I'm blushing...but I'm going to post anyway

So, posterity had better thank me for this, because this is pretty embarrassing. Here's a video of a recent harp practice I did, it's fairly ridiculous, but it should give everyone an idea of what we're working on. I guess I should get used to performing in front of people anyway....

Enjoy....I think.

Eleven Pipers Piping...and a harp

I am now, finally, the owner of a harp. While owning the musical instrument that I intend to haul across the United States is undoubtedly, important, having a harp means so much more than that to me. In order to demonstrate how much this means to me I'm going to tell you a story. When I was a little girl my mother would read a book to me called Gwinna, written by Barbara Berger. It's about a young girl with wings who hears the sound of a harp in the wind; she begs her father to build her a harp, however he's not able to build one for her.  One day her parents are turned into stone by an old crone, luckily, a Griffen helps her to fly to a magical mountain where a beautiful young tree donates herself for the wood of a harp. The Griffen turns into an old man who is also a skilled Luthier (someone who builds harps). From that small harp comes the sound that is able to free her parents and obviously, allows her to fulfill her dreams.

That was a terrible rendition of one of my favorite, childhood stories. Seriously it's way more complex than that, and worth reading to your own children someday. Anyway, I LOVED this story as a child and from the time I was about five, I begged my mother to buy me a harp. Because we didn't know of any harp teachers in the area, that dream did not become a reality until I was 15 years old and met a harp teacher at church; however, even then I never owned a harp, we merely rented one.

Therefore my current status as harp owner is awesome! It's a small lap harp made by William Rees Harps and it's what is called a fullsicle; it has 26 six strings and full levers. For those of you who aren't harp junkies like myself, there are two different kinds of harps: pedal harps and lever harps. Pedal harps have a pedal for each key. Depressing a pedal causes all the corresponding strings of that key to become sharp, moving the pedal up flats the strings. Pedal harps usually have at least 40-47 strings and are used for classical music. Lever harps on the other hand, have levers over every single string (or occasionally only the C or F strings), and when you intend to sharp a string you lift up the lever and it causes the string to move up a half-step (if you need flats you usually have to retune the harp to a different key). Because of this, lever harps range from 22 to 40 strings and are the harp of choice for Celtic and folk harpers, since they are much smaller and easier to transport. So when I say that the harp has full levers it means that there are levers over each key, allowing me to play a much bigger range of music.

Anyway, beyond practicing my music for the group and tuning the harp constantly (harps have to be tuned 2-3 times a day when they're new) a few small things have progressed for the group. I talked to my grandmother the other day about costumes, apparently she was also a part of renaissance fairs when she was younger. (Ren fairs must therefore be in my blood. I'm taking this as a good sign for our chances of getting accepted as performers). She told me about the different costumes for different classes and it seems as though we might have to change a few things about our costumes; I didn't realize how many restrictions they put on what you could wear. Everything needs to be completely authentic, right down to the type of fabric you use.

Other than that, things are sort of on hold right now for the holidays. Once we all regroup in Utah we'll be able to practice as a group and get started on our demo CD. I will try to post a video of me playing the harp sometime soon...or at least a recording or something, no judging my harp skills though if I do. I'm still getting back into the groove of playing; hopefully the groove returns in full-force soon--Pepper.

Torturing the Folks...and other Holiday Notions

You know how Lady Gaga refers to all her Twitter readers as "little monsters"?  It made me wonder what she would call the wonderful people who have been diligently reading this blog.  Since the band will be playing at Renn Faires, I guess that narrows down the themes she could draw from.  So far I've come up with "Sparkly Unicorns" and "Zesty Dragons".

So... hello my zesty dragons.  wasup? thnks 4 reading.

Okay, not capitalizing words makes me twitch.  As does calling people zesty dragons or any other mythological creature.  And to our 8 fans (ok... 5 if you don't count us), you make us feel like rock-stars.  We appreciate you.  And Charlie, thanks for commenting on our posts.  We really like comments.

