#(I’m a sophomore so lol I may be biased)

[jamescribbles]

what’s that you say? don’t make a rc9gn oc? It’ll drag me back into an obsession?? nah man it’s cool don’t worry

[buckysrighthanddoll]

Gluttony

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader (college AU)

Warnings: drinking, fluff, a teensy bit of angst (y’all know it’s me lol), swearing

A.N.: This is part two of my Seven Deadly Sins series!!! Read part one here called “Envy” with Bucky Barnes :)

You were never the drinking type. Throughout high school, you maybe had three drinks. It wasn’t that you were consumed with your bookwork or couldn’t sneak out to parties. You had plenty of opportunities.

It was now the third year of college. You were well on your way to your degree, you had an established friend group, and you had a decent enough social life. But when MJ invited you to a party this Friday, you found yourself feeling nervous.

There were a few parties in college that you attended. Every time you got uncomfortable and left early. Every time you stood in the corner with one or two of your friends from class. Every time you were home by midnight.

This time was different.

“MJ, you know--”

“That you’re a lame-ass who won’t hang out with some friends?” MJ interjected. “Come on, (Y/N), it’s just us. Even Ned is gonna be there.” Before you could even respond, she spoke again. “Peter said he’d be there.”

That caught your attention. You contemplated the decision in your head--the party was this Friday, which gave you today to prepare; however, you had a test at 10:00 am on Saturday.

“Fine. You said it was at your apartment, right?”

“Yes. Be there at 10 to help me set up,” MJ smiled, pivoting on her feet and heading to her next class. You sighed and gave a half-smile at her.

MJ knew damn well that you had a thing for Peter. And, beyond that, she insisted that he liked you, too. It was a load of bullshit, but she wouldn’t change her mind.

Finishing your classes for the day was easy. Today was Thursday, which meant you had Art appreciation, Spanish 312, and organic chemistry. That night, you set up your studying supplies and got to work.

Within an hour, you lost focus. You kept worrying about that damn party, but you logically knew that you didn’t need to. It was a few friends. Peter, Ned, MJ, and her boyfriend Mark were the only people that were supposed to be there. They were all people that you knew and trusted. As long as you didn’t drink, you’d be fine.

“Hey (Y/N/N),” Peter said, making you jump. He laughs, which immediately eases your anxieties. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I left my door unlocked again, didn’t I?” You asked, standing from your desk. He nods his head and sits on the chair by the kitchen counter. “You want something to drink?”

“Water, please,” He responds. He was always so polite, even though you’d known him since sophomore year of high school. The two of you knew everything about each other. He knew about your past traumas and experiences; you knew that he was Spider-Man.

Ya know, the usual.

You got the glass of water and threw a couple of personal pan pizzas in the oven. “I thought you were gonna study for the test on Saturday.”

“I got bored,” Peter shrugs. You sit next to him and rest your arm on the counter. “Figured I’d come to see my favorite girl,” He smiles. He gives one of those small smirks that he (recently) found to drive girls mad, but you simply raise your eyebrow.

“She’s probably in my room.”

At the perfect moment, a fuzzy black cat prances into the kitchen. Her name was Razzle, Razz for short, and she was the cutest damn cat to grace your existence. Peter adored her. There were times when you’d come home from class and see him playing with her on the floor. There were times when Peter would stay the night, and you’d wake up to see a fuzzy black ball on his chest. The scene was so cute that you took a picture (which may or may not be your lock screen, shh).

Razz jumps into Peter’s lap and immediately starts purring. His smile gets even bigger, and he scratches under the cat’s chin (the sight alone makes your heart soar).

“You wanna watch a movie?” Peter asks.

The oven dings, making you stand up to get the pizza. “As long as we can go over the vocab for the test afterward.” Peter groans, but you know that it’s sarcastic. “Deal.”

Peter goes to the living room area and turns on a random movie. You place the pizzas on paper plates and carry them out to where he’s sitting on the couch, his feet propped up onto the table. At least he had his socks on.

Thirty minutes into the movie, you weren’t paying attention anymore. All you could focus on was the way the screen lit Peter’s face; the way his eyes followed every action; the way his body jerked during a fight scene; the way his lips looked so soft and kissable and--

“Is there something on my face?” Peter asked. You snapped your gaze to the empty plate ahead of you. That’s one thing that you loved about Peter--besides his improved spidey-senses, he (sort of) grew out of his awkwardness.

“No, uh, I got lost in thought,” You lied. You grabbed his empty plate and took it to the kitchen to throw in the garbage. Taking a second to collect yourself, you went back to the couch. You scoffed at Peter, who was under a blanket and taking all three spots. “You’re such a dipshit.”

“But I’m your dipshit,” Peter retorted. You rolled your eyes as he sat up, allowing you to sit where his head just was. You plopped yourself down, and Peter rested his head on your lap, lying on his side to still face the TV.

Peter fell asleep twenty minutes later. Your hand was in his hair, softly playing with his curls, and soon enough, the soft snores ensued.

You stayed there for several moments after the movie ended. It was easy to bypass the credits rolling on the screen, especially when Peter was right there. Head in your lap. An arm draped across your thighs. You could see yourself doing this every weekend with him--waking him up, getting to the bedroom, holding each other until the early morning.

