Monday, November 8, 2010
How could I forget my assistantship?
A major part of my time at Baylor was my assistantship. For two years I worked with Dr. Shanley in the maintenance of the clarinet studio, as well as teaching the Clarinet Methods class and some secondary applied clarinet lessons. I learned a lot about communicating how to play the clarinet through these experiences. In addition, I learned that there is a LOT of administrative work to do when running a studio, teaching classes and lessons, and chairing a department. This was a great experience, especially since I haven't gotten to do much teaching since I left Texas.
A brief summation of the last two years
Well, as promised in my last post, I will make an attempt to summarize my two years in Texas. It was just long enough for me to not quite get over the culture shock of moving there from New England, but long enough so that I still had slight culture shock when moving from Texas to New York City.
I received my MM from Baylor in May. During my time there, I became a much better clarinet player. Finger technique increased drastically, as well as my consistency of sound. I had two great clarinet teachers there, Dr. Richard Shanley and Alan Olson (a former student of Dr. Shanley). I gave two recitals. The second one was more successful than the first. I played the Muczynski Fantasy Trio and the Copland and Weber E-flat concerti on the first one, and on the second, I played the Bassett Soliloquies, Kalliwoda Morceau de Salon, Bozza Concerto, and a sonata from Jean-Xavier Lefèvre's method book. The amazing Dr. Kae Hosoda-Ayer was the keyboardist for both recitals, and Cody Green, a fellow Baylor student, was my collaborating cellist on the Muczynski and as continuo on the Lefèvre. Dr. Ayer's husband is a clarinetist and teacher at another Texas university, so it was great working with her, as she knows a lot of the clarinet repertoire!
I also had some great ensemble experiences. I learned what it was like to play in a fabulous wind ensemble, as well as getting experience playing in a high-level all-student orchestra. With the wind ensemble, we played at two conventions the first year. The Baylor Symphony is going to Belgium this year, of which I am extremely jealous! As far as chamber music is concerned, I learned a lot about woodwind quintets and what it takes to succeed as a player in that particular group.
Academically, I took the following courses to help me prepare for doctoral work: Research Methods with Dr. Robin Wallace, Woodwind/Clarinet Literature with Dr. Shanley and Amy Marinello, Symphonic Literature with Mr. Stephen Heyde (also the orchestra director), Analytical Techniques with Dr. Eric Lai, and 20th-Century Music with Dr. Jean Boyd. I can honestly say that all of these professors were passionate instructors, and the material covered was essential in my preparation for doctoral study. Research Methods helped me develop the necessary resources for source discovery, paper formatting, and clear writing, Woodwind/Clarinet and Symphonic Literature were important for giving me a broad knowledge of the history of music as it pertains to me as a performer, and Analytical Techniques and 20th-Century Music supplied me with knowledge that will help me as I go about research and analysis for my dissertation topic at NYU. I will be considering the 20th-Century French concerto through the historical, sociopolitical, and theoretical lens of works for clarinet and orchestra by Debussy, Milhaud, Bozza, Tomasi, and Francaix. Modern classical music and composition are integral to the livelihood of academic music here at NYU, so I am finding that the material covered in Dr. Lai's and Dr. Boyd's classes is especially relevant.
At Baylor, my professors were very knowledgeable about their fields. I can only hope that I retain a fraction of what they know and tried to impart to me during my time there.
The summer between my first and second years at Baylor brought me to the Scotia Festival again, where I was able to play the Bartok Contrasts and Mahler's Symphony No. 2, the "Resurrection" symphony. It was a great experience!
Now, my next post will be a summation of things since moving to New York three months ago! That's all for now.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wow! I must have forgotten I have this...
Since I don't have a real website yet, I've decided that I should start posting on my blog again. It appears that I went through my whole master's degree without posting once! My next post will attempt to be a summation of those two simultaneously glorious and inglorious years in Waco, TX. Baylor University was most definitely the place for me during that time, and now I am living in New York City pursuing my Ph.D. in clarinet performance at NYU. Sadly, that means that I have reading to do before class tonight, and thus, this post will be THIS short. :-)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Crooked Child
Will you dance my young child,
With your light and graceful step?
For though the winds blow fierce and wild,
We'll fill the night with merriment...
And 'twere no pity if, beguiled
By music, you should dance a jig.
'Tis merry the heart of a child.
I am no child, and my step is not light.
I am afraid I cannot dance tonight.
Go find someone happier, prettier, thinner...
Another girl who doesn't need to skip dinner.
Can't you see I'm fat. Why do you rub it in?
It's as plain as can be I'm too big for my skin.
Go have fun without me. I'm a terrible sight;
And if I were to dance, I would ruin the night!
Why don't you dance my young child,
With your light and graceful step?
For though the winds blow fierce and wild,
We'll fill the night with merriment...
And 'twere no pity if, beguiled
By music, you should dance a jig.
'Tis merry the heart of a child.
With your light and graceful step?
For though the winds blow fierce and wild,
We'll fill the night with merriment...
And 'twere no pity if, beguiled
By music, you should dance a jig.
'Tis merry the heart of a child.
I am no child, and my step is not light.
I am afraid I cannot dance tonight.
Go find someone happier, prettier, thinner...
Another girl who doesn't need to skip dinner.
Can't you see I'm fat. Why do you rub it in?
It's as plain as can be I'm too big for my skin.
Go have fun without me. I'm a terrible sight;
And if I were to dance, I would ruin the night!
Why don't you dance my young child,
With your light and graceful step?
For though the winds blow fierce and wild,
We'll fill the night with merriment...
And 'twere no pity if, beguiled
By music, you should dance a jig.
'Tis merry the heart of a child.
I really should blog more often.
So I thought of something at least noteworthy, though maybe not remarkable, from my séjour in Nova Scotia. This is an interest in new music, particularly music composed for either me specifically, or for an ensemble in which I end up taking part.
One element of the Scotia Festival was a program for young composers. The composers ended up being all still in school - one just starting his undergrad, another at the end of hers, and one doctoral student. Fiona, the doctoral student, was the one for whom I ended up playing. Having been a clarinet performance major for a little while during her undergrad, a good deal of her composition is birthed out of her fiddling around on her clarinet.
