I'm a freshman at Bowling Green State University. I'm a music major for now, but that may change. First thing to know about me is that my high school experience was rather unique in many ways, most specifically in that second semester was not spent in class, but first at ProMusica Chamber Orchestra working in Operations, and then at Acorn Community, an egalitarian, intentional community in central VA.

That second experience (called a Walkabout) changed my life. I spend my time working in the garden and helping out wherever I could in the community. I met wonderful people who I came to love and I learned a lot about myself--mostly that I still have a lot to learn.

After spending years thinking I would major in performance and live as an oboist once I left college, I am now filled with doubt. Still, I have an abounding love for music and for oboe, and very much enjoy geeking out over music theory. On the other hand, the extreme pleasure I got out of working on an organic farm and the amazing friendships I made in community suggest to me that there's more in the world that I need to see before I act too certain.

Again, I'm an oboe performance major at Bowling Green State University. I spend my time practicing, working in the community gardens, attending various clubs, and generally selling my soul away to God knows what. One thing I don't do is sleep. It's all good though.

Making messes, being awkward, wasting time, forgetting what day it is, the list goes on.

Seriously, I like to believe I am quite good at oboe-ing. Other than that, well, there are probably other things, but that's the main skill I've spent time honing.

I'm pretty quiet, especially when I don't know people, but I smile and laugh a lot. I laugh embarrassingly hard uncontrollably sometimes.

Also, I have a collection of band nerd t-shirts with horrible, horrible puns that sometimes get some attention. I'm quite fond of them.

Do I have to? I'll be vague because favorites are hard.

Books: fantasy is my preferred genre. There's nothing like good high fantasy and I feel that it's the least dissapointing when written poorly. I'll read all sorts of things and enjoy it though.

Movies: I don't really watch movies all that often. I tend to feel similarly about comedy movies to my feelings toward fantasy books. I am particularly fond of the work of Mel Brooks and of Monty Python.

Music: this is impossible. Ummm.... I listen to progressive rock often. I really like Yes and Gentle Giant. Jethro Tull is pretty awesome. I'll listen to many other things though, as long as it's somewhat interesting to listen to I won't mind hearing it again.

Then there's "classical" music and I hardly know where to begin. The music for wind band that I've most enjoyed is by Gustav Holst and Percy Grainger. I tend to enjoy most oboe solos. I guess I'm biased that way. I also seem to have a thing for French composers.

Love, music (to listen to), (a way to create) music, yummy food, sunshine, hugs.

Acorn and how I miss it :( What I'm going to do with my life. How I can avoid practicing :X All the work I need to somehow get done. How the meal plan needs to accommodate vegetarians better. Random, silly philosophical points of no real significance. Ridiculous analogies. Your mom :X Who knows? Sometimes I even thing about what I'm currently doing.

Not sure there's a good answer to this question. I have quintet practice from 6-7 which is kind of awkward.

If someone prompts me, I might come up with something interesting to put here. As things are, I don't feel I need to put anything particularly private here at all. Sorry to disapoint.

You know me and you want to talk, especially if face-to-face conversation is limited. Or if you just want to, although I don't promise to be particularly forthcoming.

Editors

• JSBierwiler