Church Gigs and Gio

It has been 3 weeks since I’ve been invited by the Church to play with their band, which means 3 consecutive performances. That almost translates to a month, should I be asked to perform this coming Sunday, but no. In a way that’s a breather on my part because, I have to say, it is tiring to be thinking of lines for the violin, especially if the songs that I listen to don’t have any violin interjections, at all.

So far I would have to say I like playing with the band, it’s an opportunity for me, not just to diversify my musical portfolio & improve my musicality but also a chance to showcase to God His gift for me; the gift of violin-playing and music, which I am grateful for. I like the songs we’ve played and I have my own personal favorites, and they’re “Evermore” by Planetshakers and “God of This City” by Chris Tomlin. Evermore is in the keys of B Major then becomes minor when the lines “Evermore” is sang. It is very dramatic, in a way that is rousing, think Swan Lake meets Ride of the Valkyries, Tchaikovsky meets Richard Wagner in a Christian Pop way, very beautiful indeed. God of this City is in the key of Db Major, very reminiscent of Here Without You by 3 Doors Down, but just a little different from it, because Here Without You is kind of Bb minor-ish, God of this City is Db Major, mostly. I just love songs that are in a key signature that is naturally dramatic, like B minor and Db Major, even Bb minor is dramatic.

Anyways, the only thing that I want to point out is that it is extremely difficult to come up with excerpts. It is because you have to interject short solos/intermezzos that must blend with the entire song and it has to sound super natural, not like it’s obviously off. I’ve been getting compliments about it, that I was good, but I want to know if they liked the sound. Only the band said they liked it. Sometimes I can’t help but feel that my violin steals the scene, especially when the band isn’t playing tutti (playing altogether), which is good because if I don’t do that, how will I ever be heard if the band goes full force? I guess it now boils to the mixing part, good thing I’m still audible, though not at clear as I usually hear it. It probably is because of the fact that I only put my violin near the mic, whilst the other instruments, they’re plugged with cords to an amplifier. In a way the setting is OK because had I been plugged, the violin sound would be too overpowering, even if it’s mixed, the good thing is that it will be very audible.

So anyways, today when I got my paycheck I also got an additional Php5K. I was shocked; the first thing I thought was “I don’t deserve this money!” stemming out from my year-long mishaps. There’s even a note on the money saying “Keep up the Good Work”, I was like…what? Super shocked was my reaction. It’s like, I didn’t believe on what was written; I’m Sorry. I guess I’m just so immune to mistakes that once in a while compliments like these didn’t make me smile. I found it so…fake. Go ahead and be mad at me for saying this but…that’s what I felt. Besides, I can’t let these compliments get in my head, otherwise, my masters plan will be ruined. I don’t want to feel regret when I leave this company, together with the learnings and heartbreaks I experienced here. I want to leave here improved but unscathed, emotionally speaking.

I’m actually seeing someone right now, actually, I just met my hopefully-to-be-my boyfriend. Let’s call him…”Gio”. So Gio and I have finally had our long-overdue rendezvous in his boarding house. I actually blogged about him, in this same site, but that was more on what I felt when we…”connected”. This time around, I’m hoping we get to have a decent conversation first before we hit the beds, once again. I want to know more about him, because I’m willing to love him and give him whatever I can. Although I do feel that we can connect on an intellectual level, apart from the … sexual level. I remember he asked me for a lunch once his midterms are through; I just hope he still remembers that. I mean, it’s a chance for me to get to see him again and more importantly to get to know a little bit more about him. I also blogged about how I thought he has completely forgotten all about me, I was wrong, he remembered me, for sex/making love. Memory is triggered by one flashback, coupled with a desire to remember.

So there, that is my 3-week Church gig and prospects from Gio. I just pray that there’s more gigs and Gio for me. This feels weird, no fashion entry? Maybe next time.