orientation stories!
Yay! So orientation for the grad students was today and I must say...many interesting stories.
Firstly, all the faculty were ridiculously laid back and hilarious. They forced us all to stand up and introduce ourselves to each other and then we had to do this "icebreaker" where we told the story of one of the scars on our body. So I decided to tell the story of when I was in high school and Chris Anderson's little brother Jeremy decided it would be funny to burn my arm with a hot metal rod. Anyway...this is how it went:
Me: "My story happened in high school actually in the band room. This kid found this tool (I think it was some sort of percussion tool--I have no idea what it was for but basically it was a metal rod attached to a plastic thing and if you pumped the rod fast enough the friction would grow and it would get hotter and hotter" (at this point the woman running the orientation had BURST into fits of giggles because obviously there is a sexual inuendo, and everyone in the room starting laughing hysterically so I decided to plow through, even though my face was bright red and I was so embarrassed). "The kid thought it would be funny to stick the rod on my arm and he burned this scar into it."
So this orientation went on for about 2-3 hours and then I met up with the saxophone professor and he helped me get registered for classes, which took less than 5 minutes. Oh...so get this. Not only grad students, but doctoral students had to take those theory and history placement exams that I was talking about. The doctoral students were whining at the orientation to the professors about hwo hard the history exam was...that it was impossible and blah blah. So the saxophone professors informs me that I did not pass the theory exam (which I totally thought I had) but I did pass the insanely hard history one.........wtf? That makes no sense. I mean, hey that's awesome because I eventually want to be doing history...but seriously, it was hard as shit and I really didn't think I passed. Go me!
So basically my schedule right now has three classes, which fucking rocks. I have a class called "methods of research and bibliography" which is described as a class to help you write critically about pieces of music, performances, etc, and help you know how to research things pertaining to music and write theses and dissertations/publish things. I am actually really excited about this...it will definitely help me in my quest to become a writer of musical things! So I need 3 books for class and it's going to be about $100 I think for all of them. Bleh. Then I have a music performance class (which is just my applied lessons) and the theory review class since I didn't pass the exam--but eh, I was never a theory whiz anyway. I don't mind. This is the sucky part though...all these classes are on tuesday and thursday and the research one meets at 8:30 am and then I don't have the next class until 4:05 that afternoon....wtf?! Lame.
In addition to these classes I will do rehearsals with the clarinet choir, masterclass on Mondays with the studio, and I'm sure I will be in wind symphony or something. I also will have to go to some concerts and be responsible for herding undergraduate kiddies in a collecting their programs for convocation points. I think I may have to work electronic equipment and video tape clarinet recitals. But eh, it's all with the job =)
For some reason, I can tell already that graduate school is a lot different than undergraduate...in a good way. I am not going to have really close friends that I depended on for every emotional need, and it's such a relief and less distraction! I'm really happy about having more mature relationships with people...it's such a great feeling.
Alright, trip to the bookstore tomorrow and I need to open a bank account somewhere so they will direct deposit my checks and pay me. I am also going to start the paperwork for becoming a Florida resident officially. Exciting!
Firstly, all the faculty were ridiculously laid back and hilarious. They forced us all to stand up and introduce ourselves to each other and then we had to do this "icebreaker" where we told the story of one of the scars on our body. So I decided to tell the story of when I was in high school and Chris Anderson's little brother Jeremy decided it would be funny to burn my arm with a hot metal rod. Anyway...this is how it went:
Me: "My story happened in high school actually in the band room. This kid found this tool (I think it was some sort of percussion tool--I have no idea what it was for but basically it was a metal rod attached to a plastic thing and if you pumped the rod fast enough the friction would grow and it would get hotter and hotter" (at this point the woman running the orientation had BURST into fits of giggles because obviously there is a sexual inuendo, and everyone in the room starting laughing hysterically so I decided to plow through, even though my face was bright red and I was so embarrassed). "The kid thought it would be funny to stick the rod on my arm and he burned this scar into it."
So this orientation went on for about 2-3 hours and then I met up with the saxophone professor and he helped me get registered for classes, which took less than 5 minutes. Oh...so get this. Not only grad students, but doctoral students had to take those theory and history placement exams that I was talking about. The doctoral students were whining at the orientation to the professors about hwo hard the history exam was...that it was impossible and blah blah. So the saxophone professors informs me that I did not pass the theory exam (which I totally thought I had) but I did pass the insanely hard history one.........wtf? That makes no sense. I mean, hey that's awesome because I eventually want to be doing history...but seriously, it was hard as shit and I really didn't think I passed. Go me!
So basically my schedule right now has three classes, which fucking rocks. I have a class called "methods of research and bibliography" which is described as a class to help you write critically about pieces of music, performances, etc, and help you know how to research things pertaining to music and write theses and dissertations/publish things. I am actually really excited about this...it will definitely help me in my quest to become a writer of musical things! So I need 3 books for class and it's going to be about $100 I think for all of them. Bleh. Then I have a music performance class (which is just my applied lessons) and the theory review class since I didn't pass the exam--but eh, I was never a theory whiz anyway. I don't mind. This is the sucky part though...all these classes are on tuesday and thursday and the research one meets at 8:30 am and then I don't have the next class until 4:05 that afternoon....wtf?! Lame.
In addition to these classes I will do rehearsals with the clarinet choir, masterclass on Mondays with the studio, and I'm sure I will be in wind symphony or something. I also will have to go to some concerts and be responsible for herding undergraduate kiddies in a collecting their programs for convocation points. I think I may have to work electronic equipment and video tape clarinet recitals. But eh, it's all with the job =)
For some reason, I can tell already that graduate school is a lot different than undergraduate...in a good way. I am not going to have really close friends that I depended on for every emotional need, and it's such a relief and less distraction! I'm really happy about having more mature relationships with people...it's such a great feeling.
Alright, trip to the bookstore tomorrow and I need to open a bank account somewhere so they will direct deposit my checks and pay me. I am also going to start the paperwork for becoming a Florida resident officially. Exciting!