discount which really helps!

In stressful times, I like to listen to soothing music with lots of rich chords. This would be one of those times (refer to list above). :) A piece that fits that bill is:

Tchaikovsky - String Quartet No. 1 mvmt II - Andante Cantabile

It's so beautiful! Enjoy!

My apologies...

...on the last post! I just now watched that clip and realized that it was not the whole 4th movement!!! I'm so sorry! It was the only clip I could find and I should have listened to it. If you would like to listen to this piece I recommend listening to the whole thing. The division of the movements is rather awkward anyways, since in some editions it is split into 2 big movements while other editions have it split in 4. 

On to new things...

Today I am working on getting prints of wedding pictures. Shutterfly has this great deal where if you sign up for an account with them you get 25 prints for free! They also have a promotion for free shipping when you purchase 30 or more prints. If you would like to look at our wedding photos, the directions on how to do that were in an earlier post, so just look below. :) I am totally in love with the wedding pictures and can't believe how well they came out! It doesn't seem like we've been married for almost 4 months already! Time is flying by so fast!

Today's music recommendation is:

Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes

I love this piece and I picked this clip by the Estonian National Music Academy because they play this piece so fabulously!! And to think that they are so young and it sounds this great!! Enjoy!

Busy day...

Sorry it's been a little while! We are having some internet difficulties, so I'm here posting at my mom and dad's house. Today was my day off from Target and it wasn't much of a day of relaxation. I have so much to do to get ready for Binghamton! I had no clue how much preparation it would be! I have to take 5 online courses on how to teach college classes, read a book about the same topic, review music history and theory and also study all the scores that Dr. Perry has given me. I'm a busy girl! So, today I tried to get a little bit done while also making a nice dinner for my husband! I made a steak dinner with peppers, mushrooms and onions, fresh corn on the cob, salad and potatoes with a chocolate mint cake for dessert. It was all fabulous, but tiring. I also cleaned the house. 

While doing all this today, I listened to a ton of music and from that I got the recommended piece for today. It is:

Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 (Organ) Movement II & IV

I couldn't decided which movement to give you because I love this whole piece so much! So, I am putting movements II and IV here for you to listen to. Movement II is so beautiful and lush and I love the low, throaty sound of the strings. Movement IV is so fun to listen to because of the great organ parts. It's so exciting! Have fun!

Movement II:

Movement IV:

Not wanting to go...

...to work. I'm sure you're had one of those days where the last thing you want to do is go to work. Well, I'm having one of those days. I really like working at Target, but sometimes, I can't stand it! Today would be one of those days. It's gorgeous out, I'm coming down with a cold (thanks to over-active air conditioning in my apartment that our landlords WON'T turn down) and I don't like closing the store. That combination is making it really hard for me to motivate myself! 

I can't wait to start school. I miss music so much!! It's also hard being away from the Houghton area because I still get all the emails from the Buffalo Philharmonic and this is going to be a GREAT season! Their Gala in the fall is featuring Beethoven's 9th!!! How amazing! Also this fall, Joanna Falletta is leading a conducting workshop. :( I won't be able to go because it's the same week that the ballet company is coming to Binghamton University. I'm sad to miss it, but at the same time, I'm really excited to be working with a ballet company!!

In the spirit of ballet, here is your music recommendation for the day:

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake 

I love the music from Swan Lake! It is so beautiful and watching the ballet along with the music just makes the music come alive even more. You can watch the whole ballet on YouTube, but I've just given you the Dance for Four Small Swans. I love this part. The dancers make it look so efforless, but you know just watching that it's got to be extremely difficult! I hope you enjoy!

Quiet...

Yesterday Matt and Amy came back from Holton Beach, NC, so we had to give Rosie back. :( She really gave us something to look forward to when we came home and now it's too quiet! After having her here for a week we really want a puppy! Hopefully we will be able to get one soon! We're thinking about rescuing one instead of buying one since there are so many unwanted pets. We would like to give one a good home!

For today's music recommendation, we have:

Schubert - Impromptu in A flat Major Op. 90 No. 4

This piece is so fun to listen to! Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as Heather does!

Wedding photos are in!!

Our wedding photos are done! We are so excited! They look fantastic! If you would like to see them for yourself...head to, 

http://marydougherty.nextproof.com/ 

Once you get there, pick a user name and password and then you will need the gallery page which is our last name, all lower case letters. You can order pictures right on there. There are a lot, so you might want to make sure you have some time. :)

On to other things, Heather had a meeting today at Binghamton with her advisor. She is so excited to start school and they seem very excited to have her. Dr. Perry already wants to set up some times to meet with her before school! The first concert of the year is going to be a pairing of the orchestra and a ballet company from NYC!! How exciting! Heather probably won't be conducting on the actual concert, but will be leading a lot of the rehearsals. :)

Derek is still looking for some jobs. He is heading out this weekend to 2 different sound gigs and is looking forward to those!

