Adventures of a Twinler

I am a dancer and violinist who is writing a blog so that family and friends can keep up with me as a college student. I am a senior music education major at USC.

[katielindler]

Click here to support Send Katie to University of York by Katie Lindler

Please help me spread the word about my funding campaign in order to attend the University of York in September for Community Music. Thank you in advance for sharing. 

[katielindler]

New Blog

I am switching blogs.

Check out my new one at:

http://katielindler.blogspot.com/

[katielindler]

Where has the time gone?

June 18, 2014

I can't believe it has been so long since my last post! I have had a great summer so far back home. I got to catch up with friends and family and babysit a little. I also found out I passed the first round of the Praxis with flying colors! Woo! I have enjoyed Contra and Swing dancing with friends and practiced a little violin.I decided not to go back to the Pizza Place and enjoy some time to myself for once! It was definitely bittersweet coming back to Columbia yesterday. I was sad to leave my family but I look forward to heading to Maine! I will miss them when I am gone!

Today and tomorrow I am wrapping up loose ends here in Columbia. Tomorrow I am facing the daunting task of packing up two months worth of stuff in one suitcase and a backpack. I am going to see Holly Friday before heading to Charlotte Saturday. She has graciously agreed to drive me to the airport Sunday for my very early flight to Portland, Maine. Thanks Holly! 

I will post about my Maine adventures when I can.I fly out Sunday morning and will return on August 17th at midnight. I am unsure of the Wi-Fi/cell service situation so I'm not sure how much access I will have to my blog or internet, etc. I plan to keep a journal and will post highlights (with pictures) from it when I get back. I am nervous but excited about heading up North and can't believe that my trip is right around the corner. I have never done anything like this but am looking forward to the experience! I am excited to take on my many roles as bunk counselor, lifeguard, teacher and performer among others. It will definitely be a summer to remember!

[katielindler]

Hello Summer!

May 8, 2014

I have had a great few days. Classes are done, SP is done, lessons are done, rehearsals are done and gigs are almost done. These past few days I have been able to hang out with friends and enjoy a break finally! The past three mornings my friends and I have been interviewing potential mued candidates by participating in their mock class. Other than that I have not had too many obligations the past week. I attended trivia night Tuesday, a cookout Wednesday, sat by the pool this afternoon and had dinner with a friend tonight. I also had a lesson yesterday and I found out that I passed my jury! wooo! Yay summer!

This semester was so crazy. Between preparing for research presentations and devoting many hours to research, getting back in violin- shape after being hurt, preparing for two different juries, passing the ASTA baton and taking over as President of SAI, among a thousand other things, this semester was the busiest one yet. I did one heck of a happy dance after my conducting exam Monday when all of my classes were done! I am happy to announce that I finished the semester with a 4.0 and am on track to graduate a year from now. CRAZY!

Tomorrow I am playing at the Daughters of the American Revolution luncheon on the military base and saying goodbye to more of my friends. I can't wait to be home next week for a little while! 

[katielindler]

Almost done, almost done, almost doneeeeee!

May 3, 2014

I finished up classes on Monday and it was a great feeling! It has been such a busy semester and I am looking forward to finishing out the semester strong. The last SAI meeting was Monday and it was so hard to say goodbye to the seniors! They were the ones that I looked up to when I rushed and they will be missed very much! I can't believe that I will be the oldest in the fraternity!

So far I have had 2 exams and a jury. My exams have gone pretty well and my jury was not too bad. It was definitely better than the studio performance! I failed to nail the last note of my first piece which was a little embarrassing but they laughed so I'm not too worried about it! I was so overwhelmed afterwards for some reason that I felt like if I talked to anyone I would start crying. I have worked so hard this semester and took two juries and I am relieved that I am done. I hope they can see all of the hard work that I have put in and am still waiting to hear if I passed. 

Today I am just catching up on cleaning and studying before I go play a wedding. Yesterday I went to the rehearsal and there are chickens running around! I was definitely not expecting that! We shall see how the wedding goes...

One more exam and a whole lot of SP before I am done with junior year!

[katielindler]

April 27, 2014

I just got my ring at the ring ceremony! It was so exciting but very hot. It is about 90 degrees here in Columbia today and even our rings were hot! We had to leave the box open for a little while when we were waiting for everyone to get theirs so that they would cool off! I can't wait to wear it around now!

