Has it really been three years since I have promised for new updates and blog posts to my website? Man time flies like there is no stopping it . But I am back this time with a desire to make changes to my website. Over time, you will notice some changes that I am experimenting with till I get to the desire changes that I want. So keep an eye out to the final version. Peace out my brothers and sisters.
Hey brother and sisters. Martin here. It has been a long time since I posted on this blog, and I mean a long time since January 1st. Well I am here to give you all a brief update on what is going on on my side of the world:
June 6, 2016: The Loy Norrix Marching / Symphonic Band hosted the Band Banquet Awards (final banquet for me)
June 9, 2016: I graduated from Loy Norrix High School
June 17 – 18, 2016: I watched young and old drummers perform at the Union restaurant under the Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive group (a summer group that I performed in for two summers)
July 29, Aug. 1 – 4, 2016: I attended the Loy Norrix Marching Band Camp to help out with the band in any form I can
Aug. 20 – 28, 2016 (currently going on): I moved to Michigan Tech to begin my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and am now attending orientation week. So far, I got to meet many people outside and inside of my orientation group. I will post about my experience along the way whenever I get the chance to.
The rest of the summer was not that busy or anything. All I did was help my family with packing our items from our house and move them to California, pack up my items for college, did some errands before I left, and attended a few graduation parties that my friends invited me to. Overall, I had a restful summer before coming up here as a new chapter in my life. I hope you all had a restful summer too.
I will keep you all updated and share some stories with all of you. Peace out brothers and sisters.
-MNM
Just want to say happy 2016 everyone. 2015 has been quit a year for you and me. Hope you accomplished what you want/need. Make sure to create more goals for this year. Well, that is all I want to say to you all. Enjoy the day and I will be doing more posts now that I got myself motivated enough to do so.
Well, have a great day and thank you for your time reading this post and make sure that you enjoy and use every moment of your life. Peace out brothers and sisters.
–MNM
Photo Link: http://happynewyear2016pictures.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/happy-new-year-2016-card.jpg
Hello everybody. Sorry for the long wait. It has been nine months since my last post (the recent post was meant for the month of June, not today). Things have been keeping me busy throughout the summer and my senior year. One of them includes a trip along the East Coast with my father and little sister, two college visits (UofM and MSU), my high school marching band camp, my cross country summer camp, the signing up for my senior classes, and the crash of my old computer. That’s right, all of my photos of my trip and experience throughout the summer are gone in my previous laptop. One day it was running so slow because of the amount of data, that it crashed. Right now, I am using an Apple computer that I paid half for the time being, or to use for many years to come. It is a new feeling for me, but I am enjoying it so far.
Anyway, now that I am back on this webiste, I can finally get back to blogging about my life. For now, I have some catching up to do in terms of posts and the appearance of my blog. I can’t do all of them right now, since I have other things to worry about and that it will take me hours to post details about my life in the summer. For now, enjoy reading my previous posts or ask me any questions that you want to know more about me that I can answer.
Have a great day and thank you for your time reading this post and make sure that you enjoy and use every moment of your life. Peace out brothers and sisters. –MNM
Nine months ago (6/15-6/20) has been nothing but jazz and drums, for I was at Western Michigan University in the Dalton Hall building from 8am to 8pm everyday for six days (except Friday and Saturday). Other than rehearsing our songs with our groups, we discussed about famous drums in the past and present time period, listened to local musicians about their perspective on music, and had an enjoyable time in playing along with drummers of all ages (11-66 years old).
Since day one, few of us were completely new to drums, others were completely new playing jazz or blues. In six short days, with cluster of information on drumming thrown at us, everyone has become a fantastic drummer with their own personal style of playing. I mean, if I could record everyone’s performances on Friday and Saturday, and compared it to day one, you would be amazed. People were companying left and right (little actions that the drummer plays to interact with the members of the band during playing) and syncopating away. I was one of those people who improved in those categories, as you will see it in the video soon.
Drumming is actually not that hard to work on, especially in jazz. If you put your heart and enjoyment into playing, I swear to you that you will enjoy it and the song will be grooving. If you are interested in an example, here is a link to video of Billy Hart of expressing them in a song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArI8cChbIrE
As for me, since I learned and played with enjoyment, I expressed that enjoyment in these songs that I worked on for the week: HoneySuckle Rose, Route 66, and Sonnymoons for Two. I am afraid that I won’t be able to upload them, since my old laptop crashed with the videos in them. Sorry about that.
Along with the performance, I got to play along with a Hammond B3 Organ (an original 1938 organ). Literally! The musician was so talented at playing it, that he had to learn how to play it all by himself, along with bits of information from other Hammond Organ players.
