Peabody!
I couldn't connect to the internet for a couple of days so I typed these up and saved them in word documents (i'm a dork):
TUESDAY, AUGUST 28th
My very first day at Peabody
I was really nervous on the drive to Baltimore. I made super good time though. I left a few minutes before 12 and got to Peabody at 2:42. According to googlemaps it’s supposed to be a 4 hour 15 minute drive. I might have sped a little bit. :)
There were a whole bunch of check-in stations and a checklist that they gave me so that I hit them all. At the first check-in, I got a bag full of information, including a Maryland map, info about public transportation, concert schedules for various performing arts places, and stuff like that. One of the stations gave me a mailbox number and combination, so I have a PO Box in Peabody in addition to my apartment address. I’m guessing I won’t really use the Peabody one. I also got a student ID and they took my picture. I talked to some people about banks. I don’t know where I’m going to get an account yet. I got info about available jobs, and then I took a tour. It was the last tour and I was the only one on it, which was fortunate for the other people who took the tour earlier with an actual tour guide and not the guy I got, Buddy, who was giving tours because he had to do community service as a punishment and he really did not know his way around. I got some stuff out of it though. I am semi-oriented in the buildings now. I met a couple of people when I was signing up for my opera interview. Everyone was in the same boat with not knowing anyone, so that was nice.
I finished doing all this stuff around 4:30, and then I wandered around for a half hour just seeing where things went and stuff. Then I spent an hour reading my notes from Baroque music history because I’m still worried about that placement test, then I spent a half hour writing down my schedule for the next week and a half.
That brings us to 7:00, when the new student welcome thing started. The Student Affairs lady made a really cute speech that may have been the most extended metaphor I have ever heard. It was as if Peabody was a movie and so she introduced all the behind-the-scenes people-all the staff and faculty. It was really funny. The jokes were so bad people were groaning and stuff, but it was really cute. Hehe. Before the speech started, I met the 4 people behind me and the guy in front of me-all new grad students. They were all really nice. After the director made a speech, and another lady, whose job I didn’t catch but who had a broken leg and made the best of it, then they had a really nice reception outside. The weather was super nice, and the food was really good. There were chocolate truffles and all kinds of little finger food deliciousness. I chatted with the nice people I had met. We even exchanged phone numbers. I feel like we’re already friends. It was so exciting and fun and happy. I am in a GREAT mood.
We all went our separate ways at 9:10 and then I had a little adventure driving around Baltimore because there were cops not letting me go down the road to 95. I finally got back to where I had come from and asked the cops how to get there, and I got to Aunt Nancy’s at about 10:30.
My first day of Peabody was more than I ever could have imagined! I’m so happy!
These are the people at Peabody I know by name:
Kate
Greg
Imani
Bill
Roger
Sarah
Lauren
Jess (of course)
So that’s kind of pathetic, but the ones I do know are good ones, and I’m sure I’ll be meeting lots more in the next 2 years!
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29th
A little bit less exciting day
This morning we had “academic advising”, which was basically a meeting of all the new masters students where they told us about registering and how there is a 9 credit limit on academics because they want you to take tons of performance opportunities. After that I was starving since I didn’t eat a meal yesterday, so Jess and I went to lunch. We both got a crab cake sandwich to be Maryland-y and it was Delicious, with a capital D. After that we went to the library and I studied music history for a while, since I ran into Caitlin Fisher and she told me that it’s an ESSAY test! (eek) Then I was so tired I went and laid down in my car for a half hour. I really wish that I could have moved into my apartment already. After that I went on the library orientation tour. I think the library has lots of stuff but their catalogue leaves a lot to be desired. Even the lady giving us the tour, who is in charge of the catalogue, said that it was frustrating and she apologized. I am pretty excited that we can take home CDs and DVDs though. That will be nice.
After the library tour I went and signed my lease. That took about 10 minutes. Then I went back to Peabody and sat in the lounge and read the student handbook. I was on page 86 when Joe and Roger showed up and they were going to play some of Roger’s music (he’s a composition major), so I joined them in a practice room. It was awesome. Joe was sight-reading this super hard stuff, which Roger wrote, and it was really really good. I was so impressed. That’s sort of when I realized that I’m not in Syracuse anymore….
