I'm really excited for this summer! I'm finally moving up to be a CIT (Counselor In Training) at Camp Gravatt! It's really sad though that I have to leave life as a Camper behind, because those summers were the best of my life. But I'm pretty sure that being a CIT, a JC (Junior Counselor), and then hopefully a Counselor will be even better! I mean heck, once I'm a Counselor, I'll get PAID to go help at the Camp that I love so dearly all summer! I don't think that I could ask for a better job to be honest.
What I'm really excited about though, is learning all the Gravatt campfire songs on my guitar (yea, I had to relate this to the guitar SOMEHOW!), because out of the four years I've gone as a camper, I've only managed to learn one song! I've always loved campfire; it's one of my favorite times out of the entire day, and I think that actually playing the music all Gravatt campers hold so near and dear to their hearts will be amazing!
Being a CIT this summer is going to be so great. Just being on the property brings memories flooding back into my brain, and when you add in the fact that not only am I there, but I'll be seeing my friends and learning how to be a Counselor, it's just overwhelming. If you live anywhere in the South-East United States, I HIGHLY suggest taking a look at Camp Gravatt. It's a great place to go to just get away from everything, and to get a closer relationship with God.
~Alex S.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
"If the human body is two-thirds water, how is it that we manage to spill water on only the one-third that's dry?"
^That is possibly one of the most insightful quotes I've ever heard off of America's Funniest Home Videos. It's so true though! I mean, if we're two-thirds water, how do we only spill water on the one-third that's dry? It's just a mystery of life I guess!
So anyways, I don't know about anyone else, but I had a really productive four-day weekend. I feel bad for all the non- Cardinal Newman students that I know though, since they had to go to school today to make up for that insane string of snow days. But over the course of this weekend I hung out with my girlfriend, diverted a stream, cleared out thousands and thousands of thorny vines, went to Youth Group (and performed with the Youth Band, but more on that later), and still managed to finish my Biology Project! Possibly the best four day weekend that I've had in a long time.
Sunday's Youth Group was a HUGE milestone for the Youth Band, since we finally were asked (by multiple people may I add) to perform not one, but TWO songs! Crazy right? One of the Youth Group members even said that they were "Dumbfounded with the performance; very, VERY moved and inspired by it"! Score one for Youth Band! And our Youth Minister, Mike even asked us to do a "mini-concert" on the night of the open house! Only hard part will be learning four new songs for that night, since we only have one Sunday left to practice. I think we can do it though, we're picking up the songs really quick as is. Eventually once we have learned enough songs, I'll put together a list of songs for everyone to see with lyrics and tabs if you want to try them out for yourself!
Question of the Day:
What liquid do YOU mostly spill on the one-third of yourself that's dry?
-Alex S.
So anyways, I don't know about anyone else, but I had a really productive four-day weekend. I feel bad for all the non- Cardinal Newman students that I know though, since they had to go to school today to make up for that insane string of snow days. But over the course of this weekend I hung out with my girlfriend, diverted a stream, cleared out thousands and thousands of thorny vines, went to Youth Group (and performed with the Youth Band, but more on that later), and still managed to finish my Biology Project! Possibly the best four day weekend that I've had in a long time.
Sunday's Youth Group was a HUGE milestone for the Youth Band, since we finally were asked (by multiple people may I add) to perform not one, but TWO songs! Crazy right? One of the Youth Group members even said that they were "Dumbfounded with the performance; very, VERY moved and inspired by it"! Score one for Youth Band! And our Youth Minister, Mike even asked us to do a "mini-concert" on the night of the open house! Only hard part will be learning four new songs for that night, since we only have one Sunday left to practice. I think we can do it though, we're picking up the songs really quick as is. Eventually once we have learned enough songs, I'll put together a list of songs for everyone to see with lyrics and tabs if you want to try them out for yourself!
Question of the Day:
What liquid do YOU mostly spill on the one-third of yourself that's dry?
-Alex S.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thank God it's Friday!
I love Fridays. Definitely one of my most favorite days of the week. Today was a special Friday though, because there was NO SCHOOL! It could not have been a more perfect day to not have to sit in a classroom all day; it was just around 70 degrees and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky! Tomorrow's going to be insane though, since I'm going to be completely alone all day (the family is going to my sister's volleyball tournament in Lexington). Oh well, gives me more time to play my guitar as loud as possible, and sing until the windows shatter!
-Alex S.
-Alex S.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
I really love this song, and I think these guys perform it great! Maybe even better than the original? Thoughts?
Raspberry + Dark Chocolate = Amazing
Wow, I can officially say that I've fallen in love... With chocolate. Not just any chocolate, oh no. My parents got me a Valentine's Day gift (kinda weird really, but whatever) that was a bag of these Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Truffles. Oh my gosh, it's like Heaven in my mouth.
