How long till next year? 3 and a half minutes...

It's roughly a year since I started this here blog. One of my earliest posts was a rather sombre lecture on the ups and downs of 2009, and I moaned because we never do anything on New Year's Eve, and I sit up on my own, and get depressed.

Well, a year later, and once again I'm sitting up here alone (if not for Leachy boy via MSN and Prime via text) whilst a great number of my peers are out celebrating.

I think it's inevitible that we'll find ourselves evaluating the past year and anticipating the forthcoming year on each New Year's Eve, and as I'm IMMENSELY bored, I thought I'd do mine here.
I sat and originally thought "Well what was so good about 2010 for me? Hmph, just GCSEs and I suppose panto."
Then, I sat and thought some more, went through the calendar and some blog posts, and realised it's actually been pretty brilliant on reflection. Here's my rundown of Taylor's 2010. If you get bored easily, get out now, and Happy New Year...

January: So, I'd started this blog around Christmas, and I remember continuing with that. We went back to school with us little Year 11s raring to go (HAHA) for the hellish terms we knew were about to hit us. I remember these early evenings being taken up by watching at least 2 episodes of Friends every single night, and then we were all introduced to Glee...my nights were weird when those both ended. I also remember being pretty taken with Pot Noodles. I turned 16 on 22nd, and I remember my birthday was awesome because I know adorable people, and because we had a choir rehearsal. In M6, doing Plonk and Man in the Mirror. The following day I revisited my Northampton dramatical peoples, bought my bass and went for Costa, but we had a huuuuge power cut at home...the following Monday we had a biology exam. I remember ridiculously random details.

February: I remember having a truck load of snow sometime between the end of January and start of February...maybe twas half term even? Even so, I remember going along to Market Harborough one time, and on instruction from Daisy I had my first gingerbread latte in Costa. Twas love at first sip. That day I also bought a music theory book. Haven't used it since. The day after Valentine's Day, which was a Saturday, felt awkward. I was in Marks and Spencers. On 28th, choir made our illustrious debut at DMH doing Youth Finds a Voice, where we blew everyone away (probably literally) with our hilariously choreographed Man in the Mirror, Hallelujah, and then with the masses doing the notoriously stupid Plonk Gloria, which I ended up loving even though it was ridiculously difficult. Backstage, I proposed to my dear wife from across the other side of the garden suite (by yelling), and she said yes :')

March: Glee and Friends nights continued, and on one of them I got talking to my future step-son, who ended up becoming my trusty official photographer. I met dear Roz through this very blog, and she soon took me for my first shoot round Hinckley and we've had quite a few since. She's talented, and she has awesome hair. I suppose at this point I should say how my singer-songwriter status has really kicked off this year thanks to discovering ReverbNation and it's wonders. I set that up in Summer, but it linked with Roz and her photos anyway...

April: This month was the hardest to remember for me. Just seemed to be a rather large gap between Hinckley and GCSEs....I visited the April section of my blog to see, and the first thing I noticed was 'French Speaking is over, French Speaking is gone', so I reckon twas the last time I ever spoke any French, in my manly accent. GCSE prep was really underway; Ellingwoof couldn't spell her name on the Music coursework form. I wrote a piece called 'Describe Me' in English which is still sitting on my desk where it has been ever since Fordy gave it back. I met my second cousins again for the first time in YONKS, and they're wonderful, and I wish I got to see them more. Jess is like me, only older, but we both adore theatre and got on so well. The day before my French Speaking, Tom Nelson had a charity concert and I sang Closest Thing to Crazy, Alone with Scott and the stupid high C in Seasons of Love, and Nick made everyone wait before he did his L5Y piece because he wanted Mrs Hillier to hear it. Bandenberg paid me £2 after my exam because of this. It felt bizarre.