Sorry we haven't been posting much this past week.  It's Christmas break, so we're all spending time with our families and friends.  Don't worry, along with re-reading the first Dragonlance series and stuffing myself with mom's homemade candy, I've been diligently practicing my penny whistle (P.S I found the Dragonlance books used at this hippie town in Cleveland for $1.50 each.  They smell like incense! Ahem.  Anyway.).  At first I was a little timid, terrified that I'd get mercilessly made fun of (which is a bit sad, since I'm the oldest and should be the one doing the teasing, not the other way around).  But I've grown more bold and now play in the piano room.  Speaking of pianos, my parents own this beautiful Steinway and I've been practicing some of our songs, learning the melodies and picking out some of the harmonies. 

I told one of my brothers what we've been concocting (the one who's old enough to keep a secret).  I think my boldness comes from his approval  and support.  Now, if I can find a way to tell my dad... at the moment, the plan is to get hired by a few venues first and then tell him.  He's been taking me to Renn Faires since I was six, so I'm hoping he'll be as excited as I am...rather than the voice of reason. 

I did apply to summer jobs in Alaska, so if everything falls apart, I could still see remote regions of the country while working for minimal wage!  Yes!  Win win!

Don't worry, starlings, we have some Christmas presents tucked in our long, flowing sleeves just for you.  Pepper is in CA with her new harp and hopes to upload some footage.  I've been memorizing a jig for my penny whistle, so I might play that for ya'll...and maybe sing a song.  Aspen is in New York, so maybe I'll bug her with a text and get her to write another post :)  Until then, here, listen to some actual musicians.
It's going to be legend--wait for it--

Jaenelle

An Elephant in Mouse-skin

I'm not quite sure how to express why this adventure of ours matters in written words.  Hopefully this disclosure won't bore you.  I think I speak for all three of us when I say, this isn't about the Renaissance Faire.  No, we aren't people who feel the need to wear cloaks on campus or spend our free time playing Ring Around the Maypole. While we might be atypical, we express our freak-flags in different ways.  Since this is my post, I can only disclose my own secrets.  (For instance, I enjoy pressing all the buttons on the elevator before getting off.)  Yet here we are, working our butts off and stretching our budgets further in order to make Pepper's crazy idea a reality.  If it were just about the Renaissance Faire, I don't think this idea would have ever made it off the ground.

What is it about then?  Why would three girls want spend the summer living in a car, living off paltry wages?

For me, this trip is like Rosalind's journey into the Forest of Arden, a pastoral time-out of sorts.  She is banished from court and disguises herself as a man. While I intend to remain a woman on this adventure, there is something to be said for dedicating a space of time for exploration.  After reading novels such as The Road and The Things They Carried, I've come to realize that leaving the environment we are comfortable with reveals what really matters.  The cultural hang-ups we find ourselves running into become irrelevant because that culture no longer applies.  And as a writer, getting at meaning through unconventional experience is everything.  What is left when we subtract the "-isms" we categorize ourselves by?  What is left when we subscribe to our own ideals of happiness rather than the ones society offers?  Which pieces of the self can one uncover?

Hopefully I haven't lost you.  Sorry, I'm applying literary theory to real life here and maybe the only person that would interest is me.

Anyway, identity, then, is defined by what you do.  I know some people who define themselves by the rules they live by.  I know others who do so by the rules they break.  Some girls define themselves by whether or not they have a successful relationship, others by their career.  Since I'm not a boy, I'm not sure what they define themselves by, but based off off the movies I've seen, it seems like some define themselves by whether or not they're virgins (or maybe it's their cars or how buff they are? that gender still baffles me).

I want to be the girl who has an idea and follows through.  I want to be the girl who dreams big and doesn't settle for what's practical just because it's safe or expected.  I want to dedicate myself to what makes me happy, such as writing and music, rather than to house payments or bills.  I want a life I can be passionate about.  I want to die knowing that I've lived each day to the fullest capacity possible, that I pursued every opportunity in my path and followed the mythical "what if" to its end.