At 7:15 there was an off campus student meeting, which was really useless. It was like a Q&A led by a bunch of juniors who were treating us like freshmen, but I met a few more people, so that’s good. Then we went to the ice cream social. I left at 8:30 and got home at 9:30. And now I’m really disappointed that there isn’t a new top chef on tonight.
Add to the list:
Joe (whom I met yesterday and then felt bad about asking his name again)
Caitlin
Stephanie
Lydia
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30th
This morning we had an opera meeting at 9:45, which was not all that exciting. He just told us about each of the performance and class opportunities. Then we all crammed for a half hour for the history test. I took about an hour to write my four "essays". I don't know if I'll pass, but at least I didn't know nothing. I wrote about Notre Dame Polyphony, Handel in London, Beethoven's three periods, and 12-tone music. If I hadn't reread the first 7 chapters of Grout in the past 2 weeks I would not have been able to write that first one, so that paid off. yay.
After that I talked to a few people in the hallway for like an hour and a half. They wer super dorky but also really smart, and they embraced their dorkiness, so it was pretty entertaining. It's somewhat bizarre being around people who can have a conversation about any topic involving any kind of music, like the theorbo for example.
I had my opera interview at 1:45. It basically couldn't have gone worse. I was not sure what it was supposed to accomplish, but at one point I told the opera director that I did not intend to have a career in opera and he asked me basically "why are you here?". It was awkward. Actually, it could have been worse because I nearly cried (for no good reason), but I didn't. Ugh. So it took me three days to have a horrible moment of questioning if I belong there and if I made the right decision. I was kind of bummed out on the ride home. Then I sang for like an hour and that REALLY cheered me up. I really love singing. Also, when Uncle Don got home he gave me the correct password to get online and so I got to spend hours on facebook and my other regular websites. What would I have done if I didn't know that Sean Avery hit on Paris Hilton?
I'm gonna stop listing people I met because now it's sort of a lot of people. yay! I'm not all alone! :) I love the people at Peabody. The percentage of people who seem to be the kind of people I don't like is VERY small. I am counting down the days until I get to actually live in Baltimore. A week from tomorrow!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 28th
My very first day at Peabody
I was really nervous on the drive to Baltimore. I made super good time though. I left a few minutes before 12 and got to Peabody at 2:42. According to googlemaps it’s supposed to be a 4 hour 15 minute drive. I might have sped a little bit. :)
There were a whole bunch of check-in stations and a checklist that they gave me so that I hit them all. At the first check-in, I got a bag full of information, including a Maryland map, info about public transportation, concert schedules for various performing arts places, and stuff like that. One of the stations gave me a mailbox number and combination, so I have a PO Box in Peabody in addition to my apartment address. I’m guessing I won’t really use the Peabody one. I also got a student ID and they took my picture. I talked to some people about banks. I don’t know where I’m going to get an account yet. I got info about available jobs, and then I took a tour. It was the last tour and I was the only one on it, which was fortunate for the other people who took the tour earlier with an actual tour guide and not the guy I got, Buddy, who was giving tours because he had to do community service as a punishment and he really did not know his way around. I got some stuff out of it though. I am semi-oriented in the buildings now. I met a couple of people when I was signing up for my opera interview. Everyone was in the same boat with not knowing anyone, so that was nice.
I finished doing all this stuff around 4:30, and then I wandered around for a half hour just seeing where things went and stuff. Then I spent an hour reading my notes from Baroque music history because I’m still worried about that placement test, then I spent a half hour writing down my schedule for the next week and a half.
That brings us to 7:00, when the new student welcome thing started. The Student Affairs lady made a really cute speech that may have been the most extended metaphor I have ever heard. It was as if Peabody was a movie and so she introduced all the behind-the-scenes people-all the staff and faculty. It was really funny. The jokes were so bad people were groaning and stuff, but it was really cute. Hehe. Before the speech started, I met the 4 people behind me and the guy in front of me-all new grad students. They were all really nice. After the director made a speech, and another lady, whose job I didn’t catch but who had a broken leg and made the best of it, then they had a really nice reception outside. The weather was super nice, and the food was really good. There were chocolate truffles and all kinds of little finger food deliciousness. I chatted with the nice people I had met. We even exchanged phone numbers. I feel like we’re already friends. It was so exciting and fun and happy. I am in a GREAT mood.