[katielindler]

Discovery Day

April 26, 2014

It has been a great few days. The several hours of rehearsals have been rough but the negatives have outweighed the positives. Wednesday night I got to meet Catherine Cho. She is a fantastic violinist and a great person. Her masterclass Thursday was incredible. Thursday night for the concert she played the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and it was really good! We concluded the concert with On the Town and Estancia. I am so happy to be done with concerts for the semester!

Friday I woke up early for Discovery Day. I headed to Russel House and set up my poster. From 8:15-11:00 I presented my research to other students, faculty and the public. It was such a cool thing to be a part of and there was definitely a lot of support in that room. I got first in my category (Arts and Humanities) for the morning poster session. I was so surprised and was recognized at Awards Day. 

Yesterdays' presentation brought an end to my presentations for the year. Three in one semester is stressful but rewarding! I never thought that I would be involved in research and can not wait to see what the future holds for me. I feel like research is my niche and can't wait to see what I can do with it or where it will take me. The support that I have received is overwhelming and it makes me want to continue down this path. 

I look ahead to a busy few days. This morning SAI hosted the Making Music Festival and tonight I have a New Voices Concert. Tomorrow I am looking forward to getting my ring at the ring ceremony! Wooo!

[katielindler]

Practice or Eat? That is the question.

April 22, 2013

I had a great Easter at home with my family. Even though I was home for less than 24 hours, it was good to get away from Columbia for a night. I am so close to being done with classes. Until that day I have a lot to keep me busy. It's getting to the point in the semester when priorities start getting blurred. Sleep or Practice? Practice or Eat? Eat or finish your homework? Decisions decisions. 

Today my SP students had their recital and they all did a great job. I am so proud of all of them and am sad to see them go for the summer. It was a great year and I definitely felt that I made tremendous strides as a teacher as well. 

The rest of the week, much like the past two days, is going to be a marathon until the end. Tomorrow in addition to classes I have double dress rehearsal for the symphony concert Thursday and then two gig rehearsals for a concert Saturday. That's a lot of music and hours spent with a violin under my chin! Thursday contains a concert, more rehearsals and a lesson while Friday I get to present my research! Hopefully by then my arms will still be attached to my body and I'll still have some brain cells left! 

[katielindler]

Happy Gigging!

April 18, 2014

You know its Easter weekend when you walk down the hallway and everyone is in their concert black. Gig season is in full force and the school of music this week has been filled with stressed out, time-crunched, hungry, sleep-deprived music students. I am included in this statistic and played a Good Friday service this morning and then have another gig next weekend and with a wedding the following week. In addition to the symphony concert next Thursday and extra rehearsals leading up to it, I have extra rehearsals for Saturdays gig and SP recitals on top of that! 

This week has been typical. At SP I taught my last second year class of the year thus concluding my first year teaching a class! We played a game of musical jeopardy and ended our year together on a good note. Now all I have is my students' studio recital and the end of the year concert and that will be the end of SP. 

We only have a week and a day of classes left before exams start. Honestly I don't know how everything I have to do is going to fit into the next two weeks. I also have one more research presentation to do and several sheets of statistical analyses to interpret before then. Fun stuff I know...

I am looking forward to going home tomorrow after my life guarding re-certification course. While it will be a short trip, I look forward to spending Easter with my family. 

[katielindler]

2 down, 1 to go!

April 12, 2014

I am done with my second presentation on my research project! Today I presented at the School of Music Research Day and I am pretty happy with it. I got first in my category and will even get some prize money! I was also fortunate to have the support of my mentor and friends in the audience. Their support means the world to me and it meant a lot that they came and listened to my presentation.

I look forward to doing more presentations in the future and finishing out my research project. Who knew that research and presentations could be so much fun?

[katielindler]

Stressing and Sleepwalking

April 11, 2014

I feel like this week everyone is stressing and sleepwalking around the School of Music. Exams and deadlines have hit everyone hard including me. I am so tired and have 50 bazillion things going on this week that it is a miracle I made it to Friday. It has gotten so bad here that everyone is sensitive and exhausted, you can just look at someone and they will burst into tears!

Despite the physical and mental toll this week has taken on me it has been a good week. I officially took over as president of SAI on Monday and accepted a job offer in Maine for the summer! I also made significant headway on my research project and am presenting at the School of Music Research Day tomorrow! I present at 12:35 and am so nervous! This is the first time I have ever given a presentation by myself to a group of people let alone a recital hall full of students, teachers, researchers and the Columbia community!

