Thursday, September 30, 2010

"Yesterday, Today, and Forever You are faithful and I will trust in You..."

SO glad that stage managing is done! Phew, it was a lot of hard work but it paid off. Granted it was not perfect but I felt like I did my very best and my team survived. There were a couple of errors like a missing guitar cable, mic problem, and such but overall I think it went great. Also this week was Round 2 (3 songs and background vocals). So each artist (there were seven) had to play 3 songs. This required a lot of set changing which can get crazy. Especially when you are dealing with mics and making sure each person has the right one. But it was handled well and then tomorrow we start the whole process over again to prepare for our next (4th) show! I cannot believe how fast this semester is flying! It just seems like yesterday I was just getting here. But now we are already in October, so crazy. 

I just keep wondering, where will I'll be after this program is over. I already cannot comprehend all the growing I've done, or things I learned or friends I have made. Time will surely show me what all has taken place. But for now I am completely amazed at how God knew I was going to be here before I was born.  I just can't believe how good God is to a sinner like me. I am just overwhelmed at his grace. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I am so thankful for that because I know I am not always the same, but He is. Somehow I know that all that happens here is going to change my life as I know it. I can just remember being a high school senior deciding that I wanted to do music over accounting. Plus going into music business instead of music education! What a life God planned for me. Music is just so glorious, it gives me goosebumps, makes me cry, laugh, smile. It gives me this feeling nothing else does, and being around it 24/7 is perfect. 

I'd like to leave you with a quote I wrote for class with Tom one day..."Art is giving flight to the soul and letting it soar with God"-Danielle 

Goodnight everyone!

<3 MusicMajor11

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

"When violet eyes grow brighter and heavy wings grow lighter..."

Well I am still kind of freaking out today still about the whole stage manager thing. I am not sure if I can do it, there are so many changes and implications. I want to make this a very smooth show, but I still have no idea where to start! I know that I can do it but I still just feel overwhelmed by the whole idea of it. But I know that God will help me I just need to really seek Him during this time of trouble. 

Other than that I did have a mishap with my computer battery, it is in the process of dying. So I got on the Dell website only to find that the battery would cost me 135.99! So I decided to shop around and found it for 32.89 on Amazon! I was so happy that I found it so cheap. I really love this computer and I don't want to have to get a new one (that is until I decide to get a mac :-P) But for the time being this computer suits me just fine. 

Tonight is going to be a night of pressing in hard to get things done, God give me the strength. 

CMC Building!

Brentwood Estates
<3 MusicMajor11

Monday, September 27, 2010

"Let the waters rise if you want them to..."

Feeling incredibly overwhelmed tonight. I am the stage manager for this weeks show and I feel so clueless about where to start. Hammer Time today was ugh :( I felt so incompetent trying to figure out what was going on. It was one of those I want to find a rock and climb under it experiences. I would so much rather be a producer than stage manager. All I can do is trust God that all will turn out okay and I will end up a more experienced person after this week's show. I know that God put me here in this position for a reason, I just really need Him to be there with me, it's really freaking me out. Everyone seems to have good faith that I can get the job done, I don't want to let them down, or myself for that matter. I will just be so glad when I am done with this responsibility. I know that not all my experiences are going to be a walk in the park here, but I know that I have support and love from family, friends, and certainly God. So I will try my best to rest in those thoughts. 

Psalms 46:10
Be still and know that I am God...

<3 MusicMajor11

Sunday, September 26, 2010

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus

Well today has just been one of those days where I keep thinking back to home. One reason I started thinking of home was when I noticed the weather was more like fall here. Since the day I arrived it has been in the 90's, but today it was just beautiful and that is what it is like at home. I miss home so much, not just my home in Mccomb but in Bluffton. I love it here but I long for home. I am just keeping the faith that God will be there for me in every moment of happiness and sadness.

This week I am stage manager which is a scary/exciting task. I am looking forward to it because I need to face this challenge head on. Plus I got the creator of the universe on my side along with family and friends :-) I love my life even if I am not always 100% happy, its still so rich and good. I feel so blessed, thanks God. 

<3 MusicMajor11

Friday, September 24, 2010

"Hey soul sister ain't that mister mister on the radio..."

Well here we go again, here at the CMC our week starts on Friday. This week I am the stage manager and my artist will be performing. I am excited/nervous. There is a lot that goes into being a stage manager. But mostly it's plan plan plan and DETAILS! As my prof Tom says, "There are 1001 ways to fail" and those ways usually include details being over looked. So far I have done well with the tasks given but I still get nervous when it comes to doing the job. 

Last night was really great, the show was good. There were some elements that need to be worked out but I would say it was great for just our second show. This week the ante is higher and the artists have to play three songs with full band and background vocals. This makes it hard because the artist has limited rehearsal time to work with and so many things to rehearse. But I have faith in my artist Justin, he is a great singer/songwriter/performer! 

