musicdork86

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:54:17 GMT

I've been a fan since I was 2. And I've been ashamed of them since they blew it against the Sox in the 2004 playoffs.

But boy am I proud of 'em tonight. I would have never guessed a Boston Massacre would have come of this series!!! Woohoo!

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:03:09 GMT

MDing 3 shows this summer, at the same time. Also I'm the camp director of the day camp I've been working at for the past 5 years. The former has been ridiculously busy, but the latter actually has been less stressful than it has been the past four years. And the pay is so good. :-).

In other news, after 6 different x-rays today, my dentist told me I don't have wisdom teeth. At all. No surgery. I'm gonna go now and do a dance to celebrate.

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 01:18:53 GMT

http://acda.org/node/687

http://acda.org/archive/awards_prizes

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:54:37 GMT

Greetings from Oklahoma City!

I just won 2nd Prize in the ACDA National Student Conducting Competition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Article on ACDA website

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:26:07 GMT

http://acda.org/node/554

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:36:20 GMT

Well, guess I'm not going to be going home for the New Year - it's 8:30 AM, there's already like 4 inches of snow on the ground, and it's going to keep snowing all morning and afternoon.

Oh Ithaca :-P.

Happy New Year, all! 2009 is lookin' oh so fine.

Sweet weekend

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:12:12 GMT

So last night Madrigal Singers had their yearly gig at the country club. We're very hot and cold this year - sometimes we sound...well, fucking sweet...and other times we sound like...well, ensembles not from Ithaca. So anyways, last night we sharped just about every Christmas Carol. Better than flat, but still not good enough for me. Oh well. We are a tight-knit group this year and we get silly, especially when we sing Jingle Bells. So last night Doebs tells us to go ahead and "be silly" on Jingle Bells. Matty and I refrained from Eiffel Towering the GA who stands between us, but otherwise all of us were in our usual form. The snots at the country club loved it too!

We usually get fed a meal at the end of the gig, but this time we only got hor d'oeuvres. So everyone got pissy and left, while Alex, Maria, Matty, and I hit up the bar (mmm....cabernet sauvignon). The bartender was kind enough to give us drinks on the house. But we were still hungry, so Matty and I hit up Madeline's for appetizers, dessert, and drinks. Of course, when you have to two alcohol afficionados of the music school on a man-date, a bottle of wine must be ordered. So along with our food the two of us kill a whole bottle of gewürztraminer and drive back up to IC. I drop off Matty and kiss a car as I pull out of the parking lot. So at first I think "Oh shit. I'm not sober enough to drive...I didn't even see this car!" I get out and quickly realize that the reason why I couldn't see said car was because the fucker driving it parked it completely illegally! So I trade phone numbers with him, but in the meanwhile am researching state law...one would think that if you hit a car parked illegally, it's the other driver's fault. I mean, it was just stupid of this (Asian) guy to park there. Grr...

Got up at 5 on Saturday to pick up Dana and Alex to go to NYSSMA. I didn't go last year because of grad apps...I was so glad to go up this year. The bad stuff first. The accompanist for Mixed Chorus was a big fat thundercunt. She actually had the chutzpah to tell the conductor how the kids should play the handbells for Whitacre's Cloudburst! It was obnoxious, and as a choral accompanist (albeit a young one), I know that you just don't do shit like that, especially to a conductor like Dr. Allred. The choral accompanist needs to listen to the ensemble and be able to respond with lightning quick accuracy both to the choir (like being able to play their pitches if they go out of tune in rehearsal on an a cappella number) and to the conductor (both rehearsal instructions and the gesture itself). He is NOT to correct the conductor on rehearsal technique! K, done bitching about that. In terms of the wonderful time I had at the conference, first and foremost, Dr. Allred was conducting Mixed Chorus and it was just refreshing to see how he worked without actually singing. Although I wanted to jump in and sing after not long. BA was the artistic director of NYSSSA when I went and also provided me with my first conducting instruction via an extra curricular conducting class at NYSSSA. Back to the conference: it was so good to see so many people. Everyone and their mom goes to NYSSMA and I ran into all kinds of people who I wasn't planning on seeing. 6 kids from CAP were in Mixed Chorus, a fellow organist from the local (Roch.) area, and one of my former students (!). My former student and I had a good chat and I was delighted to know he made All-Eastern. I saw many teachers from back home and it was just nice to take a trip down memory lane, even if I did feel REALLY old seeing students of mine sitting in the same seats I sat in back in the stone age. Dino BBQ for lunch of course...epic. Nothing beats Dino. I wish Jim had been there, but UE got someone else to chaperone the gentlemen in Mixed Chorus so Jim wouldn't miss rehearsals before an upcoming concert that I just may come down to see...we'll see how my workload is this coming week. But bottom line: so good.

