Greetings, Internet! Yet another week has passed in which I have not left the apartment. This may have something to do with general concern over the air in my tires (I really need to fill them, and also see if there’s an issue with my tire). Music has taken over my life, but in a good way. Also, the medical supply issues I was having last week have been straightened out, so, huzzah! Daily summaries below!

 

Day One Hundred and Six (6/26/20)

• Did the FES cycle.
• Well, this happened in my neighborhood last night. Gun violence in Flatiron. Cool. Well, not cool, terrible.
• I think the prescription issue might get sorted early next week. Or at least, here’s hoping. I need to be able to pee.
• Finally put some wine in the fridge. Gotta prepare for Wine-and-FaceTime with my sister tomorrow night.
• Practiced the song I want to do for Thursday’s cover. There’s a key change, so I have to memorize more chord progressions than usual. Thank goodness I’ve known the words to this song since the late 1990s (that’s right, more Disney), so I only have to focus on the chords. One hour later, my fingertips hurt when I type, so, yaaay.
• Currently feeling: There just aren’t enough hours in the day. Wish I had a Time-Turner. Like, for reals, I would use that for my dissertation, my guitar practicing, and probably other things as well. Although I suppose that would be very difficult, because I’m not sure how I could use it without being seen, considering that I do my dissertation and guitar practicing in the same room.
• Currently looping: The Disney Sing-Along version of “You’ll Be in My Heart” featuring Broadway stars. Professional singers are so good at harmonizing by ear. I’ve only really just dabbled in it (my “Dancing On My Own” cover is basically all harmonizing by ear). I imagine it takes a ton of practice. I wonder if I would have learned to do it correctly if I had gone to that performing arts high school.

 

Day One Hundred and Seven (6/27/20)

• The front caster on my shower chair needs a replacement part. Darnit. It’s still safe to use, thank goodness, but it’s just hard to steer (I know it’s quarantine and all that, but I still believe in basic hygiene).
• Recorded a cover for Thursday. ‘Twas a bit ambitious, and I’ll never do the song justice, but I tried. Maybe if I had like two other backup vocal tracks.
• Wine and FaceTime with my sister! Omg, Sauvignon Blanc hits me real fast. At some point during the FaceTime, I heard chants of “Breonna Taylor” outside my building. How are her killers still not in jail?
• Currently feeling: Wheeee! Am I going to go to bed close to 2am? Probably! Wheee!
• Currently looping: Lights’ “Almost Had Me.” It’s catchy and it has a good beat, okay?

 

Day One Hundred and Eight (6/28/20)

• Did the FES cycle.
• Might have gotten drunk last night and sent my Thursday cover to a few friends. I think I need to learn how to harmonize the proper way, and not by ear (which isn’t like, an improper way, but I need to learn like, the actual way, because I can’t always figure it out, and that’s definitely reflective of lack of training/lack of experience, because Broadway singers can do it with no problem). That was a roundabout way to say that I need to work on harmonizing.
• Practiced “Jackass.”
• I love watching thunderstorms happening outside my window.
• Writing workshop! Started a bit late, so I crammed a lot of drinking in when I probably shouldn’t have (all because I can’t stand not finishing a bottle of wine). So I ended up getting super drunk, to the point where writing buddy was not sure that I was okay. Whoops. Oh gosh, whoops is an understatement. Sorry, writing buddy.
• Currently feeling: Sobering up, slowly.
• Currently looping: Evanescence’s “The Last Song I’m Wasting on You.” I’ve taken the “I’m done” philosophy and amplified it to eleven. Is there an “I’m done” song? I should write one.

