My Whirlwind

Two years later. Two years have passed and a whirlwind of life events have occurred in such a short time frame; and yet, it has been so long since I have posted.

A few days after I posted my most recent blog, I received a phone call about an assistant band position in Nocona, Texas. I interviewed and was offered the position! It was definitely a meaningful coincidence and I accepted the position. In a matter of days, Miranda and I canceled our plans with the house in Edmond, I hugged my Fuzzy's family goodbye, and we were off to Bowie, Texas with our animals and lives packed tightly in the U-Haul.

That fall, we adopted a blue heeler puppy and named him Benji. He is one of the smartest and happiest dogs I have ever known. His love of "fetch" exceeds any other dog. In February of 2016, Miranda proposed to me at Mallory and Chad's home in Norman, Oklahoma. She placed balloons all over the house and attached pictures of us to them. It was literally a trip down memory lane. In May of 2016, we bought a house in Nocona. We spent many hours scraping popcorn ceilings, painting, and prepping our new home in preparation for move-in day. We spent the rest of the summer working on the house, traveling to New Braunfels, Amarillo, San Antonio, and Houston. We adopted another puppy named Walter. He is a shepherd mix and is one of the most gentle, soulful dogs I have ever known. My cousin Stacy had her first baby! His name is Jake DeWitt. I am very grateful for my rekindled friendship with Stacy and the opportunity to be a part of her son's life.

The school year began with unexpected surprises and trials. Without going into lots of detail, it is safe to say it was quite a challenging year. I assumed my first year of teaching would always top anything that came afterwards, but this year proved me wrong. I am glad it is over; however, the year did end on a positive note. I have been hired as the new head band director for the upcoming school year! I could not be more excited for this opportunity. Ironically, I always said I would not ever accept another head position job teaching high school students; however I feel quite differently about this position. I have been here for two years and I am invested in these students, their parents, and our community. I love it here in Nocona and I embrace the challenge ahead of me. I look forward to digging my feet in and making a name for myself in Nocona and in the state of Texas.

In the midst of a challenging year, we also had to say goodbye to a few loved ones. Miranda's closest family friend, Beth Dryden, passed away in early January. Pa became very sick in early March and passed away about two weeks later. In between these goodbyes, we had to put Miranda's cat, Dudley to sleep. It has been a very trying year.

Now that school is done for the year, we are about to hit the ground running with wedding planning and planning for the upcoming school year. Our wedding will be July 1st and we will be leaving for our honeymoon to Portland, Oregon the next day. With all of the activities and not much down time, I figured it would be best to update now before the next whirlwind of events take over our lives.

I believe it is about time to close for tonight. The events over the past two years have brought me clarity. I have endured bullying, hate, and bigotry from some of my closest friends and family members. I have also welcomed hugs, support, and love during these times as well. At times I feel extremely insecure and other times, I feel like I could take on the world. We must understand that it is in these moments, we discover who we really are. We must push through adversity and take a step back to remember that at the end of the day, we are all just people doing the best we can in this world.

Till next time,
Erin Taylor

A Meaningful Coincidence

One of my mentors recently shared a story with me. His dog was very old and sick and he decided it was time to put him down. It had been raining/pouring the entire day. He took his dog into the vet's office and said his goodbyes one last time. As he walked back to his car, it immediately stopped raining and the sun began to shine. He explained to me that it was "a meaningful coincidence."

I just finished another busy night at Fuzzy's Taco Shop and it is currently 1:35 AM. It is July 25th and I still don't have a teaching job for this year. Never in my life would I have thought I wouldn't be able to find a teaching job after graduate school. I left Sayre because I wanted to become a better teacher and conductor. I wanted to improve and expand my musical abilities so I would be prepared for a better job after I graduated. I've applied for 56 jobs and I've had 9 interviews and I don't think my spirit has ever felt as crushed as it does now. I find myself questioning a lot of life's "coincidences" lately. Has all of this been a waste of time and money? Am I even meant to teach? Why doesn't anyone want me? Will I find a better teaching job next year? Why is this happening when I have three degrees including a master's AND teaching experience? Everyone told me I wouldn't have any trouble finding a job and here I am on July 25th, and I am still unemployed.

