My Music Friends

Let me tell you about the latest “best day of my life.” Class starts for me at 8 a.m. every morning, but I like my morning class because my friend Arwen is in it. So I went to class and had a great time learning about triads and seventh chords and such. I also tried to write some song lyrics. (I’ve always wanted to write a pop song, but I never actually have.) I came back to my room and listened while a couple of friends jammed out on their guitars. I showed them my lyrics, and they liked them!

Things really picked up around 4 p.m. when I rehearsed with one of my favorite groups—it’s just me and a rhythm section, so there’s lots of room for experimentation with sound. Also, all the players in the group are amazing! We played for about two and a half hours, and it was so much fun. We’re doing this really crazy arrangement of “All the Things You Are” in 7/4 time, and we’ve also changed the melody a little bit so that all the phrases are seven bars long. It is sweet.

Then I went to visit two of my most favorite people in the world: my friends Lisa and Sarah. They are both vocal majors, and they also happen to be incredibly nice, caring, wonderful people. We sat around and talked, sang “Dream a Little Dream of Me” with Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, and danced East Coast Swing-style. I love them.

Next, I went to an incredible jam session at my friend Brian’s house. It was just me and a swingin’ rhythm section. We played music until almost 2 in the morning! I can’t begin to describe how amazing it is to play with such good musicians and to communicate with them on such a deep level. It is something that I think everyone should get the chance to experience.