Now, this piece was written for a rather unusual instrumentation: soprano, clarinet, and cello. In fact, circumstances at the festival (all the cellists were too busy) brought about an even odder instrumentation: soprano, clarinet, and double bass. Travis, the bassist at the festival, was looking for things to do, so Fiona adapted the cello part for double bass, and it worked remarkably well, especially with the different tone color that the bass has - a bit less warm than the cello. What also worked well was that with this new member of the ensemble, our trio of personalities meshed very nicely. Suré (pronounced soo-RAY) is a dear of a soprano, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, but now living in North Texas with her husband, and Travis is a nice young man from Toronto who attends university in Montréal.
It was a great experience working on a brand-new piece with people who were great colleagues and new friends, and also being able to be a part of the composer's refining of the work. Called "The Crooked Child," Fiona wrote it in response to learning about stories of anorexic ten year-olds. The text is a poem that she wrote, and she decided to set it to music for this festival. It was a great setting, and the audience response was great - it was a powerful work. I'll see if I can get her to send me the text soon so I can post it here.
Yesterday, I was on the phone with Suré, and we were talking about how we should get together and perform something since we will be living just over an hour and a half's drive from each other in less than a month. While we were discoursing, she mentioned that she had talked to Fiona, and that she mentioned the possibility to Fiona about writing a song cycle for our trio. How wonderful would that be -- having a song cycle written for your ensemble that was assembled at a music festival, and then performing it in a doctoral recital in Toronto! In any case, this is why new music is exciting to me. Eventually, as you learn music, you will work your way through all the styles, genres, and periods up through your era. Don't get me wrong -- you can rework those pieces, finding something new and wonderful in them each time -- but there's still something even more exciting about performing the music of our time, especially when it's written for you.
So, friends, this is something that excites me as much as the prospect of trying to learn as much as I can of the music already written for my instrument, in the recent or distant past. Indeed, it is what keeps music alive.
One element of the Scotia Festival was a program for young composers. The composers ended up being all still in school - one just starting his undergrad, another at the end of hers, and one doctoral student. Fiona, the doctoral student, was the one for whom I ended up playing. Having been a clarinet performance major for a little while during her undergrad, a good deal of her composition is birthed out of her fiddling around on her clarinet.
Now, this piece was written for a rather unusual instrumentation: soprano, clarinet, and cello. In fact, circumstances at the festival (all the cellists were too busy) brought about an even odder instrumentation: soprano, clarinet, and double bass. Travis, the bassist at the festival, was looking for things to do, so Fiona adapted the cello part for double bass, and it worked remarkably well, especially with the different tone color that the bass has - a bit less warm than the cello. What also worked well was that with this new member of the ensemble, our trio of personalities meshed very nicely. Suré (pronounced soo-RAY) is a dear of a soprano, originally from Cape Town, South Africa, but now living in North Texas with her husband, and Travis is a nice young man from Toronto who attends university in Montréal.
It was a great experience working on a brand-new piece with people who were great colleagues and new friends, and also being able to be a part of the composer's refining of the work. Called "The Crooked Child," Fiona wrote it in response to learning about stories of anorexic ten year-olds. The text is a poem that she wrote, and she decided to set it to music for this festival. It was a great setting, and the audience response was great - it was a powerful work. I'll see if I can get her to send me the text soon so I can post it here.
Yesterday, I was on the phone with Suré, and we were talking about how we should get together and perform something since we will be living just over an hour and a half's drive from each other in less than a month. While we were discoursing, she mentioned that she had talked to Fiona, and that she mentioned the possibility to Fiona about writing a song cycle for our trio. How wonderful would that be -- having a song cycle written for your ensemble that was assembled at a music festival, and then performing it in a doctoral recital in Toronto! In any case, this is why new music is exciting to me. Eventually, as you learn music, you will work your way through all the styles, genres, and periods up through your era. Don't get me wrong -- you can rework those pieces, finding something new and wonderful in them each time -- but there's still something even more exciting about performing the music of our time, especially when it's written for you.
So, friends, this is something that excites me as much as the prospect of trying to learn as much as I can of the music already written for my instrument, in the recent or distant past. Indeed, it is what keeps music alive.
Friday, July 11, 2008
In my last post...
I lied. I read through it, and after having a couple weeks to let it all settle, I realized that I only wanted to recount every little detail of the summer music festival because I was so excited about the new experiences. At this moment, I have realized that I'm still very much the same Jesse, but my eyes have been opened a little bit more, my horizon is now a bit broader, and I made new friends through these experiences.
This is the same Jesse who now is preparing to shove as many of his most important belongings into a 1996 Subaru Legacy station wagon as will fit in order that he might make the three-hour trek back to Brunswick, NY, continuing on (with father) for another 27 hours thence to Waco, TX.
Recently, I have begun realizing how fast time really does pass, and that its pace only quickens as I age. One freaking month until I hold residence in freaking Texas?!? For sure, this seemed so far away to me as my real conversation with Baylor University started back in March. Five months? That's ages! Four weeks? That's right around the corner! But then, I have to think of all that has happened since March to make this time fly by:
I made a visit to the University of Georgia.
I applied to two summer music festivals and Baylor University.
I was accepted to two summer music festivals and Baylor University (this with an assistantship).
I accepted the offers from two summer music festivals and Baylor University.
I gave my senior recital.
I visited Waco, TX, and Baylor University.
I signed a lease long-distance on an apartment in Waco, TX.
I took my last round of undergraduate final exams and also achieved my highest-ever clarinet jury score.
I graduated! (And my diploma arrived at my parents' house today!)
I attended the Scotia Festival of Music.
I was a fellow (student) at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Chamber Music Institute.
I recommenced working, and commenced much working out and practicing of the clarinet.
Wow! That is a lot to have done in the course of three months! Now, working, working out, and practicing are basically all I do. I need to begin studying for the Music History and Music Theory graduate placement exams, though, so I can hopefully not have to take the remedial course for either of them (especially as the assistantship will not cover the tuition for these courses).
