Day 10

how's it going?

After a rather rushed practice time in the morning, we had church. The "service" was an almost depressing tale of what society will be like in the future due to the lack of children. It was all about the importance of kids. Anyway, we went out for Chinese for lunch and then had a rehearsal for the first of two shows. After that show, which was the piano and drama groups, I had about an hour before I had to be back for the dance, choir, and jazz band concert that I also played in. The best part of that was that there was swing dancing afterwards.

Quote(s) of the day:

Mrs. Wolaver: "The soldiers came back from WWII and started making babies."

Random Drama Girl: "That's why I only buy crap.... [I mean] GAP jeans."

catcha lata'

Johny Cash

Day 9

'Allo

Yesterday was fun. I woke up at 7:00 to go and do a bluegrass band rehearsal at 7:30. Then we had devotions followed by (for me) a free morning. Following my freedom, I had to play in the kids' show (which had the fire alarm go off in the middle of it for no reason). Then it was off to our big show that was very fun cuz I got to play on every one of the bluegrass and fiddle tunes.

Quote of the day:

Ben: "I mean, it's not like you see dogs practicing complex forms of ancestor worship...."

th-th-th-that's it folks!

muggs

Day 8

yo

yesterday was cool. Alex led devotions which was a reading from one of C.S. Lewis' essays ("Good Works and Good Work" http://books.google.com/books?id=9nFujmxXcR8C&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=C.S.+Lewis+essays+good+work+and+good+works&source=bl&ots=NmB23RsY5P&sig=Db83jZZgmOgJSVpmwJ3i_GUGFGc&hl=en&ei=6N1hSurZCovssQPL5u1m&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10) Read it. It is excellent.

Then we went on to orchestra and our last sectional which was more like a master class. After lunch, we had our dress rehearsal for tonight's recital. It was at this dress rehearsal that I found out that I am playing cello with all seven bands that play in the break. Then I had very rushed dinner while I talked to Sean and Caleb and then I was off to the Kids' musical. It went well cuz I only messed up a few times. After that, I talked for a while, come back to the dorm, took pictures of myself in photobooth for a while, and then went to bed.

Quote of the day:

Alex: "You know how cave men drew animals on the walls of caves? I bet that those were actually their nurseries. I mean what's on the wall of your church's nursery? Animals. If you don't believe me, go to your church and look. Now, after that slight diversion, back to C.S. Lewis...."'

tha's it

Cper

Day 7

Hey Yo

Yesterday was one of the best days of camp yet. In orchestra we worked on our string medley that includes all of the bluegrass bands, fiddle ensemble, and the mandolin ensemble. Then we had a shortened technique class that was a whole bunch of music games. Instead of going to improv., Annie wanted all of the bluegrass bands to practice which we were very happy to do (we decided to swing a bluegrass tune, speed it up, and add a huge ritard at one point, and all of this without two members of our band). Then we practiced the variations on Pagini's 24th Caprice (including the Benny Goodman version) and we split up for mandolin ensemble and then off to bluegrass band. After a very rushed dinner, I had to go play cello for the dress rehearsal for the little kids' show. It was a four hour rehearsal and we only got half way through the show..... Anyway, Ben Wolaver (the cellist) and I had some great conversation ranging from our favorite de-motivators to escatology to problems with the emergent church.

Quote of the day:

Ben: If you're not part of the solution, there is good money to be made in prolonging the problem.

C'Ya!

jasper

Day 6

Howdy Doody Ya'll!

Devotions yesterday were excellent. Ben Wolaver addressed the three common areas of sin that artists often fall into. 1. False Humility (caused by fear)("I'll let someone else do that") 2. Control ("Nobody else is taking it so I will.") 3. Jealousy (leading to idolatry). Then I had orchestra, sectionals, lunch, improv/theory, a mandolin lesson, orchestra again (that went late), choir, and bluegrass ensemble again (which ROCKS!). We had dinner at the Copper Kettle again (still AMAZING) and then walked around and found a good place to do my family's band shot. Then I rushed back to my dorm to get my cello and then I ran off to a rehearsal for the little kids' musical on Friday night. It was a lot like any of the orchestra rehearsal we had in Pilgrim except that none of the little kids were there (I mean we rehearsed from 8:30 to 10:20ish with a 10 o'clock curfew).

Yesterday's quotes:

Alex (Wolaver): You just have to look at your hand and yell go!

Mario: Ca-peach (capiche)? Comprende? *sigh Ya get it?

Jessica: Which one is your case?

Me: The caucasion one.

That's it everybody!

JC

Day 5

Howdy!

