Classes, plus bonus violiny excitement!

So, I've now had all of my classes. Looks like I'll be kept busy this year, but obviously, I expected as much. I also located my "core group", which consists of one person, and then two others who are soft-core (not in my seminar).

First up was language, which I can tell will be a favorite this year. I think certain unnamed people may speak up a bit too much, but nothing that can't be cured with a good swift jab to the ribs, or something. Tutor is excellent, and the class dynamic seems great.

Next was music, which should be interesting. I'm not big on the chanting - give me four strings over a voice any day. The tutor definitely knows his stuff - he studied piano for two years at Juliard, so he's got the music qualifications. Someone asked at the beginning of class if not knowing music put them at a disadvantage; the response was that coming in with a clean slate could actually be an advantage, which sort of deflated me. I'd been psyching myself up: I've never formally studied theory and know nothing about vocal music, but obviously I know the fundamentals of music in general, since I literally don't remember not playing violin. Anyway, I know I'll be able to get through it. (Random thought of the moment: It would be way more fun if we studied classic punk rather than Gregorian Chant. Seriously - monks in church? Or the Sex Pistols, The Who, The Clash...? Anyone who says that chant is more fun than the Sex Pistols gets beaten brutally about the head with a heavy book.)

Then, after a lunch of lukewarm and utterly tasteless macaroni and cheese and a brief lounge on the grassy knoll, math. The tutor is new to St. John's this year, so I've got some reservations. He seemed a little nervous, which I can't fault him for, but also very laid-back - impossibly mellow compared to last years math tutor. I'm a bit more cautious just because he's new. So not only has he not done Ptolemy before, but he's new to St. John's, which means he possibly just doesn't get it, or not yet. We shall see, though. On the upside, I totally remember that I did at one point understand the "fried-egg" proof, so I've got that back now! Yay!

After a brief nap, I decided to finally tune my poor, neglected violin. It was frustratingly hard to do so, which was odd. The pegs tend to slip a bit, but I can normally get it at least within close to in-tune fairly quickly. Anyway - the strings had gotten so loose, that when I started tightening, the bridge got pulled forward, and was on about a 45-degree angle, sloped towards the fingerboard when I finally finished. That was an oh, crap moment, because I have no doubt if I tried playing it like that, the bridge would have broken and/or shot off the violin, both of which have happened before and scared the ever-loving crap out of me. Anyway - I got that straightened out (hah), and I'll just have to keep checking the next few times I take it out that it's straight.