Anyways, I finally achieved my goal for being on the golf team this year! I shot under 50 on 9 holes (I ended up with a 48)! Now I'm back to where I was earlier this summer, so I guess things can only go up from here! And I have the entire rest of the school year to practice and get better! It really stinks though, because the lady who runs the course where we practice (it's a terrible course, and I would highly recommend NOT going there) won't let us play the course for free or hit range balls at all, even during practice! So I really have no idea how we're supposed to get better, but oh well, hopefully Coach will pull through for us!
I'm actually going to have one more blog post today, I'm going to put up another Boyce Avenue cover that I really like. I would tell you what song they will be performing, but I haven't even picked which one to put up yet haha. So you will all have to go check it out, because face it, you're curious aren't you?
-Alex S.
P.S. I decided to try a new font today, mix things up a little! Tell me what you think!
Anyways, I finally achieved my goal for being on the golf team this year! I shot under 50 on 9 holes (I ended up with a 48)! Now I'm back to where I was earlier this summer, so I guess things can only go up from here! And I have the entire rest of the school year to practice and get better! It really stinks though, because the lady who runs the course where we practice (it's a terrible course, and I would highly recommend NOT going there) won't let us play the course for free or hit range balls at all, even during practice! So I really have no idea how we're supposed to get better, but oh well, hopefully Coach will pull through for us!
I'm actually going to have one more blog post today, I'm going to put up another Boyce Avenue cover that I really like. I would tell you what song they will be performing, but I haven't even picked which one to put up yet haha. So you will all have to go check it out, because face it, you're curious aren't you?
-Alex S.
P.S. I decided to try a new font today, mix things up a little! Tell me what you think!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
"Rock me mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama any way you feel"
I have a new love for this song. If anyone doesn't know the title, it's called "Wagon Wheel", and it's actually a pretty good song! I first heard it at my beloved Camp Gravatt, and I kind of forgot about it until earlier today, when a friend brought it up again. So being the curious musician I am, I went home and looked up guitar tabs for the song. And they couldn't possibly be easier! And the best part is that I can sing the song without too much trouble! Which normally doesn't happen with me...
In other news, my Youth Band finally performed at a Youth Group session, and according to the people that were listening, we were really good! Everyone was in sync, and we even got the crowd singing! Which is difficult, especially considering how many people my Youth Group hate to sing out loud! The only flaw was that in the lyrics that we passed out, there was a typo made by the people who wrote the song, and there were some extra lines in the last chorus. That DEFINITELY got us some weird looks, but oh well, we did extremely well! Congratulations everyone in Youth Band!
And since we're on the topic of Youth Group, I'll close with one of my favorite Bible Verses:
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13.
~Alex S.
In other news, my Youth Band finally performed at a Youth Group session, and according to the people that were listening, we were really good! Everyone was in sync, and we even got the crowd singing! Which is difficult, especially considering how many people my Youth Group hate to sing out loud! The only flaw was that in the lyrics that we passed out, there was a typo made by the people who wrote the song, and there were some extra lines in the last chorus. That DEFINITELY got us some weird looks, but oh well, we did extremely well! Congratulations everyone in Youth Band!
And since we're on the topic of Youth Group, I'll close with one of my favorite Bible Verses:
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13.
~Alex S.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
"Don't Stop Believing"!
I've always loved this song. Something about the lyrics just strikes me right in my very core. And I know I'm going to probably get slaughtered for saying this, but I actually like a cover of "Don't Stop Believing" by Boyce Avenue as much as (maybe even more than) the original song by Journey! I'll post both of the videos side by side so you can compare for yourself! Leave a comment and tell me which one you like better!
By Journey
By Boyce Avenue
Leave a comment and let me know which YOU think is better! Let the battle commence!
-Alex S.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Back to Being Busy
I never really realized how much I loved the free time that I had until I lost it all this week. Not that I'm complaining, because I love golf (yea, just in case I hadn't mentioned this before hand, I'm on the golf team). I just have ABSOLUTELY no time to do my homework, let alone play guitar!
So therefore, I'm still trying to figure out how to play that Boyce Avenue cover of Drops of Jupiter. It's really hard for me, because I fail at muting strings. I'll get it eventually though! This is definitely the hardest I've ever worked on a song, and it's really paying off. Every day I get closer to nailing the entire song, and once it's done, it's going to feel great!
Here's what the song will (hopefully) eventually sound like when I play it:
Wish me luck; I'm going to need it!
-Alex S.
So therefore, I'm still trying to figure out how to play that Boyce Avenue cover of Drops of Jupiter. It's really hard for me, because I fail at muting strings. I'll get it eventually though! This is definitely the hardest I've ever worked on a song, and it's really paying off. Every day I get closer to nailing the entire song, and once it's done, it's going to feel great!
