....we just posted our Spring 2022 Final Concert on YouTube. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/user/stuckinthemiddleVT
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Hey there,
Loyal followers of the blog will notice it's been almost a year since our last post. While we've got no really good alibi there, you should be following us on our other socials! We post about concerts on our Facebook page, and we post regularly on our Instagram. It's an exciting time to be SIM. Since last writing, we have welcomed two new members: Zeke Golnik '22 and Aidan Wertz '22. They're both wonderful guys with a lot of talent who we're very excited to have around. We've also graduated Josh Goldenberg '18, Nathaniel Durfee '18, Max Shashoua '18, and most recently, Peter Dykeman-Bermingham '18.5. We wish them all the best and hope they, as well as the rest of our alumni, keep in touch with the group! We've been working on recording our next studio project, Sexy Casual, which is a big exciting announcement that the few people who read the blog will have heard about first! I don't even know if I'm supposed to really mention that yet. As another semester is soon to begin, our next audition cycle follows suit. It'll be a nice opportunity to picture the future of the group and carry on the SIM legacy. Looking forward to this semester, we've got our dear friends Michael Koutelos '20 and Aidan O'Brien '20 abroad in Italy and Spain, respectively. While we miss them already, it'll be nice to have them back in the fall, full of stories and disconnected from American culture. Over and out, SIM Do you like singing? Do you know what singing is? Now's your opportunity to find out (see below)!
Auditions for SIM will be held on Wednesday, February 14th (Valentine's Day) from 4:30-9 PM in Axinn 229. Come with a verse and chorus of a song, along with a deep thought, whatever that may be for you. Show us what you've got. We'd like to wish our friends Jamie and Mike good luck as they study abroad. They probably won't do anything important or noteworthy. But we'll miss them.
Auditions for SIM will be this Wednesday, February 12th from 4:30-9 in Axinn 229. Bring a prepared verse and chorus of a song, as well as a deep thought (very important!). We're looking for all voice parts, young and old people, tall and short. The sign-up sheet will be located in McCullough, near Stewart Hall. Really, though, we're looking for you. See you there!
SIM slept in on our last full day in Hawaii, trying to squeeze all of the juice out of our fleeting vacation before returning to classes, 8-12" of snow, and the general melancholy of a New England winter. We decided to spend our last day at the beach, chilling out, maxing, and relaxing all cool.
We went back to Sherwood beach for the third time this week and let the time pass by. We read, played football, enjoyed the water. Y'know, beach stuff. On the way back from the beach, some of SIM went to the "blowhole" (see above). It's a mini-beach on the ride back from Sherwood beach, but also has a series of rock formations that you can climb. Probably extremely dangerous, but that never stopped us! We were able to climb up to the top and got some amazing views of the beach and of part of the island. Roger and Mike got some of that sick nose butter as they dove into the water, and Aidan was mesmerized by the tranquility of it all. And, of course, there was a photo shoot. Keep an eye out for those new profile pictures ;). For dinner, Dylan's parents treated us by taking us out to the Chart House, a nice restaurant near the strip. We ordered pupu style, where we all shared a variety of dishes, including ahi poke, chicken wings, fried rice, fried zucchini, pork chops, and more! Josh tried raw fish for the first time, and we were all so proud of him. He texted his parents because he was so proud of himself! We returned home for the last time, spending our final evening all together enjoying each other's company and appreciating our time here in Hawaii. Maybe we'll be back for spring break; who knows? Hello, family and friends. If you've stuck with us so far, you either have a weird sense of humor or really appreciate us. Probably some combination of the two, and either way you should probably get that checked out.
