Hellooo! Ella Cooley, class of '09, baby! I'm really excited for Music Theory this year - and, not gonna lie, really nervous about it, too. I love music like my child, but don't know it as well as most of you, I'm sure. Throughout middle school, I played clarinet, but stopped once I hit highschool to take theatre instead of band. I started teaching myself guitar in the 8th grade, but haven't advanced very far with it. Last year I joined Concert Choir, which helped me to realize how much I really looooove to sing. Hopefully soon I'll be taking piano lessons, to help me better understand Music Theory, and because I've been obsessed with Regina Spektor since sophomore year. :) Otherwise, I've been involved with theatre since frosh year, playing everything from an old sheperd man to a gypsy to the Bride of Frankenstein. I also work at a kick-ass designer sample sale downtown called Threadlounge, Inc, which has inspired me to learn to sew and design, and to help organize the Fashion & Design Club at Gunn this year (join!) What else... wellll I just bought a totally boss record player off of Amazon yesterday so I can listen to my dad's oldies. Pretty pumped for that one. Ohhhhh yeah... and I have an F/G prep, sucka! 'Nuff said :)

look a blog!

Ey im Robert... im the one over next to Lido...

I played piano from like 5 yrs old to 6th grade, then I played trombone till last year. Then i dropped trombone and now I play bass guitar and the double bass. I really wish i still played piano though.

Im mostly into jazz music, and i play a lot of jazz bass. I also play some funk stuff since the bass guitar sounds so good with that style. I mostly joined theory to expand on my knowledge of jazz harmony and stuff.

I like composition, but the only stuff i have written is just little riffs to play with my guitarist friends.

Jackie Hwang! =D

HI  =D 

I've been playing piano for 6-7 years, and I just love it so much. I can't even begin to describe how much I love it. Whenever I see one, I have this ridiculous urge to drop whatever I'm doing at the moment, and just play on it. For instance, when I went to Thailand this summer, we toured the ancient royal palace. Inside, there was this one room with a beautiful wooden piano, and I was so close to stepping over the line and playing it, even though the tour guide told us a thousand times not to step over the sacred line. Good news: my brother stopped me with a look. 

I'm also in the Gunn orchestra (I play violin), and starting freshman year, I've started the tradition of playing my own piano compositions in the Spring Orchestra Concert every year. This year, I also hope this year's will be even better than the previous years! =D And I was very excited to win the Gerte Mosse Scholarship for my piano composition as well, last year!

I also play guitar (1-2 years) and compose songs for my family and friends. Singing... I'm okay at, but I can always improve! 

My last musical line: I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. COMPOSING MUSIC. So much. Like two-lover-who've-been-separated-for-years-by-a-random-earthquake love. This summer, I mass produced my own album and gave them to all my family in Taiwan, and EMI Records. So I'm very excited to take this class!

NON-MUSICAL STUFF! =D What I do in my spare time: .... music. Oh dang, I don't have anything to put here. Even when I'm hanging out with my friends, we play music/sing. .... I eat. And read. =D I kind of watch TV too. But mostly, music. 

Tallyho,

::jackie::

Me

Hello. I am Lawrence Jau and currently a Junior. I have been listening to music for over 10 years now. I play a tiny bit of piano, but I am not very good. I think I like piano, but I am very bad at it so I do not know yet. I do not think my piano skills will be able to compare with anyone in this class. I also play guitar. I was taught how to play guitar by my dad when I was young, but I have been too lazy to practice. I have also been learning a little bit of theory. In 6th grade, I started to play the trumpet and I stopped playing after 8th grade. I listen to a variety of music, but I do not listen to anything that is not in English. I hope this year will be fun and for me to learn more about music theory.

Aside from music. I like to do many things. Year round, I windsurf, wakeboard, scurfboard, water ski, camp, hang out with friends, and eat. In the winter, I like to ski, snowboard, ride around on snowmobiles. In the summer, I like to go jet skiing, swimming, and atving in tahoe. Unfortunately, I joined a sailing team last year and now spend 15 hours at the least sailing on weekends. Usually, at home, I just like to watch tv, movies, and sleep and eat.

Zack

Hi, I'm Zack and I'm a junior. I have been playing the piano for around 7 years. I have found it enjoyable usually when I do practice. I have also played the violin, but only for two years at elementary school and middle school. I like rock, alternative rock and a lot of other random genres.

Something non-musical related I like to do is watch TV. I like watching shows like The Office, The Simpsons, South Park 30 Rock, Heroes, Psych, Prison Break, My Name is Earl, and a lot of other shows as well.

Michelle

Hi, I'm a junior, and I've been playing the piano for 8 years.