May: So, on something like the 18th we finished compulsory education and embarked on exam HELL. Nick turned 18 and had this huge party up at the soccer place near Lutto. He spent the whole night introducing me as Taylor so people didn't even know my first name. Nick and I had also started adapting Little Dorrit as a musical before we both left, but this has resulted in nothing much - at the moment. I remember spending an awful lot of time with Prime (ha, I rhyme) that night, and I actually wore a dress. My first GCSE exam was English Lit, and I sat in a history room with a book on Hitler on the shelf. Afterwards my hand killed, and I went to Waitrose and got bankrupted by a muffin. The week after May half term (which just seems to be a blur of revision) was affectionally nicknamed 'Hell Week' by us all, and personally I somehow ploughed through 9 exams that week. In one History exam in the gym, I had a half-broken desk, and it made huge bangs during the exam. Awkward. There was a also a brilliant episode involving Burty, Florence and I ordering nachos at a little coffee shop and Florence trying to split the bill, failing.

June: After Hell Week, I had 3 exams left, and Scott and I went to Penny (the flamboyant drama teacher)'s mum's birthday and sang for her. We were paid AWESOMELY. My last exam was Music, and the first question was on Tragedy by the Bee Gees. I could write a whole paragraph on Ellingwoof's discovery of the legendary music revision song, but that'd go on and on and on and on, and I only have half an hour left before the clock strikes midnight. That last exam was at 2pm on 18th, and I celebrated my freedom from GCSEs by seeing Guys and Dolls at Kilworth House, n'aww. That night, Charlie spoke to me for the first time.

The Longest Summer of My Life: There was a whole bizarre period of being 'stuck in limbo' between year 11 and year 12 after this. I had no work to do...and it felt brilliantly weird. I sat around all day eating spaghetti and meatballs and watching Wimbledon and baroque opera, just doing nothing. So surreal. We had induction at the start of July, and then the end of term concert. Then...all the Year 13s left. Barstow, Ailish, Becky, James, David, Zoe, Lizzie, Jo etc etc...they're all at uni now, and it's still a bit weird to think of them like that. Even after induction, summer was beautifully lazy. I can sum it up by saying ReverbNation, Photography, sun, drumming, Spotify, Rock On The Rec, the charity concert with Becky in Ullesthorpe..and then of course, results day and the incredible relief and happiness. Summer seemed to end not quite as well as it started, I felt let down and hurt for 'reasons'...but looking back, the majority of it all was rather beautiful. The song that always makes me think of exams and summer is Neutron Star Collision, by Muse. I even sneaked it in as a Physics revision resource.

September: After a great summer, we got thrown back into year 12. But...it's SO DIFFERENT. So much more independent and adult and all that cliched rubbish. Apart from English Lit, I love it. Music, Philosophy, Drama...okay, so it's all harder work, but what do you expect? I still can't stand Vertical Tutor groups. We were all annoyed that the performing arts staff had opted for a showcase instead of a production, so Leachy and Hayley set up the Drama Society, asking for me to do music theatre...and because I can't say no, I agreed. Next thing I know, I have a cast of 20 doing a cut down version of Rent...my directorial debut had begun. My bass-plyaing status has also kicked off HUGELY this year - by this time, Prime had me in the Leics Arts Big Band which was a huge learning curve yet a great challenge, and my Dad had me learning his West Side Story score. GCSE results earned me a legendary trip down to Laaaaandon on Friday 24th to see my ultimate theatre hero, JRB. The word 'incredible' can't sum up that night completely.

October: Year 12 was well underway, and BTEC pantoness began too...well, the rehearsal stages that is. We went to see The Red Shoes at the Curve for Drama, and someone recognised me from a gig, which was adorable. One night Adam from Rock On The Rec gave me a call and asked me if I wanted to play a gig at The Musician in Leicester...so on the Thursday night of half term I did so, my first city gig - it felt awesome. The following day Scott took me to London bless him to see Lauren in Grease, and we ended up meeting her twice...bless him and his theatrical contacts.

November: Commemoration Day was like, the 3rd. I adore choir, so much. Next year it'll be so eerily different with all the current Year 13s missing. I know it was the 3rd, not because I'm sad, but because twas the date of my wedding, fool. Yes, the most romantic wedding of the year...with Burty as vicar, underneath pink umbrellas, in the rain, outside He Come Chippy. We had the reception before the ceremony. Bless my wife, and my best man who's not a man, and Ellingwoof, and Burty. BTEC panto really kicked off (although it always does, it's BTEC-related), and at the end of the month I played in West Side Story for my Dad, and dealt with beautiful flautists and snobby clarinetists. Also around this time, I quit the magazine. Bye bye co-editor status.