As graduation approaches, I realize that the choices I make will determine the person I am, the life I live.  This trip affirms a commitment to the ideals I believe in.  It is a declaration of identity. 

So yes, the thought of washing my hair in a bucket and sleeping in the back of a car sounds exciting.  The thought of donning the garb and performing for whoever will listen puts a smile on my face.  I have been going to Renaissance Faires with my family ever since I was six years old and I have always wanted to work at one.  At the moment, the only person I'm accountable for is me, so why not live like a hippie for a few months and see the country?  My week will consist of sight-seeing, reading, playing music, doing yoga in fields, jump roping, running, and writing (and maybe practicing Kung Fu so I don't back-track too far).  I've also decided to use all that car time to study for the GRE so I can go to Graduate School in Fall 2012.  

Already I've been finding some clarity in terms of the next step I'll take because now I'm giving myself permission to take them.  After our adventure, I'm going to apply to graduate school for English literature and perhaps get my P.H.D. in creative writing.  It's time to shed the restrictive skin of convention and simply exist as myself...or something deep and sentimental like that. This might be the last serious post from me for awhile because it reeks of sentiment, which makes me break out in hives.  Oh well.--Jaenelle 

P.S Or do boys define themselves like girls?  By relationships or careers?  Or sports?  If boys are anything like girls, which I often suspect they are, then maybe there is no absolute definition :)

Finished Logo

Here's the finished logo, both the black and white and the color versions. Enjoy!
Aspen

How do you brand yourself?

So it should be said, I am not the musical member of our group. My entire life that has always been a huge weakness of mine, and I accepted that would most likely never change. Also, it should be noted that I am not the type to perform in front of others. Once a group gets larger than four or five people, I get nervous and clam up. So the fact that I'm participating in this crazy adventure will be a definite test of what I'm capable of. I'm the artistic one. I'll fill in for other areas, but by and large my role is that of the artist.

The first thing I wanted to do with this group, was develop a type of brand. You see that will all successful companies and corporations, they have a brand or style that makes everyone think of them. Their brand unifies them, identifies them, makes them official. The first act of branding us I chose to take, was developing a logo. Like with most things, every idea I and the others could come up with were overly complicated. Characters singing, or biting hearts. We wanted to do something with the card symbols, but nothing seemed to work. I like logos that are simple lines and shapes, but that also have meaning. So I started with a tambourine, a simple shape, and worked from there.

Next I added strings, to symbolize the harpist, and tried to think of a way to incorporate our cards idea. Which is when I decided to put the symbols along the edge. I ended up with the design on the bottom right, but that seemed too static, too boring. So I just started drawing squiggly lines and tried to see how I could change the fundamental style of the logo. I liked where it was going, but it still seemed too random. Janelle recommended having the apple hang from the top (to symbolize women) and then commented that it was starting to look like the treble clef. That gave another direction to head towards, and when pepper added her two cents I came up with this.

I made the lines as graceful as possible, and simplified the elements down to the minimum. I reduced the strings to three to represent the three of us, and this is what we have. I still have to refine it, and get rid of a few of the more rough edges. I was surprisingly happy with the way that it turned out, and it's a definite start to the process of branding Aoide.

Aspen

The Rantings of a Self-absorbed, Middle-Class White Girl

So while the majority of our time as a "band" has been spent attempting to work out the logistics of driving across the country with no money (things like showers and places to change are just some of the topics in question) we've also decided to set some goals for this blog. Now, don't be offended by what I'm about to say, I hate a lot of the blogs I read. Mainly because all they do is catalog what little Timmy did that morning, while simultaneously ignoring correct spelling and punctuation. I'm sorry if you have a blog like that, but I'd rather chew sand then have something I'm associated with spiral down into that formulaic nonsense. I'm not the only one who feels this way incidentally, ever read Seriously, So Blessed?

