Crystal Writes Music

I compose because I have to. Here is where it goes. Usually updates at noon daily. Less if I have nothing interesting to say. More if I have too many interesting things to say.

[crystal-writes-music]

Heads up! Now that me and my life are (mostly) back on track, brush up on your music vocab, cause more Music Theory For Total Beginners is coming soon!

[crystal-writes-music]

So, long story short, after LOTS of hard work, I will, in December, be the first person in my immediate family to get my bachelors degree! But money is tight, and graduating isn't cheap. The $150 I'm asking for would just about cover the transcript fee plus cap and gown, and mostly cover some not-expensive announcements. If I get any extra, well, I kinda want a fancy diploma frame ^.^ No pressure! We'll work it out, even if I can't have quite what I want, and I know other people have it way worse. That said, any little bit would be a HUGE help. So, yeah, thanks for reading :-D

[crystal-writes-music]

Hey, everyone! In case you missed it, episode 1 of Music Theory for Total Beginners is live! Up next is Basics of Rhythm

[crystal-writes-music]

Here's episode 1 of Music Theory for Total Beginners! It covers basic music vocabulary.

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Things overheard in the music building:

“1/4? Really? Who writes a measure of ¼. WHY would you write a measure of ¼?”  “Because fuck you that’s why.”  “I will literally trade you my sandwich for that practice room.”  “Dude you should eat your lunch.”  “I won’t be able to eat it if my teacher decapitates me for not practicing JUST TAKE IT.” “I always wanted to look inside the percussion room. It’s like Narnia, but noisier.”  “Satan created piccolos to punish the trumpets for their pride.”  “I’m thinking about dropping music history.”  “But why, don’t you need that class?” “Yes but half of it is non-music majors and two people were having a discussion about why there were hashtags at the beginning of the music.” “So my teacher convinced me to take the History of Rock and Roll over the Summer but it was an online course and he found the webcam filters and inevitably the first unit ended up being taught by a talking dinosaur on my webcam. This man teaches college theory.” “SHH. Don’t say the theory teacher’s name. He’s like Beetlejuice. If you say it three times he’ll appear behind you and fuck your shit up.” “I found out Mozart had a butt fetish and I’m never going to be able to stop calling him Mozfart.”  “If I see a drink within 100 feet of that Steinway I will track you down and beat you with my harpsichord.”  

[crystal-writes-music]

Here it is! The intro video for Music Theory for Total Beginners! Up next: Episode 1 - Basic Music Vocabulary!

[crystal-writes-music]

Once more for the daytime crowd

[crystal-writes-music]

Here it is! The intro video for Music Theory for Total Beginners! Up next: Episode 1 - Basic Music Vocabulary!

[crystal-writes-music]

UPDATE: Music Theory For Total Beginners

It's still happening! I've been working on behind-the-scenes stuff since I announced it, between working ~40 hrs/wk at my fast food day job, and dealing with other life things, and was alllll ready to get it started before July ended. But, because I will have LOTS of Life Stuff, and severely limited internet, for basically all of August, it will officially launch in September. This will give me time to tweak the scripts/supplementary documents/etc. and make them even better and more useful. I may post a link to my "viewer questionnaire" early, but it will probably come out with my first video. Speaking of which! Planned topics of the first few videos: 1- Introducing myself and this series 2- Basic music vocabulary 3- Introduction to treble and bass clefs 4- Introduction to meter I'll have transcripts for each episode, along with illustration sheets, and I'm poking around for ways to make flashcards, either electronic or as a printable. My eventual plans include setting up a Patreon, and setting amount goals for Extra Credit episodes, for which there are a lot of possibilities I've thought of, and I'm sure some fabulous ones I haven't, so I'll ask for suggestions for those. Actually, if you have questions/comments/suggestions about ANY of this, let me know! You can send me an ask here, or get me at my Twitter, cwritesmusic!

[crystal-writes-music]

ANNOUNCEMENT: Music Theory Basics Vlog

Hi everyone! I'm starting a new project soon! And there it is, right up in this post's title: I'm starting a music theory basics vlog! Do you know ZERO music theory? Have you done poorly in music theory classes before? Have you tried to teach yourself music theory and gotten totally stuck? If any of these (or combinations thereof) are true, this series will be for you! We are gonna start at the very beginning, and we are gonna take it sloooow. I'll also periodically have "viewers' questions" episodes, and I'll be able to answer questions here as well! Also, for the record, the episodes will have full captions, with transcripts and (when applicable) supplementary material available, so don't worry about that. I expect to have one lesson up a week, while I'm working other jobs at least, and plan to start as soon as possible! (Which may be this coming week, but only if the stars align just right; I expect it to take a couple of weeks to work out the logistics.) Anyway, watch this space for info! And feel free to send any questions/comments/requests my way!