December: Ha, PANTO TIME. At first, it was looking shocking...apart from the band, we're awesome. Then...something clicked...and twas magically brilliant by the end of the week. Despite flying swords, collapsing music stands, illness and cringey speeches (given by me), it was a brilliant week. Just because I can't compliment her enough, I still can't believe what an awesome job Prime did as MD. The snow was insane though. I remember that much cos my dear father is OBSSESSED. We finished the week with an awesome (if very very very late) curry for the band, and then I went back with my wife (WAHEY) and the following day we had a choir gig at Ullesthorpe Garden Centre. More hilarity. Then...coursework hell for the rest of term. It was a LONG term. A long, cold term. We had the Christmas Concert too, In Ducli Jubilo, Primemas and of COURSE a quiet, family Christmas...but I blogged about that recently, I have 14 minutes left, and I'm tired.

So...what now for 2011? Burty texted me earlier saying she was worried about it...exams, both AS and musical, and then starting our final EVER year, and looking at UCAS...not to mention the insane amount of people leaving.
I'm friends with a crazy number of people in the year above, with the downside being they'll all leave before me, and I'm going to miss them SO SO SO SO SO much. Next year will feel so strange, I keep saying it and I don't want to believe it.
Recently I've realised just how close my close friends are, in particular the someone who has proved to be my absolute best friend (you know who you are! :P)...I'm going to miss her more than she could know.

But then, as several doors close, many will open and all that jazz. This has been a long 'un, but I can't apologise...tis my blog ;)

2011. Bring it on.

Twas the night before Christmas...

....when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, apart from my brother and I.
He's sat watching Polar Express (his own little Christmas Eve tradition) and I'm sat on Facebook, Skype and MSN listening to Rhodes' Bullets and Lullabies...

It may be Christmas Eve, but despite how much I've said I WILL feel Christmasy...I'm still not feeling particularly festive at all.
In fact, in a pretty depressing way, this is the least festive I've ever felt :/ And I LOVE Christmas!
We didn't even go to the Crib Service at church tonight for the first time in my LIFE :O

My brother has demanded I stay awake with him till about 1am. Fool. Not quite sure how I'm going to occupy myself and keep awake. Maybe I'll just continue in this fashion...

However, for now, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night :)

5 ft 11 in her socks, she'd have to stand you on a box, not appropriate behaviour...

So, I've never been crazily into classical (or indeed baroque, romantic, 20th century etc etc for you pedantic fellow musical geeks) piano repertoire before, and then I came across this dude:

www.jamesrhodes.tv

So, he's like, a classical pianist....with the drug-fuelled past of a rock star....and the looks of one too.
But he is SO passionate. And dedicated. All of a sudden I'm well into all this Beethoven and Bach business, and it was ever only really Chopin or Debussy before.
Some of this music is so delicious though, it could melt in the mouth. Or maybe just on the ears?

I've found myself ploughing through this incredible Beethoven sonata with my unpolished Grade 5 skills, which is daring as hell, but it's not just the music I've fallen for...it's the backstory. When Beethoven wrote this music, he'd just started going deaf, and he channelled his frustration, passion, desperation and depression all into this one composition...

...and to me, that is mind-blowing. As James says himself on his programme, about the 3rd movement: "How could a man so desperate and surrounded by such chaos write something so eternal?"

Today, twas dearest Prime's day of birth, and now she's all an official adult and that :/ I FEEL SO YOUNG NEXT TO HER NOW. And small. But nothing changes there...

Tis also Christmas Eve Eve.....but I'm not feeling too Christmasy at all. Maybe I AM getting old after all.

If I give up living a lie...

So, last night we had an amazing Skype session. And tonight, Skype has globally crashed.
WASN'T US.