I've been offered a management position at the new Fuzzy's that is opening in Edmond in two weeks. Miranda and I have a house picked out and we're just about ready to move. I just can't believe it. I feel like I have failed myself. I feel like I have failed my family, friends, and teachers. I was supposed to go out and get an amazing job in Texas with my master's degree and I failed. Everyone was supposed to be proud of me and instead, I'll continue to work at my fast food job for another year. All I need is one offer, and I promise I will be the best music teacher you've ever hired.

Is this supposed to be a meaningful coincidence? Is the job of my dreams out there waiting for me? I'm not sure. When I turned 16, I thought there would be a car in the driveway waiting for me to drive it to school. Instead, Mom continued to take me to school and I didn't get a car till my junior year of high school. I had to wait longer than I had planned, but that green Ford Focus is still my favorite car to this day. When I graduated from college, I thought someone was supposed to give me a graduate assistantship to one of the graduate schools I had applied to. Instead, I was denied to all four schools, but later accepted to one of the best music schools in the country for conducting. I don't like feeling I don't have any control over my life. I wanted to prove to everyone that I could be better. Not only did I fail at being better, but I regressed in my career. Maybe I'm not as good of a musician and/or teacher as I thought I was. All I've ever wanted to be since I was 6-years-old was a teacher. Is it possible this isn't the career for me? These series of events have me questioning my overall purpose in life.

I hope this is all just a meaningful coincidence. I hope someone will give me the chance to make a positive difference in the lives of students through my love and passion for music and teaching.

Till next time,
Erin Taylor

Late Night Thoughts

I suppose it is that time again. It is time to finally catch the world up on my life. It has been too long since I have posted and there have been so many things I have wanted to say in the last year. It's been difficult to find time and motivation to post in between graduate school and working but inspiration has finally struck.

Well, I'm almost one and a half years into graduate school and I cannot believe it's coming to an end. I knew it would go by quick but not this quick. Overall, I have enjoyed it and I am still enjoying it. I feel like OCU has helped me tremendously in filling in the gaps from my education at SWOSU (not that my education was bad but there were definitely a few gaps). My confidence has increased as a teacher and as a conductor and I feel more ready to take on the world as a music teacher this time around. What are my plans after this? I'm not really sure. I hope to move to Texas and become a band director down there but as we know, God will always have plans for us that we may not know about until they finally happen...and I'm okay with that too.

I'm not really sure what the purpose of this blog is. I've had so many ideas run through my head that could have potentially made excellent blogs. I may have had one too many drinks this evening with my conducting colleagues so it'll be interesting to see how this turns out.

First of all, I am absolutely ecstatic that gay marriage is finally legal in the state of Oklahoma for so many reasons. We've made history! I often think of one of my professors telling me four years ago on the marching field that one day, things would be a lot different for homosexual couples. This was hard to believe four years ago and even six months ago. I find it incredible how far we have come as Americans to be so accepting of people different than the "norm." What is the "norm" anyway these days? Praise God for equal rights in our beautiful country.

On a different note, I am only three weeks shy of turning twenty-six years old. I feel so young yet so old at the same time. What an awkward age. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was a band director. And on a more different note, I'd like to discuss love and relationships. As often as I think about this subject and having a future with another person, I'm surprised I have not really blogged about this subject more. I'm also not sure what this is going to turn into...it may turn into a rant but I'm hoping it'll bring some closure and acceptance for myself.

I am absolutely sick of being used by people. Absolutely sick of it. For too long, I have been an "experimental phase" and I'm getting too old and growing too weary for this. It appears to be extremely difficult to find someone in this world that is rather attractive, has at least one college degree, knows the difference between 'your' and 'you're', and has a decent paying job. There is no such thing! I have so much love to give and I am really ready to settle down soon. Maybe this is God's way of telling me that now is not the time to get heavily involved with someone...after all, I do plan to move and start my career somewhere else within the next year. However, I suppose the human mind can't help but wonder.

