10 Perfect Gifts & Stocking Stuffers for Musicians
HEY, FRIENDS! I disappeared for a very long time, I know. I’m planning big things on the blog for the New Year, but in the meantime, I just couldn’t wait to share this post with you.
Style For On- and Off-Stage: Stitch Fix Review!
“I received a credit to try Stitch Fix as a result of this promotion. By posting this review I am entering a contest sponsored by Stitch Fix and am eligible to win a prize. I was not compensated for my time. This post contains affiliate links.”
I have a confession: I’m addicted to clothes, and have been ever since I learned how to pick them out for myself.
There’s something about stepping out in a new outfit that is just so satisfying. I don’t have expensive taste, but I do have a constant itch to change up my wardrobe, so discovering Stitch Fix last year has opened up a whole new world of possibilities. That’s why, when I heard they’d be hosting a sponsored contest with The Recipe Redux…
“I MUST SHARE THIS NOT-SO-SECRET SECRET WITH THE WORLD!!!!”
For those unfamiliar, Stitch Fix sends you clothing personally hand-picked for you by a stylist. Now, I love a good trip to the mall (and like to think I can dress myself halfway decently), but I’m the kind of girl who finds a good pair of pants and then buys them in six colors. So, having an expert pick out styles for me allows me to go outside my comfort zone and incorporate unique, adorable pieces I probably wouldn’t try on otherwise!
Another great thing about Stitch Fix is that your stylist tailors each “fix” to your needs and budget. For example, I wrote in my “Style Profile” that I’m a musician, and am always looking for cute (yet conservative) black blouses for concerts. And whenever I have an event or recital coming up, my stylist is always there to help me find the perfect dress. I also connect my stylist to a Pinterest board where I can share all of the latest trends I’ve been loving. I DON’T love to spend a fortune, though, so my stylist makes sure the pieces I’m sent are within my budget.
Every time you request a “fix,” your stylist sends you five pieces. Whatever you don’t absolutely love, you can send back for free! This month, my pieces were:
Gaura Back Detail Knit Top
This is an adorable top! I was skeptical of the horizontal stripes at first, but they didn’t end up being unflattering. What WAS a little unflattering was actually the detail on the back which, although very cute, pulled a bit with my arms relaxed. I really liked the shirt on (especially with these sage green pants and wedges) but decided after lots of thought that I wasn’t in love with it enough to keep it. However, it has TOTALLY renewed my faith in horizontal stripes! 😉
Bowie Solid Dolman Sleeve Top -and- Arden Printed Maxi Skirt
I loved the fit of this skirt when I first unboxed it. It hugged my curves in all the right places! Unfortunately, the faux wrap look (which I usually love) did not flatter my figure in this particular style. My stylist knows I lo0o0ove floral prints too, but I felt the large, chunky print was overwhelming for my height (or lack thereof). I paired the fitted skirt with the looser dolman top, which was super soft and comfy but not my favorite style. Though I loved the wide neckline, I’m not a fan of sleeves that are purposefully baggy under the arms – they make me feel like a bat! 😛
Lisbon Stud Detail Blouse
This piece and the next were sent to me as options for concert blouses. The length, neckline, and overall cut of this blouse were SO flattering, but in my opinion, the stud detail would be a bit too loud for a concert or gig. I also didn’t love that the sleeves cut off and went in at the elbows.
Nevis Embroidery Detail Blouse
We have a WINNER! I have been looking for a light, sheer black concert blouse for ages and have been having a surprisingly hard time finding a cute one. The embroidery on the front is understated but decorative. The length is not too long, which is hard to come by with a loose tunic-like top, especially when you’re fun-sized 😉 Paired with my favorite go-to concert pants, this blouse was just perfect! I can’t wait to wear it to my next concert or gig.
Curious about trying Stitch Fix? See for yourself! 🙂
Music Mondays: Applying for Music School
If our high school experiences were at all similar, you were definitely THAT nerd. You know, the one whose favorite subject was orchestra, the one who was always in rehearsal, and the one who brought his/her instrument to school and practiced during lunch. As you sat one day alternating arpeggios with bites of your brown bag sandwich, I bet you dreamt of a place filled with nerds just like you, where not only would it be socially acceptable to practice during school hours, but expected of you. I bet that’s also when you considered becoming a music major.