All this video-calling reminds me of summer. Such a while back now :/

We broke up yesterday! :) From school, not my wife and I...happy birthday wife... Basically all I did was sing in assemblies, play bass in wrong keys, injure myself lugging amps around school, sit in a violently competitive quiz, escape school early, and pig out on chocolate. Interesting last day, then.

Then, it snowed overnight. A LOT, apparently.
Then today, I got shoved out of bed at stupid o' clock cos we had a random visitor, and then I sat and did nothing.

Well, I lie, I sat and wrapped Prime's birthday/Christmas offerings. It took most of the mid-afternoon, believe me. I utterly FAIL at Christmas wrapping.

Tomorrow I know 6 people with birthdays! :O RIDICULOUS!

I just asked Ellen if I was Emma Watson. It's the eyebrows.

HMMM, for an early Christmas present we downloaded the new acoustic Elliot Minor album. It's like eating chocolate covered in melted chocolate covered in dark melted chocolate sitting inside a chocolate fountain of Galaxy.

In short, delicioisly surreal.

Alex from Elliot Minor has in fact been in contact with me after I sent him a song of mine. Fingers crossed for something to come out of it...I'm constantly checking my emails...

Also been in contact with this West End guy Paul Spicer about giving me lessons in performance before my conservatoire auditions. £25 an hour which is good, I just have to get down to South East London. HAHAHAHA I have no clue how.

Almost Christmas boys and girls!

I've got so much to think about...

Just got back from the Post 16 Awards evening to sing for 10 minutes. Pointless really, like the rest of the day.
Didn't even get a chance to see all last year's leavers....and one particular person everyone was keen to see seems to have turned into a right snob over 3 months. Damn, thought better of him. Let's hope we're all wrong!

About 6 of us turned up for choir too! 3 ex-choristers joined us again however...the legend is true, once you join choir, you NEVER leave. The men outnumbered women for the first time in recent choir history however.

So pointless day...Music first, nothing ever happens anyway. Movie Pictionary in Philosophy, double English was supposed to be looking through drafts and marks and that, but come on...talking about romanticals and Christmas is far more exciting.

One. More. Day.

She took a light and left me in the dark....eh-yehh...

I'm waiting.

I'm waiting for talkative people.
I'm waiting for school to finish.
I'm waiting to feel remotely Christmas-y.
I'm waiting for the post.
I'm waiting for chocolate to magically reappear in the fridge.
I'm waiting for a bit of sanity.
I'm waiting for important email replies. From legendary people. About music.

I'm not sad at all.

Except, I'm finding it hard to come to terms with the fact I actually quite like this new McFly song. DAMN. Going against my musical beliefs :|

Select few McFly songs are my guilty pleasures, however much I hate to admit it.
I do ADORE the Back to the Future trilogy however. I must watch it all some point over Christmas....anyone want to join me, maybe?

2 days to endure.

I'll take a bruise, I know you're worth it...

No need to get the violins out, but I feel SO DAMN LONELY right now. Where the HELL is everyone?

I really like this Olly Murs song. Is that a bad thing?

Need a break so bad :/ But every day up till the end of term is still SO important :/ Absolutely fed up and in need of a permenant hug. Any takers?
Today's just been such a rollercoaster. Blehhhh.

Christmas really couldn't come any sooner!

What a shame, I could have been your lover...

Sunday evening.
1 week and a bit left.
One more concert, an ugly pile of coursework, more snow on the way and a hellish amount of Christmas shopping to do.
Everything's just dragging now :/ Give us a break?!?! Let us have Kit-Kats and all?!?!

Haha, whenever I see Kit-Kat, it makes me think of Cabaret or whatever the musical is where they have that club. And that in turn makes me think of the Cat Scratch Club in Rent....oh, Rent.
I do adore that particular masterpiece, but I've recently found myself as director/musical director for a (heavily!) reduced production of it at school....and I'm terrified; it's my directorial debut on both the dramatical and musical sides. Rehearsals are occasionally fun, occasionally stressy, occasionally concerning, occasionally enlightening....I've had Eureka moments, I've ALREADY had the obligatory directorial commitment/focus rant, I've had panic moments...and I'm still trying to secure a venue and a date(s). ARGH pressure!
Certain people have already surprised me though...I can certainly see the rewarding side of directing, even at a relatively early stage :)
Worried we'll run out of time though :S
And I still (apparently) have a band to get together!

