...on the horizon

Merriam Webster Online's "Word of the Day" is: Heliolatry...

i.e. Sun worship. Intriguing. So glad we gave that up years ago.

And since this is neither here nor there, let me then begin this entry with something that IS "here", and conclude with something that is...conversely, "there", the locations of which will therefore be revealed herewith (gotta love adverbs).

Here: Connecticut. Head Teller at Salisbury Bank and Trust Company (which will henceforth be referred to as "SBT"). Family.

Since my graduation from Grove City College in May of 2007, it has been a good time overall. Naturally, there are moments where I wanted to stifle people's airways with chainsaws, but...you know. "Can't win 'em all..." (Thanks Kathyrn)

My time here has also proven itself to be a stagnant one. Not spiritually or financially, mind you. Just musically and vocationally, which for me, ideally, ought to be one and the same. I found it impossible to land a teaching job in a primary or secondary school, so I remain at SBT. I have no musical outlet, save the organist/cantor job I have on Sunday mornings at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church - more on this in later posts.

There (and this portion may be NEWS to some of you, which merits the point of the blog entry): New York. Houghton College. Cottage.

Seeing that my job search for the year was headed nowhere, I applied for admission to Houghton College as a Master of Music (M.M.) in Choral Conducting (two-year program). The college is in "upstate" New York and is the alma mater of Dr. Douglas and Mrs. Susan Browne of Grove City College. It is a small, private, Christian, liberal arts school, with leading departments of music, theology, and equestrian studies. Well, not only was I accepted in late March but I also received the full tuition graduate assistantship which covers all costs as related to the school. I will also be teaching undergraduate courses and directing a number of choral ensembles, namely the Houghton College Choir. In the interest of spreading out podium time equally and fairly, a M.M. in Choral Conducting is not granted on a whim. There are only a few slots, every two years - and I was granted one, so I am very excited.



Also exciting is my abode. I just recently settled on a fully furnished lakeside cottage on Rushford Lake (hence the 'lakeside') in Caneadea, NY. It has a fireplace, sleeping loft, skylights and a canoe. Incredible. Visits, should you be in the area, are strongly encouraged and welcomed.

This venture begins in late August. And I cannot wait another minute. But faith has been in the waiting, my friends. And it has been a valuable lesson. God is good, all the time. We just have to be content with HIS time and not our own.

Well, that concludes today's material. Check in tomorrow. Much like the 'heliolatrists' would say..."Good things are on the horizon..."

Oh yes, and a few addendums...


1) I don't much appreciate it when the compromising of one's principles leaves me out of the loop, thereby causing me to GAFFE. David Crosby apparently DOES now utilize "The Facebook", no doubt at the behest (i.e. COMMAND) of his lady-friend, "The Mough". Weak, Crosby...weak. AND UNCOOL. Thanks to Joel Pearce for exposing the dastard.


2) Thanks also to Elizabeth Pearce for addicting ME to "Dice Wars", which can be found to your right in my 'Favorite Links'.


3) Miracles happen. Years have past yes, and now...Brian Bain IS finally cool. Brian has gladly taken up Crosby's mantle of shunning "The Facebook". Bless you, Bain. Curse you, Crosby.


4) Michael Lyle - your knowledge is always stunning and appreciated, but I don't care about Sir Eugene "Goose-Me".

In Memoriam

A wonderful Memorial Day, 2008, to everyone!

I should tell you that I usually begin each day (among other things) with a a bit of research. I like to see whose birthday, within the classical composer realm, it is on any given day. So, today being like no other, I looked up May 26th.

1893 - Sir Eugene Goossens.

...


Who?

Nothing MEMORABLE about him, that's for sure.

...

Anyway, Memorial Day - yes, we probably all have some relative, at some point or another, who participated in the military forces of the United States of America. And so, to the men and women who have given their lives for an honorable cause, this day we remember you. I had a great-uncle (Nazi POW) in World War II, and an uncle in Vietnam. Neither lost their lives, but thanks are in order just the same.

Perhaps I should have started "Connecticutian Studies - 101" on Memorial Day - just another memorable thing, I'm sure you will all agree.

Anyway, getting to sleep in, due to said federal holiday, while nice, was rudely interrupted this morning by the sound/feel of a bee, which was buzzing around my room and crawling on my bed. I hate bees. Loathe them. A few months back, I announced the onset of "Aitken v. Bees Epic Challenge 2008". So far, the score (including this morning's ruthless SMOTING) is:
Aitken - 17, Bees - 0.
They're clever, too. And I've executed them with varying degrees of - hold on, there's another one. Be right back...

...

