What a Gaga Weekend!

Well this weekend has been amazing for me, as I have been to my very first live popular music concert, and watched Lady Gaga at the O2 arena in London!

With a nice dose of pointless :P

I have always liked Lady Gaga, so this has been a long time coming, after I couldn't get tickets for her last tour.
I was able to go with my best friend from uni who I haven't seen in a while, so it was brilliant to catch up with her and just have lots of fun :D
We obviously had to dress up, especially after seeing some of the brilliant outfits we saw people wearing for her tour so far. We weren't alone in dressing up, but equally we were in the minority, which was a shame, but hey ho.
What really did strike a chords though was how I didn't feel so nervous or self-conscious about this. I think it did help that I had my friend there with me, but I think partly I am just happier in myself.
I don't feel half as unwell as I used to, I am losing weight, and for the most part am starting to build my confidence.
The bit that I remember before the concert was when we were queuing up to get in. There were girls who dressed up as Where's Wally, (which was brilliant by the way) but otherwise it was just us.
I was starting to get a little self-conscious and nervous, when I noticed a family queuing with their children. The dad was staring at my outfit, I noticed him and smiled, and he gave me a friendly thumbs up. That was the moment I really felt at ease, because I think partly we all like to be accepted, and I realised no-one else really cared apart from me. These people didn't judge me, either on my outfit or my weight, and that was refreshing as well.
Maybe it is the fans of Lady Gaga. She really does have such a wide fan base, and she promotes acceptance in everything that she does, which I think feeds into her fans.
She was absolutely amazing, and did songs from all her albums, it was just such a brilliant show.
Here's hoping that acceptance becomes a part of everyone's lives, not just the few.

Getting the balance right

I have not long got back home from the Pops concert (as well as wind band and big band). Harder than the sci-fi music, but still fun to play some popular music scores once in a while between all the classical music.

I am really feeling it after three nights in a row of playing/singing, and will definitely be looking forward to an early night on Saturday, but I have to get used to it for my profession, as I either want to be in an orchestra, or in the pits when I leave university. Musicians generally have evening work, so it's a good routine to get into for the future. 

The transcripts have also got to the uni today, so that is another step in the right direction for university (hopefully) in September. I think that if I work well, then I hopefully will be able to get near the front desks for the orchestras next year (there are going to be five!!). I think also in September, I can feel more a part of the orchestra's as well. It is nothing against the students, they are lovely, and very welcoming, but because I feel like I'm intruding on them all, I find I become quite shy. To say this isn't in my character is an understatement! I think because I'm not a student at the uni at the moment, I feel like I don't deserve the opportunity of being in their orchestra's. I think also that because of my bad experience with a few bitchy, nasty people at Canterbury, it has made me withdraw slightly from people at Chi. Hopefully they don't perceive me as an arrogant arse! I think also I feel that because people already have their friendship groups, I don't want to get in the way of that, and I don't want to seem like the one desperate for friends. It does make me come across as standoffish, but it's just getting that balance right. Yes, I can have a good giggle, and I do love a good chinwag, but in the same token, I am there to rehearse/work, and not there 'for the experience'. I did that three years ago, and it got me nowhere. I know now that I gotta get my head down and work hard, and I can let off some steam, occasionally though, rather than every Friday night :P

Left to Right:
Me, Jaymie, Megan and Phil

Bring on symphony, and a lie in please! x

P.S I know it's technically the next day, but Happy Birthday to my Brummy lovely Jaymie!