Feeling a bit of deja vu right now.

My speakers keep crackling out :S THEY CAN'T BREAK! I need my musical doses :O

Currently trying to kill some time waiting for people to appear online...feel pretty lonely, everyone else online is 'away', or 'busy'. Mehhhh. Maybe I could go to bed and catch up on some of the sleep I've lost to recent shows and the like...but I'd rather wait.

Apparently Matt just won the X Factor. Guess that means that some sort of slight justice prevails, he WAS the only vaguely original contestant.
I swear blind I will never go on one of those shows however, they make a mockery of the music business :/ Makes me angry to think of the poor, hardworking souls who are bloody talented but can't get anywhere because manufactured, sickly-sweet, plastic-faced carbon copies are being boosted to the top of the charts by that Cowell man and his money-obsessed chart factory...(woah, long-winded sentence, I need a breath)

I actually wrote a whole article on this for the magazine this time last year...woah, how time flies :|

Well backing the Cage Against The Machine campaign this year though....if you haven't heard John Cage's 4:33, go and listen to it all, it's such a brilliant, inspiring piece of music...

Make sure you listen to all of it, course.

"They call it 'musical comedy', I call it BAD."

Oh, dearest friends. Oh dearest, dearest friends. IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG.

I did it. I hacked through the undergrowth of my ridiculously insane schedule after half-term, and now I've pretty much reached the safe side! Apart from hectic coursework times and the Christmas Concert before we break up...

Oh flippin' heck, I'm popular, the phone's off. 'Brb' dudes.

Oh, twas just someone else's status I was foolish enough to comment on, tis all. I'm not popular :'(

Erm, I'll 'briefly comment' on the last number of weeks, because going back through the dreaded undergrowth would be highly unproductive.
BTEC Panto started awfully, but when it finished last week it was pure brilliance. West Side Story was a bit of an effort, but most of the band were lovely and the bass amp they gave me was pretty incredible.
Rent's not going TOO bad either! My directorial debut and all ;)...I sense it'll all become highly stressful there soon enough however.
I've also just played my first Big Band concert at DMH this week! Nothing beats the thud of your bass-playing thundering through a beautiful, refined concert venue ;)...

This week's been fairly lonely though; mother dearest kindly buggered off to Finland (?!) out of the blue (alright for some), and it seems everyone else hurried on over to Oxford for random interviews. Next year is going to be WEIRD if these last few days are anything to go by - except Mother dearest isn't moving to Finaland or anything.

Hmm. What else?

Re-ignited my love for the genius that is the work of Gilbert and Sullivan. No clue? Get out of my house.

It's almost Christmas, doh. You know what that means? Mince pies, Christmas Tree Festival, Ullesthorpe Garden Centre times....

YES YES YES, the BEST time of year for Choir! ;) He Commmmmme has been well and truly dug out, as has Torches (such a dangerous song), and my mind was pretty much blown by the fact choir were IN the garden centre. Match in Christmas-heaven for me (interesting pun that...Christmas and heaven...HO HO HO).

TWAS HILARIOUS.

Getting an EVEN BIGGER bass amp for Christmas too. Cosnidering my neighbours can't deal with barking dogs, me playing Hysteria with the bass EQ up will also be HILARIOUS.

I swear I've spent even more time up in the Music tower recently....I'm so sad. Started looking at unis and conservatoires to apply for as well to do Music, but I feel too young to be doing so :| I swear 5 minutes ago I was on Year 7 induction...

I'm leaving now, because I'm tired, and a tired Taylor usually means any more blogging would be nothing more than waffle. See, I've started already...

Maybe I'll promise to blog a bit more often from now on now the chaos is over? Maybe? Maaaaaaybe?

Don't miss me too much ;)....