We all went our separate ways at 9:10 and then I had a little adventure driving around Baltimore because there were cops not letting me go down the road to 95. I finally got back to where I had come from and asked the cops how to get there, and I got to Aunt Nancy’s at about 10:30.
My first day of Peabody was more than I ever could have imagined! I’m so happy!
These are the people at Peabody I know by name:
Kate
Greg
Imani
Bill
Roger
Sarah
Lauren
Jess (of course)
So that’s kind of pathetic, but the ones I do know are good ones, and I’m sure I’ll be meeting lots more in the next 2 years!
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29th
A little bit less exciting day
This morning we had “academic advising”, which was basically a meeting of all the new masters students where they told us about registering and how there is a 9 credit limit on academics because they want you to take tons of performance opportunities. After that I was starving since I didn’t eat a meal yesterday, so Jess and I went to lunch. We both got a crab cake sandwich to be Maryland-y and it was Delicious, with a capital D. After that we went to the library and I studied music history for a while, since I ran into Caitlin Fisher and she told me that it’s an ESSAY test! (eek) Then I was so tired I went and laid down in my car for a half hour. I really wish that I could have moved into my apartment already. After that I went on the library orientation tour. I think the library has lots of stuff but their catalogue leaves a lot to be desired. Even the lady giving us the tour, who is in charge of the catalogue, said that it was frustrating and she apologized. I am pretty excited that we can take home CDs and DVDs though. That will be nice.
After the library tour I went and signed my lease. That took about 10 minutes. Then I went back to Peabody and sat in the lounge and read the student handbook. I was on page 86 when Joe and Roger showed up and they were going to play some of Roger’s music (he’s a composition major), so I joined them in a practice room. It was awesome. Joe was sight-reading this super hard stuff, which Roger wrote, and it was really really good. I was so impressed. That’s sort of when I realized that I’m not in Syracuse anymore….
At 7:15 there was an off campus student meeting, which was really useless. It was like a Q&A led by a bunch of juniors who were treating us like freshmen, but I met a few more people, so that’s good. Then we went to the ice cream social. I left at 8:30 and got home at 9:30. And now I’m really disappointed that there isn’t a new top chef on tonight.
Add to the list:
Joe (whom I met yesterday and then felt bad about asking his name again)
Caitlin
Stephanie
Lydia
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30th
This morning we had an opera meeting at 9:45, which was not all that exciting. He just told us about each of the performance and class opportunities. Then we all crammed for a half hour for the history test. I took about an hour to write my four "essays". I don't know if I'll pass, but at least I didn't know nothing. I wrote about Notre Dame Polyphony, Handel in London, Beethoven's three periods, and 12-tone music. If I hadn't reread the first 7 chapters of Grout in the past 2 weeks I would not have been able to write that first one, so that paid off. yay.
After that I talked to a few people in the hallway for like an hour and a half. They wer super dorky but also really smart, and they embraced their dorkiness, so it was pretty entertaining. It's somewhat bizarre being around people who can have a conversation about any topic involving any kind of music, like the theorbo for example.
I had my opera interview at 1:45. It basically couldn't have gone worse. I was not sure what it was supposed to accomplish, but at one point I told the opera director that I did not intend to have a career in opera and he asked me basically "why are you here?". It was awkward. Actually, it could have been worse because I nearly cried (for no good reason), but I didn't. Ugh. So it took me three days to have a horrible moment of questioning if I belong there and if I made the right decision. I was kind of bummed out on the ride home. Then I sang for like an hour and that REALLY cheered me up. I really love singing. Also, when Uncle Don got home he gave me the correct password to get online and so I got to spend hours on facebook and my other regular websites. What would I have done if I didn't know that Sean Avery hit on Paris Hilton?
I'm gonna stop listing people I met because now it's sort of a lot of people. yay! I'm not all alone! :) I love the people at Peabody. The percentage of people who seem to be the kind of people I don't like is VERY small. I am counting down the days until I get to actually live in Baltimore. A week from tomorrow!