:-)

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:18:16 GMT

The new continuo organ has arrived at IC!!!!!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:44:51 GMT

Next semesters lovely schedule:

Analysis of Music since 1900 (MWF, 8-8:50 AM, L. Black)
Introduction to Poetry (MWF, 9-9:50 AM, K. Murphy)
Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication (TR, 9:25-10:40 AM, F. Sharp)
Advanced Instrumental Conducting (MTWR, 11-11:50 AM, Block III only, S. Peterson)
Elementary French I (MWF, 12-12:50 PM; R 8:25-9:15 AM Drill Session, E. Hall)
Madrigal Singers (TR, 1:10-2 PM, L. Doebler)
Choir (MWF 2-2:50 PM; TR 2:10-3 PM, L. Doebler)
Organ V (Private lesson, J. Radice)

Excellent schedule. The three liberal arts courses will be fabulous for my chosen career and I'm especially excited about those classes. Of course I'm stoked about the music classes too.

Final grade of A in Feldenkrais. 99 on last weeks Physics exam. Entering concerto competition again with the Chen Yi piece. It's been a good Tuesday.

Hopefully after tonight we can call it a truly excellent Tuesday.

*EDIT at 12:54 AM, Wednesday* YES WE HAVE! YES WE HAVE! YES WE HAVE!

The cheer that went up throughout campus was glorious. The mob and hugging strangers was glorious. Not having to pay for McCain's Viagra for the next 4 years...very glorious.

It was the best Tuesday in Autumn that I've ever had.

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:40:47 GMT

http://www.ithaca.edu/music/news/4387/

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:29:01 GMT

I just lost the game.

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:51:03 GMT

Democrats are sexy. Who's ever heard of a nice piece of elephant?

Shamelessly stolen from Danielle

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:02:48 GMT

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:18:32 GMT

I forgot to mention in my last entry that Carmina Burana (during Choir Tour) is on my 23rd birthday. I couldn't ask for a better birthday present than to sing for my family and friends with some rockin' peeps.

All the student loan stuff has been sorted out THANK GOD. And thank Uncle Paul too for cosigning my loan.

Bibliography and Research in Music has been kicking my butt, but that's because without a disbursed student loan, I couldn't check out anything from the library! Thank god that's sorted out because I needed to get started on my annotated bibliography on Britten's choral music (and with all the resources I'm finding, I have a funny feeling when I'm done it's going to be an annotated bibliography on Britten's War Requiem instead). Physics of Sound has also been kicking my butt - my prof explains everything so well, but the textbook is terribly written. I haven't done terribly on the reading quizzes, but I feel like I'm reading Egyptian every time I open the damn book, as do all my other friends in the class. Ugh.

Despite said butt-kicking, classes are going incredibly well - all A's on all assignments and exams so far (even Physics and Bib!). Bib and Physics are making me crazy, but the end justifies the means, right?

