tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486836004893344372.post575628286716544994..comments2023-08-17T14:31:17.423+01:00Comments on Innocent Loverboy: The Sixth Form Playlist - Part 1Innocent Loverboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16564876728079783376noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486836004893344372.post-150400842256802842020-02-02T18:02:44.874+00:002020-02-02T18:02:44.874+00:00I don't actually know the equivalent to what o...I don't actually know the equivalent to what our sixth form is in the US school system - in fact, I'm not even sure what the US school system is. Sixth form is the last two years in secondary school - Years 12 and 13 - which straddles your age between 16 and 18.<br /><br />You don't need to do sixth form - you can leave after Year 11 - but a lot of people don't. There are always options to do if you can hack another two years of school.<br /><br />My memories of secondary school also aren't pleasant, particularly after Year 9. I was kind of okay during Years 8 and most of 9 (Year 7 wasn't fun), and then in Year 10 I suffered a massive existential crisis and developed quite severe depression, which was only lifted in Year 13 (I went through two very important exam periods while feeling absolutely terrible; how I survived, I'll never know!).<br /><br />In contrast to your silencing, I can remember music being a huge part of my life at that time - not just the playlist above, but my other obessions, such as mainstream pop during Year 8 and musical theatre, which is one of my Great Loves (I listened to the <i>Evita</i> soundtrack just as much as the rock during Year 12). After countless romantic failures during my teenage years, I'd just go home and cry it out to music.<br /><br />Lightsinthesky (my odd friend) was a huge Metallica fan and practically worshipped their untitled "Black Album", but I was never too interested. I eventually listened to <i>One</i>, which he constantly said was the best song ever... but wasn't particularly impressed by that either! Proves, doesn't it, that music is a very subjective thing?<br /><br />The piece I remember rehearsing the most is <i>Marsch</i> from <i>The Nutcracker</i>, which was part of my Grade 2 violin exam (and my favourite thing to play at the time!). I passed the exam - barely - despite not having bothered to learn my arpeggios. When I stopped having lessons, I was part-way through studying for Grade 5, including Dave Brubeck's <i>Take Five</i>. I couldn't play that now, even if I tried really hard, but boy howdy, do I love that piece!Innocent Loverboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16564876728079783376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486836004893344372.post-62765808803513393182020-01-26T14:17:18.435+00:002020-01-26T14:17:18.435+00:00As near as I can tell - given the age range of &qu...As near as I can tell - given the age range of "sixth form" you've provided - the equivalent period in my teenaged life in the U.S. would have been somewhere between 10th and 12th grade. High school.<br /><br />Overall, my memories of high school are not pleasant. While I've not *forgotten* anything, exactly, I've probably *subverted* more experiences from that time frame than is healthy. So while music is very much 'my thing', I'd be hard pressed to create a whole playlist from that period of time. Because when the movie is never played in one's memory, the soundtrack, too, stays silent.<br /><br />I do remember quite clearly though that I loved the Metallica black album, which I bought on cassette when it came out in 1991 (and still have in my possession to this day), which would have been around that time.<br /><br />I'm also a musician, and the slightly discordant 'storm' style of Alan Hovhaness' Mountain Dance No. 2 was a much-practiced piano audition piece under my fingers during that time frame. :)Mrs Feverhttp://mrsfever.comnoreply@blogger.com