I'm not sure what else to say at this very moment but at least I have something posted. This may have to be continued at a later time.

Till next time,

Erin Taylor

Embrace the Moment

I officially fail at updating this blog during my first year of teaching. However, I think this year can speak for itself. It was a year of trial and error, joy and sorrow, and of course failure and success. I discovered a lot about people, relationships, teaching, and a lot about myself. With Sayre being such a small town, I unfortunately grew increasingly paranoid over the year. I could feel people staring at me as I would drive to the local Sonic to get a drink. I could not go to Dollar General to get groceries without seeing at least three of my students and their parents. I would drive by farmers and oil field workers who would give me the "one finger steering wheel wave." Although I knew they were being friendly, I was not accustomed to this "folksy" way of life. Needless to say I felt like an outsider and never truly fit into the community. My closest friends lived an hour away and my family lived two and a half hours away. I felt very alone.

I butted heads with parents and several of the high school students in the beginning. Feeling defeated, confused, and sometimes helpless, I carried on. I have always had a strong drive to not back down and a desire to never give up. My stubbornness and fear of failing are what carried me through that terrifying first semester of my first year of teaching. Because I did not have many people to rely on for guidance or help, I grew closer to God. After many nights of crying and praying, Christmas break had somehow finally arrived. It was so nice to spend time with my closest friends and family. I enjoyed kicking back, drinking a beer, and just taking in every second of freedom I had outside of school. Those two weeks flew by and it was time to face the second half of my year. Although I was scared, I was not quite as terrified as I was in August. After enduring a hellish first semester, I somehow mustered up the courage to press on with confidence.

The second semester flew by three times faster than I had anticipated. By spring break, my elementary and middle school students were laughing at my jokes, asking me questions, and their eyes would light up with curiosity when I was about to teach them a new note or rhythm. My band parents were coming together, holding meetings to organize and discuss details for our upcoming high school band trip. I was finally starting to feel supported and looked forward to walking into that band room each morning. After a few months of debating on which music to choose for the high school band to take to contest in the spring, I finally decided on the more challenging pieces. The students had never been challenged beyond a middle school music level and I wanted to challenge them as well as myself. It was a risk between receiving a "1" or a "2" at contest but I was willing to take the risk and so were my students. The high school students were finally starting to put their trust into me and I could not let them down.

Unfortunately, we did receive "2's" at contest. However, I do not regret challenging them and I would not trade anything for the teaching and learning that occurred during those three months of strenuous rehearsals. I could feel that I was finally beginning to earn their respect and we were finally bridging the gap that had separated us since the beginning of the year. After all, I was only five years older than most of these students and I knew it was going to take much longer to develop a trusting relationship with them. I sometimes wondered how I appeared on that podium to those students. Did I appear as a confident teacher or could they see right through me and see that awkward, scared, unexperienced, young girl? Regardless of what they thought or what they saw, I did know this; by the end of the year, I viewed a lot of those kids as if they were my own. They could bring out the worst in me but they also brought out the best in me. They showed me things about myself that had yet to be discovered during my college years. I grew not only as a teacher but as a person and as a musician. They say that our job as teachers is to mold our students so that they may be successful human beings in whatever they choose to pursue in their future. I believe my students in Sayre molded and taught me more.

At the end of the year, we went on our band trip to Sandy Lake and Six Flags in Arlington. Those three days were the best three days of the entire year. Of course we had fun eating out and riding the roller coasters but my absolute favorite parts of the trip were in the evenings when everyone was just hanging out. We kept all of the coolers and snacks in our room so that the students could get whatever snacks they wanted and head back to the pool or their room if they wanted. This did not happen. Instead, they would grab their snacks and hang out in my room! It started with just two or three students hanging out but by the last night of the trip, there were 10-15 students hanging out in my room because it was the cool, fun place to be! This brought so much joy to my heart. We spent those evenings telling stories and laughing. One night we had an OKC Thunder "watch party" and had hours of fun laughing and cheering on our team. I would not trade those moments for anything. I embraced each and every one of these moments knowing these would be some of the last times I spent with these kids for I had chosen to go back to school at Oklahoma City University to pursue my Master's degree in conducting.