And since I started the body of this post with a comment about how fast time flies, at this time next year, I will quite possibly be about to embark on another round of trips! This will be to audition and audition at other schools for the purpose of pursuing a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts), a graduate performance diploma, or an artist diploma (depending on how much progress I make this year, of course). Talk about time flying! This is also not to mention the fact that preparation for next summer's festival auditions has to start this semester. Oi!
This post is now officially too long, especially as it has been talking about the rapid passing of time, and it possibly took too many moments out of one's day to read this (if it gets read at all :-) ).
Until I don't know when,
Jesse
This is the same Jesse who now is preparing to shove as many of his most important belongings into a 1996 Subaru Legacy station wagon as will fit in order that he might make the three-hour trek back to Brunswick, NY, continuing on (with father) for another 27 hours thence to Waco, TX.
Recently, I have begun realizing how fast time really does pass, and that its pace only quickens as I age. One freaking month until I hold residence in freaking Texas?!? For sure, this seemed so far away to me as my real conversation with Baylor University started back in March. Five months? That's ages! Four weeks? That's right around the corner! But then, I have to think of all that has happened since March to make this time fly by:
I made a visit to the University of Georgia.
I applied to two summer music festivals and Baylor University.
I was accepted to two summer music festivals and Baylor University (this with an assistantship).
I accepted the offers from two summer music festivals and Baylor University.
I gave my senior recital.
I visited Waco, TX, and Baylor University.
I signed a lease long-distance on an apartment in Waco, TX.
I took my last round of undergraduate final exams and also achieved my highest-ever clarinet jury score.
I graduated! (And my diploma arrived at my parents' house today!)
I attended the Scotia Festival of Music.
I was a fellow (student) at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Chamber Music Institute.
I recommenced working, and commenced much working out and practicing of the clarinet.
Wow! That is a lot to have done in the course of three months! Now, working, working out, and practicing are basically all I do. I need to begin studying for the Music History and Music Theory graduate placement exams, though, so I can hopefully not have to take the remedial course for either of them (especially as the assistantship will not cover the tuition for these courses).
And since I started the body of this post with a comment about how fast time flies, at this time next year, I will quite possibly be about to embark on another round of trips! This will be to audition and audition at other schools for the purpose of pursuing a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts), a graduate performance diploma, or an artist diploma (depending on how much progress I make this year, of course). Talk about time flying! This is also not to mention the fact that preparation for next summer's festival auditions has to start this semester. Oi!
This post is now officially too long, especially as it has been talking about the rapid passing of time, and it possibly took too many moments out of one's day to read this (if it gets read at all :-) ).
Until I don't know when,
Jesse
Thursday, June 26, 2008
So much to digest!
Okay, so there's lotslotslotslotsLOTS to talk about, and so much to digest from the past month. I just don't have time to write about it all now, so another, much more extensive blog entry will be coming shortly.
The concise version: ScotiaFest and the UNL Chamber Music Institute were wonderful experiences that have inspired me to work harder and shoot higher. I gained a little confidence from them, met wonderful musician friends that are scattered across the continent, and gained insight into who I am as a player. Also, I think I improved more as a musician and a clarinetist since graduation, through these festivals, than I did the entirety of my senior year.
There you go. Not very detailed, but all the important stuff is there. Details later.
:-)
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Nova Scotia, continued.
I am now at roughly the midpoint of my trip to Nova Scotia, and it has only gotten better. My quintet is performing the first and last (fourth) movements of the Brahms at a noon hour recital tomorrow, and I will be playing the final movement of the Weber Grand Duo Concertant on Tuesday's noon hour recital. Our quintet will also be playing the third movement of the Brahms quintet in a master class on Wednesday, and we hope to be able to get at least some work done on the second movement before the festival comes to an end, even if we don't get a chance to "perform" it. It's still great to get a chance to study this work. I think it is particularly great among the rest of Brahms's oeuvre a) because it is a major clarinet work, and b) because it is a later work, meaning that Brahms's compositional style had reached a wonderful maturity by the time this piece was written.
Nova Scotia is still beautiful, though it is a bit chilly. Yesterday we had a lobster boil, and I decided that lobster meat isn't worth the trouble of getting it out of the shell, and certainly not worth the money that you would have to pay for it if it weren't provided to you for free (as it was yesterday, though I guess it may have come partially from my festival tuition).
The other cool thing about this festival is this: we are given the opportunity to make friends with other folks of the same age who are serious about music, and these are friendships that I anticipate to welcome a reestablishment of whatever relationship was formed here at any time in the future. Also, it shows me that string players and wind players can get along (or at least clarinet players, anyway :-) ).
And on the location in general: my host family is the nicest one ever. I couldn't ask for anything more. They're so helpful in any way they can be, and it has been great getting tips from them about local restaurants, geography, and things to do. I've decided that if given the right opportunity to move to this area, I would probably do it. I actually prefer the chilliness to what I'll have to experience for the next two years in Waco. :-)
That's about all I have for now. More later, if you're lucky.
Nova Scotia is still beautiful, though it is a bit chilly. Yesterday we had a lobster boil, and I decided that lobster meat isn't worth the trouble of getting it out of the shell, and certainly not worth the money that you would have to pay for it if it weren't provided to you for free (as it was yesterday, though I guess it may have come partially from my festival tuition).
The other cool thing about this festival is this: we are given the opportunity to make friends with other folks of the same age who are serious about music, and these are friendships that I anticipate to welcome a reestablishment of whatever relationship was formed here at any time in the future. Also, it shows me that string players and wind players can get along (or at least clarinet players, anyway :-) ).
And on the location in general: my host family is the nicest one ever. I couldn't ask for anything more. They're so helpful in any way they can be, and it has been great getting tips from them about local restaurants, geography, and things to do. I've decided that if given the right opportunity to move to this area, I would probably do it. I actually prefer the chilliness to what I'll have to experience for the next two years in Waco. :-)
That's about all I have for now. More later, if you're lucky.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Do people wonder?
So I realized that people might want to know what or how I'm doing here in Nova Scotia. I have been here a full two days and a half. In short: it's awesome.