As I was saying,...they're clever. But DEAD too. Revised score:
Aitken - 18, Bees - 0.
As I attempted to kill this one just now, he quickly tried to make his way between my bedroom storm window and the screen. But before he got there, I dropped the open window right down on him, in effect crushing the "bee-geezes" out of him. As I said, EPIC.

Incidentally, Memorial Day is also informally considered the beginning of summer. How convenient, since in my opinion, spring never arrived. Of course, the allergies and the bees still did. But spring was in absentia.

So here's to the memory of: our brave lost American soldiers who protected what we all hold dear, two bees and their recent sunrise insurgency, and the 2008 season of spring.

Please enjoy "Spring Song", by Felix Mendelssohn.

Genesis

Salutations, all - and welcome to my blog!

I won't say "new blog", because that would be an insult to the apparent - unless of course you're now visiting my "new" blog for a subsequent time and it is no longer "new" to you. Consequently then, you're probably no longer "welcome".

The title of this post is indicative of its nature. Beginning. Created. Origin. Coming into being. Alpha and Omega, minus the Omega. I shall refrain from the phrase "birthing a blog", since I've been told by others (Brian Bain) that it is..."weird."

Having provided that sound and mildly humorous introduction, a shift to expounding on the course material to be covered is necessary - and fair warning - nothing about syllabi is even remotely humorous. Unless it is Dr. Edwards reading it, in which case it takes two and a half class periods. Yeah, still not funny. In any case, I urge you to refer to the header of the blog whilst I expound...

"This course will attempt to clarify, rationalize and/or expand upon the daily affairs, notions and sentiments of the elite Connecticutian,"

-- I get to write about me. You get to read...

"...as well as bring about a greater sense and appreciation for, on the part of the learner, revolutionary concepts such as 'virtual hobnob' with Connecticutians."

-- and LIKE it.

"Whether said Connecticutian offers an approbation for your theses or conjectures as related to the course material is, by nature, irrelevant."

-- No questions, please. Scratch the "please."

Prerequisites: Cantankerousness, General Pugnacity and Ire.

-- I know these are big words, which is why I have included a link (found on the right of the page) to one of my favorite world wide websites, "Merriam Webster Online". Go ahead. Look up words. Learn. It's called intrinsic motivation. And you can play word games too (okay, fair enough - the games are extrinsic)! And since I've used it often enough already, here are links to the definition (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expound) and pronunciation (http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?expoun01.wav=expound) of "expound."

And so, the first post goes something like this...

I'd been thinking about starting a blog for some time. After all, "all the cool kids do it."
Yeah. Right. Those of you who know me know that this is reason enough for me NOT to start a blog. I hold much the same worldview regarding "The Facebook." I only know of two other people that do not utilize "The Facebook", and they are as follows: Aaron Gottier & David Crosby. And they are rightwise "cool"...in as far as the true, intended definition of the word...and at the same time, far removed from what the great bank of "facebookers" claim it to be. What I claim "The Facebook" to be is "uncool." So there you have it - through my first digression, a valid quiz question has emerged: "What is 'The Facebook' and all who use it?"

Your Answer: ______. My Answer: "Uncool."

Now, I realize you can't ACTUALLY write an answer on the space provided. But if you did attempt to do so, leave now.

Continuing on, I opted finally to birth the blog. Oops. Sorry. Not by societal coercion. Not by an overwhelming feeling of being incomplete or left out. No, not even guilt. No sirs, only because of my friends do you now sit and read this. I intend not for any of my friendships to "lose touch" or "fade away". And since I intend to keep up with so many friends, I thought it a novel concept to have a medium, such as this blog, to express my feelings and state my circumstances, whether hourly, daily, weekly or monthly, so that in the recessions of time where I am unable to catch-up/touch-base with my friends, they might find pleasure and ease in checking-in here instead...with a bit of Aitken humor, cantankerousness, emotion and music to boot! Whoops, there I go again! http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cantankerous

So anyway, please do so! - as I continue to check in with you on AIM, the telephone, email and/or the Charger frequently (The Charger is my car).

A number of other keen observations/things of note before I sign off and draw this first entry to its close:
1) It is 7 months until Christmas.
2) It is 23 days until my 24th birthday.
3) I have tomorrow off - so Happy Memorial Day to everyone!
4) Please enjoy Antonin Dvorak's "Carnival Overture". Naturally, Aitken's blog is not complete without music and many thanks go to one who understands this: Damon Fereshetian, for so diligently and willingly helping me figure out how to make music on the blog possible.

I'll rotate the selection(s) from time to time, naturally revisiting those that are favorites. Dvorak is in the top five of my favorite classical composers, and this overture is in the top three of my favorite of his pieces. I don't personally see how you could not enjoy it.