Upon returning home from our trip, we still had our final spring concert to perform for the community. Our theme was "A Night at the Movies" and we performed selections from the most well-known movies. The kids played beautifully and I could not have been more proud. Right before the high school band performed their last selection, my assistant, mentor, and best friend Arlene Epp made a special presentation with my drum major. She gave a beautiful speech congratulating me and wishing me all of the best at graduate school. My drum major handed me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and gave me the warmest hug. Fighting back my tears, I looked out to the audience and felt a sudden overwhelming feeling. I had received a standing ovation. Every single parent, teacher, administrator, and community member was on their feet clapping. If that were not overwhelming enough, I turned my head and looked back on stage towards my students. All of them were standing, clapping, and looking at me with smiles of appreciation and gratitude. They were not clapping for that young, scared, awkward girl. They were clapping for their music teacher.

My last week in Sayre was bittersweet. It consisted mainly of organizing, cleaning, and packing. I had finally mastered the "one finger steering wheel wave" and now it was time to go. My family, brothers, and friends came to help me move once again and as I pulled out of Sayre for the last time, I looked in my review mirror at the place that I had called "home" for the past year. Although I may not miss much of the town itself, I will miss the people that helped me to grow and mature into a young adult. I will miss my students who showed me the true meaning of dedication, compassion, and enhanced my love for teaching music.

As I drove into Oklahoma City that same day and saw the tall buildings and all of the cars stuck in traffic, I strangely became even more excited for this new chapter of my life. Graduate school has always been one of my goals and dreams. This time a year ago, I had already started working in my band room and had not stopped until my last week in Sayre. I suppose that hard work is finally paying off because I have had one of the best summers anyone could ask for. As my mom always says, "Work hard and then play hard." My summer began with a trip to Lubbock to celebrate my sister's graduation with family and friends and we left for Las Vegas for vacation the very next week. I have had the opportunity to see Ben Folds and The Rocket Summer in concert once again and have been spending my free time clubbing, swimming, traveling, shopping, and seeing the latest movies. I also had the opportunity to teach at SWOSU's Middle School Band Camp a few weeks ago and will teach at High School Band Camp next week. It felt good to reunite with teachers, colleagues, and especially my students once again.

Life is so beautiful right now and I am so grateful to God for giving me these experiences and opportunities. I will embrace the moment.

Until next time,
Erin Taylor

Tears of Pride and Joy

Here I am. It is four days before the first day of school and this time I am the teacher. I am scared to death.

This past year has consisted of a wide set of events along with a wide range of emotions. Conducting my last football game, playing my senior recital, singing my last note in choir, singing the alma mater for the last time, and of course singing my fraternity hymn for the last time were all crucial moments this past year. After living those moments of "this will be the last time for this," it was time to press on to student teaching. This was going to be a huge point in my education career and it was time to grow up a bit more.

After many early morning rehearsals, programs, concerts, and early morning commutes to student teaching, I had decided it wasn't so bad after all. In fact, I thought it was easier than a lot of my classes I had taken over the years. All I had to do was show up and merely act as a shadow to my mentor teacher for 12 weeks. Do as I was told and put a little bit of my own personality into my teaching with the help of my mentor. This was fun! The semester came to an end with a successful elementary program and very successful band concerts at my other schools. I could see that my clubbing and party days were coming to an end quicker than I wanted them to. My best friend and roommate was moving out in a matter of days and I would be graduating college soon after that. After walking across the stage and shaking my professor's hands, I felt a huge weight being lifted. I had accomplished something that not many people have the opportunity of starting or finishing. I had graduated college.

My summer began with a trip to Europe with my mom and sister. Such a blast! I was able to celebrate my accomplishments at the Eiffel Tower, numerous restaurants, in front of Big Ben, and seeing shows like "The Lion King" and "Les Miserables" on Broadway! It was truly a life changing experience. However, when I came back to the hotel room at night, I remembered the fact that I still did not have a job. After being rejected from four graduate schools, I was depending on a job for August. I had already had a few interviews and the positions had either been filled, or I had still not been contacted by that principal. I was becoming more anxious as the days went on.

