The First Last Stretch

I’ll be packing out in 17 days! Yes, that’s a small number, but I’ve got plenty of things to pay attention to before then. I got over the first hump yesterday when I finished my 10-pager for Political Geography. The rest:

Academics:

1. Arabic test 5/2

2. Arabic presentation 5/5-5/9

3. Israel final due 5/12

4. Arabic Final due 5/13

5. Political Geography Final due before 5/17

6. WAGS paper due before 5/17

Music:

1. Jamming with potential band 5/2

2. Mamajama CD release concert 5/3

3. Sound Investment Jazz Band concert 5/3

4. Yom HaShoa Service, “Eli, Eli” 5/4

5. Mamajama Senior Farewell concert 5/11

Other cool stuff:

1. Parents visiting 5/3-5/4

2. Sarah visiting 5/8-5/10

So it’s a busy three weeks, but I’m riding the wave pretty well. Last weekend a few friends got together to jam for a little bit. We’re doing some covers, some crazy funk jazz stuff, and whatever we feel like. This is the first context in which I’ve ever been the least musically-talented player. So I’m the singer, at least for the covers. Any original stuff we write will have to have original lyrics / melody, which has been a perpetual quagmire for me. We’ll see how that goes. But the players are Sasha on piano, Ross on sax, neighbor Ben on bass, Cameron on drums, and Jared on guitar. It’s a TIGHT group.

I also got my first solo in Mamajamas yesterday! It’s “It’s All Been Done” by BNL, which was also my arrangement. Pretty exciting. Also, this Sunday is Yom HaShoah and I’m performing “Eli, Eli.” Cloe is doing a dramatic reading of it in English, I’m singing it once in Hebrew, a second time with Cloe harmonizing and Shelsey on cello as a third voice, and a final coda-esque thing with just Shelsey. This was the first thing I’ve ever arranged for voice and instrument, so I wasn’t sure how it was gonna turn out, but it sounds beautiful! Especially with the acoustics of Mead Chapel. Crazy good.

Unfortunately the weather’s regressed. It’s as if last week and this simply came out of order. While the cold wet dreariness makes it easier to focus, it’s still cold wet dreariness. I’m sure I’ll get my fill of sunny warmth in a few days.