Making my ACDA CD sometime this month. ACDA DVD will be sometime in October. In the midst of all my academics, I have to find time to memorize a badass chorus from Haydn's Creation (in other words, NOT Awake the Harp or The Heavens are Telling, as those are both very easy and overdone). And the Japanese piece that Janet is having us conduct for the DVD makes the Haydn look like John Rutter (yay 8-part counterpoint!). I'm excited by the challenge. But at the same time, oh boy.

The sopranos in Choir are getting their act together this year. 4 years ago I never thought I would say that Choir sounds amazing, but we sure as hell do this year :-).

Time to (re)read some Egyptian. Goodnight.

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:07:33 GMT

+ Back in Ithaca.
+ Being able to attend this wonderful music school - I really am so grateful for this.
- The student loan is taking forever to go through.
+ Have a back-up loan in case the first doesn't go through.
+ I've been singing so well since the summer. I always make such good progress over the summer.
+ Choir and Madrigal Singers again this year.
+ Choir Tour to Long Island, including performing all of Carmina Burana at Tilles Center.

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:35:37 GMT

Car inspection (which means a major brake job). Dental check-up (which means filling a wicked cavity that appeared completely out of nowhere 2 days ago). Eye check up (which means new glasses, since my prescription is way outdated and my frames probably can't take another lens since they have 5 years of wear and tear on them).

All the above means a big, big loan taken out from the bank of Daddy. I don't think he's all that happy about it.

I love the job I've had for the past few summers. I used to think I hated it, but hindsight is 20/20 and I really do (and always have) loved it. I get upset with misbehaved campers and casts that don't put in the work required outside of rehearsal, but I've received so much positive reinforcement, especially from parents of both campers and kids who have been in my shows. But this year the theater got itself into financial trouble and the whole staff has felt the pinch. Someday my loyalty is going to get me in big trouble one way or another, but I sure as hell pride myself on it, especially in situations like this. But it doesn't mean I haven't had to borrow money from my Dad this summer, and forget about finishing my endeavor to try every kind of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake (I still have 13 to go!).

And even as I over-tweak it, I am stoked about this conducting recital program I picked. Just saying.

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:34:11 GMT

Rest in peace, Norman Dello Joio

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:47:53 GMT

I hate Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Sat, 24 May 2008 02:35:09 GMT

Went on my first wine tour during senior week and am now officialy hooked on wine.

Today I said goodbye to Kaitlin, Alex and Spencer in that order. Sad panda. Stay in touch!

I report to the theatre immediately when I get home on Sunday to adjudicate auditions. My first assignment - Musical Director of...The Rocky Horror Show. I don't know what they're thinking giving that gig to me with how wildly inappropriate my sense of humor can be. (Not to mention I've been known to show up to performances of that show in drag.) ANYWAY...

The day after I'm singing as a ringer with Janet and Francisco (who I haven't formally met yet but crossed paths with many times) for something at Avery Fisher - damned if I remember exactly what. Program is typical Janet and Francisco standards so I already know most of them.

In other news, it's time I set myself up with a date. I met a very nice girl in February and we tried to see eachother in April, but that fell through. I don't see a relationship coming out of this because there are a few red flags on her end of the deal, and I don't like the idea of doing the distance thing again...but despite that I'm obviously still open to the possibility since I'm trying to see her.

I got into all my classees for next semester - the Associate Dean of Humanities and Sciences threw a fit over me having to darken her door to get into these classes ("I should NOT have to sign this! It's college policy that you can repeat a failed course as often as neccesary!) but after I told her I totally agreed with her, she became very cordial ("By the way you know my son - he sings in Ithaca Children's Choir. I saw you running back and forth singing and playing with the young men!").

In addition to coming to Endicott over the summer I'm also coming to Ithaca a few weeks later to be a student assistant at Choral Music Experience at IC, which is a weeklong conducting symposium that Janet runs. I'm primarily running the camera for the conductors and in addition I get to do some singing, playing, and maybe even some conducting, all of the above great for the resume of course and I get $300 on top of all of that.

