End of a week, and music

I'm definitely a fan of having one morning class on Fridays and then being done for the week. I think that it will, in fact, work ou fairly well.

Karate started yesterday (actually Monday a kata workout, which I entirely forgot about, alas.) Went pretty well - we've got a handful of new freshmen, hope that they stay. Fresh blood! *ahem* Most of me thought it felt great to finally work out again, even though we just did serious basics (low block, lunge punch, front stance, front kick). My knees weren't overly thrilled with it, but it was tolerable. They'll get my gi when they pry it off my cold, dead body!

Classes, as I mentioned in a previous post, look pretty good for the year. Music should be definitely interesting - there are a number of people in the class who clearly aren't joking when they say that they know nothing about music. I've realized that this, for me, is rather like the Jewish thing: when I first got to St. John's last year was the first time I truly realized that almost nowhere else has the Jewish population that NJ does. Most non-Jews don't grow up knowing about bar/bat mitzvahs, having off school for the high holidays, etc. Similarly (though less odd to me, conceptually), some people simply have never done music. I'd thought that most elementary schools, at least, would have some sort of music requirement, but I could be wrong and/or...elementary school was a long time ago for college students. Obviously, the fact that I literally don't remember not being a musician gives me a different persepctive than most people. I don't remember learning to read music: I just always have.

Further interesting musical realization: I'm actually not very good at reading the treble clef. Why? Because I automatically translate it into violin fingerings - ie, the second line is "third finger, D string", which I then see as "G". I don't initially read it as "G". Interesting peak into how I learn. I wonder if I'd studied theory more formally, if I'd have the same little quirk.