Go here!

Go to this site!! http://www.macprovideo.com/blog/mpv/athoen

thank you :D

So it has been QUITE some time since I've updated this dusty corner of my life....whew. Since March I think? Wow. Well a lot has happened between March and now. Good and bad. But I'll just fill you in on some of the good ;] Sound good? ....Good!

One big change in my life since the last post has been my job situation! Last time I posted I was still working as a humble barista at my local starbucks. Since then, I have shed the smell of coffee beans for a slightly brighter, fresher environment: The Apple Store! Yes, yes I have gotten a job working amongst some of the coolest technology around, messing with iPads and iPods, and getting to know a lot of awesome people that I work with! It has truly been a Godsend.

In other news, I'm a college kid! Not exactly your dorm-living, longboarding around campus, party-guy college kid, but close! I'm kickin' it here at good 'ol NOVA, where the "n" stands for knowledge! ...er, I mean nowledge? But yea, NOVA is alright. Not my first choice, but hey, I'm saving my folks a boatload of money by staying here for a year, so thats a plus. And I still get to see a lot of my good friends, who definitely help me survive the days spent on campus there! AND I'm still getting to mix sound at church (a BIG plus :D).

Hmmm....job, school.. What else? The family is good. Been switching back and forth from my mom's house to my dad's house. Thats new. Kinda like it, kinda don't. But I get to spend time with both of them, which is good since this time next year I'll be living in Music City, USA. Nashville!

So yea, family's good, friends are good, job is good, school is good. Life is good. God is good! Who could ask for more?

And here's a shout out to my buddy Erwin Barrientos, whose facebook status reminded me I still have a blog up here! Thanks Erwin!

To all of you who have taken the time to come and read my all but forsaken blog, I thank you. And I promise, I'll be updating at least one more time this month!

Merry Christmas,

Andrew

Defying Gravity

Hello all!

I'm writing this blog update from the comfort of my middle seat on a flight to Texas! I'm headed there to visit my friend, Preston, who graduated from Osbourn two years ago, and to just enjoy a bit of my spring break. Its been awhile since I've updated, so I thought it would be a good idea to get rid of my boredom with writing :]

Lots has been happening since I last updated. I recently submitted my application to Belmont University, and now I'm awaiting a reply. However, the only way that I'll be able to go this year is if I somehow get a financial miracle, because I missed the scholarship deadline for applying freshman :/....bummer. But either way, I'm just excited to hear what Belmont has to say, and hopefully they'll just let me defer until next year!

Musically, life is excellent! In Centerstage, we're getting ready for our competition in NYC (which I am EXTREMELY stoked for). We're going to be singing “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, “Begin the Beguine” by Cole Porter, and a piece called “Voice Dance” ….I'm not sure who wrote it, but it has no words...just cool sounds that we all make. I think for competition, “Voice Dance” will be my favorite, exactly because it has no words. Its a lot like ska-style jazz, but a little more cheery...very exciting and fun to sing. For our spring concert at school, Carley (the girl who sang with me at the talent show) and I got the duet part of the Glee version of “Don't Stop Believin'” which is extremely exciting, considering how I have recently fallen in love with Glee.

I've really been enjoying the past few months of Centerstage. I'm not sure why its happening now though....maybe because I'm realizing that this is the last time I'll ever get to be in this sort of musical environment again. I don't know... I love it though. Who wouldn't love going to school to sing with people who are like family to you? I think that's why I look forward to that class so much. I am so close with all of my friends there, that it doesn't really feel like “school” or “class”....more like singin' with my friends in a fun and sometimes goofy environment. Haha, just the other day, me and the guys decided it would be a funny prank to hide the piano from our director, so we moved it into the wheelchair access hall, so he couldn't see it....priceless :P

Well I think this has been enough jabbering for now. I'll try to send an update from Texas if I can find some time when I'm not busy :]

Peace out cool kids!

-Andrew the Magnificent

Wake Up. You're Alive. We're On Your Side.

Man oh man...it has indeed been awhile since good 'ol coffeebeansandmusicnotes has had some love...wow.. lots has changed.

Well, tonight was my school's talent show. It was an interesting night because, I was in charge of all the audio for the night, but was also performing in the Act II of the night. All went well though. I could not have had a better teacher than Lyle Spain to show me the ropes of sound, and tonight I got to put all of my knowledge into practice.

