Well, here we are on the eve of June; another spring semester at school has come and gone. I'm about ready to hop an Amtrak train to Seattle, but in my last hour of waiting I thought it was time I put in another post. Once again the semester has flown by; I had brief spurts of productivity this semester as I worked to finish my final grad project. But although the symphony itself is complete, I still have the paper to finish. As such I delayed my graduation till the summer.
It does seem odd even to have a summer graduation; I'm not aware that there's even a ceremony as such for it. I think it was likely created as an excuse for grad student to have an acceptable way to turn in their projects late, while not having to wait for the next semester. And of course they charge you another diploma fee of $28 for the right to change your graduation date. But, hey, I didn't finish on time so it's a price I have to pay. I decided early on this semester that I didn't want to rush my project; I wanted to be happy with it and let it finish out naturally. And in the end, I am happy with the finished product. Assuming we still have enough players to form an orchestra in the fall at Sac State, the piece should get premiered.
Today was a pretty productive day, as I had the day off from work to prepare for our trip. Lots of laundry was done, $92 worth of rolled change was turned in to the bank for some spending cash, I helped an old guy finish changing his flat tire in the hot sun, went swimming, had dinner at Johnny Carino's, gave some leftover salad to a man begging for change in the street, finished packing, and am now just awaiting our ride to the station. So all in all, a good day was had.
Now on to further adventure...
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Springtime Already?
Well, here we are in the first weekend of March already. The sun is shining high and bright in the sky, and we're expecting mid-70s tomorrow. Just a couple of days ago it was raining with intermittent bursts of downpours. As I walked across campus early Friday morning, after the rains had passed, the world seemed refreshed and cleansed. It was like stepping back in time to when things were newer, simpler. Of course that's just a mirage created the rains having washed the tiredness and staleness away, but still it was refreshing.
This weekend should be a fairly nice one, and indeed it the last few have been fairly nice as well. I actually have my first rehearsal this morning for the musical South Pacific, which opens in Woodland at the end of next week. Which, of course, means that next week is tech week. So my early evenings and fairly leisurely lifestyle will be temporarily suspended as the busy-ness of life returns. But still, it will be nice to play in a show again after quite a bit of time.
For now, or at least after rehearsal, I intend to relax to enjoy the weekend. We'll probably do a bike ride on the trails around here this afternoon, and perhaps go to the gym later for a swim. Sunday should be an even more relaxing day at home, though since it will be my last freedom for a week, I'll probably need to spend it working on my symphony.
Speaking of which, my final grad project is coming along nicely. The first two movements are essentially done and are only being subjected to minor tweaking at this point. The third movement is well under way and should be nearing completion in the next couple of weeks. If all goes well, of course. Then it only remains to write out the last movement, which I've already decided to base in part on a string orchestra piece I had begun years ago but never finished or had performed. So, things are looking good, though the clock is ticking. The project has to be completed and ready to be bound by the first of May. And that includes the written thesis part of it. Plenty still to do!
But for now, time to enjoy the early spring...
This weekend should be a fairly nice one, and indeed it the last few have been fairly nice as well. I actually have my first rehearsal this morning for the musical South Pacific, which opens in Woodland at the end of next week. Which, of course, means that next week is tech week. So my early evenings and fairly leisurely lifestyle will be temporarily suspended as the busy-ness of life returns. But still, it will be nice to play in a show again after quite a bit of time.
For now, or at least after rehearsal, I intend to relax to enjoy the weekend. We'll probably do a bike ride on the trails around here this afternoon, and perhaps go to the gym later for a swim. Sunday should be an even more relaxing day at home, though since it will be my last freedom for a week, I'll probably need to spend it working on my symphony.
Speaking of which, my final grad project is coming along nicely. The first two movements are essentially done and are only being subjected to minor tweaking at this point. The third movement is well under way and should be nearing completion in the next couple of weeks. If all goes well, of course. Then it only remains to write out the last movement, which I've already decided to base in part on a string orchestra piece I had begun years ago but never finished or had performed. So, things are looking good, though the clock is ticking. The project has to be completed and ready to be bound by the first of May. And that includes the written thesis part of it. Plenty still to do!
