Practice Pad
Technology, Programming, Music, Percussion, Drums and Stuff

I’ve made the decision to attempt to pass at least the next 2 semesters worth of Keyboard Skills this semester.  Basically, that means I take the Keyboard II midterm today, the Keyboard II final at Midterms, the Keyboard III midterm in the beginning of April, and the Keyboard III Final at the regularly finals time.

So far, it’s paying off.  I took the Keyboard II midterm + plus a bunch of repertoire quizes today.  Passed all the quizes and aced the midterm.  100%.  Nice.  The material on the test was: Harmonic Minor scales (parallel octaves over a 2 octave range, 16th notes at quarter note = 60bpm), Major and Dom7 chords arpeggios through all inversions, minor i-iv-i-V-i cadences, transposition, improvised harmonization of melody lines, repertoire and sight-reading.

Here’s my schedule, as best as I know it:

Monday, Wednesday:

0730-0820 - Keyboard II.

0835-0925 - Theory II

Tuesday, Thursday:

0730-0820 - Musicianship II

1400-1520 - Jazz Improv II

Friday:

0835-0925 - Theory II

Yet to be schedule:

Rehearsal for Jazz Combo. Currently planning on it being one week-day evening and one weekend day.

Private Applied Lesson. This will likely be Monday morning after my theory class.

Beyond this, I need to fit in 40 hours of work at my computer job.

That is all.

It’s a shame, really. It’s absolutely the best band in the jazz program. They blew my mind at their concert this year. The problem is, my other classes are arranged at such a time that in order to take band, I have to wait around for a little over an hour. I’m also tasked with getting 40 hours per week at my actual job, as well as school, so basically, that means this three-hour class ends up costing me almost 8 hours of day-time hours.

So, that would mean I’d be at my office later in the day, which would mean it would be much harder to get in the practice that is my first non-parenting responsibility.

Upshot: I’ll be in a jazz combo, and that will be it for performance. So, that means I just need to make sure I book some extra gigs for the band this semester, and I absolutely MUST get no less than 2 hours practice per day.

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.