Music, School, and my new adventure

[Joe_Campbell]

Well, I'm not sure what would be the most appropriate forum to place this in, but seeing as the forum topic will be a significant portion of what I am about to undergo, here it shall be.

A while ago, in this thread, I announced a plan to switch majors. Well, with a bunch of hard work, a great teacher, and a few good references, it looks like I'm going to be making this dream a reality! I've already touched base with a few forum members here (correspondence C.O. facebook), but I thought it would be great to share this will all of you, and show my appreciation for the continual inspiration you have provided through your compelling discussions and knowledgeable posts.

I'm going to be attending Memorial University in September, 2009, with a major in piano performance. I have put in my request to study with Kristina Szutor, a good friend of my current teacher, and one of the main reasons in choosing this university. It's in St. John's, Newfoundland, on the other side of Canada from my current residence. It's going to be a major change, but one that I welcome with open arms!

I'm obviously going to be very involved in music over the less >=4 years at school, and I'm sure that this board will become a valuable resource to me.

Anyways, just wanted to share the good news, and maybe even look for a few suggestions in preparation for this significant change of...lifestyle?

[brassbandmaestro]

Good luck with your music. Make sure you immerse yourself with all the resources the university has to offer!

[sul G]

...and I, in my usual tardy way, let your PM about this drift up my inbox unanswered. Well, congratulations - you know how chuffed I am for you. My one word of (compltely unbiased!) advice - what you said about taking the plunge with some composing? Do it! Apart from being enormously rewarding in its own right, it's a discipline which helps one approach and appreciate other music too, as a performer, one which broadens the mind, increases enjoyment and respect, improves theoretical and formal understanding...  Plus, we need more threads on this board. 

[Novi]

That's great news - congratulations!

(from another failed engineer)

[karlhenning]

(* pounds the nice new table Luke sent him *)

[Jay F]

Best of luck to you, Joe.

[Lilas Pastia]

Well, Joe, this is quite a step you're taking, in every sense of the word!

Living in St-John's for 4 years will probably be a life-defining experience ! All I hear about the place is how special it is to live there. It brings someone closer to Mother Earth (or Sea), which in this day and age can only be counted a blessing  . It's probably as close to a scandinavian kind of experience as one can get without leaving the continent.

I admire your commitment and dedication. Good luck! 

[Joe_Campbell]

Thank you VERY much, LP. It means a lot. I'm moving June 15th. Only slightly more than a month left on the West Coast...

[greg]

...and I, in my usual tardy way, let your PM about this drift up my inbox unanswered. Well, congratulations - you know how chuffed I am for you. My one word of (compltely unbiased!) advice - what you said about taking the plunge with some composing? Do it! Apart from being enormously rewarding in its own right, it's a discipline which helps one approach and appreciate other music too, as a performer, one which broadens the mind, increases enjoyment and respect, improves theoretical and formal understanding...  Plus, we need more threads on this board. 

I agree here. If you can find time in-between long hours of practicing and watching anime, whenever you feel like it, write some music. Sure, we need music needs performers, but it also needs new repertory- giving it a shot every now and then wouldn't hurt.
But really, have fun with what you're doing! I suppose all that practice really payed off...

(and i'm looking forward to hearing you play Prokofiev  )

[karlhenning]

Yes, don't know if I can tear myself away from the anime . . . .

[Joe_Campbell]

Yes, don't know if I can tear myself away from the anime . . . .

hah! Do I detect a little sarcasm, Dr. Henning?

[karlhenning]

Peut-être, un peu . . . .

[Lilas Pastia]

Sarcasm doesn't  arouse from happenstance, so it can't be peut-être. Desire or admiration perhaps ?  .

I certainly wish I could turn the clock back and go for what Joe is about to do. Ah, jeunesse...  0:)

[Dana]

Good luck with your music. Make sure you immerse yourself with all the resources the university has to offer!

      Yes! I just graduated from the University of Michigan with a viola performance degree, and can't tell you how strange it is to find that many of our masters students don't do anything on main campus. They sleep, they go practice, they hang out with music people, and then they sleep again. Many of them graduated without ever having gone to a football game (at MICHIGAN!), or finding out where the good bars are, or checking out the great performances that take place beyond the university musical society. The point being, that it would be a mistake to confine yourself to the music building, and ignore all of the other terrific things that are undoubtedly going on around campus.

      Also, don't let your soul get sucked out by the competition. Michigan was a great supportive environment, but rumor has it that the competition isn't so friendly at all music schools... Don't let it get to you!

[Joe_Campbell]

Thanks a lot Dana. I think that it would be a mistake to be an exclusively music student, as opposed to just 'a student' when it comes to using campus resources.

Also, judging from my very brief experiences with Newfoundland hospitality, I don't think the atmosphere will be anything but friendly!

I leave on Monday!!