Tag Archives: Band

Daily Prompt; How Are You Creative?

Posted on by Gertie
Daily writing prompt
How are you creative?
View all responses

I am creative in many ways. I, of course am creative with music. I started playing the flute when I was twelve years old. I was never good at it but I loved playing the flute. I was in the marching band as well as the concert band when I was in junior high and high school. In fact I started playing the flute again at the beginning of last year. I still suck but I love it as well as enjoy it.

Another way I am creative is by doing artwork. In fact I have painted a couple of pictures which I have given to friends and family. I have also painted rocks which I have placed throughout my neighborhood so people walking around can enjoy and take them for their homes. I also do artwork by coloring some giant coloring posters as well as some smaller coloring posters and coloring books. Another art form I do is diamond art/painting.

I really enjoy being creative and I hope you can find a way to be creative.

An Awesome Time At The University of Washington Football Game Against Weber State

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is 12:34 in the morning here in Seattle. I attended the University of Washington football game against Weber State. It was a great game and I left at half time due to the noise level. When I left the Huskies were 14 and the Wildcats were 0. The final score was Huskies 35 and Wildcats 3. I truly enjoyed myself and I am grateful that I attended thanks to having a free ticket. I have pictures to show you all and will post this in this blog post. I will be adding captions for the my readers who are site impaired or blind.

A look from the 100 level to the 300 level which is where my seat was. Taken a couple of hours before the game started.
The view from my seat a couple of hours before the game started. On a plus note, I was on the 50 yard line even though I was so high up.
Another view from my seat looking toward the water a few hours before the game started. This is where boaters can park their boats to attend the game.
The Husky marching band did a field show before the game. This spells out “DAWGS”

I do not have much more to discuss but I do want to say I had a blast. I do want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Everyday Inspiration; Day 4: A Story in a Single Image

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! Today’s assignment is to have a story in a single image. Sadly, WordPress gives the same four images which doesn’t help me find inspiration anymore since I have taken this course before. I am choosing to not share the image I am choosing to writer about is for several reasons. One; I am writing under pseudonym which happens to be a nickname I had as a kid. Two; one of the people in the picture I am looking at to writer about has a lifetime restraining order against someone who nearly killed them. Three; I don’t have everyone’s permission to post on my blog which I will respect.

The picture I am looking a picture of a group of friend with me as we are doing a ropes course as part of a team building exercise for band camp. Yes, I went to band camp. I remember this quite vividly as many of my peers didn’t think I had it in me to do the ropes course much less ending up being the leader of it so my friends could complete the course. Hell, I didn’t think I had it in me.

In fact despite never being the best flute player in the band, this ropes course at band camp gave me the confidence I needed to keep practicing my flute. From then on, I was never last chair again. I ended up third to last chair. Still not even close to being first chair but kept me practice to make sure that I didn’t go back to second to last chair or last chair. I tried many times to be fourth to last chair but in all honesty the person in fourth last chair had more talent that I did.

The picture of the ropes course with my friends not only gave me confidence in myself but it gave my peers some much more respect and I also ended up with some self respect because of this. So, the picture or image I told you about is something to write about which is why I got my inspiration from it.

Everyday Inspiration; Day 13: Play with Word Count

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! Today’s Finding Everyday Inspiration’s assignment is to “play around with word counts.”  The problem I have with “word counts” is that it reminds me too much of high school English.

In fact two things come to mind when it comes to word counts besides high school English. The first is math class and the second is music. When it comes to music I think of counting time and marching steps.

Counting time in steps to music reminds me of marching band. If it wasn’t for band I wouldn’t have graduated high school. If it wasn’t for band I wouldn’t have understood what my math teachers were trying to explain.

So when today’s assignment asked for a word count, I thought of music and how it helped me through school. Music not only helped me with math but English as well. I can’t help but think about music when I hear (or read) about word count.

Thank you for reading. I hope everyone has a good day. Peace out, world!!!

Daily Prompt: Strike a Chord

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Strike a Chord.” Do you play an instrument? Is there a musical instrument whose sound you find particularly pleasing? Tell us a story about your experience or relationship with an instrument of your choice.

As I was searching through past topics of the Daily Prompts, this particular topic caught my eye instantly. It caught my eye for a multitude of reasons and decided that I would do this daily prompt before heading out to work today.

Yes, I do play an instrument. I play the flute. I’ve been playing the flute since the sixth grade. That was back in September of 1991. Holy shit, that was 24 years ago. The story around why I started playing the flute is quite humorous. I originally started playing the trombone and my arm was to short to slide to the fifth and sixth positions and even with the extension I was still unable to slide to the sixth position. Since I was unable to play the trombone due to short arms, I had to choose another instrument. I was debating between the oboe and the flute and was ultimately persuaded into choosing the flute by my best friend, who was learning to play the flute at the same time as well. I am beyond grateful that I was talked into playing flute but part of still wishes I picked up the oboe. The oboe has a beautiful yet unique sound and is an instrument that catches my ear.

I find many musical instruments quite pleasing to my ear besides the above mentioned instruments. One of the instruments I find particularly pleasing is the bagpipe. Yes, the bagpipe. People tend to laugh at the fact that I not only enjoy the sound of the bagpipes but want to learn how to play them as well. Over the years I’ve come to study the history of the bagpipe. The reason being is because it is a part of my heritage. I am half Irish and identify as Irish. Yes, I do know it’s also a part of Scottish heritage however, I don’t have any Scottish in my blood. A cool side note about bagpipes is my fiancé, Junior can play the bagpipes quite well. In fact he is a part of the pipes and drums with the fire department. He in fact is a firefighter and paramedic. The cool thing that I find about Junior playing the bagpipes is that he is Mexican and isn’t afraid to do so. (Junior is also able to play the trumpet and plays in a Mariachi Band).

Playing the flute has been a life safer to me in many ways. Playing the flute in the high school marching (and concert) band is what helped stay in school and prevented from dropping out. That’s why I am so passionate about keeping both the performing and fine arts in schools. The arts keep people like me in school.

Not only did playing the flute keep me in school, it has helped me enormously in my recovery with mental illness. Playing the flute helps with my mental illness in several ways. It helps keep me distracted at times. It relaxes me. Most importantly it helps me focus on my breath and breathing well. When I am dealing with severe PTSD symptoms I tend to forget to breath and the “normal” breathing techniques and exercises don’t help me much. The “typical” breathing techniques and exercises tend to make my PTSD symptoms worse due to some trauma. That is where the flute comes in to helping me focus on my breath. You need to breathe well to be able to play the flute properly. That means, me being able to breathe well not only helps me with playing the flute helps with the symptoms of my PTSD. You can say that playing the flute has been a type of therapy for me; music therapy. Unforantenly, not many places offer music therapy despite how helpful it is to many different people in this world.

When I chose this particular daily prompt, I had absolutely no idea where it would lead. I honestly didn’t think I would be discussing how the flute helped (and still helps) with my PTSD. I thought I would me discussing more how band kept me in school and how I now have life long friends because of band. In all honesty, I have my best friend since the third grade to not only to join band by picking an instrument but persuading me to choose the flute over the oboe when I was not able to play the trombone. Playing a musical instrument gives one a community that they will always be a part of.

Now that I’ve done this daily prompt, it brings joy to my soul that I was able to share one community I belong to, to you the blogging community in which I to belong to. Thank you for allowing me to share all this. I am going to have to end this blog for now because I have to go to work now. Have a wonderful work week everyone. Happy Monday and peace out everyone!!!!