Well, I know I do this a lot, but I've decided it's time for another "fresh start." I've been neglecting my Xanga site a lot in the last few months, so I think it's time for a change of scenery.

No, I'm not quitting Xanga.

I'm just starting a new one! Starting over usually helps me clear my head and develop my writing better, so I'm going to try it again. I'm letting everyone know because, of course, I need people to read my new blog! So if you're interested in continuing to read my posts, head on over to falconsdrummer.xanga.com and subscribe! Or, at least go take a look. There's already what I think is a pretty good entry, so you could at least go sample some writing and see if you'd like to subscribe.

I'm sure I'll pop in as Drummin_Buckeye every once in a while, but from now on I will primarily be FalconsDrummer on Xanga. So in short, this is goodbye, but only kind of. Please go visit my new site!

Peace!

Something I've noticed since entering the world of blogging is that people use so many different styles of writing. I don't mean different forms, like poetry and narratives; no, I mean the ways people write, using grammar, perspective, inflection, and so on. And along with that, something else I've realized is that many people, myself included, have several separate styles of conversation: we write one way, but speak another way.

It's been way too long since I stopped by. They aren't lying when they say the end of the senior year gets hectic.

Speaking of which, it's almost time for graduation! The time when our high school teachers kick us out, our mothers cry, our fathers secretly cheer on the inside, and we step out into the real world with nothing but a high school diploma and a pack of Ramen noodles. Yep, I'm cooking those noodles and enjoying 'em while I can, because this is what college tastes like.

As the end of high school approaches, students tend to react in one of two ways. Some are sad and don't ever want to leave. These people are the ones who come back and visit the school sometime during the underclassmen's last week of school. Other students react with pure joy. They can't wait to leave, they're ready for real life, etcetera. Some of these people come visit the school a year or two later, get on their knees, and kiss the ground saying, "I'm so sorry I said I hated this place! Real life is scary!"

People also react with a combination of these two extremes. That's where I fall. Like many high school students, there are parts about school I love, and parts I hate. Thankfully, a lot of the parts I like are the parts that carry over to college anyway, and the things I hate are reduced or disappear completely. The only real sad part about changing environments is probably the fact that many friends and people we know go in different directions. High school is a fun part of life, with many friends we've known since growing up. At graduation, we say goodbye to a lot of them. But that's just a part of life. Luckily, our generation has the internet, so we can keep in contact with high school pals long after graduation, but surely most of these friendships will still eventually fade. We can only hope that the closest friends still stay together.

I picked up my graduation cap and gown the other day, which inevitably started these thoughts going. But that's only natural. I'm ready for the next stage in my life, and I can't wait to get started! Congratulations high school class of 2009!

BRING ON THE RAMEN!!!

A repost . . . I am ashamed of myself. But in all fairness, it is a nice entry, and I am overwhelmingly busy with college preparation at the moment. Enjoy!

-------------------------

Jazz band is one of my favorite musical experiences. It's a different kind of music, one that allows performers unlimited freedom. There are no rules in jazz. Over the years, since my first jazz ensemble experience in seventh grade, I have continually developed my skills, my own style. Recently, I was put to the test in an incident that was almost scary at first.

A few weeks ago was the first performance for the CHS "Golden Blues" Jazz Band outside of the school. Half way through band class, which is in the middle of the school day, jazz band members left the rehearsal room early to get ready to go to the local Retired Eagles center (yay for old people!). We put on our uniforms (yep, we have uniforms; I'm wearing one in my profile picture), and started loading the heavy equipment like the electric piano and drum set into the director's mini-van (I think it belongs to his wife, don't worry). After loading the van, everyone grabbed instruments, stands, and music, and went to the bus.

About ten minutes into the drive, being the paranoid person I am, I began to worry. Other people had helped load the drums, and I didn't remember seeing the bass drum pedal. I was worried the rest of the way there, and when we stopped I rushed out to check the van. There was the pedal, right on top of everything.

Sigh of relief. Uh ... wait a minute -- Oh, no...

I remembered something else I didn't check for before we left. And sure enough, it wasn't there. One of the most important parts of any drum set, and I didn't check if it was there: the snare drum.

Crap.

I didn't even bring the stand it goes on. So panic sets in. Do I have time to run to the guitar shop? No, I don't need to buy a snare drum just for this. Well this is just great. Everyone is going to hate me, this will sound horrible.

Have you ever tried to play a drum set without a snare drum? It sounds scary. And at first, it was. I didn't know what I was going to do. Some songs could be okay, mainly the lighter swing tunes. But what about the Latin number, and the rock piece? But those weren't till later in the order, I had time to think. And so it began. I played through the set of songs, using all the knowledge I have learned over the years to improvise. By the end of the performance, I was actually having fun. Other than other members of the band, few people probably even noticed I was missing such a crucial drum. In fact, several band members said they probably wouldn't have noticed had the director not mentioned it before we started. The director later commented that he was glad it was me on drums and not someone else; I took this as a compliment.

This was an enlightening experience for me. I discovered how much I can do with jazz drums, and I learned something about myself. But there's also a message everyone can get from this. Sometimes we all take things for granted, and we may never even realize it. My snare drum incident can be a metaphor that fits into everyone's life. The drum is a material possession, a place to sleep, food to eat, someone we love. What we can all get from this metaphor for life is to live with what we have, and never forget that someone out there may not have it. Count your blessings.

What kind of experiences have you had that made you grateful for something you have?

I haven't written about my quest for college in a while, and this will probably be the last time I do. That's because the quest is pretty much over, and now begins the part of my life where I am a college student.

I almost just didn't say anything about this here on Xanga, but it's necessary mostly because of my username. I was very sure for a pretty long time that I would be going to The Ohio State University this coming fall. Thus the name change to Drummin_Buckeye. But, after a couple sleepless nights of intense internal debate, I ended up taking the option that really makes more sense and was better for me in the long run. So now, officially, instead of Ohio State I'll be going to Bowling Green State University for at least one year. No need to explain all the reasons, but trust me, they're good ones.

As for the name, I'm not changing that yet. Firstly, I don't have 10,000 credits just lying around to do another name change. Secondly, Drummin_Falcon just doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Yet. And thirdly, my site layout has the Ohio State University Marching Band on it! Why would I change that?

Just putting that stuff out there. Until next time . . .