It was stupid how much you loved him. He was your best friend throughout high school and college. He was with you through every smile and tear. It was just impossible for you not to harbor anything more than a friendship.

Once the title screen popped back on, you shook Peter awake. He hums groggily and opens his eyes. As he realizes that he fell asleep on your lap, he goes red in the face and sits up.

“I didn’t realize I was even tired,” He says, letting out a breathy laugh. “I’m sorry. I, uh, I gotta get home, though. We have an 8 am tomorrow.” Peter gets up from the couch and makes his way toward the door.

“Yeah, yeah,” You said, standing up and following him. “Goodnight. Be safe, love you,” You added, hugging him.

“‘Night (Y/N/N), love you, too,” Peter responded. He left, and you took that as your cue to get to sleep.

Your classes breezed by the next day. You and Peter’s 8 am class was spent reviewing material for tomorrow’s test, and your ten am consisted of you being a TA for your Spanish professor. She just had you look through papers while she taught about the subjunctive tense.

At your apartment, you texted MJ to ask what you should wear. She arrived twenty minutes later and immediately began searching through your closet. She explained that it was still casual since it was just a few friends, but your usual plain t-shirts and jeans weren’t going to cut it.

MJ picked a tight-fitting shirt with a v-neck. She said that it made you look insanely attractive, especially when paired with the (extremely short) denim shorts that you hardly ever wore.

You decided just to straighten your hair and do basic makeup. It consisted of only eyebrows, eyeliner, and mascara; it was a bit more than your daily makeup, but if you were going to a party, you didn’t want to mess it up.

After getting dinner, you and MJ went to her apartment and began setting up. There was a beer pong table, food set out on another table, and all of the alcohol she could afford on a third table. You put a playlist on her TV screen and then put the remote behind it. It was all said and done within an hour.

You turned on the strip lights right as Mark got there. He greeted his girlfriend with a short kiss, and then he came and hugged you. Mark was a sweet guy; he treated MJ right, and he was great at communication, plus he made an effort to be friends with her friends.

Ned showed up half an hour later, and Peter was right behind him. You already had three shots, but they hadn’t kicked in yet; it was probably for the best because all you could think when you saw him was damn.

He wore a dark grey v-neck shirt and dark denim jeans. He looked like he had just gotten out of the shower shortly before leaving, as his hair was still slightly damp. MJ had to hip check you to pull your attention back to the conversation.

“You need to tell him eventually,” She starts. “I mean, he totally has it bad for you, too.”

“Bullshit,” You sang. “He’s my best friend, besides you. That’s it.” You looked at the table and picked up the peppermint schnapps. “Another shot?”

“Using liquor as a negative coping mechanism. Same,” MJ nodded, smiling as she grabbed the shot glasses. “Competitive?”

“Bet,” You answered, pulling out a five from your pocket. She threw down an additional five and called Mark over to call it so that it wasn’t biased.

You both set the shot glasses on the counter and got ready. Mark slapped the table, and you and MJ threw the glasses back and slammed them back down. You won by a fraction of a second, making you throw your arms up.

“Didn’t think you were a drinker, (Y/L/N),” MJ laughed.

“I’m not,” You smirked. You grabbed the money and put it in your pocket, lining up another shot and downing that one too. “But distractions are distractions.”

“You really need a therapist,” Ned laughed.

Within an hour, you were blasted. Although you’d been slightly tipsy before, you’d never been full-on drunk before. MJ was right there with you, Mark was somewhat behind, and Ned was tipsy. Peter, who had slowly been sipping on his drink, was hardly beyond sober.

The five of you were playing Cards Against Humanity in the living room. MJ had the lead, but that didn’t shock anybody; she was declared the friend group’s funniest. You were near behind, though, which was shocking only because you’d thought Ned should be in your position.

It wasn’t like it mattered to you. All that mattered was that you and Peter sat next to each other, thighs pressed to one another, and his arm was resting on the couch cushions behind your head. If you thought that dealing with your emotions was hard when you were sober, then you were in a world of trouble when it came to you being drunk (and him being this close).

Gluttony was not your usual sin. Indulging in vices like drinking wasn’t typical of you. On any other day, you’d throw yourself into your studies, or maybe you’d be planning your study abroad that was coming up. But drinking? That was out of the ordinary.

Tonight was different. You wanted to let loose--to forget about your emotions. But that wasn’t happening, now was it?

After your game was up, you partied some more. You expected to forget about your emotions; instead, you found yourself forgetting how to care about preserving them. A few shots here, some dancing there, and you were more carefree than you had been in years.

Around three in the morning, you were tired. More than that, you had to be up at eight to get ready for your test at ten. You found yourself stumbling to get your things together so you could walk home, but Mark was trying to stop you.

“(Y/N), it’s past midnight in a college city, and you’re as drunk as a skunk. Just stay here,” Mark tried. MJ was right behind him and insisting that you at least call a taxi or an Uber.

“I’ll be fine,” You assured, nearly falling over as you slipped your shoes on. Peter, thankfully, catches and steadies you. He keeps an arm around your waist, which makes your already reddened face burn even hotter.

“I’ll take her home. I’m sober,” Peter says, looking at MJ. “Besides, we both have a test in seven hours--I need the sleep.”

