Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part I

One of the things that I decided to do this summer to combat my boredom is to learn an instrument. Earlier this summer I decided it would be really cool to play the Ukulele, then went ahead and purchased one online. Now I'll admit it, sometimes I'm a pretty impulsive buyer, but my decision to get the ukulele was one of the better impulsive purchases I'd ever made. Since receiving the ukulele, I've been playing it nearly everyday in my room, intensely struggling to wrap my fingers around the frets to form notes. And it hasn't been easy, that's for sure. I took piano lessons as a child, so I can read music and understand some music theory, but unlike a lot of students here, I've never played a string instrument before and learning is no picnic, or piece of cake, for that matter. (Mmmm... cake.) But over the past two weeks I've managed to learn six chords and one song, which is definitely better than I had expected.

But of course, my decision to learn an instrument wasn't made completely on a whim. Learning an instrument serves several purposes for me: first of all, it's just fun. I can just pick it up after work and poorly strum away my sorrows (I have a thing for being melodramatic). Second, it gives me a goal. Learning, of course. Third, every time I meet one of my boyfriend's friends or relatives, they ask me which instrument I play. Apparently because I'm going out with a musician who happens to come from a very musically talented family, I must play some sort of instrument myself. Helloooooo, just because he's a musician doesn't mean he has to be dating one! But I still remember the look of disappointment his grandmother had on her face when I said, "Umm, I don't play an instrument. Sorry."

A few of my friends on campus play in a campus band called Molasses Wave Disaster, which is named after the Boston Molasses Disaster that occurred in 1919. They call themselves a mix of Radiohead and The Police and they play shows around campus during the year. Personally, I think they're awesome, but I'm also pretty biased. You can check out their stuff at myspace.com/molasseswavedisaster. My friends Chel, Natalie, and Xanna are all in the group and formed their own side project-a chick band called The Pantyliners and Chel said that if I learn how to play the ukulele, I can join! I always wanted to be in a band, but I suppose learning an instrument helps.....

Sunday I went outside to practice my ukulele-I tried learning the song "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part I" by the Flaming Lips with a headphone in one ear, so that I could strum while listening to the music. For the most part, it was a disaster and I couldn't move my fingers fast enough, and then I got rained out, but I'm sure I looked pretty cool, which is exactly what I was going for. Maybe I'll do that again sometime.