That said, I think there are a lot of incredibly interesting, intelligent people who do amazing things with their blog. Hopefully this blog, will be the latter. Therefore, in an effort to facilitate good writing and interesting posts, the three of us have been thinking about what we want to accomplish, not really for this blog, but more with this entire project. So here it goes, the things I hope to gain from this experience.

 First on the list: see the United States. I did a lot of traveling during my undergraduate degree, 99% of it outside of the US, this is my chance to see some of my homeland.

Second, I need to experience something new and different so I can write about it (I really want to be a writer incidentally) and I know that the Renaissance Fair can offer me that. I once spoke with a friend who was involved with creative writing as well, and he said something very profound about writing; he said that often the best writers are not people who have had more school, but the people who have experienced more in life. I think that he's probably right.

Third, and most importantly, I need to find some sense of direction in my life. Time for a bit of confession, I recently graduated with my MA in English Literature and for the past six years of my collegiate life the goal has always been to go on to a PhD program. However, I ended up having to take a year off between my MA and a PhD and now that the time is here to actually go to a PhD program, I'm not sure that it's what I want anymore. In fact, I'm not sure about ANYTHING I want anymore. Where do I want to live? Do I want to be an professor? Do I want to be an art museum curator (another career I've been considering)? Do I want to be a writer? If so, where do I get the money for that? Do I want to get married? Do I want to have children? Do I want to stay in the Renaissance Fair for the rest of my life? I don't know anymore!

I'm desperately hoping that this trip (and some much needed introspection and self-reflection) will offer up a few answers.

So there you are, you have it all. Hopefully, you now think that a) I am fascinating and that b) my blog is fascinating. If not and you think a I'm self-absorbed, middle-class white girl, just keep that thought to yourself. Incidentally, I was joking about spending the rest of my life playing in renaissance fairs; I don't think that's a smart career move.--Pepper

Please Place Dignity in Wastebasket Before Exiting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgeZwvo3_fo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

True to our words, we are faithfully documenting our endeavor, more for your entertainment than anything else.  Be excited, more videos and confessionals to follow.  --Jaenelle

Horseback Riding, Kung Fu...and the Penny Whistle

Just an update on practice session #1...in my car.  The only pockets of time I could find to practice were right before my horseback riding lesson and then Kung Fu.   I'm not sure whether or not the horses heard me hit those notes only dogs can hear.   In the parking lot outside the Kung Fu school I prayed that no one would see/hear me while my Loreena McKennit cd played in the background so I didn't have to listen to myself screech away on my instrument.  I was in the car for over an hour yesterday, so I made sure I sang the whole time to rebuild the vocal flexibility I had in high school.  No one did see me, at least I don't think.  I have 20 minutes right now, so I might go down to the car in my pjs and practice. 
The outlook?  Not as grim.  I can now make a decent sound on the god-forsaken instrument and have started practicing some Irish jigs.  I knew those 7 years of oboe lessons would come in handy some day.  Today is that day.
Oh, and yesterday Pepper and I went to the library to find some songs.  We found hundreds.  Although we've chosen two, we need still need to find one more.  We plan on having 20 songs ready by the time we hit the road: 5 fun ballads, 5 romantic songs, 5 drinking songs, and 5 jigs.  Savy, right?--Jaenelle

Rome WAS Built in a Day

Wow. So they say Rome wasn't built in a day, yet it's incredible how fast things are moving on this project. We've already heard back from the Pittsburgh Renaissance Fair, one of the biggest in the United States and they've said that they would love to hear a demo CD from us. This fact really excites me, though maybe just for the pure fact that within the next month I'll be making a demo CD and sending it out to people! Just think, a demo CD, doesn't that just sound legit?