Well I got to go, we are doing "Demo Derby's" today. Which consists of our artists recording a rough demo of their original songs. My first recording session with my other artist Lizzy is at 2 and then 4 for Justin. Today is definitely going to be interesting!

<3 MusicMajor11

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"All the world's a stage..." William Shakespeare

Well tonight is our 2nd CMC Live titled " Singin', Songwritin' n' Music City. I am excited because there are so many good acts performing. Each brings a different exciting feel to it. For tonight's show I am taking care of stage left as a stage hand. My duties mainly include moving items on and off stage. I had a lot of help preparing with the stage manager Steve. I have many stage plots to look over and double check while I am behind the curtain. Even though I am not really ever seen it gives me a rush to be able to help the artists work their craft. I am trying to only think moment by moment so I can enjoy this time. Each day is passing quickly into the next. Sometimes I find myself plotting tomorrow's plans, then I realize this is only a four month long program. My time here is truly limited. So with each passing second I am trying my best to trust God and keep smiling. 

Wish us luck as we embark on our 2nd show of the semester!! 

<3 MusicMajor11

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

"Just breathe..."

Today has been an excellent day, God is awesome. The poster for the show turned out perfectly! With the help of Lucas who did a fantastic job on the graphic designing! Also I found out that my job as stage hand isn't as scary as I thought it would be. Oh and our second show is tomorrow, which is quite crazy, I am pumped for it, I have a good feeling about it. Everything feel into place today with Lizzy and the band. I am just continuously amazed at the God given talent everyone has. Everyone also has a great sense of community :-) We are all getting to know each other very well and I am so glad for that. I just had the thought come to me today about how I am going to miss this place. The funny thing is I haven't even left yet! We just got here and I am thinking about how bittersweet December 10th is going to be. It is quite remarkable when not that long ago I was feeling quite homesick.

I recently starting reading a great book that I had read before titled " The Secret Things of God" by Dr. Henry Cloud. Wow. This book once again blew my mind and different things have jumped out at me. One such thing was that "Our heart is like a garden, and needs constant weeding." When I read that today I was stirred in my heart to do something that I should have done a while ago. I dated a guy for 41/2 years and it didn't end very well. But somehow today I knew that I needed to let go of all the hurt he caused and move on. I realized it was only hurting myself to hold on to it. So like Francesca Battistelli says in her song" I'm letting go of the life I've planned for me..."

Good night everybody, wish us luck on our second show, Singin', Songwritin' n' Music City!! (p.s I created that title :-P)

<3 MusicMajor11

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Be still and know that I am God-Psalms 46:10

Well here comes another Monday already! A lot has happened in this past week. Our first show went great but now we are on to the second. I am managing another artist for a guy in my group who had a family emergency. It is going well with her but there is just so much to do. I also get to design the poster which is super fun and I have some pretty good ideas. One of the guys Lucas is helping me with it. For which I am very grateful because he is very knowledgeable in the graphic design department. In addition to the poster I am going to be a stagehand. Which isn't too bad, I will get to work with a tech who will help me with the complicated items haha. All in all it has been good, I will get a nice break when it comes to this weekend because my original artist will be at a wedding in two weeks. But as long as I manage things one at a time I should be great! All the Glory goes to God though, he has truly been working my faith and trust with this whole experience. I also can't forget my wonderful new friends here at CMC. They have been a huge help in getting me to feel at home. Also I would be no where with out my family and friends who have been constantly encouraging me :-) I love you all so much. Thanks for everything!!! 


<3 MusicMajor11

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"It starts with a song"

Well showtime is tomorrow at 7:30pm. I am very excited to have my artist perform, he is awesome. Also I am doing the still photography which is exciting/nerve racking! But I know that it will go well. Once tomorrow is over we will all have a little break before we start this process over again. So far producing seems to be the most stressful of jobs for the show. I am looking forward to it when the time comes. I probably won't post tomorrow because we will be very busy but I will certainly let you all know how the show goes. Wish us luck, it's the debut of CMC Live Semester 19

<3 MusicMajor11

Monday, September 13, 2010

"Everybody's dancin' in the moonlight..."

Today has been an exceptional day so far. My artist performed at what we call "Hammer Time" and nailed it. I am really quite proud of him for doing such a good job.We have rehearsal tomorrow from 4-5 to make sure he is on track for Thursday's big show! Two of my roommates are also performing this week and I am very proud of them. They each have such beautiful voices :-) I believe the show will be a hit, all the artists are wonderfully talented. 