And then, we have September, the official beginning of application (and premature pumpkin spice latte) season. I went through the audition process twice – once for college, and once for graduate school – and the processes were almost identical. At the end of each process, I ended up happy with my choice and studying with fantastic teachers. Some would say that’s lucky, but I don’t really agree. While your admission is not technically “up to you,” your success as an applicant is 100% yours to take. I hope these tips I learned along the way make the music school admission process seem not only manageable for you, but exciting! 🙂
Rock Hall Auditorium at my alma mater, Temple University!
Summer Fitness Goals: Violin Edition
Happy (belated) Father’s Day everyone! I had a wonderful day yesterday, which was spent with my mom’s side of the family and some extended cousins. My uncle and a few of the cousins brought their guitars and were playing in our living room for what may have been hours, with everyone singing and enjoying each other’s company. It was a wonderful way to enjoy the time I have with my family before packing up and heading off to Aspen for the rest of the summer.
On that note, as I prepare to leave behind this incredibly stressful and (only somewhat) counterproductive year and enter festival mode, I have chosen to re-evaluate the way I’m practicing. Similar to my race training, I have chosen to design a practice-related challenge for myself, which I will get to shortly. It came about as I watched the recording from a recital I played on Saturday – I played the last “movement” of Glazunov, which I have been working on for a while (albeit on and off), for my teacher’s annual studio recital. Unfortunately, the performance was not at all what I had hoped for or even expected from myself, for that matter. Of course, every musician is going to have good performances and not-so-good performances, but it honestly felt like one of the worst performances I’ve ever had. With all the progress I’ve made and what I know I’m now capable of, that obviously can’t be true, but that’s how upset I was with my performance.
While I know that these reactions are to be anticipated after a sub-par performance, I also know that they are WILDLY counterproductive. Okay, so I didn’t play as well as I could have. What am I going to do about it, sit around all day avoiding the problem while watching Law and Order and eating chocolate? Actually, I would love to do that… But I won’t. Or, I could make excuses for why it didn’t go well, like “I was last on the program so I wasn’t warmed up,” or “I had a challenging year, I was burnt out, and couldn’t pull myself together.” Both of which are somewhat true, but I can’t go back and change my performance. What I can do to move on is look at what to do differently now that I have a whole summer to practice and a light academic workload next year.
So, I have two “challenges” I’m going to put into effect this summer. The goal as of now is to rethink how I use scales and Sevcik exercises, not just to improve my technique, which is a given, but to help me become more relaxed. Normally, I would never put “Sevcik” and “relaxed” in the same sentence (let alone the same paragraph) but hear me out. I feel like my approach toward learning music has taken a turn from being too relaxed, like it was before college, to being too analytical. I feel like I’m in a mechanical mindset, mostly when I play from memory. I have all these things I want to do musically, but I don’t think they come out as easily as they could because I become too concerned with deconstructing the music as I’m playing it. Hopefully, doing these exercises in addition to my octaves, arpeggios, etc. will be both effective and interesting, and easy to stick to. Spoiler: I’m actually a five-year-old that makes up practicing games:
1) Scale “MASH” – Make a list with three columns: 1. All Major Scales, 2. All Minor Scales, 3. Metronome Markings and Bow Strokes/Articulations. Pick 3 from each scale column and 6 articulations to warm up with (one for each). Repeat for each practice session.
2) Sevcik From A Hat – (Not to be confused with the more entertaining “Scenes from a Hat” of Whose Line is it Anyway) Write down all key signatures on slips of paper. Pick one exercise from each book per day. Pick 3-4 keys out of a container at random and play each exercise in all of them.
As with any typical workout plan, I’d hope that these exercises will become necessary in order for me to feel like I’ve accomplished something on any given day. So in a sense, I am also trying to build a better practice routine to become accustomed to.
For updates on this challenge and for posts on my overall Aspen experience, please check the “My Summer Blog” page. If I do happen to think of any more exercises or goals to work on, I will be posting about them! For now, I’m excited to start my new violin workout regimen 😉
