Dear Reader,
my name is Rosemary. I was born in Chicago, IL at Ravenswood Hospital on January 3rd, 1985 at 12:11 am after my mother went through 36 hours of labor. I was pulled out using forceps and had a smushed right eye and a bald head. My mother spent the first four years of my life shaving my head hoping that it would grow in thicker. I grew up listening to my mom sing on stage and teach Indian music to many of the local Indian children. She made sure that I sat in a few classes too. In 1993, I went to India for 5 years taking an absolute break from music. I took up singing again upon my return in 1998 (settling in Niles, IL). This is my fourth year at the University of Illinois and third year in Illini Chandani. I study political science (my interest is in political theory) and philosophy. My hobbies include brushing my cat Sheba, feeding her, giving her half of my bed, putting people in comfy shoes (foot problems? You’ve found your hook up), obsessing over death, watching good movies, snuggling, and kicking a** (literally).
More on how I joined IC:
I went to high school in Skokie, Illinois, just a short drive from the city of Chicago. Coming down here was quite a change. The pace of life and community are different. Sure, I heard drunk people vomiting outside my apartment every now and then, but I was bored and miserable by the end of my first year. A friend of mine from Chicago moved in with me during my sophomore year (Hi Shelly!). Being more involved in cultural activities, she found this group called Illini Chandani, and I went ahead and auditioned, and made it. Woo! Although I did take a break the first semester of this academic year, I have returned this semester because I missed singing with Chandani WAY too much.
Why I love music:
We meet many people during our lives, some significant, others just in passing. But how many words have we passed to them? Haven’t we all failed to communicate at some point? In some sense, music can be penance. Chances are that you won’t be singing to the person you really want to talk to, but at the very least, one can feel the relief of expression. Of course, there is satisfaction in connecting with an audience as a performer, but beyond that, there is recognition of beauty in the self for loving music, and feeling it. Wow there is so much I can say here. But seriously, my shower time is my practice time, and that is when I feel most content with music.
The Future me:
HAH! As if I know anything. I’ll be sticking around at UIUC for an extra semester in the fall. Afterwards, I’ll most likely move back to Chicago, continue schooling at the graduate level, and perhaps work for a few years (yeah…about 45 more woo hoo [if they don’t raise the age of retirement by then]). I would love to perform in Chicago as a way to get rid of some of my expressive energy. We’ll see.
I hope this didn’t bore you. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me at thariath@uiuc.edu
Love, Rosemary *xx*