After coming back to Weatherford, it was time to get down to business. I had to make and save money so I could have enough for moving expenses...wherever I was moving to. I started back to the barista life and would bring my applications to work to fill out for the different schools. I was called back for two more interviews. The first one was not where I wanted to be...I could tell just after being interviewed. The second one was in Sayre, OK. I had only been there once for Wind Ensemble tour but that was years ago. I knew it was in the middle of nowhere and well, it was not my first choice but at this point, I didn't care. I needed a job and I was going to give it a chance.

I sat in a maroon-colored chair outside of the superintendent's office as I anxiously awaited my interview. I could feel my palms sweating and I was running through all of the questions that they might ask me in my interview. Even though I had been through this process a few times already, I still felt young, nervous, and unprepared. Those things didn't matter though, not now anyway...the superintendent came out of his office and welcomed me with a warm handshake and now was the time to pretend like I was a confident, professional, teacher who was ready to take on this job, today.

The interview went rather smoothly to my surprise and as it came to an end, the superintendent said, "Well, we've heard many good things about you, Erin and we are not letting you leave here today without offering you the job. We want you to become a part of our family." Needless to say, I almost started crying right there in front of the principals, superintendent, and God himself. Was this real??? I had spent almost a year applying to graduate schools, talking with professors, talking with my cooperating teachers, applying for jobs, and e-mailing principals. My self-confidence had nearly been destroyed after being rejected from my dream of attending graduate school in the fall. I had been offered one job yet it was a terrible situation and I was beginning to feel like I wasn't good enough for anyone. I was a fresh graduate out of college with initially no experience. No one wanted to give me a chance and I had even resorted to joining the army band.

So this was real. I had just been offered a job at what seemed to be a relatively good school. Despite it being in the middle of nowhere, the people were very kind and during my drive back to Weatherford, I started chuckling and then I started crying. I knew in my heart that this was it. God had finally set a plan for me and I was going to take it!

The rest of my summer consisted of making mochas, working the music camps, working out to reach my goal of losing 30 pounds, and diligently working on paperwork and music for Sayre. I was completely gung-ho for this job and a fire had sparked in my life once again. I drove to Sayre every weekend since the moment I had been hired. Although the band room was a complete disaster, I didn't care. I was ready to clean and was ready for the challenge that awaited me.

And here I am now. It is 3:00 AM and I am still on my summer sleep schedule. I have been working very hard every day in the band room for the last two weeks since I moved here. I come home around 11:00 PM and watch the Olympics. I love the Olympics. It is refreshing to turn on the TV and watch something so positive that brings our world together.

The band room is clean and organized. The arrangement that the high school band will be playing at contest is finally finished after a week of writing, arranging, and editing. I am crossing off the things that have been on my "to do" list for the last several weeks. The only thing that isn't ready is me. I am not ready to be a teacher. Feelings of apprehension and anxiety have become so overwhelming, I find myself almost in tears. I wonder every day, "Can I do this? Am I really cut out for this? What will the kids think of me? How bad will I fail? What will the parents think of me? Will I be as good as the previous directors? What do the principals think of me?" My paranoia and stress have gotten the best of me. My mind is racing with information, ideas, thoughts, and questions. I don't want to appear to be insecure, stupid, or naive.

I want to continue this blog throughout my first year of teaching. I really enjoyed blogging throughout my student teaching and I have since then read through some of those blogs. I believe I grew as person, as a musician, and as a teacher by just simply writing. Writing my thoughts, my ideas, and my problems helped me to discover new ways of handling or approaching certain situations. I want to be the best that I can be. I want to be something more than that teacher that pushes kids off to the side and doesn't care. I want to be that teacher that was my favorite teacher in school and more. I really do care. I just don't want to fail.

I admire these Olympians who stand on the top platform wearing the gold around their neck. It brings tears to my eyes when I hear our national anthem playing and see that they are singing along with tears of pride and joy in their eyes.

I hope my principals and fellow teachers will be proud of me. I hope my students will be proud to have me as a teacher.

