You've most likely seen the movie ''High Fidelity.'' We won't try to convince you that this is solely our idea. We will, however, pay homage to good cinema and good fun by bringing this ''Top Five'' blog to the people in bloggerland.
The Team (so far)
Lorn
Day
Bethany
Grant
Ben
Chris
Alex
Want to join? E-mail Davis!
Oct 20, 2006
Top Five Things for Lorn to Remember as the Semester Gets Crazy
5. You're doing this because you love it.
4. If it's shitty, there's always beer.
3. Do not let boys fuck with your emotional state.
2. Hug your kitties when things are rough.
1. Even if it isn't shitty, there's always beer.
5. You're doing this because you love it.
4. If it's shitty, there's always beer.
3. Do not let boys fuck with your emotional state.
2. Hug your kitties when things are rough.
1. Even if it isn't shitty, there's always beer.
Oct 17, 2006
Posted
7:16 PM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Walking home... for miles and miles
4. Using my super powers to bully an MTA employee in a desperate search for answers
3. Huddling into a ball and weeping on the train, thereby causing authorities to think I was somewhat crazy, then putting me in a cab to take me home
2. Throwing a firebomb into an empty train, and ducking for cover while it explodes, sending train bits scattering all over the tracks
1. A Giant Davis stomping on very small 7-train, a la King Kong
So you can see that I was very, very frustrated when the 7-train stopped running for half an hour last night at 10:30. Stupid 7-train. I want my car back!
Oct 12, 2006
Top Five Things...that are keeping me on my toes musically right now
5. Brass quintet- coachings scare me a little and my quintet members are very, very good. Unfortunately we need to work on our group attitude toward playing...le stressful.
4. Tbone quartet (now with a name!)- same reason, although coaching don't scare me, I just want to be on top of things. And I want to win win win competitions this year.
3. Prof gave me not one but two (2!) Bitsch etudes to work up this week. Just one of those usually takes me about a month to get right.
2. My friend Mark's octet. It's friggen sweet.
1. Maintaining the standard I've set so far this year. I think I'm playing pretty awesome and now I just have to keep it up. It only goes up from here!
Top Five Things...I want to get in the mail
5. Disc 7 of Evangelion. Holy McFriggen Cow. The last three episodes were so...good.
4. A random letter from someone.
3. Pumpkin raisin bars from my mommy.
2. $150 in checks from students and schools that owe me.
1. My BIG BAD ASS wall map of the world that I get for donating to KERA 90.1 (they carry NPR).
5. Brass quintet- coachings scare me a little and my quintet members are very, very good. Unfortunately we need to work on our group attitude toward playing...le stressful.
4. Tbone quartet (now with a name!)- same reason, although coaching don't scare me, I just want to be on top of things. And I want to win win win competitions this year.
3. Prof gave me not one but two (2!) Bitsch etudes to work up this week. Just one of those usually takes me about a month to get right.
2. My friend Mark's octet. It's friggen sweet.
1. Maintaining the standard I've set so far this year. I think I'm playing pretty awesome and now I just have to keep it up. It only goes up from here!
Top Five Things...I want to get in the mail
5. Disc 7 of Evangelion. Holy McFriggen Cow. The last three episodes were so...good.
4. A random letter from someone.
3. Pumpkin raisin bars from my mommy.
2. $150 in checks from students and schools that owe me.
1. My BIG BAD ASS wall map of the world that I get for donating to KERA 90.1 (they carry NPR).
Oct 9, 2006
Posted
9:52 AM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Danielle and Chris, my long-time friends from Lockport IL. They also moved, and I doubt that I know their cell numbers anymore. Either way, I should find it and let them know I'm thinking of them.
4. Rachelle, my friend from K-zoo. She's recently made an equally big change, and I haven't been a good friend through all of this.
3. My Dad. I never talk to him. I'm not sure why. I think it's that he'll be TOO sympathetic to my worries, which might make me a little too panicky. Does that even make sense?