In long:
(Haha, I know that's not grammatically correct, so why is "in short" accepted?)
I got here Sunday afternoon and was told to skip registration since I got through a long customs line at the end of the registration period anyway. Nova Scotia is beautiful. I was brought by a Scotia Festival staff member directly to my billet family's house, where I got settled in and met the other festival participant they are hosting. His name is Jared, and he's quite a nice fellow. He's a young composer, here from Canada's west coast. I am one of no more than three or four Americans in a contingent of thirty-two Young Artists. I am surrounded by Canadians, and I like it very much. Since being here, I have thought on more than one occasion what it might be like to live in this country, Halifax or elsewhere. The text of this post is green in honor of Nova Scotia's greenness.
Most of the young artists have started rehearsals for the several chamber groups in which they are involved. My primary group is playing the piece I wanted most to play at this festival: the Brahms Klarinettenquintett in B Minor, Op. 115. Three of the members of the string quartet with whom I am playing are from the same quartet at Dalhousie University, where they attended last year and also where much of this festival takes place. They are Mark, a violinist, Paul, also a violinist, and Alejandro, a cellist. Alejandro is transferring next year, and Mark and Paul are going to be very sad. The other member of our quintet is Caren with a "C." She just got her master's degree in violin, but she is in the process of turning into a violist, and thus is playing viola in the quintet. She will also be beginning a performance diploma in viola in the fall so that she can get some viola repertoire under her belt.
I am literally quite ecstatic about this group, as we just finished a large chunk of work on the first movement in only our second day of rehearsals, so that it is now almost performance ready. What helps in this matter is that our personalities get along quite well. Paul and I have pretty strong personalities (I think he is more "type A" than I am), Mark is crazy in a lovable way, but a wonderful musician, Caren is mostly quiet but very musically perceptive and comes out with wonderfully zingy-one liners, and Alejandro is very laid-back. Actually, Mark, Paul, my roommate Jared and I have become quite comfortable with one another in these first two days. I'm very mush looking forward to the rest of these two weeks.
There. Now those of you who were wondering know what and how I'm doing.
In long:
(Haha, I know that's not grammatically correct, so why is "in short" accepted?)
I got here Sunday afternoon and was told to skip registration since I got through a long customs line at the end of the registration period anyway. Nova Scotia is beautiful. I was brought by a Scotia Festival staff member directly to my billet family's house, where I got settled in and met the other festival participant they are hosting. His name is Jared, and he's quite a nice fellow. He's a young composer, here from Canada's west coast. I am one of no more than three or four Americans in a contingent of thirty-two Young Artists. I am surrounded by Canadians, and I like it very much. Since being here, I have thought on more than one occasion what it might be like to live in this country, Halifax or elsewhere. The text of this post is green in honor of Nova Scotia's greenness.
Most of the young artists have started rehearsals for the several chamber groups in which they are involved. My primary group is playing the piece I wanted most to play at this festival: the Brahms Klarinettenquintett in B Minor, Op. 115. Three of the members of the string quartet with whom I am playing are from the same quartet at Dalhousie University, where they attended last year and also where much of this festival takes place. They are Mark, a violinist, Paul, also a violinist, and Alejandro, a cellist. Alejandro is transferring next year, and Mark and Paul are going to be very sad. The other member of our quintet is Caren with a "C." She just got her master's degree in violin, but she is in the process of turning into a violist, and thus is playing viola in the quintet. She will also be beginning a performance diploma in viola in the fall so that she can get some viola repertoire under her belt.
I am literally quite ecstatic about this group, as we just finished a large chunk of work on the first movement in only our second day of rehearsals, so that it is now almost performance ready. What helps in this matter is that our personalities get along quite well. Paul and I have pretty strong personalities (I think he is more "type A" than I am), Mark is crazy in a lovable way, but a wonderful musician, Caren is mostly quiet but very musically perceptive and comes out with wonderfully zingy-one liners, and Alejandro is very laid-back. Actually, Mark, Paul, my roommate Jared and I have become quite comfortable with one another in these first two days. I'm very mush looking forward to the rest of these two weeks.
There. Now those of you who were wondering know what and how I'm doing.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
It is finished.
And the sky turned black as the night.
I think that's from an old Petra song... I'm not exactly sure. You know, 80s Christian rock?
Well, actually, my undergraduate education is finished, and that's far better than any 80s Christian rock song you could ever think of. I handed in my last paper yesterday. You have no idea how annoying it is to walk across that stage on commencement day, get your case for your diploma that they will send you in the mail -- if, after checking on your grades, you have actually met all your requirements. I still had a paper outstanding for a 2-credit elective course. However, this elective course was one I needed to fulfill my graduation requirements, so I didn't have that oh-so-desirable sense of finality as I sat listening to Rick Warren go on forever and ever about things that will last forever, like his sermon did.
By the way, I didn't want a sermon for graduation. Oh well. I probably would rather have listened to Hillary Clinton for those 20 to 30 minutes in her strained, monotonous, half-yelling sort of oration. While we're on the topic of graduation speakers, I will only say this of the Baccalaureate address: talk to me if you want to hear my opinion.
So I found out for sure that I'm playing the Brahms clarinet quintet (clarinet + string quartet), Op. 115, at the Scotia Festival. If you have not listened to this piece, you need to do so. I'm also going to bring a bunch of other chamber music for clarinet, strings and piano as well, because we can probably work on more than just that one piece. I'm very excited for this opportunity - not only because we get to be coached by world-class musicians, but also because I'll be playing with other young people who are serious about their craft. In addition, while the wind program at Baylor is very strong, doing a festival like this one with a large string component will be good, since the strings at Baylor (from what I understand) aren't quite as strong as the winds, and there's not a ton of collaboration between strings and winds for chamber music.
I think that's from an old Petra song... I'm not exactly sure. You know, 80s Christian rock?