Music is a HUGE part of my life.  I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a piano lying around for me to express myself with.  Maybe I would explode...  I played the clarinet for about 5 years, but I honestly didn't enjoy the spit and smell and only-allowed-one-note-at-a-time-ness, so I dropped it in favor of piano.  I love jazz, latin, and classical music, and I think that the most important part of playing music is how I feel it, and how I convey that feeling.  It makes it worth listening to.

Besides music, I play soccer and draw and COOK in my free time.  I love baking pineapple cookies with yummy sugary frosting.  I live with my grandparents, and I have a dog that will NOT (no matter what people say) respond to Timmy falling down the well, and an annoying brother that never fails to get on my nerves.  By the by, he's a freshman, so if you see him don't hesitate to put him in a trash can or tape him to a pole.  Whatever suits you best. (Kidding!)

Oh, and if you prefer Shelly (maybe Michelle's too long for you)  I can be Shelly too. =)

Nidia! :]

So I feel slightly inadequate considering most of this class has been playing an instrument for quite some time. I took piano for a year but kind of took a break after that, to be honest, I have nooo idea why. I've been teaching myself guitar since March of 2008, so I can't really call myself a guitarist, but anytime I see one I have a HUGE craving to play and sing. I played clarinet in 4th grade and looking back, I should have continued because I was actually good. I love music, this is cliche, but I don't know what I'd do without it. I can't live a day without singing, that's my main thing, singing. Ever since I discovered I had a singing voice, I've never been able to shut up. I was actually going to audition for American Idol, (you can laugh, I laugh at myself for it too haha), but I decided the memories and traditions of senior year only happen once, and American Idol happens every year, and I didn't want to miss out on something I'd never be able to take back. I'm up for anything when it comes to music. I like trying news things, like picking up an acordian! :] Well, once I buy it. I'm not picky on genres of music, except all that mainstream stuff can get SUPER annoying, mostly pop. I'm hella nervous about music theory, because all of you are so talented/fundamentally smart about music, but I'm still really excited and so ready to work my lazy senior butt off to pass this class haha. I want to major in music and minor in photography when I go to college.

Something non-music related...
i LOVE tv: (It's all about House & Family Guy)
i eat when im bored too max k. haha :]
im VERY into photography (my profile picture is a picture i submitted into the Palo Alto Weekly Photo Contest in April i think it was, I didn't place but got honorable mention, which is still really cool i think! :])
i stalk Shia Labeouf religiously
don't be weired out if i decide to be barefoot in class
i've just recently gotten into drawing/painting
i make those string friendship bracelets
and i can't think of anything else! :)

was this post too long? I'm soo bad at being succinct, I'm the wordiest person you'll ever meet
and by the way Mr. Liberatore, this blogging stuff is actually kind of fun :]

A Little About Me

Hey everyone,

I'm John Day, class of 2010, and I love music.

I've been playing piano since I was five. It's my favorite instrument, even though I hated it when my parents use to force me to play. Now I'm teaching piano in San Carlos (classes anyone? haha). I've also played the drums for about three years now, and I'm part of a band. Last year I joined orchestra and picked up bass. Currently, I'm trying to learn how t play guitar..haha.

Let's see...yeah I listen to a lot of genres of music, so I cram my iPod with just about everything.

Some other non-music related things. My favorite food is top ramen. My favorite ice cream flavor is green tea. And my favorite sport is Cross Country.

Sophie

Just to confuse everyone, I'm going to post right after Sophia! haha

To start off, I'm Sophie, and I'm going to be a junior this year! Even though I was just recently mistaken for being a FRESHMAN (oh the horror!)

I've played piano for... 10-11 years? I started in first grade, so if I did the math right... yeah. I passed CM advanced level (or level 10) in freshman year. I stopped taking CM for a year, but this year, I plan on trying for panel level. Aside from my piano experience, however, I don't have much experience with other instruments. I played flute for two years in fifth and sixth grade, but I'm pretty sure I don't remember how to play it anymore. My younger brother plays the violin (he's the one playing the violin in the picture, while I'm accompanying on the piano), so I've had some minimal exposure to that. At first, I was only playing the piano because it was something my parents made me do as a kid, but as the years went by, I learned to love it. Now, I use it to destress from the tensions of the rest of my life.

Something un-music-related... during the summer, I went to New Hampshire for five weeks for summer school at Phillips Exeter Academy. I had a great experience meeting lots of international students and making many unforgettable friends, and I would recommend everyone else to take part in a program like it if given the chance. I also speak (in addition to English) Cantonese, Mandarin, and a bit of Spanish.

