I have really noticed this year how certain activities that I always affiliate with fall are really such midwestern icons; hay rides, going to cider mills, corn mazes, etc.  In movies you always see people carving pumpkins in their kitchen but you never see the group of students heading out to a cider mill/haunted corn maze.  At least I never have.  And I have seen a lot of movies.

Around here there are a ton of Midwestern Aumtun activities to participate in.  Kalamazoo and Portage were originally farming areas (celery farms, acutally…) so there is a still a good amount of rural space around us if you drive a few miles away from downtown.  These activities seem to be really popular among WMU students this year. Most likely because they are inexpensive, and because most of these places can cater to large groups like Registered Student Organizations, Fraternities, Sororities, etc.  The fraternity that I am a part of, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, go to a corn maze every year and it is always a blast.  We also always sing for the people working at the front desk, attempting to get a reduced admission price.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Aside from those activites everyone is talking about Halloween.  It seems every organization and business is offering something for students to do this weekend.  WMU even puts on it’s own “Haunted Hall” every year.  This year the Haunted Hall is in Eldridge-Fox, and for $5, or two canned goods (going towards the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission and Big Brothers Big Sisters), students can go through the Hall.

As for my Halloween activities, I am hanging out with the family.  My family is having a party for my grandpa, who just turned 80. So I decided to go back to Lansing to be with them.  My grandpa is a pretty amazing person.  This week I called him to wish him a happy birthday and he gave me an inspirational speech about how I should never give up in my musical studies.  It is always good to hear that.

Alright, everyone. Have a nice, safe Halloween! By the time I post my next entry it will already be November…I can not believe how quickly this year has gone by!

Zechariah

Homecoming week is always exciting around campus.  There are so many events to attend, speakers to hear, and alumni around campus to chat with.

Starting on Monday we had Qdoba Mexican Grill on campus handing out free food (I love Qdoba, so this was amazing).  Throughout the week we had other events like a special Miller Movie showing of “Ferris Bueler’s Day Off”, a Soapbox Derby, and of course voting for our Homecoming King and Queen.  We actually have two students in the Ambassador Office that are on Homecoming Court:  Amanda and Eric.  If you are a current WMU student who reads this blog, vote for them now!  Voting ends tomorrow at noon!  www.wmich.edu/homecoming

For those of you who are not YET Broncos, you can visit that site and check out what else is going on with Homecoing.  The King and Queen will be announced during halftime this Saturday at our football game verses Buffalo.

To jump subjects a little bit, I learned a really cool Alumni fact about WMU.  The individual who founded The Food Network, Jack Clifford, is a Western alum!  I am a huge Alton Brown fan so that was an amazing fact to me.  People sometimes laugh when I tell them how much I adore the Food Network because I am a vegan…And not too many of the programs feature vegan-friendly recipes, but I still find them entertaining.  Plus I just love cooking.

That is all for now.  I can not wait for the football game on Saturday, and the hopeful crowing of my friends Amanda and Eric for Homecoming King and Queen!

Zechariah

The concert on Sunday went incredibly well.  The combination of the WMU Symphonic Band, Collegiate Singers, and the University Chorale created an amazing musical event.  We were lucky to have a large audience at Miller Auditorium.  The lower main seating level holds about 1,300 people total, and it was close to full.  I personally feel that the a capella (meaning “without accompaniment” or “from the choir”) selections performed by Chorale went incredibly well.  We performed “A Hymn to the Virgin” by Benjamin Britten, and “Hymn to the Mother of God” and “Song for Athene”, both by John Tavener.  The two Tavener pieces were performed without a pause in between, creating a very unique musical experience.

The next big project is the Holiday concert.  WMU Choirs normally do our own holiday performance with a small brass ensemble, but this year is special.  We are joining forces with the University Symphony Orchestra to put on a show called “Messiah and More!”  It will feature the orchestra, a large chorus, student soloists, and faculty artists.  I will post more about this concert when we get closer to the date.  The reason I mention it now is because we in the University Chorale started working on the music for it on Monday.  Our concert was Sunday.  No rest for us!

This shows me that not only are we an amazing School of Music that puts on many performances for the university and community, but also that we as students are dedicated to our artistry.  Most of us will be going off in a few years to work as professional musicians, and this type of atmosphere gets you in the mindset of a professional.  I should mention that we did take about a half hour on Monday to discuss, as a group, our feelings about the concert.  That type of reflection is key to performing.

Other than the musical world of WMU, things are going great here on campus.  I love autumn weather and we are right in the thick of it now.  This weekend is also the big WMU vs. Central Michigan University football game.  This game usually comes close to selling out, and I can not wait to be in the stands.  I love getting together with friends and marching to the stadium with the Bronco Marching Band.  It really unites us all as WMU students in support of our university.

That is all for now.  I hope things are going well for you all!

Go Broncos!
Zechariah

This semester I am beginning my Music Education Methods courses to complete my degree in Vocal Music Education.  I have the opportunity this semester to spend one hour a week with a 7th grade choir from a local middle school.  This week will be my third week working with them and I am really excited because that means I get to start taking on more responsibility inside the classroom.

The first few sessions of Practicum involve getting to know the teacher you are studying under, the students, and the overall schedule of the class that the instructor has created.  Once you become comfortable with those things the teacher begins delegating different tasks in order to get you more acquainted with teaching.  This week for me involves leading vocal warm-ups and running a small portion of the rehearsal time.  I am paired up with another Vocal Music Education student for this so we will be co-leading these rehearsals.

This week is also big in terms of performances.  We are in a concert week so things in the Choral Rehearsal room are getting exciting.  This is a unique concert because the University Chorale and the Collegiate Singers are performing with the University Symphonic Band.  The combined music for this performance is Mack Wilberg’s “Tres Cantus Laudendi” or “Three Songs of Praise”.  The University Chorale will also be performing a few pieces on their own.  The concert is this Sunday, October 11th at 3:00PM in Miller Auditorium.  Another amazing thing about this performance is that admission is FREE!  We have our first combined rehearsal with the Symphonic Band tomorrow evening.  I am very excited to finally work on this music with the instrumentalists!

So the rest of my week is going to consist of getting ready for Practicum and preparing for the concert on Sunday.  If you can make it out, please do.  We are all working very hard on this concert!

Zechariah