I've been very happy since January. I know I wrote an uberdepressing entry on Sunday, but everyone has to get out feelings like that every once in a while. But all-in-all life is on the better end of medium :-). Obviously it's great when life is "excellent" but the better end of medium is nice too :-).

EDIT: Dean Pelto is my advisor next year. Hopefully I can get a letter of reccomendation out of him when all is said and done. Also I was just parousing (sp?) recently tagged photos on facebook of me and sometimes when I smile my eyes get squinty (I got that from my mom) and....this is gonna sound really terrible....but whan that happens I really do look like I'm....special.

Tue, 20 May 2008 02:46:34 GMT

I feel much better after venting yesterday :-).

So I'll be an undergrad another year after all - it's just the best plan and since I'm taking core courses required of grad students, I can get a Masters here during the 2009-2010 year while auditioning for conducting school. I changed my schedule around a lot at the advice of the deans (who I met with today) and dropped a whole bunch of courses including Choral Literature and Performance Practice (the grad conductor course) - IDK how I feel about it but my gut tells me it's the right thing to do. The grad course I'm taking instead is supposed to be HARDCORE. Oh yeah, and it's a 600-level course. Yes, 600.

I'm having a mad crazy time trying to get into Social and Cultural Foundations of Education though. Now yes, I fully admit that I screwed up the past two fall semesters, but the fact is that the undergrad catalog says that failed courses may be repeated as often as neccessary - therefore as a paying student I am entitled to take this course (which is required by New York State for my degree) as many times as you want. I should add here that the ed department chair...has a piranha in her vagina. I've dealt with her for various things before and although I am 100 % positive she has no clue who I am (or remembers me ever), she is always the biggest cunt-waffling twat-brick to me whenever we cross paths and probably is to anyone else who darkens her door. So anyhow I go to her to get an override form signature and she refused to sign my form initially saying "I don't understand why homerconnect won't allow you to register" and went back into her office and then when she overheard me telling her secretary I was taking the course a third time she stormed out of her office demanding to know why and then snapped "WHY are you taking this course again if you've already failed it and then been withdrawn from it?!" The registrar then sent me to the dean's office (of Humanities and Sciences) and I had to drop the form off since the dean wasn't in. I wrote Drs. Ostrander and Pelto about the whole ordeal - I have a funny feeling there's gonna be a big fight about this issue. As if getting an A in senior student teaching (and you music ed majors know just how hard that is!) isn't enough to prove that I am now an excellent student. Dr. Ostrander even commented in today's meeting that he rarely sees a student teaching report as good as mine was. Jeez. Also I read about the math professor I was gonna have next semester on ratemyprofessors.com which isn't the most reliable source, but NOTHING good was said about her - every single entry said "Get out of her class NOW!" So now I need to petition to take Math for Decision Making since I already flunked it - it's what works best for my schedule.

Anyhow, that makes two bitchfest entries in a row (albeit the last one was more sentimental and emotional than bitchy, but still)...things are mostly good. I'm going home Sunday right after church (and BTW I met with the minister this week and he agreed with me that the music committee has been overstepping professional boundaries), I have work lined up with CAP again starting with MDing Rocky Horror (that's gonna be a riot), Mrs. Oill's last concert, then I'm going back to Ithaca the week of the 8th to accompany and conduct in Endicott for their last concert and then chaperone a field trip they're taking to the city that weekend. I had a lot of fun teaching there :-) and the kids must have liked me a lot since like 10 of them facebooked me after I was done haha.

Next semester's schedule (assuming all my overrides go through) is below. It looks skimpy, bit these are all 3 credit courses (except Feldenkrais) including a 600-level course, so there will be massive, massive amounts of homework outside of class for sure.