2. Ben. I'd like to convince him to start posting some top fives!
1. Lorn. I really, really want to talk to you, but I think our lives are almost too busy! Drop me a comment and let me know when's a good time for you!
Honorable mention: Bethany. But I'm not sure how to call Germany, or how much it will cost.
Posted
9:39 AM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Brass quintet with a drum set. Need I say more?
4. The music they play (music by Frank Zappa, Milton Babbit serial compositions, really groovy commissions, etc, etc, etc) is amazing. They make the concept of "new music" so much less esoteric and frightening, and so much more hip.
3. Their commitment to furthering the repertoire of the brass quintet is unparalleled. They have commissioned many, many works from composers in order to keep the genre alive and kicking.
2. As far as personalities go, this is the nicest group of five guys I have ever met. At the concert last night, each and every one of them made the effort to come talk to me and see how I'm doing.
1. They're so musically tight. And every single player is so solid, yet committed to the ideal that ensemble is most important.
*Inspired by the show we went to see last night, and the recital they're putting on tonight. It was, and will be, awesome.
Oct 8, 2006
Top Five Things I Kinda Screwed Up This Weekend
5. Was a bit of a fold at my quartet's wedding gig yesterday. I need to work on being so much more focused and consistent. Sheesh.
4. Didn't get enough sleep, and I have to practice a long time tonight and get up early to teach tomorrow.
3. Forgot to leave time for reading and studying for my Baroque music class. Test is on Thursday.
2. Didn't even think about the book I needed to have half-read for African Music.
1. Cut my hair too short and can't seem to fix the parts that look goofy.
On a good note, I did pull out and tinker around on my mandolin. Doing that helps me reset my love of music and get back into it mentally.
5. Was a bit of a fold at my quartet's wedding gig yesterday. I need to work on being so much more focused and consistent. Sheesh.
4. Didn't get enough sleep, and I have to practice a long time tonight and get up early to teach tomorrow.
3. Forgot to leave time for reading and studying for my Baroque music class. Test is on Thursday.
2. Didn't even think about the book I needed to have half-read for African Music.
1. Cut my hair too short and can't seem to fix the parts that look goofy.
On a good note, I did pull out and tinker around on my mandolin. Doing that helps me reset my love of music and get back into it mentally.
Oct 7, 2006
Posted
11:31 AM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Is it really, honestly the MO of every service industry to give you 6 HOUR windows of time during which to expect a representative, only to completely miss the time period??? I'm really starting to feel at one with the Seinfled episode in which Kramer deliberately avoids being home while the cable guy (or whoever) is forced to make repeated visits. Welcome to New York.
4. How is one to know when the 7-line runs express if the MTA officials never feel like changing the signage to reflect the operation of the train?
3. I recieved phone call from these people, so I tried to retrun their call. No one at the office ever answers; no answering machine is available. How am I supposed to follow up on this, exactly?
2. I've lived here in this apartment for almost 2 months, and have not seen a single bill. What's up with that? I KNOW they know my address! And I know they want their money!
1. My fellow employees and I have all had our hours cut at the bookstore because the "CEO" THINKS (very big emphasis on "thinks") there will be construction on the store front. Let's do some math, shall we? Complete lack of data or evidence of construction + woman who makes all the unilateral decisions for the store + natural tendency for making decisions on a whim = time to find a new job!
Top 5 Things I like about Hamburg:
5. The canals, the harbor
4. NDR at the Musikhalle (such an awesome orch and beautiful hall)
3. Fall/spring at the Alster and surroundings (the lake here)
2. Sternschanze and Hamburger Berg, and the good times out there! (2 streets with many good restaurants and/or bars)
1. Exciting city with always something going on, be it a city-planned event or places to go, but not too big
5. The canals, the harbor
4. NDR at the Musikhalle (such an awesome orch and beautiful hall)
3. Fall/spring at the Alster and surroundings (the lake here)
2. Sternschanze and Hamburger Berg, and the good times out there! (2 streets with many good restaurants and/or bars)
1. Exciting city with always something going on, be it a city-planned event or places to go, but not too big
Top 5 Things I miss about Madison:
5. Farmers Markets (tied with general liberal atmosphere)
4. The nature bike paths and everything around the lakes
3. Springtime (on Library Mall and at the Union)
2. Espresso Royale (and all the times spent there!)
1. My friends and the parties/hanging out, and good times goofing around in the cat house!
Geez, when I got started on that list, it was harder than I thought to narrow it down to only 5 things. Go Madison!