Only a couple of weeks left of school and I'll be out for the summer. I'm looking forward to coming home next weekend for Easter!

[katielindler]

Circus Music at USC Symphony

A review of the USC Symphony's April 1 performance at the Koger Center

By David Lowry Sunday, April 6, 2014 | 

The USC Symphony Orchestra played in a circus — well, that’s sort of an April Fool’s joke.  On April 1, the orchestra had as its featured “soloist” the remarkable Cirque de la Symphonie, performing breath-taking physical feats coordinated with the music of 12 classical composers. The four Cirque de la Symphonie artists who performed here are from Moldova, Mongolia and Russia, each coming from a rich heritage of circus artists. This company is extremely busy appearing around the world with classical symphony orchestras. The host orchestra can choose from among the Cirque’s list of acts. The Koger Center afforded the opportunity for cables to be installed, enabling the orchestra to bring a couple of acts that had cast members literally flying through the air to music by Wagner and Rimsky-Korsakov. Not your usual fare for a symphony orchestra. Maestro Donald Portnoy conducted 11 of the 12 works; Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries was conducted by USC student Cullan Lucas. Nearly all 12 works are well-known favorites such as one might find on SiriusXM Radio’s Classical Pops station. The result for the orchestra players was similar to playing a Broadway musical. Along with being first-class entertainment, the four cast members of the Cirque were beautifully coordinated with the music, and the orchestra played at a thoroughly professional level. Lots of stage space was required for Cirque, so the orchestra was rather tightly crammed upstage into the shell, which tended to alter some of their balances, but the experience for all the players was valuable indeed. There were numerous passages requiring molto presto playing from the entire string section, and in every case, the playing was flawless. 

[katielindler]

Band Together Against Cancer

April 5, 2014

Yesterday was Relay for Life and I walked as a part of the Musical Greek team. It was really cool because an SAI sister sang the National Anthem and then a group of brothers and sisters sang the Alma Mater. Go Musical Greeks! After painting faces, walking laps and hanging out with everyone, a portion of our team went to rehearse Amazing Graze. We were asked to sing this song for the Luminary Ceremony in which they remember those that have lost their fight with cancer. It was one of the most memorable things that I have ever done, while also one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I was fine until the last verse and then everyone started crying! Me included! While I was singing the last verse with my brothers and sisters, I could not help but think about friends and family that have been effected by cancer. It was tough but I am so glad that I was a part of that experience.

This morning I woke up bright and early to play at the library. My quartet was part of a program in which children's books were accompanied by music. We accompanied The Paper Boy and Harry the Dirty Dog. We had a great time and the kids were so cute and loved the music! I hope it is something we can do again!

The rest of the day I plan on doing homework. Currently outside my window there is a massive pool party for the Uoaks residents. Yesterday the same thing happened so hopefully it won't turn into an everyday occurrence! 

[katielindler]

Exams, Acrobats and Good News!

April 2, 2014

Thank you Holly for pointing out my typo in my last blog post. I put November instead of March. I'm going to blame that on lack of sleep! 

It has been a great, but long, 3 days. Monday was filled with the usual jammed packed schedule plus symphony dress rehearsal. Monday night we put the show together with the acrobats and IT WAS AWESOME!! I could not tell you how many notes I missed because I was trying to watch the acrobats instead! We all kept getting so distracted because it was mesmerizing! After dress rehearsal I ran to chapter just in time to find out that I had been elected the next President of SAI! I am so excited and honored to take on this position. SAI has come to mean more to me than I ever thought and I can't wait for next year!

Tuesday morning we played concert #1 for school children and families. The kids loved the concert and the show was even cooler with all of the lights and the costumes. Even us musicians were giddy because it was so cool! After the concert I had classes and taught at SP before playing concert #2! The concert went just as well but we were definitely hurting. After two concerts, 1 hour of practicing, teaching for 2 hours and playing the viola for 2 hours, I felt like my fingers were going to fall off! This morning I definitely felt it!

Today I had a conducting test and normal classes. I found out that I was accepted to present at USC Discovery Day and am looking forward to adding another presentation to my resume! I made significant headway on my project today and hope to get even more done tomorrow!