“Drive safe, man,” Mark says, pulling Peter in for a hug. Peter gives MJ and Ned a hug, and then he’s by your side, leading you to his car.

It was a short and silent drive. Thank gods. You weren’t in any state to be talking to someone who you’ve harbored romantic feelings for.

Peter took you inside your apartment. The moment the door shut behind him, he locked it and got to your bedroom. He picked out some sleep shorts and an old shirt for you to sleep in, and he left you to change while he grabbed some water for you.

You sat in bed as he walked back into the room, setting the glass on your nightstand.

“You’re too nice,” You whined. “Aren’t guys supposed to be assholes or something?”

“I’m the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man--I’m not quite like most guys.” Peter smiles and lifts the covers, letting you get under them. Once you’re laid back, you take a sip of your water, and he closes the windows and curtains. He comes back to pull the blankets over your chest. Then, he starts to leave.

“Peter, can you stay the night here?” You asked. He turns to you and gives one of the softest smiles you’d ever seen (maybe it was just the rose-tinted glasses, or perhaps it was the staggering amount of alcohol in your blood). Nodding his head, he gets in on the other side of the bed.

Peter had stayed the night here plenty of times, but he always slept on the pull-out couch in the living room. He never once stayed in your bed with you also in it. You figured it was either out of concern for boundaries or respect.

The truth was, Peter was also head-over-heels for you. He’d told MJ, not that he needed to--MJ was good at reading people, and he certainly wasn’t subtle about his attraction for you.

You were the first person he came to when he became Spider-Man. You were his reason to fight after he got dusted (along with you). You were his favorite person to see after a mission--you’d been at the tower anytime Tony Stark told you that Peter was coming home. You were always there for him. You were it. You were the one that Peter wanted to be with, even if it didn’t work out in the long run.

Once Peter settled into the sheets, you rolled over and cuddled into him. Your head rested on his chest, an arm around his torso, and a leg tangled with his own. Both of you heaved a sigh of relief; this felt good. This felt right.

“Peter?” You asked.

“Yeah?” He responded.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“No, like, I love you,” You confessed, looking up at him through heavy eyelids. “Like, I wanna kiss you and cuddle you like this and hold your hand. I wanna tell people that I’m your girlfriend, and you’re my boyfriend.”

“Baby, you’re drunk.”

“I’ve been hiding this for years, Peter,” You insisted. “It isn’t because I’m drunk. The only thing this liquor is doing is helping me say what I want to say without worrying.”

“If I’m honest, (Y/N), I love you, too. In that same way. But you’re not even going to remember this in the morning.”

“Will you remind me?”

“Yes.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Not when you’re drunk.”

“Damn,” You sighed. “Did you set an alarm for the morning?”

“I already have one set,” Peter assured you. “Let’s get to sleep.”

“And Peter?” You called. “Thank you for taking care of me.” He hummed in response.

The next morning, you were shocked that you only had a small headache. You were even more surprised that you woke up next to Peter.

Last night was fuzzy for you. Bits and pieces were clear as day, like winning thirty bucks from MJ. But what happened? Was Peter as drunk as you were? Did you say something stupid? Why was he in your bed right now?

No matter the reason, you found yourself not wanting to leave this spot. You were the closest you’d been to Peter.

The alarm on Peter’s phone rang, making you jump. Then, you grabbed your aching head. Peter awoke with a start before looking down at you. He shut the ringtone off, and then he wrapped his arms tighter around you. His hand ran up and down your arm, which made you feel happy and warm, but why the hell was he holding you like this?

“Good morning,” Peter said groggily. His morning voice was hands-down, the most beautiful thing ever.

“‘Morning,” You responded.

“Want me to put some coffee on for that hangover?” He asked.

“I’m not that hungover, actually,” You answered. “I can go make some.”

Peter nodded his head, so you got up. Three scoops into the filter, some hot water, and a few minutes later, you both had cups of bitter coffee to wake you up. You both started to get ready for the day by brushing your teeth and putting on some new clothes (Peter had to find some clothes that he’d left here last month).

It was going to be a casual and laid-back day; that much was certain. Your body was aching, and your head only started to worsen even after taking some ibuprofen. There were still thirty minutes before you needed to leave for the campus, so you and Peter sat on the couch.

“Did I say anything stupid last night?” You asked, holding onto your mug.

“Only that you loved me and wanted to kiss me,” He smirked.

You groaned and threw your head back. “I’m sorry,” You started, looking him in the eye. “I shouldn’t have said that while I was drunk.”

“Did you not mean it?”

“Of course I meant it,” You said, laughing drily. “Peter, in the seven years we’ve known each other, I’ve felt like this for six of them. I just shouldn’t have told you while I was drunk.”

“Last night, I said that I loved you, too,” Peter said. “And then you asked if you could kiss me, but I wasn’t going to let you do anything in that state.”

“Oh,” You muttered, looking down in embarrassment and setting down your coffee. Peter’s lifted your chin and then cupped your face before leaning in and kissing you. The initial shock wore off quickly, and then you were kissing him back. It was soft and sweet--precisely what you’d have expected your first kiss with him to be like.

When Peter pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours. “You wanted me to remind you when you were sober. Was that okay?”