Bibliography and Research in Music (MWF 9-9:50)
Mathematics for Decision Making (MWF 12-12:50)
Physics of Sound (TR 9:25-10:40)
Social and Cultural Foundations of Education (TR 10:50-12:05)
Feldenkrais (MF 5-5:50, Block I)
Choir (if I get in - MWF 2-2:50, TR 2:10-3)

The graduated senior soliloquy

Sun, 18 May 2008 23:30:20 GMT

Because afterall, I did graduate today (even though I'm getting my degree in either December or next May). And because anyone of us who graduated today would be delusional if we could not admit indulging in the guilty pleasure of sentiment. Especially music majors. I have never considered articulate when it comes to writing about things like this, but I still feel like I should have this to look back on, be it in 5 months or 5 years.

I remember telling Ms. Kalabza (my good high school band teacher, not to be confused with the bad one) how fast this time went and without missing a beat she said "Jon, just you wait until college. Now THOSE are four years that go by quickly."

I also remember reading off of some friends journal at the end of freshman year (when I had my old LJ) a forwarded entry about the big changes that many of us experienced. About packing up and moving on from high school to college. I remember how my sheltered existance and our sheltered existance was turned entirely upside down.

And after four years (and those four years DID go by so quickly), it is time for our sheltered existance to be turned upside down again. Looking towards the future has been keeping me - and probably all of us going this year and staying excited about next year, but there comes a point where it's also time to accept the fact that the new beginnings are being formed because something else - college - is ending. And with that there comes a time to, if you'll forgive me for using the word in this context, grieve.

Grieve because for the past four years, by being sent off somewhere to literally live with a bunch of other people to study a subject matter you want to make a career out of, you have gotten to know them as well as yourself in a deeper way than any 18-22 year old can imagine. Grieve because as we load our cars and hug eachother goodbye, there is no more "see you at the end of August!" Some of these people we won't see again...ever.

So many times I heard (from adults 40 and over) "You don't know who you are until you have gone to college." As we all prepare to move on to whatever we do, I can say with certainty that even as we prepare to be life-long learners and to grow more, for almost all if not all of us, the above statement holds true.

Even as I prepare to see many familiar faces and old friends in the fall, I know that the change that will happen in my environment (in all our environments) will be even larger than saying goodbye to all the friends I had in high school. Part of that is personal - I am very, very selective of who I call a true friend, and while I have many buddies upon buddies, I don't think I'll have any friends at the start of next year, even though I am sure that will change. That and my fear of not keeping in touch as well as I want to/should and taking some of my friends for granted. The other part of how drastic this change will be simply boils down to things I have alluded to above...that these are the people you've grown up with. The people you have gone to New York City together to perform at Lincoln Center with, missed your hometowns with, gone to the dining hall with, sat through fantastic concerts with, sat through awful concerts with, partied with, laughed with, broken bones with, lived with, been angry with, cuddled with, the ever popular grieved over a break-up with, survived music theory with, survived secondary instrument classes with, survived LAB SCHOOL with, watched movies till 4 AM with, cried with...even as silly as facebook-stalked with...and even as personal as grieved over the death of a relative with. The people you've worked with. The people who you've formed what will hopefully be life-long friendships with.

The people you went to college with.

Fri, 16 May 2008 19:57:37 GMT

Got an A for senior student teaching.

And a 3.5 this semester, which may end up being higher pending the outcome of my final grade in String Class which I'm in the process of challenging.

AND I might be going to grad school next year after all! The outgoing and incoming Deans both suggested it today and Dr. Ostrander and I are meeting on Monday to hammer out the details.

Suh-weet.

Breaking news (/not)

Fri, 09 May 2008 01:02:05 GMT

I change my mind every other day about this - but today I decided I will re-apply to grad schools right away next year. Let's see if I change my mind tommorow.

Tommorow is national be sexually inappropriate with your friends day, which I celebrate every day, but will certainly celebrate with exuberance tommorow. Although by the time I get back in to Ithaca tommorow I'll probably forget to celebrate it.