Well, actually, my undergraduate education is finished, and that's far better than any 80s Christian rock song you could ever think of. I handed in my last paper yesterday. You have no idea how annoying it is to walk across that stage on commencement day, get your case for your diploma that they will send you in the mail -- if, after checking on your grades, you have actually met all your requirements. I still had a paper outstanding for a 2-credit elective course. However, this elective course was one I needed to fulfill my graduation requirements, so I didn't have that oh-so-desirable sense of finality as I sat listening to Rick Warren go on forever and ever about things that will last forever, like his sermon did.
By the way, I didn't want a sermon for graduation. Oh well. I probably would rather have listened to Hillary Clinton for those 20 to 30 minutes in her strained, monotonous, half-yelling sort of oration. While we're on the topic of graduation speakers, I will only say this of the Baccalaureate address: talk to me if you want to hear my opinion.
So I found out for sure that I'm playing the Brahms clarinet quintet (clarinet + string quartet), Op. 115, at the Scotia Festival. If you have not listened to this piece, you need to do so. I'm also going to bring a bunch of other chamber music for clarinet, strings and piano as well, because we can probably work on more than just that one piece. I'm very excited for this opportunity - not only because we get to be coached by world-class musicians, but also because I'll be playing with other young people who are serious about their craft. In addition, while the wind program at Baylor is very strong, doing a festival like this one with a large string component will be good, since the strings at Baylor (from what I understand) aren't quite as strong as the winds, and there's not a ton of collaboration between strings and winds for chamber music.
Monday, May 19, 2008
A month is a long time...
and a lot has happened. I have now walked across that stage, and in doing so have been declared a college graduate (never mind the fact that I have a paper left to write).
Since my last post, I have also made a visit to Baylor, signed a lease, received my GRE scores, and performed at my final jury.
Working backwards:
The jury was interesting. I almost didn't have to do one, since Dr. Michael Monroe, my wonderful faculty coach (known less appropriately as an "accompanist"), had thought that at the beginning of the semester that he didn't have any juries to play for. All his students were graduating seniors, and normally one doesn't have to do a jury the semester one gives a recital. However, I was in the BA degree track, meaning that my three recitals were not degree recitals and that I had to perform a jury anyway. In any case, he had scheduled a rehearsal since he didn't think he had any juries, and thus could not make mine. So, instead of having me not do a jury (which the department chair would have permitted if my clarinet instructor agreed), Mr. Kirkley had me play the unaccompanied "Abyss of the Birds" from my recital, to give me an opportunity to polish it up a bit, or in his words, to "make [me] learn it." Though the performance at the jury was significantly removed from perfection, it was the highest grade I ever got from a jury, so I was very happy.
In a similar vein, my GRE scores were quite good, especially given the fact that I did hardly any (~ 45 minutes) preparation. I have just stopped worrying about things like this; in my mind, you get what you get, and usually it's what you deserve, so don't spend time fretting. If you're curious to know what my scores were, you can ask. I'm just not going to announce it on a blog - that's kind of lame. Turns out I didn't need the scores at this stage of my life anyway, since I'm not going to UGA for my master's, but it will be good to have it in the future.
So, at my visit to Baylor, I realized how different it's going to be from anything I've ever known - all of it: the climate, the culture, the school, the music. I had the opportunity to hear a graduate clarinet recital, a wind ensemble concert, and an orchestra rehearsal. The wind ensemble there is better than any band I've ever played in, including honor bands. In Texas, band seems to be the ultimate art form. I was also impressed with the clarinet players I heard there, both at the recital and in the ensembles. It will be a good experience for me, especially since I won't have to pay to go to school. :-)
While visiting, I scoped out apartments, and I had success. I just signed a lease with a roommate that I found through a service that caters to Baylor students looking for various living situations. The apartment is a 930-square-foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit, and the rent is just $625. This includes cable, internet, water, sewage, and trash. All we have to pay for is electric. A place like this, for under $400/month per person. A steal!
In any case, I'm out! More later - I have music festivals coming up and am quite excited about them! I'll tell why in the next post - who's going to be there, pieces I'll be playing, etc. Tata for now, and there will be less time before the next post. :-)
Since my last post, I have also made a visit to Baylor, signed a lease, received my GRE scores, and performed at my final jury.
Working backwards:
The jury was interesting. I almost didn't have to do one, since Dr. Michael Monroe, my wonderful faculty coach (known less appropriately as an "accompanist"), had thought that at the beginning of the semester that he didn't have any juries to play for. All his students were graduating seniors, and normally one doesn't have to do a jury the semester one gives a recital. However, I was in the BA degree track, meaning that my three recitals were not degree recitals and that I had to perform a jury anyway. In any case, he had scheduled a rehearsal since he didn't think he had any juries, and thus could not make mine. So, instead of having me not do a jury (which the department chair would have permitted if my clarinet instructor agreed), Mr. Kirkley had me play the unaccompanied "Abyss of the Birds" from my recital, to give me an opportunity to polish it up a bit, or in his words, to "make [me] learn it." Though the performance at the jury was significantly removed from perfection, it was the highest grade I ever got from a jury, so I was very happy.
In a similar vein, my GRE scores were quite good, especially given the fact that I did hardly any (~ 45 minutes) preparation. I have just stopped worrying about things like this; in my mind, you get what you get, and usually it's what you deserve, so don't spend time fretting. If you're curious to know what my scores were, you can ask. I'm just not going to announce it on a blog - that's kind of lame. Turns out I didn't need the scores at this stage of my life anyway, since I'm not going to UGA for my master's, but it will be good to have it in the future.
So, at my visit to Baylor, I realized how different it's going to be from anything I've ever known - all of it: the climate, the culture, the school, the music. I had the opportunity to hear a graduate clarinet recital, a wind ensemble concert, and an orchestra rehearsal. The wind ensemble there is better than any band I've ever played in, including honor bands. In Texas, band seems to be the ultimate art form. I was also impressed with the clarinet players I heard there, both at the recital and in the ensembles. It will be a good experience for me, especially since I won't have to pay to go to school. :-)
While visiting, I scoped out apartments, and I had success. I just signed a lease with a roommate that I found through a service that caters to Baylor students looking for various living situations. The apartment is a 930-square-foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit, and the rent is just $625. This includes cable, internet, water, sewage, and trash. All we have to pay for is electric. A place like this, for under $400/month per person. A steal!