Tonight we have our community dinner (YUM) and then we are departing to our profs houses for dessert, which again requires a YUM! Then we are free the rest of the night which is cool because I am in the mood to relax. It's been a stressful few days for me. But talking to my best friend and cousin Dustin really helped. We had a long talk yesterday because I was feeling rather homesick and stressed. I find it so much easier if I get to spill my feelings to someone especially him. Personally I know that the time here will go by fast and before we know it we'll be saying goodbye. But for now I just want to enjoy the people, experiences, and music while I am here. Here's to the start of week 2 at CMC in Nashville!! 

Love,
MusicMajor11

Sunday, September 12, 2010

"Who knows where I go from here so many voices ringing in my ear..."

Today is kind of a stressful day for me. I met with my artist and he sounded great. But I need to come up with a list of what he needs when he performs tomorrow at 1. I didn't know that we needed to have it for tomorrow, I thought we needed before Wednesday. So needless to say I am freaking out a bit. Everything is just coming at me so fast that I can't really begin to process it. I want to do the best job that I can but I will admit that I am afraid to make a mistake. I shouldn't be because this is a learning process, ugh. I am just guessing that today is just a rough patch. God put me here for reason and I am determined to figure that out. I am not going to let a stressful day get to me and make me doubt God. 


Well tomorrow is Hammer Time which is where the artists play one of their songs and get feedback from the profs. My artist sounded really good and I think he'll do just fine tomorrow. I just hope I am being a good manager. I guess there is only one way to find out, tomorrow at one. Wish me luck!

Love,
MusicMajor11

Friday, September 10, 2010

Play the music, not the instrument. ~Author Unknown~

It was only a week ago today that I was on my way to Nashville. I remember that I was feeling so scared/excited/nervous all at once. As the week has went on I discovered that I am a lot stronger than I thought I was. I am just trying to keep an open mind and heart as I take this one day at a time. Sometimes I just can't help to think that I am so blessed to have such a wonderful opportunity like this. My relationship with God has gotten even stronger because of this experience. I was put into this strange place with people I have never met and I knew that God was the only sure thing I had. I put as much trust as I could into God and it turned out to be the best thing I could have done. It's like I could picture myself holding on to the side of a cliff and God telling me to just let go. Even when I was falling  I just kept thinking of God's promises and He caught me.

Music is something that has always captured my heart. I'll never forget the day I got my clarinet when I was in 6th grade. From that moment on I believe that God prepared me to do something like this. It was that moment when music entered my life that I knew I'd never be the same again. Here at the CMC we live and breathe music, it's just like a dream. I know that this trip is going to change my life. Thank you all for supporting while I am away :-) 

<3 MusicMajor11

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

"I will sing sing sing..."

Well it's only been a couple of days here at the CMC and I already feel like my life is changing. I really love all the people that I am privileged to work with. My roommates are awesome and we have had a blast together. Yesterday was possibly the day when I have figured out what I want to do with my life. We all visited EMI CMG Publishing, where big time Christian artists get published. Once we sat down in there I realized that that is where I want to be someday. Especially thinking about being in Nashville I love it here so much! 


<3 MusicMajor11

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Finding Yourself

I am feeling so blessed and just amazed. I can't believe I am at CMC in Nashville with all these fantastic people. I am still pretty nervous about classes and starting the whole exec thing. But somehow God keeps touching me and saying you got this Danielle, I am with you the whole way. I am very much an introvert and opening up to people is kinda hard for me because I am scared of being rejected. But I have noticed over the years that I have come out of my shell. If you would have told me my freshmen year of high school that I would be away from family and friends from Sept-Dec of my senior year, I would have freaked. Somehow I just know that all of this is destined for me. Not one single thing that has happened to me is by chance. To see so many talented people makes me want to fall on my knees and thank God. He created all of these fantastic people. Each of us are so different and full of life. Even if I don't get to know everyone very well, I still think they are pretty darn cool. I just hope that I can walk in what God has for me instead of worrying about what others have. Staying focused and not losing heart is going to be my challenge. I want to grow and be who God made me to be. I know he'll be there, God is so much a part of who I am. Even though I have failed I still love my life. I love music and I know God has prepared me for this moment in time. Thank you God, for everything!!! I love you! 

<3 MusicMajor11

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Journey Begins!

This summer has gone by so fast, it wasn't till a couple days ago that I realized that this is real. It just seemed like something distant but today it became reality. My family and I drove down to Nashville today. It is so different than what I am used to. McComb which is so small and even Bluffton can't compare to this place. I am excited to start the program but yet I am nervous. It was hard to say good-bye to my family, friends, school, and home. But even though I am pretty nervous I know that I supposed to be here. It's like no matter how scared or sad I get God keeps saying "Danielle you can do this". Also I know that the people I am going to be with are going to be awesome. I know that I don't have anything to worry about, but it's me so I probably will worry anyway :-) But everyone I know is behind me as well as God. So tomorrow starts the journey, here's to the first step! 


:-) MusicMajor11