School starts on Monday!
| January 8, 2007 | ||
| 6:00 am |
This is the beginning of my second semester in the Music Department at the University of Utah. Last semester went reasonably well. GPA a little over 3.7. One of my classes hasn’t turned in grades yet. He was supposed to have done that by December 28th.
Here’s what I’m registered for:
Music Theory II : This class focuses on 4 part writing and the proper use of voice leading. Very hard, lots of rules, but it’s fun.
Musicianship II : Aural skills relating to the theoretical information presented in the theory class.
Keyboard Skills II : 4 semesters of keyboard skills are required of all music majors. The class is go-at-you-own-pace, meaning, if you can pass the test for Keyboard IV you don’t have to take any more. I will attempt to pass the II and III levels of this course this semester.
Jazz Improv II : Last semester we covered dorian and mixolidian modes, major scales, major and dominant bebop scales, blues scales, and the basic concepts of chord substitutions. We played a bunch of good music. This semester is going to be harder. I think it’s about diminished and altered scales, mostly.
Private Applied Lesson: This is the number one reason I’m in school. I get a one-hour per week lesson with one of the top drummers in the area. I’m committed to at least 2 hours of practice a day on any day that the building is open (I don’t have the drums set up at home). Last semester we worked on transcriptions, and coordination, mostly.
Jazz Combo: I’ll be joining one of the jazz combos. I like the people that are in it with me. Good players, and they know they have to work hard to play well, so that’s why I agreed to join the group. Should be fun.
Here’s the one thing about which I’m still on the fence: Several of the faculty have been encouraging me to go out for the drum chair in Big Band I. This is basically the number one seat for drummers in the jazz program. Basically, I’d go in, point at the guy who’s got the seat now, and say, “I want his job” and then they’ll hand me music and strike up the band. I might get the job, and I might not. If I don’t they’ve suggested I play the vibraphone in the band. People don’t usually do that, and it would be and interesting change for the band. So, one way or the other, I think I could get in the band.
Here’s the problem. With a full time job and full time school and two ensembles, I’m afraid I’ll be rehearsing so much I won’t have time to practice. This would be completely unacceptable. If I didn’t play in the big band, I’d have an easier time getting 40 hours a week at work, and I’d have a better chance of getting the most out of my practice time.
It’s a dilemma.