In any case, I'm out! More later - I have music festivals coming up and am quite excited about them! I'll tell why in the next post - who's going to be there, pieces I'll be playing, etc. Tata for now, and there will be less time before the next post. :-)
Monday, April 21, 2008
As things draw to a close...
So, a short post to say:
I sent in my contract to Baylor about a week ago. Come the middle of August, I will be making my way down to Waco, TX, where I will be pursuing a Master of Music in clarinet performance.
My recital yesterday turned out not to be a disaster. In fact, everyone to whom I have spoken who attended said they really enjoyed it. It was far from perfect, but it was a good program. I was pleased that I was able to get through it, as I had not gotten the chance to run the whole program consecutively and in order. It was: Saint-Saens Sonata, Messiaen "Abyss of the Birds" from Quartet for the End of Time, Debussy Premiere Rhapsodie, intermission, Milhaud Suite for violin, clarinet and piano, and the Poulenc Sonata.
I will wait a bit longer before I listen to the recording. Next up is a visit to Baylor (4/27-4/29) and then my final Gordon performance, playing Prokofieff's Classical Symphony and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite with the symphony orchestra.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
So I was mistaken...
Due to my not receiving a confirmation email from ETS about the GRE, I thought that the exam I registered for was on Friday, though in reality (I found out Thursday) it was on Thursday. Thus, I had to drop another $140 to register for it again. This time I got a confirmation email. It's tomorrow. Oi. I really don't have the time to study, but it doesn't matter, because.........
I ALREADY GOT AN ASSISTANTSHIP!!!!!!!
I received three letters this morning - acceptances from Duquesne and Oklahoma, and an acceptance with assistantship from Baylor. Before I even knew about the assistantship, all my professors here at Gordon have been telling me to go to Baylor. I just yesterday bought plane tickets to visit Baylor at the end of the month, and this morning I got the letter. So excited. Hopefully I'll like it when I visit. So now the list is as follows:
Baylor - assistantship!
Duquesne - accepted
Oklahoma - accepted
Ohio - accepted
Georgia - unofficially accepted, pending GRE
BU - accepted, not going
FSU - rejected
So, a recital in less than two weeks, a visit to Texas a week after that, and a decision to be made very shortly.
Also, I found out recently that I have been accepted into the Scotia Festival of Music, which is a two-week chamber music festival in Halifax, NS, CA, where the Ying Quartet (faculty at Eastman) will be guest artists/faculty, in addition to clarinetist Todd Palmer and a bunch of other amazing musicians. It may cost me a grand or so, but I think I should jump on this opportunity. I'm excited to do a festival - something I've never done before - and to meet other passionate musicians coming from a different place than myself. Networking is everything in music.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
And there remains so much to do.
GRE on Friday and recital on April 20. I guess I should start studying for the GRE and really learn my recital music.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
And this morning...
an email came from Mr. Samuels (Duqesne University in Pittsburgh) saying that he accepted me into his studio. This is exciting for two reasons: a) I got in to a school at which, during my visit, I got to hear the amazing Pittsburgh Symphony, discovered what a good teacher he is, and realized how nice it would be to go to school in a city, and b) I have now heard from every school to which I applied!
The schools I now must consider are, in order of most information/most certainty:
Ohio University: officially accepted
Baylor University: recommended for admission and assistantship by clarinet professor and faculty committee
University of Oklahoma and Duquesne University: accepted into clarinet professors' studios
University of Georgia: accepted by professor, University admission pending GRE
Money will play an important role, and we will see whether my GRE is good enough for admission to Georgia. I may not have enough time to study for it! We'll see what I can do. I've talked to friends who have taken it (one of whom has a condensed study guide he made up), and I've bought the Kaplan's review book. We'll see how much I can prepare for it.
That is all. In the meantime, I must do homework so that I may graduate.
The schools I now must consider are, in order of most information/most certainty:
Ohio University: officially accepted
Baylor University: recommended for admission and assistantship by clarinet professor and faculty committee
University of Oklahoma and Duquesne University: accepted into clarinet professors' studios
University of Georgia: accepted by professor, University admission pending GRE
Money will play an important role, and we will see whether my GRE is good enough for admission to Georgia. I may not have enough time to study for it! We'll see what I can do. I've talked to friends who have taken it (one of whom has a condensed study guide he made up), and I've bought the Kaplan's review book. We'll see how much I can prepare for it.
That is all. In the meantime, I must do homework so that I may graduate.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Another update...
I got an email this morning saying that Dr. Etheridge at the University of Oklahoma accepted me into his studio! I'm quite excited, as it would be great to study with him, but now to see about money. As per my father's recommendation, and as per common sense, it would be best to pay as little for graduate school as possible. Oi. Still much to be traversed in the decision-making process, and I also still have several schools to hear from officially. The only school I know anything about financially is BU, and I'm not going to go there. The list now stands:
Ohio University - accepted
University of Oklahoma - unofficially accepted
Baylor - unofficially accepted
Georgia - unofficially accepted by the prof, pending GRE
Duquesne - still waiting
BU -accepted, not going
FSU - rejected
Of course, I need to hear about how financially feasible any of the top five might be before any steps can be made toward a decision. It does look like, however, that I will not be in the northeast for graduate school. Though I love Boston, I think I'm okay with that.
Ohio University - accepted
University of Oklahoma - unofficially accepted
Baylor - unofficially accepted
Georgia - unofficially accepted by the prof, pending GRE
Duquesne - still waiting
BU -accepted, not going
FSU - rejected
Of course, I need to hear about how financially feasible any of the top five might be before any steps can be made toward a decision. It does look like, however, that I will not be in the northeast for graduate school. Though I love Boston, I think I'm okay with that.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Mission: Auditions... complete!
The middle of last week brought my final audition, this at UGA. I really liked the professor. I think he could help me establish some good habits in my playing that would bring about much improvement. In addition to two clarinet assistantships open next year, there is also a band assistantship available, because of which he had me play for the band director as well. We'll see what happens. I have to take the GRE now, because Georgia hasn't waived the GRE requirement for performance majors (all the other schools to which I applied waive the GRE for grad performance majors). Pain in the butt.
