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.

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. :-)

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

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.

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. :-)

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.

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.

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.

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!