But for now, time to enjoy the early spring...
Friday, January 6, 2012
New Year: Week One
Be careful not to turn your back; before you know it, not only has the New Year passed but we're already a week into it. Strange how time flies by.
This should be, by all account, something of an epic year. On the one hand, I'm scheduled to be completing my Masters in Composition this semester by writing a symphony orchestra piece. Granted, that's a tall order to accomplish in one semester, though thankfully I had already started working on it in 2009. But now I've started afresh and am tasked at finishing it before the end of March. That should mean working on it virtually everyday, if only a little bit. Well, we'll see how that goes. There's always the fall if it doesn't work out...
I'm about ready to take another mecca to my homeland, Disneyland. I'll be leaving Sunday morning on my tri-annual journey to the Magic Kingdom, for a few days of relaxation and disillusionment. Or at least a distraction from the everyday real world anyway. But it's been over three months since my last trip...this time I'll be arriving for the last day of the holiday cheer before the Christmas decorations all magically disappear overnight. Chirstmas time is always special in Disneyland, even if it is a week into January.
This summer I'll be embarking on another vacation involving exploration to a new (for me anyway) unexplored region. This time it's the tropical islands of Hawaii. Normally I end up going somewhere or doing something in the summer that I've already done before in the past, but this will be a new experience for me as we explore the beaches of Waikiki and Honolulu. I've already begun making preliminary plans for an 8-night trip, and assuming I actually finish my Masters as planned, this will be in a way my graduation present to myself.
It's kind of interesting to consider the free time I'll (supposedly) have once this journey of education is complete. It's been a few years now of slowly taking courses and spending oodles of time reading and writing papers and so forth. I'm sure the fall will be filled with something else; life always get filled with something. Guess we'll have to wait and see...
This should be, by all account, something of an epic year. On the one hand, I'm scheduled to be completing my Masters in Composition this semester by writing a symphony orchestra piece. Granted, that's a tall order to accomplish in one semester, though thankfully I had already started working on it in 2009. But now I've started afresh and am tasked at finishing it before the end of March. That should mean working on it virtually everyday, if only a little bit. Well, we'll see how that goes. There's always the fall if it doesn't work out...
I'm about ready to take another mecca to my homeland, Disneyland. I'll be leaving Sunday morning on my tri-annual journey to the Magic Kingdom, for a few days of relaxation and disillusionment. Or at least a distraction from the everyday real world anyway. But it's been over three months since my last trip...this time I'll be arriving for the last day of the holiday cheer before the Christmas decorations all magically disappear overnight. Chirstmas time is always special in Disneyland, even if it is a week into January.
This summer I'll be embarking on another vacation involving exploration to a new (for me anyway) unexplored region. This time it's the tropical islands of Hawaii. Normally I end up going somewhere or doing something in the summer that I've already done before in the past, but this will be a new experience for me as we explore the beaches of Waikiki and Honolulu. I've already begun making preliminary plans for an 8-night trip, and assuming I actually finish my Masters as planned, this will be in a way my graduation present to myself.
It's kind of interesting to consider the free time I'll (supposedly) have once this journey of education is complete. It's been a few years now of slowly taking courses and spending oodles of time reading and writing papers and so forth. I'm sure the fall will be filled with something else; life always get filled with something. Guess we'll have to wait and see...
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thinking...
"While there is a lower class I am in it. While there is a criminal element I am of it. While there is a soul in prison I am not free." Thus begins the novel Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut. This is book with which I am now acquainting myself. I have been a Vonnegut fan for a number of years, and somehow this one has eluded me. The quote is actually from a real person, despite this book's fictional character. Eugene Victor Debs did exist, was a union leader and presidential candidate in the late 1880s. I didn't know that. I had to google it.
I like books that make you think, and Vonnegut was a master satirist. His books are rife with commentary on our society and indeed our humanity. I find them still relevant today, even though most were written decades ago. Even Hocus Pocus, one of his "newer" works, is now over 20 years old.