Also, we've (well just me actually) managed to ACCIDENTALLY purchase harp. Yup, that's right accidentally.  Here is some wisdom I acquired yesterday--read everything on ebay before typing in numbers. So apparently there is this thing on ebay where you can either "buy it now" or put in your best offer, meaning that instead of competing against other buyers you simply submit an offer to the company for what you'd like to pay for the item. Unbeknownst to me, if they accept your offer, you've basically just purchased the item.

So I submitted an offer on a small Celtic harp on ebay and the next morning received an email saying, "Congratulations, now pay us our money." Therefore, a harp is now speeding across the 50 states (all the way from Florida I might add) to land at my doorstep in about a week. I've yet to try the harp, so here's hoping it sounds good. It has 22 strings (three octaves) and stands about 3 feet tall.

As is the custom among myself and various members of my family, I'll probably end up naming my new little toy and I'd welcome any suggestions for names anyone might have. I've included a picture of the item in question for your inspiration.

Also, just an update on the blog itself. The girls and I have been overwhelmed by the amount of people who think that our Summer proposal is, simultaneously the most ridiculously awesome thing they've heard about (at least this week), so in the spirit of maintaining that, we'll be doing our best to upload as many interesting things to this site. Soon to come, videos of our music and of us rehearsing (which is sure to be hysterical), pictures of the group, and even images from the playing card-centered theme merchandise that Aspen is creating (I've seen some of it, and it's great).

So basically this post is merely to inform you all that I couldn't be more surprised about how quickly my silly idea has taken off, ergo, our Rome (the band) being built in a day.

Oh and incidentally, in response to some questions we've received about pronunciation of the band name, it goes like this (A-ode). We chose it since Aoide was the Greek muse of song.--Pepper

A Penny (Whistle) for Your Thoughts, New Lyrics for the Brain

So yesterday we all went to a music store to get instruments.  Question: How on earth do people who work at Renaissance Faires afford their instruments?  Everything was at least $25, mostly $40, including a penny whistle! Which, by the way, sounds so off key when I bring it to my blessed lips and blow.  It probably doesn't help that I learned the fingering for a whistle tuned to D rather than C.  And the walls where I live are so paper thin, I'm terrified of 1: disturbing people, 2: being mocked in people's heads for my atrocious playing, and 3: getting labeled as one of "those" people.  My solution? Practice in the privacy of my car.  Maybe that's a little pathetic...and people who see me will think I'm even stranger than if they simply overheard me... Oh, well.  Car it is.
I'm not going to lie, there are moments when I panic from this idea.  Then I tell myself, "Right now, it's just a demo cd.  Worry when you get accepted/rejected."  The sad thing is, I think I'll worry more if I get rejected.  This idea, as impoverished as it will make me, seems obtainable and nourishing for the soul (wow, that sounds a little over dramatic). 
However, on a positive note, I have written lyrics for a ballad with a modern twist.  It's kind of awesome and I'm proud.  Do I have any idea what the teacher was lecturing on in class?  No.  But will that make me money?  At this point, no.  But my lyrics might.  Ha.
So, if you see a girl playing a penny whistle in her car, don't worry, she's not mentally unbalanced (at least, we think), she's just planning on graduating college and joining the circus (to coin a phrase from her mother, lol).  Oh, and I bought a tambourine!  How cool is that!  Ok, maybe I am a little unbalanced. --Jaenelle

Not Bad, huh?

Okay, so I was messing around with Garageband this morning and recorded this.  I figured if this is to be an accurate disclosure of our crazy idea, we should include the good and the bad.  --Jaenelle 

The Brilliance of a Good Daydream

My mother always taught me that life was about experiences. This spurred me to travel around the world, bungee jump off of bridges and climb into lion cages, however I have yet to experience the mystical space known as "The Renaissance Faire."

I can't deny it, I'm excited. Here is an opportunity to spend the summer as a hippie, embark on a Great American Road Trip, and meet some of the most interesting people in the United States. I plan on sleeping in my car, showering little, scrimping on food and start incorporating the words "thee" and "thou" into my daily vocabulary. Consider this a sociological experiment on what three recent college graduates can do with their higher education.