Yesterday was a good day. Nothing really exciting happened during all of the normal classes (except that our theory teacher [from Brazil] was talking about playing flat thirds and with his accent it sounds like he's saying "flat turds"). In Mandolin ensemble we finally got our tune up to speed including our two harmonies and chords. In bluegrass band we finally decided on our tunes (a Bill Monroe Medley of "Gold Rush" and "Wheelhoss" both of which are rockin' bluegrass tunes). Dinner was at CA Pizza Kitchen (amazing pizza) and Maggie Moo's for dessert. Then we got home and I went to go practice with some peeps and it turned into an amazing jam session.

Anyway, on the humorous side, I got a couple of quotes:

Annie: "I love being a dork"

"I am SO glad I don't have to vibrate on a cello"

"I need a fat, honking vibrato otherwise it just sounds lame"

"Chris was really givin' it (vibrato)"

Mario: "What kind of tird is in a major scale?"

Me: "A natural turd!"

Me: "I'm the humblest person I know"

(my friend) Audrey: "You need to get out more"

Me: "Audrey, either vibrate or squeak. As a violinist, you have no other choices"

That's it for now!

the walking fortress

Day 4

Yesterday was a normal day at camp. We had to be at devotions at 8:15 and then on to our packed days. Bluegrass band was cool cuz we got to listen to a whole bunch Bluegrass and Newgrass (modern Bluegrass) stuff. We are doing a song called "Salty Dog Blues." For dinner we went to a little Southern-style restaurant that had AMAZING southern food and sweet tea. If any of ya'll are ever in Nashville then go to a place called the Copper Kettle. It's AMAZING.

Anyway, we've got a games night tonite so we'll see how that goes.

BTW, I think I must be missing all of the peeps at CovLife because I keep seeing people here that look like people back home (There are peeps that look like MacKenzie Tench, Sean Wilson, David Galbraith, and Joanna Linn just to name a few). There's also a kid that looks like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes.....

That's it!

Chris

Days 2 and 3

'Sup Dawgs!

Yesterday was "chaos day" according to Annie. After a rushed orientation luncheon, we went off to orchestra (which was chaotic). Then I went to my songwriting class with Kim McLean (country, gospel, and film songwriter) and learned about the rudiments of lyric and melody. Then we got dinner from California Pizza Kitchen and ate it with the family that had been in our suite but, because of campus rules, had to switch rooms. So we talked for a long time and then it was off to bed after watching the fight scenes from Kung Fu Panda.

Today, we shimmied off to devotions at 8:15 and then into a packed day of music (orchestra, sectionals, theory, orchestra again, a private lesson, and Bluegrass band). Our theory/ improv teacher is a cool Brazilian guitarist named Mario DaSilva. And my bluegrass band rocks because we've all had a little bit of experience (including Gretchen Wolaver of the Annie Moses band!!).

Anyway, Mom is pretty much Annie's assistant/ secretary so I'm waiting for her to finish whatever she is doing so I can go get dinner and go shopping at the local mall. :)

Later dudes and dudettes!

Sirhc

Day 1

Hey all!!

Yesterday, we woke up at 4:30 AM (I got away w/ waking up at five :) ) and were on our way to Tennessee by 6. Then, Dad drove for around 3 hours which was followed by my own amazing driving for a mere 1 1/2 hours (i don't know why it had to be so short....). After another couple o' hours, we stopped to get lunch at Chick-Fil-A (speaking of which, today is cow appreciation day. Therefore, if you go to any Chick-Fil-A dressed like a cow, you can get a free sandwich or complete meal depending on how cow-like you look). Total, we drove around ten hours :( . We watched "Thou Shalt Laugh" on my computer though so it was good.

We are living in a dorm suite thingy that has 4 two-person bedrooms, a living room and a bathroom. My biggest complaint is that the AC doesn't work and TN isn't known for cool, dry summers (rather it is quite hot and muggy X-( )

Last night there was a concert by the Annie Moses band for their new CD. The cool part was that it was filmed for an upcoming PBS special. SO.... sometime (i don't know when) you can turn on PBS, hear some wonderful music, and watch the Perdues clap and cheer. The funniest thing was that one of the songs was inspired by Pilgrim's Progress. Because of this, I couldn't keep a straight face (especially when they sang about Vanity Fair and The Giant Despair). I must say though; if all of our music in the show was like that, Pilgrim would have been most amazing show EVER!!

Well, that's it for yesterday. I've got to go to the orientation now and learn how to translate my camp schedule :). I'll keep you posted about what's going on.

See ya'll!!

Chris

Hello!!!

Alright fellas. I decided to put together a blog for my family. So, here it is!

Right now, we are getting ready to go to Tennessee for 2 1/2 weeks with the Annie Moses band. This is our story.