“More than,” You smiled. You closed the distance again, tangling your hands in his hair. Peter smiles against you.

After the test, Peter took you on your first official date as a couple. He held your hand and bought you a coffee, and you carried a conversation like everything was natural. Like everything was right.

(And, for the record, you passed that exam despite the light hangover).

[starbuck]

Choir Music Recs!

As promised, here is my list of choir songs that I recommend to everyone, not just choir folks. It’s definitely highly biased to my personal taste and experience (so much so that I’m organizing it by school year!) so this list is just a tiny fraction of the amazing choir music out there that you can find and listen to on youtube or elsewhere but it’s a good place to start at least!

I’ll be linking one or more recordings that are online free for each song and I’ll also include a little personal blurb with each rec because why not (but feel free to skip those and just listen to the music - I won’t be offended)!

Now, without further ado, here’s the list!!

Freshman year:

There Will Come Soft Rains by Kevin Memley

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, would scarcely know that we were gone.

I’m a little short on recs for freshman year since I was in Select Women’s Choir rather than Chorale but I couldn’t make this list without including this song. This was the first of three pieces I sang in high school that’s an arrangement of a Sara Teasdale poem. Without this, I might not even know about one of my favorite poets! And the music is so beautiful that there’s no better introduction to Sara Teasdale. Fun Fact! I had a “solo note” in this song because all the other Soprano 1′s were afraid to sing a high A (cowards).

Sophomore year:

Jenny by Ryan Kerr and Nick Myers

In the darkness, in the starlight, I hear angels sing your name as they bear you through the heavens to the light from which you came. Quietly the strain falls out of tune. Shadows steal across a lonely moon. I miss you so.

This song was and is of such massive importance to me that I don’t think I could possibly overstate my love for it. The lyrics and arrangement are so gorgeous that Chorale just sort of melted together as we sang it. And we cried. There was a lot of crying. The recording I’m going to link is from one of my high school’s concerts last year because some seniors (who sang this with me when they were freshmen) wanted to sing it one last time and got a small group together to do so. There are possibly “better” recordings out there, but I could never listen to one that isn’t from my school because I know how much love it was sang with there. (Not pictured in the video: me, in the front row at the concert, quietly singing along to the Soprano 1 part.)

My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord by Moses Hogan

Do you love him? (Oh yes!) Do you love him? (Hallelujah!) Do you love him? (Oh yes!) God almighty! (Are you anchored?) Are you anchored? (Oh yes!) YES I’m anchored my soul’s been anchored in the Lord!

There are no lyrics I could possibly include that could hope to get across how truly incredible this song is so my advice is to just have a listen - you will not regret it! This was essentially Chorale’s anthem sophomore year; we seriously loved singing this because it was just SO fun! All I regret about high school choir is that we didn’t sing more from Moses Hogan because holy moly are his arrangements amazing!

Sleep by Eric Whitacre

Upon my pillow safe in bed, a thousand pictures fill my head. I cannot sleep my mind’s a’flight and yet my limbs seem made of lead. If there are noises in the night, a frightening shadow, flickering light, then I surrender unto sleep where clouds of dream give second sight.

This is the piece that got little fifteen year-old me to raise my hand during rehearsal and and say “I think this song might be about death” to which my choir director replied something along the lines of “no shit” (but in a nice way because she’s not a mean person lol). This is one of the most beautiful choir songs I’ve ever heard and the quintessential Eric Whitacre piece full of “big smushy chords” and dissonance. If you don’t listen to anything else on this list, listen to this one. Also! the recording I’m linking here is from Voces8 which is a group I highly recommend checking out in general.

Junior year:

I Should Be Glad by Susan LaBarr

I should be glad of loneliness And hours that go on broken wings, A thirsty body, a tired heart And the unchanging ache of things, If I could make a single song As lovely and as full of light, As hushed and brief as a falling star On a winter night.

This is an arrangement of my favorite Sara Teasdale poem, “Compensation,” which I have included the full text of above. When I sang this piece, I, and most of my Choralemates as well, I believe, misconstrued the text to mean “I ought to be glad” rather than its actual meaning, “I would be glad (if...)” which drastically altered our interpretation and made us dislike it quite a bit. Since getting into Teasdale’s work though, I revisited the poem and realized our error. With my reading now correct, I appreciate this arrangement a lot more and I wish I had understood it at the time because it truly is a beautiful work in all ways.

Rytmus by Ivan Hrusovsky

(uhhhh just listen to it lol)

Here’s a fun one! We definitely struggled to get our tempo up on this one because of how challenging the music was to learn but it’s quite the thing to listen to a choir that gets it right.

Only in Sleep by Ēriks Ešenvalds

Only in sleep Time is forgotten— What may have come to them, who can know?

Another Sara Teasdale poem! This one probably made the largest impression on me because Chorale ended up singing it at a funeral so it carried some heavy emotions for us. Another piece that is beautiful in every way.

No Time by Susan Brumfield

Rise, oh fathers rise, let’s go meet ’em in the skies. We will hear the angels singing in that morning. Oh I really do believe that, just before the end of time, we will hear the angels singing in that morning.

