Music school life

        I always hear that college is the most exciting time of one's life -- all the parties, new people, amazing things you learn -- and so on. Particularly going into music school, I attributed a sort of romance to all the wonderful music I would hear and practice. Unfortunately, I'm finding college a bit... well -- a bit duller than I expected. Don't get me wrong -- There have been fun parties, I've met some great people, and learned a lot. Music school certainly has it's plusses, and I'm having an enjoyable time here. It's just that my previous life in West Virginia was kind of ridiculous -- skipping school whenever it rained enough to get the local creeks flowing so I could go canoe off of waterfalls; biking down mountains at stupid speeds on the brink of being totally out of control while dodging trees and boulders; drifting my little stick shift Subaru around blind mountain road corners in the spirit of the Fast and Furious movies late into the night. Granted -- my life expectancy probably hovered around the low 20's if I kept this lifestyle up, but it was great nonetheless.
       And in the midst of this, music was always there. I would find inspiration for my compositions from the excitement of these excursions. I would play piano just for the hell of it, banging out ridiculous improvisations never intended for anyone to hear for hours on end.
       Through all of this, I always loved creating and playing music -- but it was never what my entire life revolved around; instead, it was an extension of what was happening in my life. Now, as a music school student in the flat suburban town of Ann Arbor, it is the opposite. Music has taken over my life, and my non-musical activities are an escape from the music. Due to the competition and pressure, practicing and composing are starting to become tasks that I feel obligated to complete in lieu of things I would do if I happened to feel like it. I still love the music and have no plans to not stick with it -- but I am entirely unsure of what the future holds.

Mountain Biking in 5 minutes from my house

Me being reckless