The first weekend is almost over!

Thats right! Its finally almost over! I have been beyond swamped this weekend with moving in, orientation,  auditions and so much more! I am so incredibly blessed to be here in this BEAUTIFUL place. I feel like I haven't even  had a moment to breathe. Every day I feel more and more exhausted but it has been a fun exhaustion. :)

I know that I have family that wants to know everything that I have done this week so here is the blog post to get you most informed. :) 
We got here Thursday night around 6:30 and went straight to the rental house that is right down the street from the Snow Building (Music Building). We went grocery shopping, and also went down to the Snow Building to get me signed up for the many auditions that I had this weekend. I swear the Snow Building is a maze!! You can get lost so easily in there its insanity!!

Thursday night was a little emotional. I was nervous for the day ahead and missing friends back home.  I'm very attached to all of my friends back home and I feel like I've lost all of them. The blessing of it all though is that we live in a day and age that allows us to still talk even from hundred of miles away. :) It makes everything feel less lonely. 

Friday started bright and early when we moved me into my very own apartment!! I live at the pines (My address is 140 West 2nd Street South Apt 4. Rexburg, Idaho 83440) with my best friend Alaina Weimer! We are suffering on bunk beds every night and we hit our heads every morning trying to get out of the worst possible invention of man kind; bunk beds. I unpacked all of my clothes into our walk in closet and JUST finished unpacking the rest today... Don't judge we had a very busy weekend! Friday continued with a lead into the "Get Connected" Program here on campus. We started by meeting our I-Team and then went to the welcome talk by President Clark. That was my favorite part!! Then I had to rush over to the Snow building and auditioned for Choir! Sister Ashby and she will be my choir director for both choirs I am in. The audition went well and I sang, "When I Have Sung My Songs" which is the second song I sang at state. She enjoyed my singing and how I tell stories when I sing. I also did some ear training stuff with her and some basic sight reading. After the audition was over she told me that I for sure had a spot in Women's Choir (Im in two choirs; University which is non audition and Women's Which is audition. These Choirs are similar to Concert choir and Treble Ensemble back home) but she was unsure which voice spot she wanted me to sing. She said that she tends to have lots of people singing 1st Alto and 2nd Soprano and that the parts she had a hard time filling were 2nd Alto and 1st Soprano. She said I will probably be singing one of those parts. So who knows! Ill either be singing the bottom or go back to singing my favorite part; first soprano. :) After that we had some time to ourselves for dinner and I ate a sandwich.... I haven't been the best eater since Ive been here. :P Finally we attended the New Student Talent Show and I literally almost passed out from exhaustion. Its been insanely busy! So, we came back home showered and jumped right into bed.

Friday night also happened to be the night that I said goodbye to my parents. My dad gave me a blessing and then with tears in all of our eyes we said goodbye. Missing them all very much but I know again, that we have the technology to talk and see each other all the time if need be. 

Saturday came early and I honestly did not enjoy Saturday's activities but did enjoy talking to the head of the Music Department and asking her a couple of questions. She kept saying all the things that I have heard countless of times about my major and what to expect and that it is HARD! She said people who choose a music major will live in the Snow Building the entire time they are here at BYU-I. I felt a little like a music nerd during that class because I tended to answer all of her questions and knew what was going on. I was shocked by how many kids wanted to be performing majors or education majors in the music program that don't know how to play the piano. Here, you are required to take a piano class every quarter. This will be quite challenging to them I think. The other part of Saturday that I really enjoyed was my Audition for Voice Lessons!! Because of the limited amount of practice space and limited teachers, each person signed up for vocal lessons must audition to get into vocal lessons. I was a little bit more nervous for this one just because it seemed like the pressure was so high. I went into the audition room and Brother Olsen is exactly like Mr. Rossi!! Like, almost to a tee. He was very kind and we chatted about my background of music. After we chatted I handed my music to the Pianist (Again, I sang the same song as last audition) and sang for him. After I was done singing he said that he had sang that at his wedding! How nerve-racking!! He said that I had a well trained voice and that I was well ahead of where I needed to be freshmen semester. He recommended that if I had room (Which I do!!) to take a class about diction and such which is usually only offered to third semester kids. At this point I was already BEYOND thrilled with what he had said but he added that he usually coaches the older kids but that he takes a couple freshmen under his wing and he was going to consider taking me!! AHHHH!!! I was so excited and floored! I hadn't even really warmed up or anything and felt really good about it all :)

Saturday night was I-Night which is basically a giant party much like my senior graduation party... Just bigger. I was so exhausted by this point that I don't really remember much of what went on there and what I enjoyed. It was a good one time thing :P I don't think I'll be going next semester :P

Today has been my first day of church in the YSA 77th Ward! And let me tell you, it was SO NICE not playing piano. SO NICE. I got to sing for the first time in a longggggg time. Im excited to be here with these people. They all seem to have open welcoming arms. :) Aside from church we have a had a pretty lazy day finishing unpacking and sitting around.

Im so excited for tomorrow and the adventure that I'm going to have!! Music is awesome and i just can't get over how right it is for me to study music here. :)

Love you all!

--Courtney Griggs