Below is a photo of the musicians that I made friends with.
This is the whole group, along with the teachers and musicians that each of us got to play with.
I have a long way in learning the secrets of music. The camp helped me on through the journey. I recommend this camp for those who want to play the drums in jazz. If you are interested, here is the link to the home page: http://www.keithhallmusic.com/.
Well thank you for your time reading this post and make sure that you enjoy and use every moment of your life. Peace out brothers and sisters. –MNM
What’s going on my brothers and sisters! Summer is here finally! You know what that means, right? Beach, alcohol, parties, naked women…….. wait WHAT!!!!!!! That is not my summer plan!!!! I don’t know any close-by beaches, I am underage to drink alcohol, I can’t attend crazy parties (unless it is a graduation party, then yes), and I don’t want to get the women part.
What my actual summer agenda is to attend three camps, my friends’ graduation parties, and two college tours. From June 15 to June 20, I will be in Western Michigan University for the 9th Annual Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive. From June 28 to June 30, I will be in Boston with my dad and little sister to be in the National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists (more information about this event is in this link: www.scitechleaders.com). While in Boston, we will spend a few days exploring around for enjoyment.
When we come back, we will soon travel to Ann Arbor for the UM Engineering Campus Tour on July 16. The tour is about 2 and a half hours on segways. This is going to be my first time riding them, but I have nothing to worry about.
The very next day (July 17) is the MSU University Campus Tour in Lansing. This tour is going to be much longer than the UM tour, which is from 9:45am- 3:45pm. There will be walking around the campus. Can’t wait for these two tours
Other then that, those are the only major things that I have planned out of my summer. There are other dates that I found that are offered by my public library.
This summer may be not as busy as my last summer, but at least I got something to do than just doing nothing. Pretty soon, I need to make my final decision in what college I will be in for my four years. It is coming up fast, so it is best to start thinking and do something. Like what Marva Collins once said: “Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.”
Well thank you for your time reading this post and make sure that you enjoy and use every moment of your life. Peace out brothers and sisters. –MNM
While you are reading my post, you can check out this song that I found.
In of Loy Norrix Marching Band history, they took an out-of-city trip to Mackinaw City and Island. The purpose: to march the memorial parade in Mackinaw City on Saturday, May 23 2015.
To begin the experience, we left by a charter bus on Friday, May 22 2015 at 7 in the morning. Everyone was excited to travel to Mackinaw Island and so was I. I have never been to Mackinaw Island, but I have been in Mackinaw City before, during The National Summer Transportation Institute Experience (a link that talks about it). It was a good thing that I brought my GoPro camera with to video tape the experience of my trip. I try to take as many photos and videos with my camera as I can, but I was not able to record a drum major experience in the Mackinaw City Memorial Day Parade. It was my first time in using a selfie-stick, so when you see the videos and photos, just know that it was my first time using it.
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- First GoPro photo of the day
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- A scene of the beach
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- A photo of the Mackinaw Bridge
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- Selfie #1 (on the beach of Mackinaw City)
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- Selfie #2 (on the beach of Mackinaw City)
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- Selfie #3 (on a ferry to Mackinaw Island)
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- Groupie #1 (in a store of Mackinaw Island)
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- Selfie #4 (of the town)
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- Groupie #2 (with my band director)
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- Selfie #5 (taking a carriage tour)
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- Selfie #6 (taking a second carriage tour)
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- Selfie #7 (with the Arch Rock behind)
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- Selfie #8 (with the carriage horses behind me)
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- Selfie #9 (the invisible Mackinaw Bridge behind me)
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- Selfie # 10 (GoPro camera with my new drum major suit)
Not all of the videos are able to be uploaded because of the video size. The ones above are videos of the band riding the ferry to Mackinaw Island. Three other videos that are not uploaded are me showing you the Mackinaw Bridge, a scene of the Arch Rock on the island, and a view of the town.
I have other photos that I took with my cell phone during the trip. Here you go.
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- My band director
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- Photo at a rest area
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- Mackinaw Bridge
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- Photo on a ferry boat
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- Photo at Arch Rock
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- Arch Rock #1
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- Arch Rock #2
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- The Mackinaw Fort
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- Place where we ate lunch
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- My band director again
We only stayed in a hotel for one night. It was a good thing that it wasn’t freezing cold there, just windy. So windy that seagulls could not fly. Overall, it was a great experience with the band. To me, it is an end of the year treat for our hard work in the band. I hope that we could do something similar next year.
