Day 9: Sunday or should I Say FUNday!

Today’s AM barn was a little hard to wake up to, but I made it there. Our barn head allowed us to part take in a Sunday AM Barn Tradition: Drink the fresh milk straight from the tank. We all took a sip.

The Milk was totally different from the milk you get from the grocery store. It was naturally sweet and creamy, and that milky taste was subtle as first but later had that aftertaste of milk.

Since there were no classes and nothing to do, I did my home Sunday tradition: GO BACK TO SLEEP!

Boy, was it good. I really needed it. It’s just as draining as Benedict’s.

BRUNCH

When I finally re-awoke, I headed to brunch, I had eggs, sausage and everything bagel along with some pineapple.

Then I got a message to jam with Juno.

JAMIN’

I jammed Juno: our normal groove me on guitar, he on drums. Then we wanted to play outside so we both grabbed some acoustic guitars. And jammed outside, we listened to each other tracks. He actually has a few songs done and be believes that is track may hit the main stream this up coming summer.

We jammed until it was time for me to go to Brattleboro for a thrift Shop event.

THRIFTING IN BRATTLEBORO

Only three of us showed up, Julie, Sam and I, to this event; so Kat just took us anyway to got thrifting and hang around the town.

We went to only thrift shop that was open. We didn’t get anything however due to the prices being too high. But I was able to get this three-string sitar-sounding guitar like instrument. I was luckily able to bargain for 10% off.

We walked al around town stopping at stores along the way, slowing getting some snacks and consuming them as we go.

We stopped to eat at a Thai restaurant; we shared a mango sticky rice that tasted simply divine.

We stopped by the river and I took some really nice shots, then we met up with Kat again and we went back to the bus and then left, but not before we made last stop as a local super market.

DIVERSITY COOKOUT

Right when I came back it was time for the diversity cookout with the diversity club. We went to the house of adult who was in charge of diversity. We were fully in charge of everything.

Jonathan, a senior who I was in the same dorm with, cooked all the food, and couple of Senior girls prepared everything else.  We played some soccer and catch with the dog, Cleo.

After we finished eating we migrated inside and played Halo Reach, while trying to do the Oreo challenge. The Oreo challenge is too weird to explain it can be learned really.

Throughout the entire day I jammed in my new instrument soon to be named. It was I great way to end the week.

P.S. Happy Mother’s Day MOM!

Day 8: Chapter 3: Community Work Day

Today I still had to get up for AM.  It’s pretty had after a Friday but I got it done.

Luckily there were no classes today because it was a community workday.

WORK DAY

We all got put into groups and set off into the town, to work for money of which all income goes back into the school.

I was put into group 3, along another guy in my dorm, another junior and two senior girls.

We worked for two Putney alumni, so we got lots of good Putney stories.

Our jobs were to clear the property of small trees and weeds, so they can landscape. The thing is it was on the side of the hill that means, we must work by hand and/or with clippers.

We actually got the hang of it and we were able to get a lot of progress done. I even got so good I got the Title Dakota the Death of Sticks. I even took out a bug stump, a really prickly and thorny red small bush, along with the main root of it. I called it Death on the stick.

But the house had an amazing view and the property was beautiful as well. They even baked us fresh apple pies with farm fresh ice cream and pomegranate drinks.

MOVIE NIGHT

Later on we were all shuttled to Brattleboro to the local movie theater to see any movie we wished.

Most of us ended up just going to see Iron Man 3, which includes me.

The movie was really awesome and apparently the group of people who I was sitting with happened to be huge fangirls for Iron Man, and there was a lot of energy, commentary, and out right “Fangirl Nerdgasm.”

Afterwards we went to go get milk shakes in a near by restaurant and just walked around a bit before heading back to the bus.

Day 7: Week One Done!

Today was a fun day at AM Barn. I helped fed the teenagers today. That means pick up loose hay by hand outside and walk to the teenager’s pen outside and throw the hay into their huge feeding stall.

Two students were in the second floor of the barn where they keep all the bales of hay. They untie them and throw them out a window near the teenager pen.  Then as I go and muster up some hay Molly, decides to restock us with some hay rain. I’ve heard of big heads, dumb heads, and even potheads, but this morning I was a Hay Head.

The hay went and like somehow fused with my hair, no mater how much I pulled out there always seemed to be more, not just on the surface but actually to scalp too!

But it was still a good morning, because of the students brought us donuts, we each got one on our way out.

CLASSES

I started off with English 10. We finished Watchmen and are getting ready for our finally project.

Then I had chemistry, we did a review of our homework, and then we got prepped to do our last lab. We are going to do the it on Monday, be we just planed everything out, because with this lab we are fully on our own, no help.

While in Chemistry, I was paired in a group of three, Lee who I was I the same dorm with and Sam the guitarist I played with at Coffee House. I was the only sophomore, so I did really know many others in the classes besides these guys.

