College!

These posts are so few and far between, but it's kind of neat to see how things progress over these relatively wide expanses of time.
I graduated high school, yes. I got the arts-endorsed diploma, had a great Senior Recital, and had a reasonable GPA when all was said and done... Although I'm still in the process of letting go of all my attachments to DSA, I'm so happy about the couple classes I'm taking at Metro right now. I'm only taking two classes this semester because I had initially decided to take the year off, but I simply couldn't imagine going without school. Sometimes I have to laugh at how much I've changed over the years... I consider myself so studious now, very serious about all aspects of my education. It was probably just a matter of maturity before.
One of my classes is the Metro Chorale!! I am so excited about this choir, and will of course post performance dates and whatnot.
I don't have any gigs coming up, if and when I get one that's not a private event, everyone will hear about it. :-D

Here's to new song material...

9 more school days left in high school... ever.

Sentimental feelings ensue...

as well as my new life! I'm excited, and yet I'm scared. Hmm... me and every other senior past and present. I can promise a far better and more coherent "post" later, although I know everyone must be waiting with bated breath... !
Hahaha, yeah, I said margarine.

Erienne '08!

Closing the Deal

*Sigh*
Look at me, now. I'm seriously about 6 weeks away from closing the deal of my 12-year schooling voyage. No matter how much I think about it, it still amazes me. Lately I've been swept away by the undertoe of mid-terms and Pops Show (mostly Pops Show). It happens every year, and every year it gets *so* hard to "stay on top of your game" in every other arena besides pops show. Pops Show is really all I can handle right now. It has been a fantastic experience thus far, and I've just been enjoying every moment on stage, especially since I know it's my last time on that stage... weird.
This time around I'm totally featured as a soloist singing the theme from "Ice Castles" (everyone's favorite, I know). Ha, it's so unbelievably fun to be in the spotlight like that dancing with Jon Shockness. I feel like I'm actually cool or something, or like I belong in a show.
I'm having the time of my life, but it'll feel good to just focus on my jazz career once I graduate.
You guys should expect to see a frequently updated "Gigs" portion of my site, or at least I hope so. This next year (I'm taking a year off before college, by the way) is all about my health, and my happiness (which definitely includes a full music career). :-D

OH GEEZ!! I JUST REMEMBERED: COME TO MY SENIOR RECITAL, APRIL 11TH IN THE CONCERT HALL AT DENVER SCHOOL OF THE ARTS!!! It shall feature the CCJA big band as well, so be THERE!
ALSO, in the unlikely event that anybody actually reads this, come to POPS SHOW NEXT WEEK! IT'S SHOWING THE 18TH, 19TH, AND 20TH (next Tuesday, Weds., and Thurs.!) You can buy tickets at http://dsa.dpsk12.org !!

Love always,

Erienne Romaine

Get Happy

"I just caught a whiff of the piano... and it was smelly."
-My father, 5 minutes ago


Today I went back to school after almost 3 weeks of chilling out and doing all the things that make me happy. It was rough. I was hit upside the head with a sort of plague that drains the very life out of you... quickly. I believe it's called "senioritis". I had only heard of such an ailment, but had not yet experienced it, and today as I dragged my corpse across the hallway, I felt it in my bones.
Sad story.
BUT, I won't let it win! Oh no, I can still be happy! Happiness has become a habit for me, and I've had to deal with far more difficult things, so I'm going to take it with a smile and a song in my heart.
You all should know that this sudden burst of inspiration is in-part due to an amazing book that I stumbled across and purchased this evening entitled "The Pig of Happiness". I highly recommend it.

On the subject of getting happy, I also highly recommend Tierney Sutton's new CD, which includes a tracklisting that is nothing but songs about happiness arranged in the coolest ways you could possibly imagine, and sung in the "hippest" way possible. I saw Tierney Sutton live at the convention a few nights ago and I was simply BLOWN away. Seriously, if you haven't checked her out already, you really need to.





Well, I'm gonna keep on truckin' just like I know how. Wish me luck!


Love,

Erienne Romaine
x

Jik Suk Bolgocki (More Toronto Fun)

Oh man, I'm still having SO much fun!! If you're wondering about the title of this post, it's the name of a delicious korean barbeque dish that we all ordered tonight at dinner. They brought out a whole platter of raw meat and vegetables and a couple burners, and you cook it yourself right at the table! This particular restaurant, though, had quite possible the most rhythmically interesting menu of all time:
-Jit Suk Bolgocki
(and, and, and 4 and)
-Hwae Bidimbop
(One,two, three, four-ee-and)
-Ju Soup Bidimbop
(One, Two, four-ee-and)

We grooved on that for a while, then I went to the NEA Jazz Masters Ceremony where I got to see performances by Kurt Elling and the 'Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra', as well as appearances by people like Nancy Wilson, Candido Camero, and Quincy Jones. QUINCY JONES!! I chased him for over an HOUR this morning after I saw him speak on a panel. He is heavily guarded, though, it's crazy. I also saw him do a live radio interview which was awesome, but all I wanted to do was meet him and give him my CD! :-( Oh well, I tried as hard as a person could.

But yeah, I just wanted to establish once more that I am having the time of my LIFE here! I mean, IAJE is always like being in a wonderland. Amazing times.

Well, I'm off to see Tierney Sutton now. Adios!

Hangin' with the heavy cats

Good question... actually, excellent question (you certainly deserve an answer since I haven't updated this thing in nearly 9 months):

Well, I've been trying to graduate high school?

Valid excuse, right?

Whether it's valid or not, you should know that it will definitely be completely invalid once I GRADUATE IN MAY!!! Oh man, I am SOO close! '08!!
Enough of that, let's move on...
I'M IN TORONTO RIGHT NOW AT THE ANNUAL IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) CONVENTION!!
And guess what??

I just got back from talking to KURT ELLING and JON HENDRICKS!!! Yeah, I gave them both a copy of my "Victory Concert" CD after I listened to an hour-long panel with both of them. Jon told the most AMAZING stories!! My favorite had to be the story about him meeting and playing with Charlie Parker. Just let that sink in for a bit and think about it.

Thank You!

Hello, everybody!
Happy Friday! About a week ago I had my CD release party, and I had such an *awesome* time!! I think I definitely learned a few things on the way, lol, but I just had a blast! It was actually really successful, and I'm so grateful to all the people who came that night!
Now I'm on to my next musical undertaking. It's very different, it's the DSA vocal department's pops show, but there's no doubt that it'll be taking up a lot of my time, and I won't be able to gig for the next month, because school will just be too intense. No fear, though, I'll be back on the scene this summer! ;-)
I would *love* to see you at Pops show, however...
The dates are May 10, 11, and 12, and will be located in the Schomp Theater at Denver School of the Arts (7111 Montview Blvd. Denver, CO 80220 ). Contact me, or the school's box office for ticket information which will be available soon!
The theme this year is "Singular Sensations: #1 Chart-Topping Hits"
It may or may not be your cup of tea, but just know it'll be done very well.

Love!

Erienne