Oh, and to answer the inevitable question of why I'm posting this so late, it's because I'm a quite nocturnal person ;) So don't be surprised if I always seem tired in class, it's probably because I'm just not a morning person! :D

Sophia~~~

Giant lollipop <3

Hello Mr. Liberatore, Max, Jonathan, Ian and George :] (and everyone else who hasn't posted yet)

Sophia Yu :], I'm a junior this year. Don't confuse me with one of friends in the class :P Sophie (maybe she'll post later)???

Uhm.. I've played piano for ... 10-11 years or so I can't remember... I finished Panel (CM) in March, and I'm kind of sad I don't have classes any more. I've also played in Concert band for my freshman year (flute) but there were so many people! (like 80) and I stopped so I could take some other elective in my sophomore year that I can't recall right now. I love my piano oh so very much, but I do wish it were a grand piano, but my house is tiny and I have no room. If I could... I would spend my day at my piano playing Chopin :] and Beethoven.... and maybe Tchaikovsky (I do hope I spelled that right).

I used to be in a choir, when I was very small, but then I moved, and I moved and I moved... so many times -___- and I stopped. So it has been a while since I've seen choir music.

Let's see some other stuff... I love candy. L-O-V-E candy, or anything sweet, like brownies and cookies and cake. I don't know why... but caffeine makes me sort of sleepy. Last time I had an energy sleep and I fell asleep at my desk :O.

But enough about me :] let's hear about you (yes you... whoever is posting next T.T don't let me be the only girl!!)

P.S. Welcome to a new year :] Hope I can meet some more awesome people Yay!

George Sun. Played Piano since I was 5 but i stopped after freshman year because i wasn't that interested anymore. Finished CM level 10. Played flute since 5th grade and started for school and liked it a lot so i kept playing. I like doing solo flute as well as ensemble. I go to Flute Camp each year and it's one of my favorite places to go. I've always wanted to learn how to play the harmonica, accordion and the theremin. I think i played the violin in third grade but i quit because i was terrible at it and didn't like it. Some things about myself...I play badminton, i eat a lot...i color code my closet and i like being neat. I watch a lot of movies, of all sorts. My favorite animal is the goat and i love hamburgers. And i spend a lot of time with my dog, Koko who is a border collie mix

Ian Zalles

I'm Ian, and I'm a junior.
I've been playing piano for eleven years, and play the french horn in Gunn's wind ensemble. I like playing chamber music, and, of course, solo piano and look forward to the composition aspect of the class. I really like writing music and playing composers like Rachmaninoff and Liszt on the piano. Other than music, I do a lot of mountain biking and outdoors-y stuff. Oh, and I sleep a lot. I mean A LOT.

For some reason my computer's not opening up picture files, so... I'll try to get one up later, I guess.

jonathan jung

I'm a senior.
Been playing violin for about 7 years, but now I wish I played cello or guitar instead. I quit taking lessons half about 6 months ago. I still play in youth symphony though. (ECYS)

I've also been playing baseball for basically my entire life. I pitch for the school team and also play during the summer and fall in other leagues.

I also like to read a lot.

Max Kieturakis

OK so...
My name is Max Kieturakis and I'm a seniooor. I'm very excited for Music Theory and also excited to learn more. I'm a viola player (I've been playing for 8 years), and I play in the Gunn String Orchestra, Gunn Chamber Orchestra, and ECYS. Other than music I also like playing soccer which I coach two times a week, and play with my own team 3 times a week. On top of that I have games every weekend as well as during the week sometimes. I also play for Gunn Varsity during the winter.
I love food, and whenever I'm bored I just eat. I'm hoping my senior year is going to be easy and to have fun in Music Theory.

Welcome to AP Music Theory

Welcome to the Gunn 2008-09 AP Music Theory Class. I thought it would be a great ice-breaker to have each member of the class post a paragraph about themselves here at this blog. Fill us in on your musical background and a little about yourself. It's a fun and easy way to get to know each other better. Be sure to include your picture. If you have any trouble posting, or don't have a picture, come see me and I can help you.

I am Bill Liberatore. I have been teaching this class since 1989. It scares me just a little that none of you were born when I started teaching it! Yikes. I really love teaching this course and I hope I can get you excited about musicianship and how much more pleasurable your interaction with music can be when you really know what is going on! In addition to teaching AP Music Theory I am the Choir Director at Gunn. Check out our website to learn more about our awesome choir program (www.gunnchoir.org). I also conduct a lot of musicals in the Bay Area for TheatreWorks and American Musical Theatre of San Jose, so I work a lot with professional musicians and I do a lot of work with arranging and orchestrating outside of school. I hope you will have a chance to see one of my shows this year! I am married with two kids, Ryan 12 and Emily 9 and I LOVE TV and traveling and COFFEE!!!

I look forward to working with you all!