Tonight was the first night in many nights in which I have not had meetings, rehearsal, concerts or studying to do. I got to come home at a decent hour, eat a decent meal and even splurge on a milkshake from cookout. My roommmate and I have enjoyed being "normal" students for a night! Who knows I might even be in bed by 11:00 tonight! How crazy is that??

This rest of the week will keep me busy. I have a lesson tomorrow morning and I am going straight to the library to work on my research. After SP I have quartet rehearsal and then we are having a SP girls' night. It will be nice to hang out and eat together. I hope everyone is enjoying the weather! My car read 85 degrees today! 

[katielindler]

Vita Brevis, Ars Longa

March 30, 2014

I had such a great weekend with my sisters. Initiation was Friday and I helped welcome 21 new ladies into SAI. I was extra excited to welcome my Little into the sisterhood. She is awesome and I could not think of a better person to have as a little! 

Saturday morning I did some time at the USC Chamber music day before packing up my car and heading to the State Museum to set up for the 15th Anniversary dinner. It was so exciting (and extremely stressful) to watch all of our hard work these past few months come together. While we experienced some speed bumps, 240 people attended and got to see what we are all about. The place was beautiful and I am so proud of my committee. The photo booth was a hit and everyone's silent auction basket was great! My favorite part of the evening was singing the Chorale with all of my sisters and the alumni. It gave me goosebumps! It was also really cool to meet the founding sisters! Without them, our chapter would not exist.  

I am so glad that my parents got to come and see what SAI is all about. In the past year, SAI has come to mean more to me than I ever thought. Tomorrow we will be voting on new officers and my name is the only nomination for President. Attending the banquet last night and standing with my sisters, both present and past, made me realize how great a bond we have. If I get the chance, I can not wait to lead the chapter next year and continue on the legacy of SAI Theta Chi. I'll keep you updated. 

This week I also have the Cirque de Symphonie Concert. Tomorrow we have dress rehearsal with the acrobats! Woo!

[katielindler]

I need sleep!

March 26, 2014

It has been quite the week! This past weekend I had a great time with my sisters. As part of the 15th Anniversary committee, Friday night we shopped, make the decorations and crafted from 3 in the afternoon until 2 the next morning. Tonight we are going to finish everything else. Saturday I went to Hiwire with SAI. It is a trampoline park and we had a great time. That night I hung out with my sisters and the MITs before heading to bed.

This week has been stressful. The Parker Quartet is here and the ASTA chapter is helping. There was an event last night and then they are here this weekend. I have two interviews tomorrow: One at Edventure and the other via Skype for a camp counselor position. At chapter Monday night I was nominated to take over as the next SAI President. Voting is next Monday! Yesterday I conducted at the SP meeting. It went pretty well and I have a discussion about it tomorrow. Yesterday I had my last undergraduate advisement ever and basically planned out my last year at USC. I am looking forward to taking a graduate level research course next year!

Tonight I have rehearsal and then a meeting with my SAI committee to finish crafting. Tomorrow I have a lesson, two interviews and SP. Friday I have two school observations, SAI Initiation and finalizing the rest of the banquet details. Saturday I have USC Chamber Day in the morning and the banquet that afternoon/night. Sunday I have two recitals and a ton of homework to do. It never ends! AHHH!

[katielindler]

Hit the ground sprinting

March 19, 2014

Can I go back on Spring Break now? This week has been non-stop and it is only Wednesday! Currently I am laying in my bed and it's only 9:15. I am worn out and have no motivation to do anything!

Despite the week being so busy, it has been good. I found out Monday that I am one of seven School of Music students selected to present at the School of Music Research Day in April. i am so excited to be able to share my research project with the Columbia community and my School of Music family! I am really enjoying these opportunities that keep arising! On a side note, this week I also had a job interview for a local children museum. I have a second interview next week so hopefully I get the job!

Tomorrow I have a violin lesson at 9 and then have a break all the way until 4:00. Before you get jealous of all of my "free time" in between, I'll have you know that I will literally be doing homework, projects and papers the entire afternoon. The goal is to not have any homework over the weekend. One can hope right? After SP I go straight to a masterclass which will probably last a few hours. Woo

Friday I get to go to Keenan High School to watch three orchestras at concert festival.From there I get to drive 45 minutes outside the city to get a couple hours of elementary school music observations in. Later that afternoon, my sisters and I are going on a craft store adventure to get items for our 15th Anniversary dinner coming up! Lets hope I have enough energy to get through the rest of the week!