Until next time,
Erin Taylor

We Were Merely Freshman

Since I haven't updated in almost three months, I figured it was time for an update.

Well, summer school officially began about a month ago and it's back to work for me! A few exciting things have happened in the last couple of weeks or so. A tornado tore through my hometown leaving tons of damage and taking one life a few weeks ago. It happened while I was in Canada with Mom and Mallory. It was sad to come home to a lot of devastation but I am grateful that the rest of my family and friends were okay. It could have been a lot worse.

However, vacation was a lot of fun! We went to Banff and Calgary, Canada this year. We enjoyed the mountains and Lake Louise in Banff as well as some shopping up and down the streets downtown. We also went on a rafting trip with about 15 retired people. That was interesting. We rode the gondolas up to Mount Sulphur and the view from up top was stunning. It never did snow while we were there but it was rather chilly. We mainly shopped at various shopping centers in Calgary and rode up to the top of the Calgary Tower our last day. The tower had glass floors and it was quite scary. We did have one mishap in Calgary. Our first day there, we were still trying to get used to the train and how the system worked there and well Mom forgot to get change for our passes back to the station that was close to our hotel. We technically boarded the train illegally and prayed no one would check our passes. After boarding the wrong train, hopping on another, and making our second stop, Calgary police came onto the train asking for our passes and transfers. Well, we played like "dumb Americans" and pretended that we thought our passes were good for the whole day and they were actually very nice about it. They gave us free transfers for the next train and we went on our way. Mom was pretty nervous though...she hadn't planned for us to go to Canadian jail that day, hehe.

Those have been the two most exciting things that have happened.

I have had quite a few friends move away in the last couple of weeks or so. There have been a few actually drop out of school and a few graduate and move onto another chapter in their life. It's crazy how fast time flies. These friends have been some of my closest friends since freshman year. When I first came to school here, I kind of had the mindset that it would be neverending even though I knew in the back of my mind it would all come to an end someday. It's just fascinating to witness how much we really do mature over the course of four years as well as witnessing the different paths we all choose to travel upon.

I'm not sure where I'll be this time a year from now. I could still be here at the Beanery blogging about moving to another city (hopefully Austin, TX for grad school) or feeling the anxiety of moving to another town to begin my teaching career. I am not sure I am ready to grow up yet. I am anxious and excited for what the future holds for me but a part of me is having those same feelings of uncertainty and intimidation that I had when I walked onto that practice marching field for the first time as a scared and unsure freshman four years ago.

One of my favorite songs of all time is "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe. The song tells a story of a young adult who is reflecting back on his life of his youthful years. He remembers the mistakes he had made but also remembers how he overcame the hurt and confusion. He grew in wisdom because of the trials he had faced and learned a lot about himself and who he truly was.

I can relate to this song a lot and I think others can too. I think there will always be a little bit of that "freshman" in all of us...that feeling of uncertainty and confusion but also a time for learning and growing into the person we hope to one day be...that person who is fearless, confident, and wise. I hope to be successful in my studies as a graduate student if I am accepted to UT and if not, I hope to be a successful teacher. I want to stand out from other teachers and make a positive difference in someone's life. I hope along the way I can make new friendships but keep old friendships as well. I hope I don't fail too badly but if I do, I hope I can learn from my mistakes and grow. I know God has a plan for me and I plan on taking it and running with it.

That's all I have for now. :)

Until next time,
Erin Taylor

Gotta Start Somewhere

I originally started this blog mainly from inspiration from a friend's blog but also to put down in writing what goes on in this silly head of mine on a daily basis. I used to write all the time but had kinda lost interest and inspiration in the past year. This might not last long but it could also turn into something more...so we'll see :)

I wasn't really sure what a good topic would be to begin with so I decided to steal one of my friend's ideas that she recently posted on her blog. Call me lame if you want...but I decided to do the whole "fun facts and pictures" post so hope you enjoy :)

A picture of yourself with 10 facts

1. I love my kitty cat named Bella

2. I'm the only person in my family with green eyes

3. One of my pet peeves are slow drivers

4. I try to look at the glass "half full"

5. I have an addiction to having lots of posters

6. I work as a barista at a coffee shop on campus

7. I love to laugh and love people with a sense of humor

8. I own lots of TOMS and Vans

9. My favorite food is fettucine alfredo

10. I have big dreams and goals and hope to accomplish all of them at some point

A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Rachael Brown! She was the one that actually inspired me to start this blog :) We have been friends since we were about four years old and we met at Miss Robin's Preschool at USAO!