Speaking of things left on applications, I found out that because of a single course that I took at Hudson Valley Community College during a summer and because of credit I earned at SUNY Albany in high school French 4, I need transcripts sent from them to Baylor University to complete my application there. Another pain in the butt. Grr. Especially when the music school doesn't even care. Dr. Shanley indicated that the faculty were sending positive recommendations both for admission and for an assistantship to the music graduate program. Oi. All these steps make me wish that music programs were separate from the universities, but on the other hand, music schools probably don't often have the finances to run well without a larger institution.
When I got back on Thursday, there were two pieces of mail for me from Boston University. They actually accepted me, but I didn't get any money from them, so I probably won't go. I like Boston, but not enough to spend at least another $60k to stay here two more years, especially when there are good teachers and other cool towns elsewhere.
Finally, I went and got myself an A clarinet on Friday. It came with a double case, and I bought a case cover with it. This makes me elated. Now I have my own set of instruments and can call myself a real clarinetist! Hopefully the instruments will hold up for a long, long time. I'm going to be sending in the form for insurance ASAP, either today or tomorrow.
Speaking of things left on applications, I found out that because of a single course that I took at Hudson Valley Community College during a summer and because of credit I earned at SUNY Albany in high school French 4, I need transcripts sent from them to Baylor University to complete my application there. Another pain in the butt. Grr. Especially when the music school doesn't even care. Dr. Shanley indicated that the faculty were sending positive recommendations both for admission and for an assistantship to the music graduate program. Oi. All these steps make me wish that music programs were separate from the universities, but on the other hand, music schools probably don't often have the finances to run well without a larger institution.
When I got back on Thursday, there were two pieces of mail for me from Boston University. They actually accepted me, but I didn't get any money from them, so I probably won't go. I like Boston, but not enough to spend at least another $60k to stay here two more years, especially when there are good teachers and other cool towns elsewhere.
Finally, I went and got myself an A clarinet on Friday. It came with a double case, and I bought a case cover with it. This makes me elated. Now I have my own set of instruments and can call myself a real clarinetist! Hopefully the instruments will hold up for a long, long time. I'm going to be sending in the form for insurance ASAP, either today or tomorrow.
Monday, March 17, 2008
One to go and then....
I wait.
I just finished my audition at Duquesne University. Tomorrow I leave for the University of Georgia. For now, I'm spending St. Patrick's Day at my grandmother's house, having just eaten a dinner of corned beef and cabbage, and I should be writing a paper and practicing. Oh well.
So, for an update, for the sake of ease of communication, I'll do it in list form:
Florida State - Rejected. :-( Makes my decision easier though. Everyone wants to study with Dr. Kowalsky. Maybe I'll audition again for my doctorate.
Ohio - Accepted! Waiting on financial information. From what I heard from the students, it appears that every graduate music student has an assistantship of some sort (not necessarily in the major area), so we'll see. I really enjoyed my visit, and I think I could grow as a player here. I might not end up being pushed as hard as I like, though.
Baylor - Sent in a CD, unoffically accepted, and unofficially in the running for a clarinet assistantship. From my conversations with Dr. Shanley, I think the expectations there are sufficiently high where I would be pushed to grow as a player.
Oklahoma - Still waiting, hoping to get in. Dr. Etheridge is a great pedagogue, and the overall music program is super strong.
Duquesne - Just auditioned, hoping to get in. I think the teacher here might be the best match for me as a student. Plus, they have the Pittsburgh Symphony, which I got to see on Saturday, March 15, and it is truly a first-rate group!
BU - still waiting, don't particularly care if I get in (I was unimpressed when I went for my audition)
University of Georgia - I audition tomorrow. Dr. McClellan said that he has a couple assistantships available, so we'll see how my audition goes and if he likes my playing.
Arizona State - Sent in a CD and haven't heard anything. I haven't applied there either, so I'm not that worried about furthering this. I've got my eggs in enough baskets.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I just finished my audition at Duquesne University. Tomorrow I leave for the University of Georgia. For now, I'm spending St. Patrick's Day at my grandmother's house, having just eaten a dinner of corned beef and cabbage, and I should be writing a paper and practicing. Oh well.
So, for an update, for the sake of ease of communication, I'll do it in list form:
Florida State - Rejected. :-( Makes my decision easier though. Everyone wants to study with Dr. Kowalsky. Maybe I'll audition again for my doctorate.
Ohio - Accepted! Waiting on financial information. From what I heard from the students, it appears that every graduate music student has an assistantship of some sort (not necessarily in the major area), so we'll see. I really enjoyed my visit, and I think I could grow as a player here. I might not end up being pushed as hard as I like, though.
Baylor - Sent in a CD, unoffically accepted, and unofficially in the running for a clarinet assistantship. From my conversations with Dr. Shanley, I think the expectations there are sufficiently high where I would be pushed to grow as a player.
Oklahoma - Still waiting, hoping to get in. Dr. Etheridge is a great pedagogue, and the overall music program is super strong.
Duquesne - Just auditioned, hoping to get in. I think the teacher here might be the best match for me as a student. Plus, they have the Pittsburgh Symphony, which I got to see on Saturday, March 15, and it is truly a first-rate group!
BU - still waiting, don't particularly care if I get in (I was unimpressed when I went for my audition)
University of Georgia - I audition tomorrow. Dr. McClellan said that he has a couple assistantships available, so we'll see how my audition goes and if he likes my playing.
Arizona State - Sent in a CD and haven't heard anything. I haven't applied there either, so I'm not that worried about furthering this. I've got my eggs in enough baskets.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Choosing a clarinet (last post, continued)
This is a long overdue post.
So the concert went acceptably - I only played in one of the two pieces, though it was indeed a major work (Dvorák Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"). I played second clarinet and my teacher played the first part. The other piece was the Fauré Requiem.