I almost gave up on looking for a good recording of this piece on youtube, not because there aren’t a lot to choose from by talented choirs, but because I think there’s a certain amount of awe one has to convey to sing this piece correctly. I sang it with Quartet to open our Spring Concert (which had been transformed into a memorial concert for a beloved teacher who had passed suddenly and also moved from our school to a massive theatre downtown, so you can imagine the kind of pressure we were under). Needless to say, we were terrified, but this piece is also terrifying so it sort of fit and we sang it well. (Note for the video: this choir is absolutely incredible but the person recording goes a bit nuts with the zoom function of their camera so maybe don’t look at the screen as you listen!)

The Storm is Passing Over by Charles Tindley and Barbara Baker

Have courage my soul and let us journey on, though the night is dark and I am far from home. Thanks be to God, the morning light appears.

The sister song to ‘No Time’ at the previously mentioned concert! This was my favorite piece I ever did with Quartet and we often randomly broke into it during rehearsals the next year because we loved it so much. I spoke up about this song during a Quaker meeting I attended at some point because I had an epiphany about the lyrics and it felt like the right thing to do in the moment. Afterwards people told me what I said was good but I think they were just being nice. (Notes: the song begins about one minute into the video I linked and also, check out the full original lyrics by Charles Tindley here - they’re incredible!)

This Marriage by Eric Whitacre

May this marriage be a sign of compassion, a seal of happiness, here and hereafter.

This song is just gorgeous. It’s relatively low-key for an Eric Whitacre piece but its understatedness highlights the beauty of the arrangement. I don’t have to tell you that Rumi was an amazing poet but also I love how the end of this piece just descends into joyful singing without words. When one is out of words to speak, then one must sing.

Loch Lomond by Jonathan Quick

Oh! Ye’ll take the high road, and I’ll take the low road, And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye, But me and my true love will never meet again, On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.

I’m cheating a bit by including this on the list because I did not personally sing this piece. However, five guys who were in Chorale decided to form a small group and sing this song at both the memorial concert and the funeral so, having heard them sing it a handful of times in such emotional settings, it was special to me as well. (Note for the video: the intro is very goofy and the actual song begins at 1:10 so skip to that! It’s truly a fantastic performance and it sounds very like what my Choralemates did since it’s a quartet.)

Senior year:

Will the Circle Be Unbroken by J. David Moore

I was born down (I was born down) in the valley (in the valley) where the sun refuse to shine (where the sun refuse to shine) but I’m climbing (but I’m climbing) up to the highlands (up to the highlands). Gonna make that mountain mine!

This song was taught to us and directed by our student teacher from the local university. A lot of our student teachers in past years had been awkward and too nervous to truly engage with us but she was the best we ever had. This song was unifying for us and always a delight to sing. The recording I’m linking is from a concert at my school the year after I graduated where they reprised the song and it’s as wonderful as ever.

The Wisdom of the Moon by Susan LaBarr

in the dark of night, let me learn the wisdom of the moon. How it waxes and wanes but does not die, how it gives itself to shadow knowing it will return whole once more.

This was the song that I had the largest and most extensive solo in throughout my entire high school choir experience so it made quite the impression on me. And beyond that, the poem that forms the lyrics is so beautiful. Sometimes I’ll just be minding my business and suddenly think “(God of the two lights) I love the sun” and suddenly I’m singing the whole song to myself. There’s actually a recording of Chorale singing this song with me as the soloist so I’m going to link that version (although there are other wonderful versions out there as well that I encourage you to check out!). Credits to my friend Giovani for the first solo, mine is the second, descant-y one!

Hold On! by Moses Hogan

Nora, Nora let me come in; / de door’s all fastened an’ de winders pinned! 

Just keep yo’ hand on de plow, / an’ you hold on, yes, you just hold on! 

Nora said, “You lost yo’ track, / you can’t plow straight an’ keep a lookin’ back.”

At least we did one other Moses Hogan song while I was in Chorale and this one did NOT disappoint! It’s one of my all-time favorite choir pieces to this day. Further, it caused me to look into the parable being referenced here which led me to this wonderful article that I will never miss an opportunity to plug even though I’m not personally religious! The other day when I decided (for some unknown reason) to clamber up a steep rock face rather than just walking up an easily-accessible path, I got nervous halfway up but was too afraid to try to climb back down so, without even thinking about it, my brain supplied me with the beginning of this song and before I knew it, I was quietly singing to myself “keep on climbin’ an’ don’t you tire, ‘cause ev’ry rung goes higher and higher!” and I made it safely to the top. 

Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo

(it’s in Latin lol)

Not a whole lot to say here other than that no choir recs list is complete without Ola Gjeilo and this piece is beautiful and haunting. 

Unclouded Day by Shawn Kirchner

Oh, they tell me of a home far beyond the skies, they tell me of a home far away, and they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise, oh, they tell me of an unclouded day.

One of my favorite pieces that I ever did with Chorale, even out of these. It’s so beautiful and uplifting and I think of it every time I step outside and the sky is perfectly blue. Another song that truly just has to be heard to be believed. The recording I’m linking is of the NDSU Concert Choir which has so much amazing choral content on its youtube channel and I highly recommend you check them out further!

I Will Lift Mine Eyes by Jake Runestad

The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil, He will keep your soul.