A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Okay...so it's a tie between these two...just couldn't decide! I love shows that make me laugh and both of these leave me cracking up at the end of a long day.

A picture of your night

I don't know if I actually have a picture of myself practicing but I've been doing a lot of this lately...especially the past couple of days with juries tomorrow morning!

A picture of your favorite memory

This is a picture of me at the entrance of Camp Pettijohn in 2007. This camp holds a special place in my heart. I made some special friends at this camp along with learning more about God and what all that was about. I probably won't have the chance to ever go back and visit but if I did, I would take it in a heartbeat. Attending this camp every summer was a life-changing experience every time. I could always use one more "lesson" from good ole' Camp Pettijohn.

A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

This is Isabella Katherine Hanson...aka Bella...and she is a mess. This is my cat and probably one of my best friends. She has the good life...of napping, eating, more napping, tearing up stuff when she feels like it, and of course helps me with my conducting when I need some tips ;)

A picture of your most treasured item

This is my most favorite blanket! Our family friend, Steve, let me borrow it when I was really sick for a week in the 6th or 7th grade. He passed away of pancreatic cancer in 2003 and when sorting through his belongings, I was asked what I wanted to keep...and the first thing I thought of was this Christmas blanket.

A picture that makes you laugh

These are two of my best friends on my Senior band trip to Colorado...Stephanie and Oscar...the picture is pretty self-explanatory. Haha, I love the reactions from everyone in the pic! :)

A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

This is a picture of my best friend Lauren Cook...now Niederhauser! We've been friends since the 7th grade when we met in Mrs. Wilson's science class. I don't know what this girl hasn't gotten me through and I really would do anything for her. This pic was taken right after we graduated from high school and we decided to pull an all-nighter and go get snowcones for breakfast. We're 22-years-old now and every time we have the opportunity to see each other, it's like we're those silly 12-year-old kids from the 7th grade again and I absolutely love it :)

A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with

Oscar Hernandez is definitely my partner-in-crime. This is our most recent picture together at OMEA of this year! Although we don't get to see each other much, when we do...we are always getting into some kind of trouble! Haha ;)

A picture of something you hate

So once again, I could not decide between a couple of these pictures. The first picture is a cancer awareness ribbon. I hate cancer and I have lost quite a few loved ones to cancer. The second picture is pretty self-explanatory. I am not a fan of war nor will I ever fully understand it. It angers me to turn on the news and see yet another picture of one of our troops who has just lost his life...and for what? Our "wonderful" country? The last picture is a picture of the movie "Mean Girls." Now, I actually really like the movie but the plot of the movie is what annoys me. The story revolves around the hypocrisy most high school girls live each day. I cannot stand hypocrites or liars.

A picture of something you love

I absolutely love going to concerts! Stephanie and I saw Dave Matthews in Tulsa back in 2009 and it was such an amazing concert. I've been to a variety of concerts ranging from Hanson to Lady Gaga last summer!

A picture of your favorite band or artist

I have numerous favorites when it comes to music. It's so hard to just choose ONE favorite band or artist! If I had to choose, it would probably be the Foo Fighters. Their music speaks to me in a number of ways and I don't think there is one song that I don't like of their's...a very talented group indeed :) 

A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Oh Mallory Hanson. I cannot picture my life without her. I remember the day she was born and we share so many memories together of our childhood and now our college days! Even though she is my little sister, there have been many times that I have looked up to her. She is a very strong and unique individual. This is one of my favorite pictures of us. It was taken in Dublin, Ireland two years ago on the top of a double decker bus!