For my act, my good friend Carley Wilson and I performed Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" in honor of the recent tragedy in Haiti. The song was seriously magical. The curtains opened up, revealing a packed house, but I wasn't scared. Everyone was watching me, but I felt completely comfortable. We addressed the crowd, and asked them to not think of us as we sang, but to think of the Haitian people, and to say a small prayer for them, because they need it. After that was said, the music started. Carley and I sang our hearts out; each of us to someone in our hearts. I have never been so confident in my music before tonight; I really don't know how to describe it haha. We finished, and the audience went insane, and I felt so good! I looked over at Carley, and we were both smiling the biggest smiles ever; I was extremely happy with the performance we had put on.

The night went on; other acts were performed, all amazingly. There is really so much talent at my school, its rediculous haha. Anyways, after all the acts were over, and the lip-syncs (an OHS Talent Show tradition) were finished, they gave out the awards. Best band....best solo vocal...best dance....Best Group Vocal: Carley Wilson and Andrew Thoen. I was estatic! Again, we walked up to the stage and I was just floored with how loud the audience was cheering...it was literally an experience that I will never, ever forget. I am so happy :].

I've had alot of stuff on my shoulders lately, and all of it seemed to be there right before I stepped out on that stage, but when I played my music, it all went away. Thank God for giving me the gift He has, and for letting that be my way of being with Him and escaping.

2010 (TWO OH ONE OH!!!!!)

Goodness gracious!

It has been FORREVVERRR since I've updated this wonderful literary log of my life...not good. Well, its 2010! My graduating year! I must say, this is somewhat exciting. I'm very optimistic of what this year has in store...I mean, look at what 2009 was! God provided so many opportunities and blessed me with so much: I can only dream of what is to come!

Well, I know that New Year's resolutions aren't the best, but I have one that is worth the effort, and I must stick to it...and that means you, yes you, my faithful readers must hold me to it: Update the blog

at least once a month. I need to keep track of this year for future reference! Besides, its fun to keep you all involved in my life too!

Well here we go. 2010! As Spongebob Squarepants would say.... I'M READYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Best one yet

I got back from my school's See You At The Pole about 20 minutes ago, and let me just say, the Spirit of God really will show up wherever you ask Him to! I ended up getting to school around 6:35 or so, and it was still dark, and I was the only one there...kind of daunting. Regardless of what was going on around me (or rather, what wasn't), I pulled out my guitar and just started worshiping. I remember thinking to myself, "Crap..I really hope today is SYATP, because if its not, then I'm just gonna look like an idiot out here by myself." However, as I was thinking that I realized that what I was thinking was wrong...I don't need any excuse to stand outside my school and worship God!
So I kept worshiping as teachers and students walked by looking at me, and then some came and stood next to me. Soon enough we had a whole circle around our flagpole singing to God and just standing in his prescence. It was so good! The prayers that came out of that circle had such power and purpose! I have never felt as much peace at a SYATP as I did today. The atmosphere was just so pure and awesome!
God is good!!!!

Senior year rocks!!

Alright, let me just say, its awesome to have the Spirit of God with you anywhere you go...including English class!
I was sitting in class today working on the start of a personal narrative paper, and my teacher said it was ok if we listened to music, so since I was working on the good 'ol macbook, I plugged in my earbuds and put on a worship playlist that I made for my buddy luke the other night. Once the music started, I was almost immediately put into a deep place of worship, but the really cool part is that I was totally flowing with what I was writing!!!!
I never thought that I could have such focus on something school related while I was worshiping, but I did, and it was awesome! I decided to show my teacher what I had so far, and she seemed very pleased, and said that she could see that I was really honing in on what the paper should look like.

But this is only the first part of the story.

Right now I'm in my electronics engineering class, and I texted my buddy Luke (mentioned above ^^^) and asked him if he was listening to the mix I made him since he forgot to listen to it the other night, and he texted me back saying "Yeah. The cory asbury song and jason upton songs are sooo powerful." It turns out that Luke was in a state of worship as well!

WHATTT!!!!

That same spirit of worship that was in me during my first block class (Luke was in this class too, sitting right in front of me) had transferred to Luke and was with him during second block! And now I'm worshiping while writing this blog!!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!