Welcome bAAck.

Thank you note to Ken.

Lemon glazed cupcakes, adapted from here with a few of my own twists for dinner at the Mann’s.

In 2002, I read books on a weekly basis. I studied poetry and meteorology and mathematics simultaneously. By the end of 2003, I’d picked up the cello, begun authoring a children’s book, and endeavored to memorize all of the United States presidents in order of their time in office. In 2005, I’d helped lead the charge on a burgeoning recycling program and done two theses on Louis and Clark and the life and works of Pablo Picasso.

Back when I was in elementary school. And back when I was a polymath, on the road to becoming an educated citizen of the world.

By last spring, it felt clearer to me than ever that my progress along said path had been stunted. By the anxious gust of social pressure hurrying me to become an adult. This (in junction with my love of lists) sparked the Scholarly To-Do List: a whiff of the roses in life’s Eden of knowledge. It is a compilation of subjects, ideas, and tasks I should know to be the kind of worldly citizen I expect myself to be. The list is extensive, but I made progress over the summer. A few subjects I worked on in the last four months:

• Food and Wine (the differences between the production of wine, beer, and liquor, and basic cocktail ingredients)
• Reading (“The Last Chinese Chef”, “The Hobbit”, and “Ruhlman’s Twenty”)
• Film (watching Casablanca for the first time on my puny laptop screen)
• Religion (going to Israel, researching and doing basic comparisons between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)
• Art (visits to the new Barnes and Cezanne exhibit and the PMA)

and finally,

• Music

I spent the entire summer listening to and memorizing a playlist of nearly two and a half-hours of musical classics. These are the songs that you recognize and love, to which you hum and fake-play-the-strings, yet with which you cannot match a composer. I’m excited to share the playlist.

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): I. Allegro
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): II. Romanze (Andante)
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): III. Menuetto (Allegretto)
4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Serenade No. 13 in G, ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ K525 (1997 Digital Remaster): IV. Rondo (Allegro)
5. Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata & Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565 - Toccata
6. Antonio Vivaldi – Violin Concerto In E, Op. 8/1, RV 269, “The Four Seasons (Spring)”
7. Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt, Op. 23 - Act 4: Morning
8. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Le Nozze Di Figaro, K 492 - Overture
9. Johann Sebastian Bach – Minuet In G
10. Claude Debussy – Preludes, Book 1, L 117 - La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin
11. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71A - Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
12. Antonín Dvořák – Symphony #9 In E Minor, Op. 95, B 178, “From The New World” - 2. Largo
13. Claude Debussy – Children’s Corner, L 113 - Golliwogg’s Cake-Walk
14. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker, Op. 71 - Miniature Overture
15. Jeremiah Clarke – Suite In D - Prince Of Denmark’s March, “Trumpet Voluntary”
16. Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor Op.27/2 - 1st Movement ‘Moonlight
17. Frédéric Chopin – Waltz In D Flat, Op. 64/1, “Minute”
18. Gioachino Rossini – William Tell Overture - Finale
19. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake - Scene
20. Sergei Rachmaninoff – Morceaux De Fantaisies, Op. 3 - Prélude In C Sharp Minor
21. Ludwig van Beethoven – Bagatelle In A Minor - ‘Fur Elise’
22. George Gershwin – 3 Preludes - #2 In C Sharp Minor
23. Johann Sebastian Bach – Musette In D, BWV Anhung 126
24. Johann Pachelbel – Canon & Gigue In D - Canon
25. George Gershwin – Rhapsody In Blue - Andante
26. Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.8 In C Minor Op.13 (Pathetique)
27. Frédéric Chopin – Prelude #4 In E Minor, Op. 28/4 - #4 In E Minor
28. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture, Op. 49 - Finale
29. Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No.5 In C Minor Op.67 - 1st Movement
30. Robert Schumann – Album For The Young Op.68/10 - The Merry Peasant
31. Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No.1 In G Minor
32. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – Flight Of The Bumble Bee
33. Frédéric Chopin – Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor Op.35 - Funeral March
34. Claude Debussy – Clair De Lune
35. Johann Sebastian Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No.3 In G Major - 1st Movement
36. Georges Bizet – Carmen - Habanera
37. Johann Sebastian Bach – Ave Maria
38. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker - Waltz Of The Flowers
39. Georges Bizet – L’Arlesienne - Prelude
40. Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No.5 In G Minor
41. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake - Dance Of The Swans
42. Johann Sebastian Bach – Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor - Badiinerie
43. Richard Wagner – Ride Of The Valkyries
44. Ludwig van Beethoven – Ode to Joy
45. Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt Suite #1, Op. 46 - 4. In The Hall Of The Mountain King

I had never heard the song in full but somehow had it on mental replay. This is my favorite part. And is me in my kitchen.

Then a day later I sat down at the piano and decided these chords made sense.

“Everything is like salad, Jess.”

- Ben Vander

Practicing my magic-wanding with tart-isolations. I’ve long-since come to terms with the fact that I am a total Photoshop noob.

Independence Day cake! Couldn’t get a good quality shot of the inside; the lighting was just terrible.

Finally, some progress tonight.

20th Birthday Thank Yous.

Never gets old.

Rule 20: complements

Drawing stages of solo mermaid-party invite.

Rana only gets letters with themes of aquatic creatures. It’s a rule.

Winging a blueberry crumb muffin with orange zest for Mother’s Day breakfast.

We made gnocchi.

This is what’s in my head whenever I hear this song.

Last day of clay; a few samples.

The beginnings of Le Corbusier’s Villa Stein de Monzie at Garches for my final arch review.

*I was charged with the top three floors/terraces, and cutting out settings for columns. My partner did the ground floor, painted the pillars, and the facades [not shown].