A picture of something you want to do before you die

I've always had a fascination with hot air balloons. I think it would be a really neat experience to ride in one someday...especially at sunset :)

A picture of someone who inspires you

This is a picture of Randy Pausch. He was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University for several years. A few years ago he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away shortly after being diagnosed. He was mostly known for his book that he had written called "The Last Lecture." Although I never met him, I felt like I had known him for years after reading his book. I think his story touched me because he was a teacher who not only inspired his friends and family, but also his students. His faith and courage has inspired me to attempt to live my life to the fullest and to live my life with a purpose.

A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

For various reasons, I cannot post a picture of this particular person but they have definitely made a huge impact on my life recently. I honestly cannot picture my life without this person. This person has helped me in numerous ways through the good and the bad as well as becoming one of my most genuine friends. I hope that one day we can be together forever. I am in love :)

A picture of your biggest insecurity

I won't go into many details with this...mainly because I'm insecure lol...but I have a weird disorder called Trichotillomania. It's a form of OCD and it's dumb. I've tried kicking the habit all of my life but haven't found anything that really works. My case is not as serious as some but it is still my biggest insecurity.

A picture and a letter

My friend, Rachael Brown, is studying abroad right now in Wales! She has been touring Europe and has been so thoughtful to send me a few postcards. It's nice to open the mailbox and receive postcards from Paris and London rather than another bill from PSO :)

A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

I'm not sure what part of Greece this is but I would love to travel to Greece someday. The country has so much history and beauty and hopefully I'll have the opportunity to visit!

A picture of something you wish you could forget

Once again, I won't go into details but I have lost two good friends in particular in the last five years or so. I wish I were still good friends with them and that both parties including myself hadn't made the mistakes they had made to end a wonderful friendship. Although I wish I could forget the scenarios that ended our friendships, I won't ever forget the wonderful friendships we had to start out with.

A picture of something you wish you were better at

I wish I could stay consistent with my workouts! I get to a point where enough is enough and I do a great job of dieting and exercising. Well, then I get busy with practicing, homework, or really anything else and I lose focus and motivation to stay in great shape. Anyone know the secret to staying motivated? ;)

A picture of your favorite book

I love reading when I have some free time. My speech/drama teacher let me borrow this book my Junior year of high school and I believe I read it in one night. I bought the book shortly after reading it. The story was very intriguing and inspiring and I highly encourage anyone to read this book if they haven't already...plus other books that Mitch Albom has written. (They are all wonderful!)

A picture of something you wish you could change

I wish I could change the fact that many of the children that live in this world are born into poverty. It's one thing for a man to be homeless because he will not get a job or has a drug addiction. It's another thing to be an innocent child and have to endure the hardships of living on the streets on an empty stomach.

A picture of your day

This is obviously not me lol but this is my job! I work as a Barista at the coffee shop on campus. I've worked here for two years and now that it's finals week...I'm working all the time!

A picture of something that means a lot to you

This is a picture of my fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi and our sister sorority, Tau Beta Sigma. This picture was taken a few weeks ago at our District Convention in Norman, OK at the OU campus. I love every one of these people and I love what our organization stands for...service in music :)

A picture of you and a family member

I love my dad. I look up to him for many different reasons. He is a good man, a talented musician, and most importantly...a good dad. This picture was taken during Parent's Day at one of our football games last semester.

A picture of something you're afraid of

This is probably one of the most common answers people respond with to this particular statement. However, it is my response too. I am afraid of failing and I try to do everything I can to try to come out on top. I do like this picture though...it makes me smile :)

A picture that can always make you smile

Buffalo Wild Wings Extravaganza! We go to Buffalo Wild Wings almost every Thursday since they have their special deal on the boneless wings. I believe we had almost 30 people attend on this particular trip. So much fun!

A picture of someone you miss

Dr. James Breckenridge was the most talented pianist I have ever known. He was the primary reason I decided to come to SWOSU and he helped me to grow as a musician and as a person. I never thought that feelings and emotion could be expressed through the sounds my fingers played on a keyboard. He passed away of lung cancer in the Spring of 2009. He introduced me to an entirely new perspective in music and I am eternally grateful for having the privilege to work under Dr. B for my first two years of college.