5. Farmers Markets (tied with general liberal atmosphere)
4. The nature bike paths and everything around the lakes
3. Springtime (on Library Mall and at the Union)
2. Espresso Royale (and all the times spent there!)
1. My friends and the parties/hanging out, and good times goofing around in the cat house!
Geez, when I got started on that list, it was harder than I thought to narrow it down to only 5 things. Go Madison!
Oct 3, 2006
Posted
4:09 PM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Neil Conan
4. Melissa Block/Michelle Norris/Robert Seigel (tie)
3. Kai Ryssdal
2. Teri Gross
1. Garrison Keillor
Honorable Mentions: Daniel Shore and Karl Kastle
IV. Top Five Favorite Brass Quintet Pieces
5. Jan Bach- Laudes
4. pretty much any transcription of Monteverdi Madrigals
3. Victor Ewald-Quintet No. 1
2. Alvin Etler-Quintet for Brass Instruments
1. David Sanford-Corpus
III. Top Five Letters of the Alphabet
5. K
4. Z
3. X
2. J
1. D
II. Top Five Neighborhoods to Check Out When I Move
5. Long Island City, Queens
4. Williamsburg, Brooklyn
3. LES, Manhattan
2. Washington Heights/Inwood, Manhattan
1. Astoria, Queens
I. Top Five Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Moved
5. Live as close to Manhattan as possible. It may seem like it's not a big deal to live a little out of the way-- but it is! Very much so, and for a variety of reasons.
4. It is quite possible to own a car in the outer burroughs.
3. Brokers and apartment leasors like to know that you have money. If you don't, schedule a week in New York with someone who does.
2. Decide which bank to use based on proximity to your apartment, NOT based on an advertising campaign.
1. The cost of living doubles in comparison to the midwest. But, wages don't necessarily reflect this increase.
Top Five Tuesday Annoyances
5. The interminable quality of each of my engagements. Although I like my classes, and obviously lessons are awesome, everything just seems to go on...forever.
4. Getting to trombone choir and thinking "shit! I knew I forgot to practice something!"
3. Wishing it were Wednesday already.
2. Needing more time to swim/bike home/just in general get some exercise.
1. Knowing no matter how hard I worked on my lesson stuff, it's still too early in the week to be acceptable for performance.
Top Five Good Things About Today (so I can stop my bitching and wailing)
5. I got to school early and had time to warm up.
4. We might have brass quintet rehearsal after all.
3. I do have time to swim.
2. My pianist is coming to my lesson, and I'm excited for my professor to hear the work in total instead of just the trombone part.
1. Carrot cake Clif Bar! How can something be so awesome? Yum.
5. The interminable quality of each of my engagements. Although I like my classes, and obviously lessons are awesome, everything just seems to go on...forever.
4. Getting to trombone choir and thinking "shit! I knew I forgot to practice something!"
3. Wishing it were Wednesday already.
2. Needing more time to swim/bike home/just in general get some exercise.
1. Knowing no matter how hard I worked on my lesson stuff, it's still too early in the week to be acceptable for performance.
Top Five Good Things About Today (so I can stop my bitching and wailing)
5. I got to school early and had time to warm up.
4. We might have brass quintet rehearsal after all.
3. I do have time to swim.
2. My pianist is coming to my lesson, and I'm excited for my professor to hear the work in total instead of just the trombone part.