I can already tell that I will probably regret this decision financially, yet the possibilities of the open road call to my Provo-laden soul. I can't help but consider that if we can't make this renaissance career work, I'll probably end up spending my summer checking printers for paper. I keep thinking that 30 years from now, my fellow musicians and societal rebels will meet up and reminisce about that crazy summer we spent. I know my future children will be appropriately impressed.

Already the plans are starting to come together. We've emailed several different Renaissance Fairs asking for contact information, put together lists of songs to rehearse and started to plan out a route. We've even put together potential packing lists and are thinking about the logistics of sleeping in a car during the middle of summer.

I'm about doing. And we're going to do this. Get excited people, this summer is going to be legen-dary. In a Elizabethan kind of way. --Pepper

Hello, Crazy People

So...when I first heard about this idea, I figured it was just another hopeless fantasy that was never going to happen, much like when we all dressed up for Avatar...which we did actually do, but it was disappointing.  Maybe that's a bad comparison.  Since I live with Pepper and Jaenelle hangs out with us all the time, it just kept coming up and I figured I might as well jump on the band-wagon rather than remain alone.  Even if we don't do it, prepping seemed more exciting that being left out, and if we do, I'd rather be doing this than working at Macy's with my B.F.A in illustration, since it's the only thing six years of college has qualified me for.  Artists go to Comicon all the time to gain experience and hock their products...I'm not really into comicbooks, so here's another option.  Because I have almost no musical ability, I figured I could offer my artistic input and play the recorder...for the first time in eight years...we'll see how that goes.  Since we decided to choose a playing card theme, I'm working on designs for merchandise we can sell once we get hired...if we get hired.  After all, what's a band without memorabilia to remember it by? At at this point, every penny we make can be put into the bank.--Aspen  

What the Random?

Most random text ever: Hey, Jaenelle, this summer we're going to open a jewelry booth and tour at different Renaissance Faires across the country.  In my head, I'm thinking, "not that it will happen, but man, I've always wanted to!" The next text comes a few minutes later, "nix the jewelry booth, merchandise costs a fortune.  Let's perform instead! I can play the harp and you can sing, we should do it!"
Sounds crazy, right?  After all, the economy is tanking and come June, I'll have this handy piece of paper certifying my undergraduate degree.  Then again, the economy is tanking and try as I might, the only road that seems open before me is retail.  Granted such a job would pay some of the bills.  But my previous plans of working on Capitol Hill, a publishing house, or a NPO seems further and further away.
I replied with a "Let's do it!", thinking, well, it doesn't hurt trying, right?  At least it would be an entertaining dream to make the future seem less bleak. 
However, the more Pepper and I talked about it, the more viable our craziness became.  Maybe because on some level we're both romantics.  Living on the road, scraping our resources together for food and gas, camping out every night, and, of course, working in a fun atmosphere.  It probably doesn't hurt that we both want to be writers, which means the more out of the ordinary experiences we can participate in, the more material we have to draw from.
It all came to a head last night at Denny's, where all ideas sound genius at one in the morning.  Pepper and I committed to at least trying to make this happen.  Neither of us knows what will come of it, but for me, I'm excited to reconnect with music once more.  After my awful experiences in high school choir, I had vowed to never sing in public again.  I'm still terrified.  Singing is a form of vulnerable I have spent the past four years shying away from.  Writing is one thing.  My blood turns to ink and I can draw my vulnerability out of my body and onto paper.  But singing...music and body are one and the same.
I digress.  So, today we put up a myspace page and right now my photo is serving as our poster-child until we get some costumes together and have a real photo shoot. Another friend, Aspen, has joined our ranks and today we've been researching various faires to send demos to.  I took a crash GarageBand course, so at least that won't cost us much.  And if no Faire's hire us, then at least we'll have a story about that one time we thought spending several months as homeless musicians sounded like a good idea.--Jaenelle