Here's what the song will (hopefully) eventually sound like when I play it:
Wish me luck; I'm going to need it!
-Alex S.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Half of My Heart - John Mayer & Taylor Swift (Boyce Avenue & Savannah Ou...
I love Boyce Avenue, so I thought I might as well share them with you!
Friday, February 4, 2011
"Tell me, did you sail across the sun?"
I'm sure pretty much everyone reading this has heard of the song "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. If you haven't, I HIGHLY suggest looking it up. The song has an amazing mood about it, and while it's a sad song (especially if you know the background and inspiration of the song), it has a lively beat to it. It's this sad, melodic tone that is very hard to capture when combined with the upbeat tempo.
If you haven't guessed already, I'm attempting to learn the song "Drops of Jupiter". But I'm actually not just using the chords that are for the original song. I'm actually using the music for the Boyce Avenue cover version! (Again, I highly suggest you look it up). The guys of Boyce Avenue sing this song so well that it's almost better than when Train does it! And it takes a lot for me to say this, especially considering that I'm a huge Train fan!
The song itself is very difficult to play, since it contains a lot of muted strings that I seem to constantly hit with my pick right when I'm having trouble actually MUTING them. I'll get it eventually! I have wanted to learn this song from the day I first heard it, so I'm not going to give up on this one too easily!
Moving off on a different note, I'm thanking God that it's Friday! Is it just me, or did this week just not seem to want to end? I mean DANG! It feels like it should be summer already (and by my watch, it SHOULD be summer right about now)! Hopefully the weeks ahead fly by extremely fast, because I am really tired of school right now. I mean, seeing friends is great and all, but when every class is so easy that even I can sleep through it? Something's wrong there.
Oh well. Oh, and on one last note, I will restate the fact that you SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY GO CHECK OUT BOYCE AVENUE'S COVER OF DROPS OF JUPITER!! There, I bolded and underlined it for you!
-Alex S.
If you haven't guessed already, I'm attempting to learn the song "Drops of Jupiter". But I'm actually not just using the chords that are for the original song. I'm actually using the music for the Boyce Avenue cover version! (Again, I highly suggest you look it up). The guys of Boyce Avenue sing this song so well that it's almost better than when Train does it! And it takes a lot for me to say this, especially considering that I'm a huge Train fan!
The song itself is very difficult to play, since it contains a lot of muted strings that I seem to constantly hit with my pick right when I'm having trouble actually MUTING them. I'll get it eventually! I have wanted to learn this song from the day I first heard it, so I'm not going to give up on this one too easily!
Moving off on a different note, I'm thanking God that it's Friday! Is it just me, or did this week just not seem to want to end? I mean DANG! It feels like it should be summer already (and by my watch, it SHOULD be summer right about now)! Hopefully the weeks ahead fly by extremely fast, because I am really tired of school right now. I mean, seeing friends is great and all, but when every class is so easy that even I can sleep through it? Something's wrong there.
Oh well. Oh, and on one last note, I will restate the fact that you SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY GO CHECK OUT BOYCE AVENUE'S COVER OF DROPS OF JUPITER!! There, I bolded and underlined it for you!
-Alex S.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A Post With No Name
Ok, it's late, and I really can't think of any clever titles for this post. Cut me some slack.
Anyways, I had my first golf practice for school today. It was great, and I did great... until we started playing an actual round... Oh well, there's plenty more days to come! I mean hey, if I'm going to be playing every day of the week until the end of the school year, I guess that I'm bound to get better!
It's been a really weird week though, all my assignments piling on top of each other, along with my Confirmation (which happened on Tuesday, and was AMAZING!). Then having golf practice after school has left me with practically no free time at all. But that's ok, that's why someone invented the idea of Study Hall! That portion of my day has definitely been my saving grace this past week; it's really helped me keep my head on straight!
Pretty short post today, but I'm really tired, and I have to finish writing a speech for school (fun stuff right?), so I'll write a longer one later, because I know EVERYONE reading this thoroughly enjoys my writing... Right?
-Alex S.
Anyways, I had my first golf practice for school today. It was great, and I did great... until we started playing an actual round... Oh well, there's plenty more days to come! I mean hey, if I'm going to be playing every day of the week until the end of the school year, I guess that I'm bound to get better!
It's been a really weird week though, all my assignments piling on top of each other, along with my Confirmation (which happened on Tuesday, and was AMAZING!). Then having golf practice after school has left me with practically no free time at all. But that's ok, that's why someone invented the idea of Study Hall! That portion of my day has definitely been my saving grace this past week; it's really helped me keep my head on straight!
Pretty short post today, but I'm really tired, and I have to finish writing a speech for school (fun stuff right?), so I'll write a longer one later, because I know EVERYONE reading this thoroughly enjoys my writing... Right?
-Alex S.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)