Tommorow is also my last official day of teaching, but I'm subbing for Mr. G on Monday, cheering the groups on at NYSSMA Majors on Thursday, coming back in June to accompany and conduct at their last concert and that weekend chaperone a trip they're taking to NYC to (among other things) see Chicago.

Senior week next week. Can't wait.

I've decided I'm going to walk at commencement even though I'm not graduating until next year because I can (the registrar said so). That and I'm not going to not walk with what was my graduating class (until last month by my choice).

My house is being repossesed. Thank God I'm moving out really soon.

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous bachelor pad for next year - a studio apartment for only $430 a month. Yes, $430 a month for a studio apartment in Ithaca. I kid you not.

I'm beyond annoyed with one of my gigs and I'm pretty sure I'm going to quit it at the end of this year (in addition to the one I already quit). Will start looking for other gigs tommorow to see if I can make up the income difference.

I love student teaching so much, but I really miss my Ithaca people...I miss them a lot :-(. And I'm really sad many of them will be gone after this year :-/.

Grad school, take 2

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:34:55 GMT

I went on tour with the Ithaca College Choir this March and it was an absolutely moving experience - I hope to be in the group next year. While on tour I had the chance to get to know many people very intimately and something that Lael said to me (and the whole choir) has stuck in my mind: "Knowing your abilities and gifts is not arrogance" (paraphrased). With that in mind I write this entry with no apologies if it is perceived as arrogant.

Plan of action:

Call admissions offices around the country after May 1st to explain my situation. Hopefully they will say that with a signed mid-term report from this fall that I should be able to persuade them that I'm a good student and apply this year. If they want to wait to see my full 5th year, I will deal (and I'm counting on that happening). The reason why I need to know now though is because that dictates whether my Conducting Recital is in the fall or spring. This time I'm giving a real one - I'm petitioning the administration for it to get Ford or Hockett. I'd like to do a program with the organ accompanying 75 % of the repertoire, so I hope I can persuade them to let me have Ford.

I'm adding some schools in other parts of the country to my list - travel will be expensive, but I want to have more options open. I will absolutely reapply to Eastman which is still my top choice. I think I won't have trouble getting into Ithaca - we'll call that my safety. Westminster is off my list. If I don't wait another year to apply, UMich and Yale have to come off my list of course (I won't meet UMich's requirements and I'm sure I won't meet Yale's unwritten ones either). Possible schools: Florida State, UArizona, Michigan State, Louisiana State, Boston U., Indiana, East Carolina. Despite having a safety (Ithaca), I'm also applying to some schools that are on my list of schools that would be lucky to have me and those I will not name in writing. I want a good education but in the end I need a piece of paper that says "Master of Music - Choral Conducting" and if I have to get it from a bad school, I will. I've seen what is out there in choral conducting - I have my weaknesses, no questions asked, but if I have to take a degree from a "bad school" with a 4.0 I can still vault myself into a badass doctoral program.

As for a conducting recital - I don't have a choir assigned to me since I'm not a conducting major, so it is HELL to put together a volunteer choir and find times that work for everyone, etc. So there are a lot of ifs in all the programing I do - I want a common theme but do I have enough singers for 8-part music?, etc. Conducting recital drafts to come - forgive me if it bores you, but it's my journal.

Otherwise things are going very well :-). I'm just a wee-bit stressed.

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:00:43 GMT

I don't know what the regular updating thing is about - I update compulsively as a need...but maybe it's about time that I started writing in this more than twice a year.

Problem: No seats in Ford Hall to see the Ithaca performance of the Verdi. There's an audio stream in Hockett Hall but that's it.

Solution: I found myself a better seat in the hall than anyone else that had the most up-close view of the Choral Union and Symphony Orchestra...that's right, I watched the concert from inside the organ. Dr. Meyer joined the 3 of us that had the brains to climb up there after he finished conducting the overture!