We started the day off with elections! Josh rode out of musical directorship/presidency in a flaming chariot, similar to Elijah the prophet (look it up). Harrison and Peter DB will now jointly take up the mantle, with Peter also continuing with his fiduciary responsibilities to the group (he's like a real dad!). Ian has risen to title of social chair, which is weird, since he's not a chair and is an actual boy. We then got into the cars to start our driving tour of the island, heading up to the North to see some sick waves, bruh. We stopped for lunch in Haleiwa, with the group splitting up between a Thai food truck and a Mexican place. Check out our reviews on Yelp. We're big Yelpers. As per the picture above, we got out at a beach where only surfing is allowed. The waves were huge but our spirits were mellow as we appreciated all that nature has to offer. Shehecheyanu (look it up). We then went back out East to enjoy a beach that allowed for swimming. We snuck in a game of football on the beach, with some nice plays on both sides. Highlights: Aidan with the safety swat to protect against the touchdown, and Josh's leveling of Aidan to protect the run game. We go hard. After a very quick turnaround at the house, the group left for our final gig of tour at Arcadia Retirement Residence. We had an awesome time performing for the residents, and schmoozed with them for a bit afterwards, as well. We got back, had a quick rehearsal, and then enjoyed the night. Some went out late to enjoy the Waikiki nightlife. While not fantastic, it's not difficult to beat the bar scene at Middlebury. We're looking forward to our last full day on the island! xoxo gossip girl Ah, Hawaii. Where the waves are as big as the love in our hearts. Where the sun beats as bright as Aidan's smile. Where the views are as magnificent and profound as the realization that we're just sand in the hourglass of the universe: meaningless on our own, yet powerful in numbers.
We started the day with a show at 15 Craigside, a lovely resident community in Honolulu. We really enjoyed performing for the residents, who seemed to enjoy us performing for them. Funny how concerts work. After the concert, we went to Ala Moana Center for lunch. It's a ridiculously huge outside mall with tons of dining options. Josh had his first ramen. He enjoyed it. He's can be a picky eater. We then got on our hiking gear for a laborious climb at the Manoa Falls Trail (not Moana falls, despite Mike's insistence. Although we hear that Moana was a great movie. We appreciate all things with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.) There was beautiful vegetation and greenery along the trail, with lots of great opportunities for pictures. Finally, we reached the falls, where some of the brave members of SIM went in for a chilly dip. Other, not-so-brave members, were able to get their fair-share of Instagram photos. We retired to home, where we had a lazy afternoon. Our dinner was Ma Pa Tofu, which was meticulously prepared by Nathaniel, Harrison, and Durfee. We finished our evening with a rehearsal of the song we're preparing for Jambo; find out what it is Sunday night! ;) It's starting to dawn on us that we only have a few days left here before heading back to Middlebury. We're trying to carpe diem, but unfortunately carp isn't a native fish to Hawaii. We'll keep on the lookout. The day began with an early hike up Diamond Head, a volcanic crater on the West side of the island. We climbed through a bunker, up some steep stairs, and a few tunnels until we finally reached the summit. The view was breathtaking, and we seized the moment by singing Loch Lomond together.
Today the consistent gorgeous weather of Hawaii changed on us during the afternoon into a downpour. After another stunning run by the beach, many of us spent some more time at Waikiki beach. Sadly though, that is where the sun ended and the rain began.
To take full advantage of the poor weather, we rehearsed our set list in preparation for our performances later this week. Meanwhile Aidan fell into a deep rain hibernation of sorts. After waking the sleeping guitar shredding mountain man (Aidan of course), we made our way downtown for some udon and poke bowls. With full stomachs and happy hearts everyone drove back to the house for some relaxation and card games. We eventually made our way back out of our dwelling to see the the seals and the great photo-opps of the local aquarium, while some brave souls ventured back to the stormy beach for some swimming and sandy football with the best use of $21 money can buy. Upon reuniting back at the house, we began to rehearse our latest song "Wait for the Moment" before sitting down to some straight fire vegetarian curry cooked by the finest chefs SIM could produce. Exhausted from another fun filled day, everyone raced to bed, looking forward to a morning hike up diamond head (a dormant volcano, no biggie) before our first show of the tour! |