Lesson Cut Back

Today I found that I am not able to register for two credits of conducting.  I can not.  It's not in our curriculum.  It has not been approved by the VP of graduate studies.  And it's not a part of the state paid lesson budget.

I'm sure I could probably pay for a credit of lessons.  Maybe I should ask.

This is extremely irritating.  I chose this school for a few reasons: 1) More money for scholarships since there is a smaller grad program (found out last semester that grad students don't get scholarships), 2) a chance to have my own choir, 3) to study with my teacher, and 4) to get individual lessons.  So as a graduate student in a small program, I only get an hour of conducting lessons every other week?

Some may argue that I wouldn't get any lessons at larger schools.  Well, I didn't apply to those, nor would I have considered going to a school that didn't give one-on-one lessons.  But here is what we don't get at my school that is a large deficiency: Classes geared specifically toward graduate students (I share ALL my classes, with the exception of two from first semester, with undergraduates).  And choral literature classes.  Instead, I am given a list of masterworks to know.  At the end of my time here, I will be tested to make sure I know all the masterworks.  So I am studying these things on my own and hoping I am picking up on the right stuff.

What amazes me is that the undergraduates at the school don't seem to know what a terrible deal they are getting.  Credit cap at 13 units?  Sure, they complain but don't do anything else about it.  But this is their education.  And this is my education and I refuse to let it go.  I will talk to my teacher and I will push the issue of getting an hour lesson a week.  We are paying too much money to let the schooling be subpar.  And the faculty should not be okay with this either.  Shame on the students, shame on the faculty.  And more over, shame on the state of California.

I don't know what the financials are of my school, although I can safely assume that this stems not from their misdeeds, but the state of California's misdeeds.

This is me... angry.