Random 3.0

Craig Jessop · Post by **Craig Jessop** » Sun May 11, 2008 1:45 am

bobtheenchantedone wrote:Wow. Look. You didn't have a party. *is astonished*

Something funny, Giovanni - if I didn't know you were in Arizona, I would think you went to my high school. Your teacher sounds a lot a lot like Coach, and your choir sounds like it was as good as ours. Odd.

Actually, midear, Mountain View's Chorale IS quite good -- and I'm not just saying that. The director is personal friends with Dr. Jo-Michel Scheibe (look him up), and Dr. Scheibe has come to Mountain View to rehearse several times (I actually got to be in the room with him once as part of the orchestra when we performed Faure's Requiem). On the visit during which he conducted the orchestra AND choir together, he said "You are probably the best high school choir I have heard in years. Mountain View consistently produces choirs of a collegiate level." Granted, that is not an exact quote, but it's the gist of what he said. Several times. Pretty good from the guy who has directed the choral programs at Northern Arizona, University of Florida, and now USC, and who is paid tens of thousands to conduct all state choirs around the nation.

This is not to mention the group of professors from U Oregon who came into town, asked the music director at ASU whose string program was the best, and were told, unequivocally, "Mountain View. Go there and you won't need to go anywhere else." I remember them -- and others from smaller universities -- trying to recruit us all (they played a chamber piece for us, then conducted master classes), then saying how phenomenal our choir program is. Or our director being awarded "best high school orchestra director" by some educational trade magazine three years in a row.

Sigh... once a Toro, always a Toro. We just can't help our Toro pride (just ask John Beck and Max Hall -- also Toros!)

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Sun May 11, 2008 9:22 am

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:
bobtheenchantedone wrote:Wow. Look. You didn't have a party. *is astonished*

Something funny, Giovanni - if I didn't know you were in Arizona, I would think you went to my high school. Your teacher sounds a lot a lot like Coach, and your choir sounds like it was as good as ours. Odd.
You call your choir director COACH?!?!?!

...so cool...

Yes, we do, and yes, it is cool.

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Sun May 11, 2008 9:25 am

Craig Jessop wrote:
bobtheenchantedone wrote:Wow. Look. You didn't have a party. *is astonished*

Something funny, Giovanni - if I didn't know you were in Arizona, I would think you went to my high school. Your teacher sounds a lot a lot like Coach, and your choir sounds like it was as good as ours. Odd.
Actually, midear, Mountain View's Chorale IS quite good -- and I'm not just saying that. The director is personal friends with Dr. Jo-Michel Scheibe (look him up), and Dr. Scheibe has come to Mountain View to rehearse several times (I actually got to be in the room with him once as part of the orchestra when we performed Faure's Requiem). On the visit during which he conducted the orchestra AND choir together, he said "You are probably the best high school choir I have heard in years. Mountain View consistently produces choirs of a collegiate level." Granted, that is not an exact quote, but it's the gist of what he said. Several times. Pretty good from the guy who has directed the choral programs at Northern Arizona, University of Florida, and now USC, and who is paid tens of thousands to conduct all state choirs around the nation.

This is not to mention the group of professors from U Oregon who came into town, asked the music director at ASU whose string program was the best, and were told, unequivocally, "Mountain View. Go there and you won't need to go anywhere else." I remember them -- and others from smaller universities -- trying to recruit us all (they played a chamber piece for us, then conducted master classes), then saying how phenomenal our choir program is. Or our director being awarded "best high school orchestra director" by some educational trade magazine three years in a row.

Sigh... once a Toro, always a Toro. We just can't help our Toro pride (just ask John Beck and Max Hall -- also Toros!)

Sorry, mate. I didn't mean to put down your lovely school or its choirs. I think it's cool that our choirs are on the same level - and yes, I still say that. We are. : D

On a side note, it is really hard to type while holding a baby.

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Sun May 11, 2008 2:22 pm

Craig Jessop wrote:On the visit during which [Dr. Scheibe] conducted the orchestra AND choir together, he said "You are probably the best high school choir I have heard in years. Mountain View consistently produces choirs of a collegiate level."

And we're even better than the choir he said that about...