Sam saw that I was using his Blues driver, that he lost a while back, he said he didn’t mind if I want I can buy it off of him for $20, which is a great deal since it really costs $100!

During Conference Block I jammed with Juno again and we finally made the perfect groove to play for assemble, and we just rocked out for the whole time, we actually over did it because be when we stopped I was late for my next class.

Luckily my teacher doesn’t mind lateness too much, he just let it slide.

ULTERMATE FRISBEE

Today I had Frisbee practice, and this time I was prepared, I changed in to my shorts and brought some Gatorade.

We started out with a light jog, and then we did a practice to work on catching/ blocking the Frisbee when running on both offense and defense.

Later we had another scrimmage, my team won!

DINNER

I decided to eat outside, so did Molly, Ella & Bella (girls I met on the first night) and Moi a guy from my dorm that has helped me a lot.

We sat together by the steps. Ella and me talked about Green day then we moved to Pokemon, the whole group got involved, actually once I mentioned Pokemon, like three guys came up and was like “did I just hear Pokemon.”

Then it turned out That Bella and Molly are a huge Pokemon Fan, and I showed them my emulator and we all fangirled over it. 

It was pretty awesome to know I’m not the only nerd around here.

LATER THAT NIGHT

 At the end of the Night I basically just jammed out again with Rolan and Isaiah, both from my dorm. Rolan on piano, and Isaiah on Bass, we worked on our cover of King for a Day by Green Day. Me made great progress.

Can’t wait till my performances next week gotta end it with a bang!

P.S. I really want to thank you guys back at home for all your support and feedback. Keep it coming! and I give a full shout out on my last post. 

Day 6: Pizza Night!?

Today I finally shoveled poop in AM barn but it wasn’t too bad. The best part of AM barn is that, there’s a radio in the between the corridors of milking stalls, and all they play is classic rock my favorite to listen in the morning. It really gets me in the mood to get stuff done.

CLASSES

I started off with English three, we were in groups of three and one group of two, we were gathering notes and ideas for a philosophical question and use and relative themes and concepts from Watchmen the Graphic novel, philosophers, and philosophies.

I was in the group of two with another girl, Emma, we used Google docs to accumulate our thoughts and really brainstorm our ideas. We came up with many concepts and decided that our philosophical question be based on ethics and humanity, does humanity play a role in ethics? Should it?

Then I had Comp Religions again we looked at an article in the New York Times about the unknown yet awesome lives of Catholic Priests, brothers and Nuns along with all the good things that they do, while contrasting it to the normal way society mainly non Catholics perceive and criticize it.

Afterwards I had music intensive, where I had another lesson with Draa (pronounced dr-ey) the guitar teacher. We work on the modes again as well as full on music theory. He said by the end of this lesson you’ll be ready to commit a couple of homicides.

He was right it was insane yet intense, but I faced it head on, with eager. We work on how to harmonize scales and arpeggios over chord changes. For Dr. Fetcher’s pleasure we worked on a more jazzy way of harmonization, so get those solo sections ready Doc!

JAMMIN’ & JAZZ

Then during conference block I had a nice jam with a drummer named Juno. We just kept changing up on rocky grooves where I’d play a rhythm then solo and repeat and I stop and did harmonics and allowed him some awesome drum solos. This guy plays great, he never played drums before anyone at the school and he wants to make his real debut with me. We’re going to play for assembly next week.

Because it’s Thursday, I have Jazz combo again. We listened to a record and tried to play the melody of each of our instruments, then linking up with it. Then once we got the melody we each switched off in fourths. It was extremely hard but so very fun. We learning to play off of pure music, our click track was the peeps of nature in the background.

They also want me to play for assemble so we worked on a really great song to play. Thanks to Dr. Fletcher and our jazz band I will able to remember the jazz chords and play them. I was only one holding the chords for the song so it’s really good that I can play them well. Also, Doc was right a real Jazz Guitar Lead Sheet really doesn’t show any tabs at all. Luckily the chords were ones I used often so I remembered them.

PIZZA NIGHT

As I arrived at my Dorm after Jazz Combo, two student was also returning, each with a full pie of pizza. I asked what was that about, they told me that every Thursday is Pizza night were the students buy pizza and sodas from the school at a very low price. These pizzas were costumed ordered and they had really great options.

I had to walk all the way but up to the KDU (Their café/mess hall). I only wanted two slices and a soda, and a brought a soda for another student in the dorm because he allowed me to use his student account to get the pizza.

I ended up getting one Hawaiian slice (pineapple and ham) and one mushroom and onions with a Pepsi.

Day 5: Half-Day Hump Day

AM barn every morning, and today I was able to experience some of the cows first hand. I told a teenager calf out for a walk around the soccer, field. I ran with it and had some fun, and it began to really trust me and was very calm with me in the end.