Honestly, I’ve blocked out many memories of high school because it was such a truly awful time in my life, so when an old Choralemate of mine posted on her instagram story about how the time when Chorale sat down before singing this song and talked about our emotions and what this text meant to us, I was heartbroken that I didn’t remember it. What I do remember though is that, at our concert, an alumni who had graduated the previous year and had been through a lot of awful stuff sat in the front row and mouthed the words along with us while crying and we all cried while singing it. There was a connection we all made through this piece and, although things were pretty awful a lot of the time, we got through it together and that means a lot to me.

//

Now that the main list is done, here are some pieces I didn’t personally sing but I still love a lot and recommend wholeheartedly:

- I Can Tell the World by Moses Hogan

- Bright Morning Stars by Jay Althouse + bonus link of another version

- Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre

- Earth Song by Frank Ticheli

- Famine Song by Matthew Culloton

- The Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre

[sunshineboyskywalker]

so. i’ve finally started on the firehouse 501 project; naturally, i decided that my starting point would not, in fact, be the firefighters, but would actually be a primarily social media/chat fic taking place in the second generation’s sophomore year of high school, because that’s a natural place to start the timeline...

anyhoops, full fic probs won’t be posted for a while, but have some snippets under the cut

GROUP: The Skywalker Family! The Family Skywalker!

Dadakin: HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SOPHOMORE YEAR L&L!!!!! [confetti][confetti][confetti]

Luke: Thanks, dad!

Leia: tysm!

Dadakin: I’m super upset that I can’t be there this morning but know that I love you both and am giving you tons of hugs and kisses and just being a generally embarrassing father

Leia: omg dad… I’m so embarrassed……..

Dadakin: HI EMBARRASSED I’M DAD

Luke: dad you know she did that on purpose, right?

Leia: shh let him have this

----------------------------------------------

Ezra: are you here yetttt Kanan couldn’t drive me this morning and only heathens take the bus so hera dropped me off on her way to work but now im super early and youre my only friend so like… get here soon bls

lesabine: t-4 minutes

lesabine: tristan’s low-key freaking out rn tho so i’m enlisting you to help him find his way around

Ezra: OH YEAH IT’S T-DAWGS FIRST DAY OF HIGH SCHOOL

lesabine: never call him that again

Ezra: they grow up so fast :’)

lesabine: why are we friends

Ezra: bc kanan and hera were convenient babysitters when ur parents were busy and we were too lazy to meet people who weren’t our next door neighbors?

Ezra: also bc u love me and would never trade me for the world uwu

lesabine: i’ve definitely thought about it

Ezra: D:

------------------------------------------

Snapchat from: Ezra B.

[photo: a selfie of Ezra making an incredibly silly face, with a filter that makes his eyes big and gives him stereotypical “nerd glasses”.]

 HAPPY FIRST DAY OF HELL, T-DAWG!!

-------------------------------------------

Snapchat from: T-Dawg Wren

[photo: a selfie of tristan looking rather concerned]

Thanks, I think?

-------------------------------------------

Luke Skywalker created the group Genre Project

Luke Skywalker added Jai Kell, Ezra Bridger, and Zare Leonis to the group

Luke Skywalker: i know there’s a 98% chance that we’re not going to do this project until the last minute, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Zare Leonis: no, it’s a good idea Luke! We can at least pretend that we’re not going to procrastinate.

Ezra Bridger: i have never procrastinated a day in my entire life

Jai Kell: whythefuckyoulyin.vine

Jai Kell: i think our english 9 final project begs to differ

Ezra Bridger: bold words coming from Jared, 19

Ezra Bridger renamed the group them book bois

Zare Leonis: please don’t make me already regret this decision.

Luke Skywalker: retweet

------------------------------------------

ya boi ezzy b: bean

ya boi ezzy b: sabine

ya boi ezzy b: sabine iolani wren

ya boi ezzy b: im having a CRISIS and ur IGNORING ME

bean: yes, ezra?

ya boi ezzy b: there’s a CUTE BOY in my english class and APPARENTLY he’s my partner for a SEMESTER LONG assignment and oh my god bean his smile is SUNSHINE PERSONIFIED and I CANNOT COPE

ya boi ezzy b: im just a DOC (disaster of color)

bean: alexa play despacito

ya boi ezzy b: i cant believe i trsuted u with my life

ya boi ezzy b: top 10 anime betrayals

-----------------------------------------

Unknown Number: hey girl! Its leia from english [smiley]

[[---------> Unknown Number } Add to Contacts } Leia Skywalker]]

Sabine: hi leia! ready to suffer through this together?

Leia Skywalker: lol, we’ll do our best. Though to be fair, Kenobi’s not bad at all.

Leia Skywalker: he is my uncle though, so i may be a little biased…

Sabine: wh,,,, he’s your,,,,,,,

Sabine: please tell me you have tea to spill

Leia Skywalker: oh girl i have SO MUCH TEA

----------------------------------------

wombmate: AT LAST, THIRD HOUR IS UPON US

wombmate: IT’S BEEN SO LONG

Leia: luke it’s barely been two hours

wombmate: MY CROPS ARE DYING, LEIA

Leia: I’ll save you a seat, weirdo

Leia: also, purple haired new best friend has pre-calc with us too so you get to sit by us!

wombmate: what would i do without you

Leia: die, probably

----------------------------------------

Leia Skywalker created the group Ah, the Scalene Triangle

Leia Skywalker added Sabine Wren and wombmate to the group

Leia Skywalker: now we can all cry over pre-calc together :’)

Sabine Wren: maybe the real law of cosines was the friends we made along the way

wombmate: we may be suffering, but at least we’re suffering together uwu

---------------------------------------

Ezra: are you on a call right now?

parental figure: nope, just cleaning the rig. Aren’t you supposed to be in class?