According to lots of different people, we're the best choir our director has ever had. When we went to San Francisco this year to record in George Lucas' private recording studio (Very cool place by the way. His personal theater is cool too. Floor to ceiling speakers covering the whole room, and a giant box of speakers underneath each chair. So cool. (The pre-preview preview we saw of Iron Man in there was better than the actual movie in the supposed best theater in Arizona.))... Anyways, when we went to San Francisco for our choir tour, we worked with Elena Sharkova, who, apparently was the premiere college choir director in the Western U.S., at the premiere choir college in California (at least until she retired so she could become a mom (which in and of itself was cool)), did a workshop with us. She was very funny and very into understanding the words and believing what we said, or saying it with conviction. But we did our mass (composed specifically for Mountain View High School Choir and Chamber Orchestra by Dave and Jean Perry (If you're a choir person, I hope you've heard of them. They're phenomenal.)), and then she made the orchestra leave so that she could work only with the choir. We told her we were going to sing "Sleep," by Eric Whitacre (also a phenomenal song and composer). She acted like she wasn't excited, except to make it better, until the end. When we were done, (We were in a Seventh Day Adventist Church (It's really random of me to put this in there, but for some reason I thought it was important before I pressed preview)), she told us all to sit down, and basically said "That was the best I've ever heard that piece done. We sing it at California All-State every year, and you were still better than the best choir the whole state of California can put together every year." She basically sat there and told us how amazing our choir was for fifteen minutes.

That was pretty cool.

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Sun May 11, 2008 4:49 pm

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:
Craig Jessop wrote:On the visit during which [Dr. Scheibe] conducted the orchestra AND choir together, he said "You are probably the best high school choir I have heard in years. Mountain View consistently produces choirs of a collegiate level."
And we're even better than the choir he said that about...

According to lots of different people, we're the best choir our director has ever had. When we went to San Francisco this year to record in George Lucas' private recording studio (Very cool place by the way. His personal theater is cool too. Floor to ceiling speakers covering the whole room, and a giant box of speakers underneath each chair. So cool. (The pre-preview preview we saw of Iron Man in there was better than the actual movie in the supposed best theater in Arizona.))... Anyways, when we went to San Francisco for our choir tour, we worked with Elena Sharkova, who, apparently was the premiere college choir director in the Western U.S., at the premiere choir college in California (at least until she retired so she could become a mom (which in and of itself was cool)), did a workshop with us. She was very funny and very into understanding the words and believing what we said, or saying it with conviction. But we did our mass (composed specifically for Mountain View High School Choir and Chamber Orchestra by Dave and Jean Perry (If you're a choir person, I hope you've heard of them. They're phenomenal.)), and then she made the orchestra leave so that she could work only with the choir. We told her we were going to sing "Sleep," by Eric Whitacre (also a phenomenal song and composer). She acted like she wasn't excited, except to make it better, until the end. When we were done, (We were in a Seventh Day Adventist Church (It's really random of me to put this in there, but for some reason I thought it was important before I pressed preview)), she told us all to sit down, and basically said "That was the best I've ever heard that piece done. We sing it at California All-State every year, and you were still better than the best choir the whole state of California can put together every year." She basically sat there and told us how amazing our choir was for fifteen minutes.

That was pretty cool.

Parenthesis ahoy!

Our choirs are still as cool as yours. Take my word for it, since I don't feel like typing stories like you do. : D

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Sun May 11, 2008 7:14 pm

Okay. I believe you. I just had to say why I thought we were cool. Mmm... so many stories, so little space...

SWKT Parachuter · Post by **SWKT Parachuter** » Sun May 11, 2008 7:15 pm

Oh yeah, reliving high school glory days is SO cool.

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Sun May 11, 2008 7:47 pm

SWKT Parachuter wrote:Oh yeah, reliving high school glory days is SO cool.

Indeed! Especially when two of your brothers go to the same school, and your sister will be going next year, and you have four siblings after them who will go, and one of your best friends was your English teacher there and still teaches there...

Oh, wait. You meant that sarcastically. My mistake.

Craig Jessop · Post by **Craig Jessop** » Sun May 11, 2008 7:54 pm

SWKT Parachuter wrote:Oh yeah, reliving high school glory days is SO cool.

Do you know what? Just shut up. Nobody likes a negative Nancy, especially one who derives his (or her?) self-esteem from deriding others -- that's why you keep coming back here. Jerk.