CLASSES AGAIN

First up I had English 10, and I got a downloaded version of Watchmen the Graphic Novel. We talked more on the little observations and themes that were portrayed in the reading the days before.

Then I had Comp. Religions, we finish watching Grand Torino, and then talk about what we got from the film, the character development, and purely analyzing its themes and relating it to Christianity.

I only had two classes today because Wednesdays are normally half days. So with the free time I decided to write my blog post that I did do yesterday because I was so tired and get some laundry done; while catching up on some sleep in the in between time.

THE INBETWEEN TIME

I played I game of battle hack with a couple of students. It is where be stand in a circle and kick a hanky sack to each other. After the sack has touch three people it must me caught in the air. When caught you must hack, more of pelt it at the nearest person around. It you catch it before three people have touched it, then that person must face his back to the wall and everyone who is playing gets to have one chance to pelt him with the hanky sack.

THE TOWN OF PUTNEY

On Wednesdays, there is a Putney shuttle that tarries us to the town of Putney and back. So me and another student from my dorm went to the general store and just picked up a bunch of snacks. I stocked up and created my dorm stash of food to snack on the hungry times.

 GUITAR LESSON?!

Later on that day I met with Guitar teacher at Putney. And this guy can play, to be truthfully honest I think he’s better than Dr. Fetcher, My first guitar teacher, and me combined.

I gave me full freedom to delve into whatever I want in each lesson. He plays rock really well and definitely mastered jazz, or what he calls “The J Word.” 

We mainly worked on learning the modes, all of them, along with all the little connects, how to use them all around the neck, and harmonizing the scales and keys over the various chords and chord changes.

I have another lesson with him tomorrow; we are going to work more on the modes and chords. He said if there’s any song or solo I want to learn; we’ll learn ‘em.

To Whom it may concern

 

For those who want to see the shots of me playing at Coffee House as well was shots from the whole night; here is a link to the article and picture thumbnail http://www.putneyschool.org/content/spring-coffee-house-2013

Day 4: Take Out Your Bread Cuz it's Time to Jam

 

CLASSES

Today I started out with comparative religions, my fourth block; they were on Christianity, main Catholicism. I am truly the only catholic here, every on else is mainly atheist and/or non-organized religion. So it was a little weird but I was able to talk to those about my religion and theirs.

So in Comp. Religions, to help us understand Catholicism he decided that we watch the movie Grand Torino. We did finish the movie so far but it was really good and the points and themes it brought about Catholicism, though only indirectly, was very thought bringing material. We analyzed the movie and talked its themes.

 Then I had more of music intensive then Chemistry.

In Chemistry we worked on calculating pH level. Although I didn’t work on this in my chemistry class, I caught on quick and even finished all the problems first and without help. We check the problems and I was completely right.

PUTNEY FUN

 After classes were over I had my activity and mine happened to be ultimate Frisbee. It’s like football, soccer and basketball mashed into one sport but instead of a ball we use a Frisbee. We played a couple of practice games. I was thrown in without knowing anything but it was fun, and more vigorous than I expected. There was constant running, and Frisbees flying around, along with yelling that comes with every sport.

Afterwards I on my way back I found the same senior girls, who looked after me on the first day, we went back to my dorm along with a couple of guys who was on the Frisbee team who was also in the same dorm as me.

We went into on of the guy’s room, and the girls immediately sniffed out his food stash, and boy was there lot of food. We some what raided it; since the guys was with us and didn’t mind too much so as long we leave the sodas alone.

I found is acoustic-electric guitar and just started play while we talked keeping the things lively and fun, I’d change the songs depending on the mood and subject of the conversation.

Then all decided to have a huge dog pile. So I asked if any one had checked the weather because it was sunny with a chance of… Dakota! And I joined in. Pun successfully pulled off, they didn’t it coming.

Then I had to cut my fun with them short because it was time for Jazz Combo

JAZZ  & JAMMING

At the jazz combo, it was really just a rhythm section and trumpet. But we still managed to jam. It is nothing to be compared to my own jazz band. However it was very different for me because I’m used to big band sound and organizing.

We worked on a new song of which I just sight read most of the chords. The jazz teacher allowed me to solo and he loved it. So trumpet and me just switched off now and again improvising.

The jazz teacher was very open and allowed us to really feel the groove not so much on accuracy and blend like with Dr. Fletcher. He didn’t matter what the chords were so as along as we keep the chord progression in relativity to the chords on the sheet.

It was a great jam session, and in the end the drummer and me jammed off to Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix. Then it turned out that we are both Green Day fans, so we decided to do a cover of King for a Day by Green Day and perform it at assembly before I leave. So we are trying to make small band to play it.

Then when I got to the dorm the bassist from the jazz combo brought out his guitar and we wanted to jam, then came along another really great guitarist in my dorm and he got his guitar and joined us.

 We just went put on the porch and jammed out under the stars.