Well thank you for your time reading this post and make sure that you enjoy and use every moment of you life. Peace out brothers and sisters. –MNM
Machinaw Island photo credit: wikipedia.org
Howdy there brothers and sisters. How is life going? I hope your life is going well and that you are enjoying it every moment of it. For the past two weeks, I have been doing tests, practicing my saxophone, learning Japanese, watched the Mythbusters at Western Michigan University, listened to Western senior recitals, and playing in two concerts in one day. You get the idea.
Here in Michigan, we have this test called the M-Step that all juniors are required to take to graduate. It is the first year to do and personally, I don’t like it. It is basically a test on the computer. Almost every Wednesday (for 5 weeks) we take this test.
Music has been a part of me since I played the xylophones in elementary school. Now, I am in the high school jazz and concert band playing the saxophone (the alto and tenor saxophone) and attending performances that I was invited by some of my good friends in college and high school. Today (April 23, 2015) has been nothing but music. The jazz band performed at the Thornapple Jazz Festival in the morning and performed with the concert band at my high school, Loy Norrix in the evening. It was enjoyable and nothing but smiles.
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- These were pictures that I took before we performed at the jazz festival.
On April 17, a friend and I went to Western Michigan University Miller Auditorium to watch the Mythbusters perform LIVE! It was a dream come true, a dream that I was dreaming since I was in middle school: to see the Mythbusters before I die. While, there, I took some pictures on my phones of their performance. You could see just three of the 27 pictures that I took. Sorry for the bad quality.
That is what I have been doing. There is more to come in the future. For example, my dad and I are going to run the Illinois half-marathon on April 25. I am both excited and a tiny bit nervous about this race. We will see how I will do since I have not been training as much I want to. Wish my luck. I will give you an update on it this weekend.
Well thank you for your time into reading this post and make sure that you enjoy and use every moment of your life. Peace out brothers and sisters. –MNM
Happy Easter everyone! Hope that all of you are on Spring Break. I am enjoying my week from my crazy week of clubs, education, and music. I could just relax my worries and enjoy my life with my family, friends, and myself.
Monday, Friday, and Saturday was watching my WMU friends perform with their drums at WMU and the Union. I was invited by them and I appreciate for their invitation. They performed really well and their music got my feet to dance. I recorded and took pictures of the performances at WMU and the Union below.
Currently, I got some homework to do, a backpack prototype to make, and some saxophone to practice. I don’t have any big plans that I have planned but just to go on living my own life. I wonder what plans all of you have for this long week. Maybe you can tell me about in the comments.
Thank you for your time into reading this post and make sure that you enjoy and use every moment of your life. Peace out brothers and sisters. –MNM
PS- Here is another picture of me with my new hair cut
This week, and a little bit of last week, has quit busy with music, after school clubs, school itself, and Japanese lessons.
To begin, Saturday March 21 was State Festival MSBOA performance at Grandville High School. To make it to State, you need to get a one in Districts. In this youtube video that one of the member’s father recorded, you heard us perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s piece, “Presto” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9ZfX8v0lFU&feature=youtu.be. At State, we got a two, the second highest rating. I was okay with this rating, for I was not my “100%” self that day. I played on an empty stomach, which you need a good breakfast to have the energy to play an instrument. The reason for that, my stomach was not accepting food. You get the idea. Even though we didn’t get a one , I was still proud for my group in performing their best in front of a State judge. Below are the medals that I have received in my MSBOA District and State Solo/Ensemble performances with the new medal on the bottom right corner.
First Column: Two rating in District Solo (Freshmen Year) Second Column: One rating in District and State Solo (Sophomore Year) Third Column: One rating in District and State Ensemble (Sophomore Year) Fourth Column: One rating in District and Two rating in State Ensemble (Junior Year, current year)
Wednesday was a National Honor Society Recycling day. Only two members (one senior and I) picked up the recycling from each room around the school. The other member had to leave early for track training, leaving me to do the rest by myself. It took my about one hour and 30 minutes to do all of the rooms. Crazy it was, but also satisfying in getting hours in for recycling hours (requires 4 hours of recycling). While working, I got to find magazines that caught my attention and boxes that I could use to storing items. It was a good thing that I was in my working clothes, or else my nice clothes would be dirty from all the sweet.
Thursday was a Japanese language class that I signed up for 5 weeks in Western Michigan. I got to speak basic object names and practice writing in Japanese. The class only consists of three members, which gives a good one-to-one experience with the teacher. Here is an example in what I have learned: “Konnichiwa. Matinkundesu.” Translating: “Hello. This is Martin.” Just a nice learning experience to learn another language in my life.
Well that was pretty much it in what happened from March 21 to March 27. I hope that you enjoyed what you read and I will see you in the next post.
Peace out brothers and sisters. –M N M