Now about the choosing of the new clarinet. I was terrified to go pick out a new clarinet by myself. Okay, maybe not terrified, but pretty darn scared. When I picked out my first new R13 at the end of freshman year, my teacher had come with me to help me do it. This time, I was on my own. At the last lesson I had with him before I went, I asked Mr. Kirkley to give me the things that I should look for in the new instrument. First priority was its scale, in other words, having good tuning of each note on the instrument in relation to the other notes. Then, I needed it to be free-blowing, but just a hair more resistant than my ideal, as the instruments tend to free up over the course of a year. Finally, if it came to this, I would pick the instrument with the best tone out of the ones with good tuning and ideal resistance.
Now, these are criteria by which I think I never would have been able to judge three years ago. However, I was surprised at my aptitude a couple weeks ago. There were 13 instruments to try - all Buffet, all R13s. I tried them in groups of three (the last group was four though, since 13 is a prime number and nothing goes into it evenly :-P). I liked one each in the first two groups, none in the third, and two in the fourth. From these, the tuning test rendered the two from the last group as the two finalists, and due to one slight tuning advantage, I chose the one whose tone I preferred slightly less. Now mind you, all of these instruments are the same model, so we're talking minute differences. They all sound like clarinets, but the ease with which one can get the desired tone is what varies between instruments (in addition to tuning and resistance). So in sum, the one I chose had a slightly better scale, slightly better consistency of tone through all the registers of the instrument, was a little less resistant, and had a touch more brightness in the tone (American and German-school clarinetists generally prefer a dark tone).
Sorry for that quasi-technical, maybe boring, likely unsolicited lesson in clarinet qualities. The importance of this is that I realized that, believe it or not, after four years of studying the instrument, am developing some sense of independence as a musician. I am now able to analyze and make choices based upon certain minutiae. Dorky as it may sound, I think this helped me realize that I'm a real musician now. Theme related to the title of this blog: I found out I know more than I thought I did. What a pleasant feeling.
Now onto other things.
So the concert went acceptably - I only played in one of the two pieces, though it was indeed a major work (Dvorák Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"). I played second clarinet and my teacher played the first part. The other piece was the Fauré Requiem.
Now about the choosing of the new clarinet. I was terrified to go pick out a new clarinet by myself. Okay, maybe not terrified, but pretty darn scared. When I picked out my first new R13 at the end of freshman year, my teacher had come with me to help me do it. This time, I was on my own. At the last lesson I had with him before I went, I asked Mr. Kirkley to give me the things that I should look for in the new instrument. First priority was its scale, in other words, having good tuning of each note on the instrument in relation to the other notes. Then, I needed it to be free-blowing, but just a hair more resistant than my ideal, as the instruments tend to free up over the course of a year. Finally, if it came to this, I would pick the instrument with the best tone out of the ones with good tuning and ideal resistance.
Now, these are criteria by which I think I never would have been able to judge three years ago. However, I was surprised at my aptitude a couple weeks ago. There were 13 instruments to try - all Buffet, all R13s. I tried them in groups of three (the last group was four though, since 13 is a prime number and nothing goes into it evenly :-P). I liked one each in the first two groups, none in the third, and two in the fourth. From these, the tuning test rendered the two from the last group as the two finalists, and due to one slight tuning advantage, I chose the one whose tone I preferred slightly less. Now mind you, all of these instruments are the same model, so we're talking minute differences. They all sound like clarinets, but the ease with which one can get the desired tone is what varies between instruments (in addition to tuning and resistance). So in sum, the one I chose had a slightly better scale, slightly better consistency of tone through all the registers of the instrument, was a little less resistant, and had a touch more brightness in the tone (American and German-school clarinetists generally prefer a dark tone).
Sorry for that quasi-technical, maybe boring, likely unsolicited lesson in clarinet qualities. The importance of this is that I realized that, believe it or not, after four years of studying the instrument, am developing some sense of independence as a musician. I am now able to analyze and make choices based upon certain minutiae. Dorky as it may sound, I think this helped me realize that I'm a real musician now. Theme related to the title of this blog: I found out I know more than I thought I did. What a pleasant feeling.
Now onto other things.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Recovery step one... complete!
So I did it. I got a new instrument. I went to University Music in Lowell and played all of the R13 clarinets they had in stock. For those clarinet non-aficionados in my (assumed) limited readership, an R13 is the basic professional model clarinet of French clarinet manufacturer Buffet-Crampon.
It took me two hours. I tried them in groups of three. I picked one from the first group, one from the second group, none from the third, and two from the fourth. Then I took advantage of the music store owner's offer to help me choose one. We eliminated the clarinets from the first two groups pretty quickly, and thus had to decide which from the last group would be the winner and which the runner-up.
It was a hard choice; both instruments had a very good scale (were well in-tune with themselves), and both had an overall gorgeous tone. In the end, I ended up deciding based on the fact that one of them had a scale ever so slightly more in tune than the other, combined with a slight advantage of evenness of tone between registers. The trade-off with this instrument (the one I chose) was that its tone was just a tad brighter than the other. Regardless, the tone of this (now my) instrument is still beautiful and robustly clarinetty. I will just have to make a couple minor adjustments in my playing, mouthpiece, and/or barrel to keep it dark.
It turns out that choosing a new clarinet happened to be a very important and therapeutic experience for a couple reasons, but more on that later. I have a concert to play in less than two hours.
It took me two hours. I tried them in groups of three. I picked one from the first group, one from the second group, none from the third, and two from the fourth. Then I took advantage of the music store owner's offer to help me choose one. We eliminated the clarinets from the first two groups pretty quickly, and thus had to decide which from the last group would be the winner and which the runner-up.
It was a hard choice; both instruments had a very good scale (were well in-tune with themselves), and both had an overall gorgeous tone. In the end, I ended up deciding based on the fact that one of them had a scale ever so slightly more in tune than the other, combined with a slight advantage of evenness of tone between registers. The trade-off with this instrument (the one I chose) was that its tone was just a tad brighter than the other. Regardless, the tone of this (now my) instrument is still beautiful and robustly clarinetty. I will just have to make a couple minor adjustments in my playing, mouthpiece, and/or barrel to keep it dark.
It turns out that choosing a new clarinet happened to be a very important and therapeutic experience for a couple reasons, but more on that later. I have a concert to play in less than two hours.
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