1. Carrot cake Clif Bar! How can something be so awesome? Yum.
Posted
10:34 AM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Aimless clicking. It happens sometimes, when I'm feeling lazy and unmotivated.
4. Facebook. It's very popular, and there's so much going on that it's hard to keep up!
3. MySpace. The ultimate in wasted time.
2. Hotmail/gMail
1. Blogs. I have about 10 that I check on each day, and I spend time writing posts for my own. Not that this time is wasted, per se.... but you know what I mean.
Posted
10:26 AM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Get 8.5 hours of sleep a night
4. Bring lunch to work everyday
3. Spend money only when necessary (such as for social engagements and alcohol)
2. Make sure to take the proper vitamins each day
1. Eat healthfully/work on consuming a balanced diet
Posted
8:03 AM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. The ability to look back and wonder: was I really so saccharine back then? And is it just me, or was my writing style a little bit unfocused?
4. Well, who can resist the urge to make Top Five Lists?
3. All the cool kids were into it! Well, most of them, anyway.
2. The retro background! There's an old-fashioned archive link! And blogger didn't even have it's icon yet! All this is to say... we were there in the early days, before blogging became all the rage.
1. It's such a kooky little reminder of times of yore. Memories are just a click away.
Oct 2, 2006
Top Five Returns! Again! (Eventually, we can do a Top Five Top Five Blog Reboots)
Top Five Thoughts of the Day:
5. Time to get my teeth cleaned. Sheesh.
4. Kitties are the best. Evah. Especially when they distract you from writing your ethno paper by sitting on all your references, looking at you pitifully, and mwrorring.
3. The standard bell pattern (long long short long long long short) of Southern Ewe (Ghana) drumming relates to African sensibility by its cyclical as well as structural and cultural function. The repeated pattern allows for the other ensemble members to fit into the groove and add their part without disrupting the overall flow of the dance, and can be seen as a metaphor for how the individual functions within West African community life.
2. Horny. Sheesh.
1. When you're really busy and really focused on getting through the day or the week or whatever's next, do you get the feeling that everything's holding together...just barely? I feel like I've got everything together and under control, but yet it's still just hardly over the line of 'falling apart into a big ugly mess' and 'in waaaay over my head and about to drown'.
Eh. It's more fun that way.
Top Five Thoughts of the Day:
5. Time to get my teeth cleaned. Sheesh.
4. Kitties are the best. Evah. Especially when they distract you from writing your ethno paper by sitting on all your references, looking at you pitifully, and mwrorring.
3. The standard bell pattern (long long short long long long short) of Southern Ewe (Ghana) drumming relates to African sensibility by its cyclical as well as structural and cultural function. The repeated pattern allows for the other ensemble members to fit into the groove and add their part without disrupting the overall flow of the dance, and can be seen as a metaphor for how the individual functions within West African community life.
2. Horny. Sheesh.
1. When you're really busy and really focused on getting through the day or the week or whatever's next, do you get the feeling that everything's holding together...just barely? I feel like I've got everything together and under control, but yet it's still just hardly over the line of 'falling apart into a big ugly mess' and 'in waaaay over my head and about to drown'.
Eh. It's more fun that way.
Posted
5:39 PM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Top Five Favorite NPR Announcers
4. Top Five Pieces for Brass Quintet
3. Top Five Favorite Letters of the Alphabet
2. Top Five Favorite Neighborhoods to Check Out the Next Time I Move
1. Top Five Things I Wish I had Known Before I Moved
Posted
12:28 PM
by Davis Erin Anderson
5. Right now I am listening to Suzanne Vega.
4. Yesterday I decided to put my mouse on the left side of my keyboard. I wonder if this will make me slightly more ambidextrous, or if the hemispheres in my brain will form new pathways from one to the other.
3. We are switching to a new online grocery service. The old one kind of sucks. Maybe I'll post about it on my other blog.
2. I'm hungry. I think I'll eat some cereal and then head to Manhattan to pick up my check and do some banking.
1. It's really nice to have a few days off!