 

Day One Hundred and Nine (6/29/20)

• Woke up with a headache. At first I thought I was hungover, but then I realized it was the side effect of a menstrual cramp. Blergh.
• Posted my cover of Taylor Swift’s “The Man” for a college blockmate’s birthday. When we were in college, she was really into Taylor Swift, and I really was not. Then once I got on the Taylor train, I apologized to my friend for not hopping on the train sooner.
• Songwriting lesson got postponed. Boo.
• Rerecorded the harmony for Thursday’s video. As I listened to it again, I thought there was something missing, so, rerecord! Later recorded a cover for next week. Maybe this is the video in which Fleur will finally make an appearance! Maybe. I practiced a bit tonight and will try to record that part either tomorrow or on Wednesday. We shall see!
• FaceTimed with one of my HGSE friends. I missed her face. She was on her building’s roof and she showed me the sunset and her view of Manhattan. It was stunning. I love my city.
• Started writing a song because the melody popped into my head (so random how that’s happened like twice in the past month or so). I’m going to be miffed if I ripped off someone else’s melody, because I am digging it so far (and yes, I have owned up to the fact that my songwriting adolescence will probably go on for a while, so hush). Then as I kept writing, it turned into a different song (in that there appear to be two songs that don’t make sense…so that’s going to be fun to sort through…whoops).
• Catheter issue is straightened out! Huzzah! And I ordered the replacement part for my shower chair. Not sure when it’ll get here, but the order is getting processed, so yay! Good news on the medical front!
• Currently feeling: It’s Music Monday! I love Music Mondays. They bring me boundless joy.
• Currently looping: Evanescence’s “My Immortal.” Oh yes. It’s happening.

 

Day One Hundred and Ten (6/30/20)

• Tried to figure out how to use TikTok. So far, have linked my YouTube channel to it, but don’t know if I can post YouTube clips to TikTok. Hmm.
• Did the FES cycle.
• My mom’s here!
• Still have no idea how TikTok works.
• Ordered an English translation of some of Gregory of Tours’ Miracles (he wrote a lot of saints’ lives). The Gregory saga continues!
• Currently feeling: I need to learn how to use Garageband. I’m told it’s pretty intuitive, but I’d really like to start recording stuff. Currently, I just sing through a microphone while running iMovie. I’ve heard a few covers other people have posted where my first reaction is, “Wait, you did something in Garageband. Or something. You definitely did something to your voice that makes it sound more even.” How do people do that? It’s not autotune, it’s just, like, a cleaner sound.
• Currently looping: The Hours’ “Ali in the Jungle.”

 

Day One Hundred and Eleven (7/1/20)

• Happy July, everyone!
• Recorded the flute for a song that’s going up next week. It actually works! I’m excited to share it.
• Well, it’s been nice knowing you all (I realize the article is mostly about policies in the UK, but there have been similar concerns in the US).
• Currently feeling: Earlier today, I found out that one of my former history teachers has dementia. He’s not doing well. His brilliance and enthusiasm for history, and the joy he brought to class everyday were huge reasons why I wanted to pursue History as a concentration when I got to college (and why I still love the subject of history, despite all of my feelings with regard to academia). My heart breaks for him and his family, and I wish I could send them all hugs.
• Currently looping: Evanescence’s “The Game is Over.” They dropped a new single today, so you know I’m listening to it on repeat.

 

Day One Hundred and Twelve (7/2/20)

• Did the FES cycle.
• Posted my cover of “You’ll Be in My Heart.” Easily in my top five of Disney songs (also on the list in no particular order: “Go the Distance,” “Reflection,” “I See the Light,” and “How Far I’ll Go”)
• Songwriting lesson! “Jackass” has gotten the green light for recording. Now to learn how to use GarageBand. Also I think I need a cord for my guitar to hook it up to my audio interface?
• Therapy! Still 100% that boss bitch. But also needing to be mindful that I don’t slip back into workaholic tendencies.
• Read an article about plague in the late Middle Ages. The city of Valencia may have quarantined all the poor people together out of fear of contagion. Good grief.
• Currently feeling: I think I need to cut down to one video per week. This dissertation isn’t going to research itself, and I’m taking more time to practice guitar and flute, still have a ukulele song or two lined up, and I have original stuff that I’m working on. It’s not that I’m not working on the dissertation. I just feel like I could be working on it more. I don’t know. It’s hard to work from home.
• Currently looping: Sara Bareilles’ “If I Dare.” “If I dare to want this / to want more than I have / then I dare to believe / I’ll have it in the end.” Those lyrics. Hot damn.

Thanks so much for reading! Stay safe, stay healthy, and fight the power.