Lastly, today's music recommendation from Heather:

My sister-in-law requested some good violin music. I was going to put up a violin concerto, but instead decided to put up:

Spring  from The Four Seasons - Vivaldi

This piece has some great violin features, but also has the chamber orchestra there to add lots of color. Part of why I love orchestral music so much is because of the different colors you get from the instruments when they are put together. It is amazing to me the variety of sounds that can come out of them! This video is of Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. I love this one because von Karajan is playing right along with them! So, here is Spring. Enjoy!

Thunderstorms = evil

I am terrified of thunderstorms!! In my apartment in Nunda, I could hide in the bathroom since there were no windows. But here, there are windows everywhere! I'm better when Derek's with me, but he isn't here right now...of course! So I am hiding in the stair well and writing this blog on my laptop to try and take my mind off of the severe thunderstorm that's taking place outside.

While thinking about what to write and what today's recommended music was going to be, I spent some time listening through a bunch of music in my Itunes. So far I have given you all orchestral music and I thought maybe it's time to give you something else to listen to! One of my favorite new composers is Eric Whitacre. He is an amazing composer that uses lots of interesting chords to create the sound he wants to emphasize the text. He does this a lot in his piece, When David Heard. It is a hauntingly beautiful piece! When listening to it you can hear the angst and weeping that is being described in the text. This piece can be hard to find, so I am going to put a link to it here for you. It is on the long side, but it is so worth listening to the whole thing! The end is just glorious. Enjoy!

10. When David Heard - Eric Whitacre

Today's music recommendation and more...

So, the economic situation that our country is in has really started to hit home for us. When we first started making plans to come down here to Binghamton, we began searching for jobs. We decided it would be best for Heather to substitute teach but she also applied at Target just in case. Thank goodness she did! The job that Derek applied for ending up not working out (since most companies have been laying off or been put on a hiring freeze) and this was one of those companies. Needless to say it has been very hard with Heather working two jobs (now one since school is over) and Derek endlessly searching for one. In the Sunday edition of the paper they do a huge classified section with employment opportunities in it. In this edition, there were 5 jobs. 5!!! It's scary how many people are being laid off and are looking for jobs at the same time! We are so thankful that Heather has a job and will start teaching at Binghamton University very soon!

Anyways...enough of our woes and on to music!! :) Today's music recommendation is by one of Heather's favorite composers....Beethoven!!!! This piece is so fun to listen to because of all of the changes in texture. One minute it will be forte (loud) and in your face and the next it will be piano (soft) and lyrical. It will really keep you entertained. This time we am embedding a video from YouTube so you can watch it right here! Heather loves the Vienna Philharmonic and Bernstein, so it's a great combination. While watching the video take a look at the orchestra...notice anything interesting? 

They're all men! Even today the Vienna Philharmonic is all men. It is one of the only ones left. Interesting, huh?! 

Today's music recommendation

I've been thinking about today's music recommendation a lot. There are just so many great pieces to listen to!! In the end, I decided to go with another programmatic piece, 

Mars from The Planets by Holst

While you listen to this, see if it reminds you of anything else you have heard. Leave me comments about what you think it sounds like! I'll be interested to hear...

(Also...there are other movements in The Planets suite. So, if you have time listen to those as well! Another great one is Venus).

Today's music recommendation

So, the other day, Derek and I were talking about how classical music is fading from a lot of today's generation. I had made a comment to a guest that came into Target about Brahms and they had no clue who I was talking about. This was really sad for me since classical music is my life! So, everyday (I will try to post everyday) I will put up a piece that I recommend listening to. Most pieces you can find on YouTube, but if not you can also go to www.naxos.com, sign up for a free membership and listen to it there. :)

Today's recommended piece is:

Peer Gynt, Op. 23 - Morning  by Grieg

I have been listening to this piece a lot today as I am thinking about doing something with programmatic music for my Master's concerts at Binghamton. (Programmatic music is music that was composed to represent a scene, event or mood in the eye (or ear, as the case may be) of the listener). It is a beautiful piece that I think you all will really enjoy! Take a moment out of your day and see if you can visualize the sunrise while listening. Enjoy!

"Our first blog"

Welcome! :)

We are very excited to have our own blog! We've been thinking about creating one for awhile, but weren't sure if our lives were interesting enough. Ha. Anyways, here in Binghamton, NY we are finally beginning to get settled in. We were married April 4th in Geneseo, NY and moved down here after our honeymoon in Orlando, FL. 

Heather will be starting her Masters degree at Binghamton University in the fall, so we wanted to come down here before to get settled. She will be studying Orchestral Conducting and was accepted on full scholarship so she will also being teaching some classes in the Music Department. She is very excited.

Derek is still searching for a job, which in this economy is very difficult! Thankfully, we are in an area with a lot more venues for him to search! He has been working with a small sound company doing sound for a band around the Southern Tier. He loves it and is having a great time.

We are loving being in a city and also being near Heather's family! After 5 years of living in the Houghton area, Heather missed being home! It's a perfect time to come home too, since Heather's brother, Tim, is entering his junior year in high school. This way we will get to see all of his important high school moments!!

Right now we are babysitting Rosie, Heather's sister's dog. It's so nice to have a dog around and we can't wait to adopt/get our own!

Well, that's about it for now. Until next time...