touching base with my high school choir class

I just got back from the annual Main Street Singers holiday concert. The Main Street Singers are Los Altos High School's elite choir; they have many performances throughout the year and go on an international tour every spring. Though I didn't join the Main Street Singers, many of my classmates from Chorale did. It was certainly great to see everyone again, especially Mr. Shaull and their accompanist Debbie.

The music was enjoyable as always. The most poignant moment was when Mr. Shaull invited the MSS alumni to join the current choir for the last song. The concert ended with an after-party with cookies and hot cider. There's no better way to get into the Christmas spirit!

Currently playing: Field & Stream Trophy Hunting 4

choir party report

So we had another party in the choir room today during lunch. However, this party wasn't quite like the one in December. The biggest difference was the lack of atmosphere. There were fewer people, none of whom stayed long or got up to dance. I'm guessing it's because the finals are coming up.

Though the mood was less festive, everyone still had a great time. I even brought my laptop to show people the Quake demos I downloaded. That's as geeky as it gets. ^_^

Currently playing: Quake Mission Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity

spring choral concert report

Tonight was the LAHS spring choral concert. The event was held in the school auditorium, an extremely convenient location. Like the holiday concert in December, the entire choral department was involved.

The choirs sang a variety of songs before performing Mass of the Children together as Choral Union. I should mention that I had also joined the Varsity Men's Glee after having enjoyed Chorale so much. The concert was definitely a great experience.

The nice thing is that Dad was able to make it this time. He actually rescheduled his business trip in order to come. I really appreciate him doing this for me. Dad even took some pictures to send to Mr. Shaull. Although my maternal grandmother had just passed away a few days ago, I did my best to not let that affect my performance. On the whole, the event was a huge success.

Currently listening to singing: Mass of the Children by John Rutter

Historical note: Pictures from the concert are available here.

my last semester at LAHS

School just started for me. It's hard to believe this is my last semester at Los Altos High School. I'm actually starting to miss it already - especially Mr. Shaull's choir class. :-(

Speaking of which, there was some bad news in Chorale: our accompanist Mrs. Hebel passed away on New Year's Day after a battle with cancer. According to Mr. Shaull, she has played the piano for over 60 years. I didn't see Mrs. Hebel very often but have always admired her musical talent. Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time.

Now that I'm on my last semester, the biggest challenge is to not catch senioritis. Even though I've submitted my applications, most colleges require the final transcript to complete the process. I guess I have to keep working hard. :P

Currently playing: Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold

a little choir party

Our successful holiday concert is certainly a reason to celebrate. Therefore, the LAHS choral department had a party during lunch today in the choir room. The table was filled with snacks while Mr. Shaull put on holiday music. Some people even got up to dance!

The party was fairly short as we only get 45 minutes for lunch. However, that's not a big deal because everyone had a great time. This almost makes up for the dance I had to miss. :-)

In any case, I should get back to studying as the finals are starting tomorrow for us seniors. Peace.

Currently listening to: "White Christmas" by Irving Berlin

my first public performance!

I just got back from the LAHS winter choral concert at the Los Altos United Methodist Church. It was a major event that involved the entire LAHS choral department — collectively known as Choral Union. This was my first public performance and an overall enjoyable experience.

The choral department has six groups: Chorale, Varsity Men's Glee, Girls Ensemble, Concert Choir, Girls 21 and the Main Street Singers. Each performed separately before assembling for Joseph Haydn's Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo. I was nervous at first but started getting used to it after a while. It probably helps that I didn't have to sing solo. :P

Mom and my aunts Wei-Jen and Wei-Fang were more than happy to come. This was one of my proudest moments. The only downside is that Dad is away on business again and couldn't be there. I wanted to record the concert for him, but we didn't know where we put the camcorder. Oh well.

The tickets were $7 each. Though we don't get a cut as the proceeds go to the school, the fact that we had a great time performing is a reward in itself — and that's what really matters. I'm already looking forward to the spring concert next year. :-)

Currently listening to singing: "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow"

first day of my last year of high school

School just started for me. It's hard to believe how fast time has gone. At any rate, I'm now a high school senior!

I should mention that I'm taking Chorale this year to satisfy the fine arts requirement. Though I was reluctant at first due to my fear of performing in public, the class doesn't seem as scary as I had made it out to be. It's actually quite fun, especially with all those cute girls. No wonder Mom has always told me not to judge things before trying them.

You're probably aware that we just returned from a trip to Japan and China. Due to the limited availability of flights, my mother and I almost got stuck overseas. I'm really glad I didn't have to miss the first week of school. That was a close call.

In other news...

I recently beat Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition for the first time without cheats. The fourth episode was quite challenging compared to the first three. It took me numerous tries to defeat the final boss!

Currently listening to: Duke Nukem II soundtrack - "Dukin' it Out" by Bobby Prince