Ezra: yeah, sorry, nvm, it’s nothing

parental figure: is everything okay?

parental figure: Ezra?

[kucigloss]

TOP 10 albums of the decade

Hello folks! 

The year is coming to a close, and I felt it necessary to share my top 10 favorite albums of the decade. It was so hard to narrow it down to only 10 but ultimately, I went with the albums that stuck with me the most during the most formative years of my life. I’m excited to see what my 20s will be like, soundtracked by new music of the 2020s. Let me know what your favorites were!

beach house - depression cherry (2015)

This album made my xx-loving, emo/indie girl lifestyle feel so validated. Beach House songs tend to have a certain air of nostalgia, melancholy and hopefulness, but the airy, unique tracks on Depression Cherry are in an emotional universe of its own.

Faves: 10:37, Space Song, PPP

___

the garden – haha (2015)

The Garden was my favorite band for the first half of high school. Every single album they put out creates a new ethos, with the Shears twins’ method acting supporting it all the way through. The Vada Vada universe was made whole when haha came out (I'm also probably biased because I was at their album release show lol). This is one of their most defining albums as an act that is constantly breaking molds and standards. Although that sounds contradictory, haha truly set the Garden apart as a band slightly outside of the “Burger Records” scene forming around that time, materializing the Vada Vada aesthetic into our dimension.

Faves: This House Can Build a Home, Crystal Clear, Gift

___

death grips – the money store (2012)

Death Grips was my favorite band for the second half of high school. MC ride's gritty vocals/screaming paired with Andy and Zach's tight musicianship has been what makes death grips so powerful, album after album. This release in particular employs a more synthy-electronic vibe to its tracks, which may make it more accessible, but also more unique among their discography. 

Faves: Hustle Bones, Hacker, The Fever (Aye Aye)

___

US Girls - in a poem unlimited (2018)

Every track on this album makes me want to dance. The sensual vocals over the vintage-tinged instrumentals make US Girls a go-to for me. Some tracks go super hard while others are more sensitive; but either track you choose to listen to will make you feel like a badass.

Faves: M.A.H., Incidental Boogie, L-Over

___

japanese breakfast - soft sounds from another planet (2017)

This beautiful and heartfelt album takes me back to my early college days, when I first started up at KUCI! Michelle Zauner’s emotional traumas are exposed in her first release Psychopomp, which was meant to be her only album. After some growth and learning, though, this album was created and showcases an evolution; it explores the same themes of mortality, fame, and love through a more mature angle, without compromising her child-like raw emotionalism.  

Faves: Diving Woman, Road Head, Machinist, Boyish

___

parquet courts - wide awake! (2018)

Political, poetic and emotional, Wide Awake! is a study of masculinity, relationships, and war in a weirdly fluorescent light (their album cover is the most fitting one I've ever seen). Andrew Savage is just a genuine dude with a shy aloofness that makes his scream signing all the more endearing. They use cowbells and talk about Alan Turing-- what else could I ask for?

Faves: Before the Water Gets Too High, Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience, Normalisation, Wide Awake

___

french vanilla - french vanilla (2017)

This album changed my mind about riot grrl. Although their music is a bit more organized, almost neurotically, and much more instrumentally formal, French Vanilla takes the wailing vocals and angry lyrics the riot grrl genre was partly known for and made a beast of it's own. I love them.

Faves: Honesty, Carrie, Evolution Heavy Handed

___

little dragon - ritual union (2011)

Little Dragon was one of those bands along with Crystal Castles, Blonde Redhead and others, that were the foundation of my music taste during the formative years of my life. I can’t explain more about the album without spoiling it; it’s just a lovely journey to take.  

Faves: Little Man, Brush the Heat, Shuffle a Dream, Crystalfilm

___

khruangbin - the universe smiles upon you (2015)

Call it easy listening for hipsters if you want, but Khruangbin is one of the few bands I know where I can truthfully say I like every single track they put out. Their energy is infectious and seeing them live changed me for the better!

Faves: Dern Kala, White Gloves People Everywhere (Still Alive)

___

mitski - bury me at makeout creek (2014)

Although Retired from Sad, New Career in Business holds a very special place in my heart, Mitski's junior release, Bury Me at Makeout Creek, is one of Mitski's most powerful and vulnerable albums. Her exploration of genre, sound, and identity are tangible, though admittedly not as much as her art school debut, Lush. Every track still experiments with poetry and taps into a new wound, but she sounds more confident in herself this time around. Where her sophomore album was a piano-ridden set of ballads, this album is much heavier with bass-heavy love songs, leaving listeners with a distinctly different taste in their mouths. Her Joni Mitchell-esque mania makes me cry and dance just the right amount. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Faves: Townie, First Love/Late Spring, Francis Forever, I Dont Smoke, Drunk Walk Home, Last Words of a Shooting Star... so like all of them (oh and Class of 2013 from Retired from Sad belongs here too, same energy)

___

honorable mentions: 

show me the body - body war (2016) I officially became a cool e-kid when I went to my first show me the body show. Their new album is great too, but this ones a classic. (Listen to Tight SWAT when you’re angry, or not angry enough).

autolux – PUSSY’S DEAD (2016) This genre-defying album was the soundtrack to the end of my high school career. Every moody lyric and punchy drum beat had me feeling like Bella Swan in the second half of Twilight.

sasami – SASAMI (2019) I'm so very moved by every heart wrenching song on this album. That’s all.

