did i ever tell you?
I realized it's quite likely that anyone who reads this may not know what has actually been going on in my life.
After graduating from Southeastern University in 2000 with a BS in Music Education, I took a completely unrelated job as the Development Coordinator for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. It was an absolutely amazing job. I was extremely green, but I was getting my job done. I wrote several hundred thousand dollars in successful grant proposals with no prior experience, I was PA for several very large events including a $250/plate New Year's Eve fundraiser, and I loved my job (even the 1-3 hour commute). Unfortunately, this was the first year of hurricane attacks and funds were just extremely low. There had been some shuffling and the recently hired Box Office Director left under unpleasant circumstances and they were planning on shuffling me into a mixed position, answering directly to the only person in the office for whom I had no respect. Loathing was a more appropriate term.
Well, I wasn't going to take that lying down. I started looking for teaching positions in Polk County (closer to home). almost immediately, I was laid off and sent home without even finishing my shift. (Now, stop for a minute to think: mine was perhaps the only position which required no more capital than my salary; I was directly responsible for, perhaps 25% of the Orchestra's income; I was not the most recent hire; several other departments were bloated and hemorrhaging money.) The next part doesn't matter all too much - I took a job as a Claims Adjuster for Direct General Insurance. Fun, but not a long term career for me.
I finally got a teaching job in the Summer of 2005 teaching strings at two schools in Winter Haven, FL. Mind you, I had spent all of my undergrad planning on never teaching. I was only getting an Ed degree to legitimize the whole "music degree" issue to friends and family. Well, I feel like I really set myself up for failure. I really though I could succeed at the beginning, but that was quickly replaced by certain supervisors' unpleasant words. I just constantly felt behind.
A particularly brutal tongue lashing from a the supervisor in early 2006 convinced me I didn't belong. I remembered the words of a friend who was then attending the University of South Florida, when he made it quite clear that the University was in desperate need of bass players and could offer me a very generous award for attending. I was only weeks away from application deadlines, but I got everything together, auditioned, and was offered a very generous Graduate Assistantship with the Director of the Center for Jazz Composition.
I'll be studying Jazz Bass with Mark Neuenschwander and Classical Bass with Dee Moses. I'll be playing in the Orchestra and at least one Jazz Ensemble. Oh, and I'm doing all of this in pursuance of a Master's of Music in Jazz performance.
Ahead of me is: Placement Auditions, Theory and Music History Placement Tests, two years of school.
Wish me luck.
After graduating from Southeastern University in 2000 with a BS in Music Education, I took a completely unrelated job as the Development Coordinator for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. It was an absolutely amazing job. I was extremely green, but I was getting my job done. I wrote several hundred thousand dollars in successful grant proposals with no prior experience, I was PA for several very large events including a $250/plate New Year's Eve fundraiser, and I loved my job (even the 1-3 hour commute). Unfortunately, this was the first year of hurricane attacks and funds were just extremely low. There had been some shuffling and the recently hired Box Office Director left under unpleasant circumstances and they were planning on shuffling me into a mixed position, answering directly to the only person in the office for whom I had no respect. Loathing was a more appropriate term.
Well, I wasn't going to take that lying down. I started looking for teaching positions in Polk County (closer to home). almost immediately, I was laid off and sent home without even finishing my shift. (Now, stop for a minute to think: mine was perhaps the only position which required no more capital than my salary; I was directly responsible for, perhaps 25% of the Orchestra's income; I was not the most recent hire; several other departments were bloated and hemorrhaging money.) The next part doesn't matter all too much - I took a job as a Claims Adjuster for Direct General Insurance. Fun, but not a long term career for me.
I finally got a teaching job in the Summer of 2005 teaching strings at two schools in Winter Haven, FL. Mind you, I had spent all of my undergrad planning on never teaching. I was only getting an Ed degree to legitimize the whole "music degree" issue to friends and family. Well, I feel like I really set myself up for failure. I really though I could succeed at the beginning, but that was quickly replaced by certain supervisors' unpleasant words. I just constantly felt behind.
A particularly brutal tongue lashing from a the supervisor in early 2006 convinced me I didn't belong. I remembered the words of a friend who was then attending the University of South Florida, when he made it quite clear that the University was in desperate need of bass players and could offer me a very generous award for attending. I was only weeks away from application deadlines, but I got everything together, auditioned, and was offered a very generous Graduate Assistantship with the Director of the Center for Jazz Composition.
I'll be studying Jazz Bass with Mark Neuenschwander and Classical Bass with Dee Moses. I'll be playing in the Orchestra and at least one Jazz Ensemble. Oh, and I'm doing all of this in pursuance of a Master's of Music in Jazz performance.
Ahead of me is: Placement Auditions, Theory and Music History Placement Tests, two years of school.
Wish me luck.