[crystal-writes-music]

The Hiatus Ends

So! I was taking a blogging break, because school. But now school's out for the summer, and almost over entirely! Yup, that's right, I am semi-graduated. Took my last normal classes (3.05, I am, as ever, a B (flat) student), and all that's left is my second internship! Hopefully I'll be working at a music shop near my parents' house (where I'll be for the rest of 2015, because money), because that's my ultimate goal, to open a decent music shop in the area closer to my school. Four colleges with active music programs and zero good music shops? A TRAVESTY. Anyway, the paperwork is underway and I'll let you know what comes of it. I've also been toying in my head with the idea of maybe getting good enough to play in something a little more prestigious than the volunteer, come-as-you-are community band. Which probably involves getting better at clarinet. It's the nature of the beast. I'm still composing, I have pieces of things done but nothing ready to share. Though I hope that changes soon, too. Oh, and also in my parents's house for probably at least half the summer? Altogether, nine adults, a teenager, and a toddler. And five cats and a rabbit. It wasn't planned, and the place will be crowded, but several family unit (and adjacent) folks needed a place to stay at once. I'm the sole musician of the bunch. So, to sum up, a music business/tech major wants to get good enough to Perform on her weaker instrument between work/internship in a crowded house full of non-musicians who don't exactly Get It. I don't know, friends, stick with me I guess, cause if nothing else? It'll be a hell of a ride.

[crystal-writes-music]

Giving my recital tonight! This is from dress rehearsal yesterday morning.

[crystal-writes-music]

Okay, so, this is really neat. Stef Conner got a degree in music composition, got interested in ancient Babylonian and Sumerian poetry, and teamed up with an expert in ancient instruments to try to recreate it. It's really neat!

[crystal-writes-music]

So, here it is! All put together, all mechanically functional... But I've only got seven (and sometimes four more) notes. *sigh* I can get throat Bb down to E, and sometimes Eb down to C. Anything involving the left hand or the register key just doesn't work. I can sometimes get a squeak, which implies it's overblowing, which implies a leak, but I can't find it. I'm going to try to recruit one of my clarinet-playing classmates to help me. Overall, though, I'm pretty pleased. My tenon corks, though the seams could look better, are holding up well. And, as I said, it all functions in a mechanical sense. And I learned a LOT. Like, for instance, how the microtorch SEEMS like a good idea (aimable heat! brilliant!), it's actually REALLY NOT (much too hot. oops). And how I thought I was erring on the side of not enough glue in the pad cups, but I really wasn't. It all got easier as I went, though. I may try to get another pad kit and try it again. I managed to discolor some of these (I appreciate the thought, but I think I'll use normal foil for my heat shields in the future, thanks IC), and semi-screwed a few of the others with my overuse of glue. I also need to find some more screwdrivers. I CHIPPED one of mine. I really didn't see that coming. ALSO. I said I couldn't identify this clarinet, but in the sunlight I saw some remnants of letters on the bell that make me think it's an old Selmer Bundy Resonite. Cool!

[crystal-writes-music]

Look! I got the lower joint done!

Was it easy? No way in hell. Should I use less glue for the pads next time? Looolllll yes. Oh god. Yes. So much yes. Is it 100%? Noooope. Is it at least playable? I’m being optimistic, but I think so! I’ll try when I get the upper joint done, hopefully tomorrow. Do I recommend this for everyone? NOT EVEN A LITTLE For most people? No, not even that. It’s frustrating and tedious and occasionally painful. That being said, it’s also pretty cool and rewarding, so if you WANT to try, do. And let me know if I can help! Is it something I want to do more? If you’ll allow me to reuse an answer from earlier: “Looolllll yes. Oh god. Yes. So much yes.” :-D

Stats so far: Major injuries: zero Minor injuries: two Minor injuries to the body of the clarinet: also two Lost screws: zero Broken keys: zero Lost pads: almost one… but after a trip under the deck, zero Money spent: somewhere over $100 Time spent: um… a lot? Like, a LOT a lot.

[crystal-writes-music]

Every cork here is glued into place! \o/ They aren't 100% set yet, that happens as the keys get put back on the instrument. Also, you might can see, I scorched the cork pad a little because I didn't dodge the wind fast enough *ashamed face*

[crystal-writes-music]

Three finished tenon corks. The seams are rough. That's gonna be where these corks fail eventually. Maybe I need to be more careful gluing them, or something. Anyway, they all work for now, and that was the current goal!

[crystal-writes-music]

Three newly-installed tenon corks, waiting to be sanded down