Kadhja Bonet - Childqueen (2018) Beautiful neo-soul with a classic edge.

MGMT – Little Dark Age (2018) One of the best comeback albums ever. 

Anderson .Paak – all of his releases He was my top artist of 2019, whoops.

[topicprinter]

Hi guys, I've recently become involved with a project (pre-incorporation, pre-MVP, pre-everything) with a team of 7 people. I've ready in many places that any team with more than 3 is a very dangerous situation, especially in a pre-product StartUp, but they all seem like great people that are eager. However, I have developed some minor concerns over the past few weeks. Before I get to it, here's the team breakdown: 3 Developers (including myself) 2 General Designers (including the "original" founder) 1 UX/UI Designer 1 "Focus Group"/"Target Customer" (The "original" founder's friend) So the guy who got us together (i.e. the "original" founder, let's call him "Joe"). Has this vision for how this product is going to go. He tries as hard as he can to listen to others' opinions and is extremely receptive to feedback (sometimes it feels like he's trying too hard to be lol). He wants us to each own a part of the vision as our own, which I've already done. My primary duty is iOS Development, and I can't help but attribute a lot of my design-related inspirations to their sketches and ideas, but then I think about how much value they're truly providing, because as many have said, "ideas are a dime a dozen". I live and breathe entrepreneurship. I spend my breaks watching entrepreneurs talk about their failures. I essentially have more experience than most of the team, as I have started several projects and StartUps before (they all failed but you learn a lot from that). My intuition, gut, and logical brain are all telling me that the team needs to be cut down. The UX Designer has a lot of processes that seem unnecessary to me. He spends time creating documents to explain each feature in detail like we're some huge company that needs such rigorous processes. The founder that got us all together, while a GREAT guy, seems so idea-oriented and not very action-oriented. He seems to, however, absorb knowledge and suggestions from the other designers like a sponge, so I'm afraid his ability might be mitigated by getting rid of them. The other designer, on the other hand, has direct personal knowledge of the domain (which is cooking btw, if that helps), more-so than we do. The two developers, I may be biased toward since I'm a developer myself. The first developer is great and I would hire him in a heartbeat for any other StartUp as well. The other developer, while he does not have much solid experience (he's only a college sophomore), seems eager to learn. So now that I've explained my perception of each team member (bless you if you're still reading this), I'll address my main concern. I feel like when it comes to the people I'm working with, I tend to be a perfectionist (and I feel somewhat egotistic). Sometimes I get the impulse to leave to bring the people I think are the best for the job with me, become the CEO, and instill my personal vision into the product (no not to be "cool", I know being the CEO of a StartUp is essentially the equivalent of having manure poured onto you for 5-10 years straight). This has happened in a previous StartUp that failed. Sometimes I wonder whether it's my ego, or a legitimate concern. If I had no sense of consequence or introspection, I'd likely leave, take the designer with domain knowledge (who is also a paralegal btw), and the more experienced developer with me. Maybe asking my brother to help market (he is an absolutely fanTASTIC marketer). But I feel the vision would not be the same, so then I become conflicted. I'm conflicted about the primary founder's ability to get things done, but I believe his vision is there. But can a StartUp really be run on vision alone? Also, I am entirely not conflicted about this part: his friend has to go. He adds no value other than being a potential "customer" to test the product on. I just haven't spoken to him about that because we haven't clarified who gets how much, which we shouldn't because we are focused on the product. So I guess I'm just conflicted about the primary founder and how to go about this. Am I letting my ego get the best of me? Is my line of thinking legitimately valid and probably the right way to go about things? This isn't about me not enjoying working with these people, it's about me questioning the effectiveness and ability of some of these to pull through in such an intense (and competitive, given the domain) environment. Also, that UX guy seems pretty good, but for some reason my gut says we shouldn't keep him. I'm also concerned, though, if I reach out to these people to separate, it might cause a host of conflict and I end up leaving with no one to help me on it (and I know the importance of having at least 1 other co-founder help you out). Also I should note that I did give the designers a specific task due by a specific time at the end of the week on a specific day (I've heard that's the most effective way to get people to do things), so maybe I should wait till then? So question is, should I leave and bring the people I think are most effective with me? Should I discuss it with them (even if more than half of them are of concern to me)? Am I thinking about this too soon and should wait to see how able they are? I am extremely passionate about this product and want it to succeed, and I don't want anything or anyone holding us back. Sorry, I know this might kind of be all over the place, I'm beginning to crash and my brain is everywhere. Tl;dr: We have way too many people on our team and I'm not quite sure how to go about slimming them down, or if I should even slim them down.