Thinking is a good thing, and is often overlooked by mainstream society. As I was walking downtown this morning between bus stops on my way to work, I noticed from the marquee of the Century Theatres downtown that one of their current filks is "Jack and Jill". This reminded me again that I like things that make you think. I'm not much of a fan of what I call the "stupid funny" type of movie. You know the one. Where the actor (in this case Adam Sandler) players two characters, and they're not of the same gender. Granted this is just one example; it doesn't HAVE to be like that. But I knew when I first saw a preview of this film that I would never watch it. Just not interested.
I like to think, and the quote at the top reminds us that our society is flawed. It's not generally headed in the right direction, although there still is and likely always will be many good aspects of it. If we all stopped to think, just a little, and wondered what it really meant to be alive, to be here on this planet, to be a part of a society, maybe we could collectively decide on different ways to run it. To run it better. To create some sort of utopia, the likes of which we normally only see in fictional accounts in books or on TV.
Some might say that's crazy talk. Am I crazy? Could be. Maybe all of us are, or maybe all of us should be. Or maybe we're all headed in that direction, in our own special way. One could only hope.
I like books that make you think, and Vonnegut was a master satirist. His books are rife with commentary on our society and indeed our humanity. I find them still relevant today, even though most were written decades ago. Even Hocus Pocus, one of his "newer" works, is now over 20 years old.
Thinking is a good thing, and is often overlooked by mainstream society. As I was walking downtown this morning between bus stops on my way to work, I noticed from the marquee of the Century Theatres downtown that one of their current filks is "Jack and Jill". This reminded me again that I like things that make you think. I'm not much of a fan of what I call the "stupid funny" type of movie. You know the one. Where the actor (in this case Adam Sandler) players two characters, and they're not of the same gender. Granted this is just one example; it doesn't HAVE to be like that. But I knew when I first saw a preview of this film that I would never watch it. Just not interested.
I like to think, and the quote at the top reminds us that our society is flawed. It's not generally headed in the right direction, although there still is and likely always will be many good aspects of it. If we all stopped to think, just a little, and wondered what it really meant to be alive, to be here on this planet, to be a part of a society, maybe we could collectively decide on different ways to run it. To run it better. To create some sort of utopia, the likes of which we normally only see in fictional accounts in books or on TV.
Some might say that's crazy talk. Am I crazy? Could be. Maybe all of us are, or maybe all of us should be. Or maybe we're all headed in that direction, in our own special way. One could only hope.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Black Friday
Well another year of mad doorbuster deal shopping after Thanksgiving has passed. Though it's not even 9am right now on Black Friday, most stores have already been open over 8 hours already in their quest to entice shoppers to come and spend money. I myself went out early this morning, though with not a whole lot of specific things to look for.
Actually, with the stores opening at midnight this year, all of the crazy shoppers had come and gone by the time I set out on foot at 5am to brave the madness. And this was quite helpful too; between 5am and 7am I visited both the Wal Mart and Target in Natomas, and neither one was busy. In fact, both stores had and handful of cashiers just standing around and waiting for someone to buy something. They would literally fight over you as you approached the registers with goods in hand, each one of them hoping to finally have something to do.
I actually went out for a specific DVD which was on sale, and it seems that every door buster item was well in stock except for the one I was looking for. There were palates full of $49 Blu Ray players and shelves of half price in-ear headphones and flat screen LCD TVs galore. There plenty of DVD and Blu Ray movies for the picking. Just not, as luck would have it, the one gift that I actually set out to buy.
So, having gone in with the intent of buying a $10 movie, in good holiday fashion I came home with over $100 of other stuff. You're welcome, economy.
It's funny though how some folks just buy stuff because it's on sale, whether they need it or not or if they even know what it is. One lady picked up the movie 300 (pronounced "three hundred") at Wal Mart, and shouted to her husband one aisle: "Hey, they got Three Thousand. Three Thousand is over here." He replied back "Yeah, get that too".
Really people?
Well, it's approaching 9am, so I guess I'll take a cue from my cats and get ready for a nap.