Imogen · Post by **Imogen** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:17 pm

though i don't do it often, reliving high school days CAN be fun! it's just like reliving anytime in one's life. and besides, i did so much awesome stuff in high school.

also, my last college voice recital is tuesday. i'm NERVOUS!

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:52 pm

SWKT Parachuter wrote:Oh yeah, reliving high school glory days is SO cool.

Hmm. Remember, I am still in high school, hence the discussion under the "Me for president" that you started because I am a high school student. And hence, they are not my glory days, yet. They are still around for me. So stop talkin's smack. Please.

yellow m&m · Post by **yellow m&m** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:56 pm

Just the other day I realized it has been two years since I graduated. I think back to my High School days (not days of glory) and think "did I really do that?". While I enjoyed while I was in it, I'm glad that I'm past that part. But Giovanni, live it to the max. You're only in High School once, and if I could go back, I'd do so many things differently. Oh well, at least I have college...

Benvolio · Post by **Benvolio** » Sun May 11, 2008 9:08 pm

Craig Jessop wrote:Congrats! Good luck. Do you have a job lined up?

I'm doing a judicial clerkship for a year. I'll have a more permanent job lined up by the end of it.

Nanti-SARRMM · Post by **Nanti-SARRMM** » Sun May 11, 2008 10:01 pm

SWKT Parachuter wrote:Oh yeah, reliving high school glory days is SO cool.

I completely agree with your sarcastic piece, I mean who wants to remember what went on in high school and what cool things they did with whom. I mean, it's not like people who went to high school together get together every five years or so to talk about those sort of things and renew friendships with those they knew, that'd just be crazy...

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Sun May 11, 2008 10:16 pm

HEY EVERYONE! I BROKE SOMEONE'S HEART! HE WAS TOTALLY CRYING IN THE CHAPEL TODAY!

Okay, I feel better now.

Nanti-SARRMM · Post by **Nanti-SARRMM** » Sun May 11, 2008 10:19 pm

bobtheenchantedone wrote:HEY EVERYONE! I BROKE SOMEONE'S HEART! HE WAS TOTALLY CRYING IN THE CHAPEL TODAY!

Okay, I feel better now.

Bob, Bob, Bob, whatever are we to do with you?

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Sun May 11, 2008 10:54 pm

Nanti-SARRMM wrote:
bobtheenchantedone wrote:HEY EVERYONE! I BROKE SOMEONE'S HEART! HE WAS TOTALLY CRYING IN THE CHAPEL TODAY!

Okay, I feel better now.

Bob, Bob, Bob, whatever are we to do with you?

That's aw(ful/esome. Take your pick).
What's you do?

SWKT Parachuter · Post by **SWKT Parachuter** » Mon May 12, 2008 12:14 am

bobtheenchantedone wrote:HEY EVERYONE! I BROKE SOMEONE'S HEART! HE WAS TOTALLY CRYING IN THE CHAPEL TODAY!

Okay, I feel better now.

Tell me it was Craig Jessop... oh, please, let it be Craig Jessop!

Actually, I'm interested to hear this story -- tears are the nectar of life to a poor, cynical old soul.

Giovanni Schwartz · Post by **Giovanni Schwartz** » Mon May 12, 2008 12:24 am

SWKT Parachuter wrote:Tell me it was Craig Jessop... oh, please, let it be Craig Jessop!

Do you have a problem with my brother? Between the two of us, we could take you down easily. Heck, I could probably take you down alone.

Post by **bobtheenchantedone** » Mon May 12, 2008 7:12 am

SWKT Parachuter wrote:
bobtheenchantedone wrote:HEY EVERYONE! I BROKE SOMEONE'S HEART! HE WAS TOTALLY CRYING IN THE CHAPEL TODAY!

Okay, I feel better now.
Tell me it was Craig Jessop... oh, please, let it be Craig Jessop!

Actually, I'm interested to hear this story -- tears are the nectar of life to a poor, cynical old soul.

Naw, Craig went to Arizona before I could break his heart. But I happen to like that guy, so be nice.

As for the story, it's pretty simple; I wouldn't go out with him. I did mean to tell him so, but he was so... he's one of those people you have to be extra careful around, you know? So I didn't straight-out tell him no. But he knew that was what I meant anyway. And it apparently hurt him a lot.

However, I'm glad I hurt him now instead of after a date or two because I was false. (Even if I was false, it apparently wasn't false enough.)