Scriabin is a genius

everyone knows Chopin, Debussy ... but what about Scriabin? he's genius. etudes. i used to hate etudes. his music sounds like a mix of Chopin, Rachmaninov, Lizst? but in a separate dimension. the beauty of the melodies isn't as obvious as Chopin; it's more subtle, a slight hint at it instead (no. 1 vivace). 

Scriabin: 24 Preludes, Op.11 No. 14

anyway i just started this contemporary piece too. 

Mendelssohn: Scherzo op.16 No.2 in E minor

perhaps this has to do with maturing. romantic era music used to be the only era i appreciated, and then it was ranked classical, baroque, and contemporary. lol. well contemporary wasn't bad, but just meh. i don't need to explain romantic era, its emotional expression, individuality is unmatched. classical period: beethoven, haydn, the best sonatas. baroque, the grandiose style. and then contemporary, well, sometimes it's intriguing, but it just doesn't sound as impactful and impressive to me. 

but now i like its diverse style, especially the pieces that sound like they r meant for encore. it adds a spritz of humor, fun, and lightheartedness into drama and whatnot. don't quote me on anything i haven't looked back into music theory in two years, but my tastes are changing i guess. 

this is off topic but tbh i haven't practiced piano much since the beginning of college apps until today. college apps are done and for the first day i felt like i was done with everything in life, as if they were all for college and now i can cut it off. well clearly that is not true and i knew that far earlier, but what made me come to my senses recently was a conversation i had with my flute teacher.

she told me a student of hers was preparing supplements for college, like music recordings, her letter of recommendation and so on. for weeks she had to respond to late night texts at 10pm to listen to 10 minute long pieces select the best recordings to submit. when i was listening to this my heart was already breaking realizing how much she cares for her students. anyway, as soon as the student submitted their college application, they paid for their last class and stopped coming. by the time i looked at my flute teacher, i could tell she had tears in her eyes, yet she just simply said "i don't care, they can come and go and it's fine", but clearly it was heartbreaking. 

back to me. i never started flute for college. or in anything else i do. i could've stopped piano when i passed all cm tests and got state honors and wtv. but i wan't to keep playing these instruments forever. for a brief moment year ago, i thought about stopping piano lessons, thinking i don't need them anymore. thank god i didn't choose that route. making music truly brings peace to my heart lol maybe i shud grow up to be the stereotypical poor pensive musician. ok jokes but with college apps done doing these things give my life meaning. and now i'm on a quest to find new interests and revive those things that brought my life meaning in the past.

2nd semester priorities:

1. school work. valedictorian grind lolollelll
2. diving (when it starts in late january)
3. flute, piano
4. ML/AI/DL research, or even in other directions of cs ..?
5. software development. it's been too long and i need to revive my 10th grade peak.
6. meaningful community work. cookies?
7. USACO grind again? been a while too

ironic. looks the same as all my previous years. i guess it never was for colleges but the illusion led me to find meaning in my life.