Actually, with the stores opening at midnight this year, all of the crazy shoppers had come and gone by the time I set out on foot at 5am to brave the madness. And this was quite helpful too; between 5am and 7am I visited both the Wal Mart and Target in Natomas, and neither one was busy. In fact, both stores had and handful of cashiers just standing around and waiting for someone to buy something. They would literally fight over you as you approached the registers with goods in hand, each one of them hoping to finally have something to do.
I actually went out for a specific DVD which was on sale, and it seems that every door buster item was well in stock except for the one I was looking for. There were palates full of $49 Blu Ray players and shelves of half price in-ear headphones and flat screen LCD TVs galore. There plenty of DVD and Blu Ray movies for the picking. Just not, as luck would have it, the one gift that I actually set out to buy.
So, having gone in with the intent of buying a $10 movie, in good holiday fashion I came home with over $100 of other stuff. You're welcome, economy.
It's funny though how some folks just buy stuff because it's on sale, whether they need it or not or if they even know what it is. One lady picked up the movie 300 (pronounced "three hundred") at Wal Mart, and shouted to her husband one aisle: "Hey, they got Three Thousand. Three Thousand is over here." He replied back "Yeah, get that too".
Really people?
Well, it's approaching 9am, so I guess I'll take a cue from my cats and get ready for a nap.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
FeNAM!
Well, just as quickly as it started, this year's Festival of New American Music draws to a close today. This one wasn't too bad actually, though I did have a 15 hour day yesterday and several other 12+ hour days this past week. But, that's pretty typical. Today I'm going for something that I don't normally do...I'm actually going to watch all three concerts today. It's rare for me to watch any concerts these days as I'm just too busy doing other things, but today I'm doing the hat trick.
The highlight will, I think, be the California Youth Symphony at Mondavi. They are an amazing youth group, better than a lot of college groups, and though my composition teacher is their director and I usually get free passes to their bay area concerts, I've never actually seen them live. Today's program features Copland's Billy the Kid and Bernstein's On the Waterfront.
This year's festival has been something of a stoner convention; I don't think there's been a day yet were clouds of vapor haven't trailed into the Music Recital Hall with our audiences. Maybe you need to be high to truly appreciate some of this stuff, I don't know. The theremin concert which opened the festival surely was a good candidate for that. The whole concert was like an acid trip from the 1960s. Seriously. I'm not even exaggerating.
I was fortunate enough to have a work played on the festival this year; the first two movements of my Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Viola were played both at the Student Chamber Ensembles concert and the Student Artists Performance Competition. It was good times really, and the innovation for this year was that many concerts were video recorded and streamed online at Live Stream, so you can go back and watch them again - or catch the ones you missed. It's pretty cool actually; folks have watched our concerts in over 20 different countries, including Japan, Korea, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ireland to name a few.
Well it's just about 8:30 Sunday morning now, so I guess it's time to try and get caught up a little on the homework I've fallen behind on. This semester's graduate Ethnomusicology course will be the last class I need for my Master's degree, then it's on to my final project!
The highlight will, I think, be the California Youth Symphony at Mondavi. They are an amazing youth group, better than a lot of college groups, and though my composition teacher is their director and I usually get free passes to their bay area concerts, I've never actually seen them live. Today's program features Copland's Billy the Kid and Bernstein's On the Waterfront.
This year's festival has been something of a stoner convention; I don't think there's been a day yet were clouds of vapor haven't trailed into the Music Recital Hall with our audiences. Maybe you need to be high to truly appreciate some of this stuff, I don't know. The theremin concert which opened the festival surely was a good candidate for that. The whole concert was like an acid trip from the 1960s. Seriously. I'm not even exaggerating.
I was fortunate enough to have a work played on the festival this year; the first two movements of my Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Viola were played both at the Student Chamber Ensembles concert and the Student Artists Performance Competition. It was good times really, and the innovation for this year was that many concerts were video recorded and streamed online at Live Stream, so you can go back and watch them again - or catch the ones you missed. It's pretty cool actually; folks have watched our concerts in over 20 different countries, including Japan, Korea, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ireland to name a few.
Well it's just about 8:30 Sunday morning now, so I guess it's time to try and get caught up a little on the homework I've fallen behind on. This semester's graduate Ethnomusicology course will be the last class I need for my Master's degree, then it's on to my final project!
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