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Thursday, July 20, 2006

Different Names For The Same Thing

I'm a bit off today. Things just aren't running along like they usually do on a Thursday. In the forefront of my mind is my presentation I have to give tonight*. I don't think I am very good at giving presentations. Part of the reason is because, when I'm up there, I know noone wants to be listening to a presentation so then I want to make it short and sweet, but sometimes there are time requirements. And for a girl who can speak mighty quickly, that's a problem.

For my senior seminars (I gave two because I double majored), I had to give one 20 minute speech for music and one 35 minutes speech for biology. The biology one was first, and while I was excited for the subject (common injuries in tennis), I was not excited for the time requirement. After unsuccessfully trying to memorize our warm-up 15 minute speech, I decided to work really hard on the powerpoint and then wing it. So, I did. I didn't stay up all night before doing run-throughs like a lot of my classmates did. I showed up that day, no nerves whatsoever (well, after I asked how to correctly pronounce gastrocnemius because I had forgotten to previously) and just did it. I did okay, too. I remember telling my friend that when I'm giving a speech it's like I can't control my hand gestures, it's just too much in my already overwhelmed mind. So when I was explaining how lateral epicondilitis happens, I could feel my arms go into a backhand motion. I caught my friends eye and she smiled, which caused me to smile and the whole moment was incredibly hilarious but, unfortunately, I had to keep it together for like, 20 more minutes.

My music speech was cake in comparison. 20 minutes? PUHLEASE! I did mine on Shostakovich and From Jewish Folk Poetry, talking about what makes Jewish music sound Jewish and how he used those sounds in his pieces. I got bonus points for saying "Shostakovich" correctly so many times within a 20-minute span, ha! The funny part of that speech came when I had my required performance part of the speech. I decided to show off and play an example of Jewish music on my clarinet and part of From Jewish Folk Poetry on the flute. What I wasn't expecting was Dr. Long, the greatest music theorist in the world, pointing out to me later that I had, in fact, NOT played a B in my excerpt as I had stated. See, I explained a scale and how raising the Bb to a B made it sound "Jewish", but couldn't find an excerpt from anything to show this. I never expected anyone with crazy perfect pitch to prove me wrong!




In the picture, that's Shosty on the left and David Oistrakh, the violinist, on the right. A-dorable!

Todays presentation is a group effort and on education. Every group that has gone already has gone way over their time, so I am going to do what I can to be short and sweet. I really hope my group members don't show me up and come in with their parts memorized because I plan on winging it.

I seriously digressed from saying how my day is off to talking about college speeches. I hope that by the time I get home tonight, at 9 or so, that everything is back to normal.


XO,
SVR


*OK, that's a lie, but what are you going to do?

12 comments:

CBK said...

Yowch! Totally busted on that music presentation! ;-)

You ever play Klezmer music with your clarinet?

Miss Scarlet said...

Not with a group (OH MY GOSH I WOULD KILL TO DO THAT!) but I have a book of klezmer music which is oh so much fun. I've always wanted to play the Wedding Dance from Fiddler on the Roof.

Unknown said...

I'm always impressed with your music knowledge. You could be totally lying and making shit up and I'd still be impressed.

Miss Scarlet said...

Make up stuff? NEVER!;)

Anonymous said...

Those two college speeches would have made Rich and Ellen oh-so proud of you! ;)

--Cindy

minijonb said...

sooo... if the presentation isn't in the forefront of your mind, where is it? in the basement of your brain? (20 bonus points if you can name the musical reference)

have a great presentation!

Miss Scarlet said...

Other stuff is in the forefront and what's the reference? Can I blame not knowing it on being frazzled from the presentation?

Unknown said...

I don't think I have ever done more than a 10 minute prep for any class I have ever taught, and that usually occured in the moments before I headed to the room to teach. I wasn't a day ahead of my students. I was 10 minutes ahead. But I got used to it and it worked.

Dizzie said...

I remeber being a PowerPoint-bitch at the Uni... I got so hung up on it, I still use it, like daily. I actually make presentations for friends and family, and make them suffer through it! Damn, I am demented... *sigh*

I double majored too, but not for my masters, thank God. Psychology and Corporate Finances. Yeah, those two were quite different presentations - unfortunately on the same day. And yes, I got lost and kinda gave half a psychology presentation at the busines class, but it worked out anyway. I winged it. I'm good at that. Thank God...

Miss Scarlet said...

Coyote Mike- What did/do you teach? I think I am going to be obsessively prepared when the day comes for me to "plan";)

Neil- The presentation DID go well, thanks! Unfortunately, none of it was on Judaism, though. Oh wait, we did talk about dreidels later on in class.

Heart of Darkness- I made a ppt for "fun" once on tennis players. DORK!

Ant- THanks!

Unknown said...

Freshman college english.

minijonb said...

scarlet: "I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain" - Secret Meeting by The National

that song sticks in my head for days after i hear it.