My recital repertoire is chosen and approved. I look forward to sharing the pieces over the next few weeks. I could not be more excited about the repertoire chosen. It's going to be a challenging program. However, if I can do my job, I am confident the singers can do very well.
The general break down is this: I have a folk set, a sacred set, a "dark" language scary set (which, as you may recall from an earlier post, will include the piece I already had approved- the Wolf), and a French set. I will be more specific as I learn more.
The rest of this week I can spend time on work organizing and learning music. This is the most wonderful time of the year.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Semester 1- Almost done
My first semester of my DMA program is coming to a close. I took my big final today for Choral Literature. Tomorrow I have a final to attend, but I already gave my final presentation last week for the class. I still have a to-do list, but it is not nearly as big or as pressing.
The most important thing now is for me to focus on recital repertoire. I have another meeting with my professor tomorrow- let's hope we can get the recital repertoire solidified. I want to spend quite a bit of time with it over break. I am so unbelievably excited about that. As soon as all is approved, I will start sharing my research on here.
In the meantime, let me talk about choral literature. Specifically, two pieces that I to which I dance "the robot." In hora ultima by di Lasso (de Lasso, di lassus, whatever). It's a short, English, sacred motet that talks about the final hour of the the world. However, after declaring all will perish at the final hour, the text names a bunch of joyful things: trumpet, flute, harp, dancing, singing, joking... and it is at the trumpet call ("tu-u-u-u-u-bae") that I like to dance the robot. I recommend listening to it. The second piece "robot" to is Das Gläut zu Speyer by Senfl. The melody gets traded off between some of the middle voices and the rhythm becomes off set and suddenly I'm doing the robot.
Next semester I am currently registered for 14 credits. 15 is the max for a graduate student. There is a good chance I will be adding one more credit. It's a history course I really want to take but can't, and apparently it's possible to take it as a 1 credit course and just do the readings for the class (and show up, of course). I will be interested to see how next semester shapes up. I have much more going on, but I have a better idea of how I need to do what. I still have the things I have to take: Choral Literature, Conducting, both choirs... I am also taking a theory (which is actually about the history of music theory), voice lessons, orchestral conducting, and hopefully the history course. Plus I'm giving a recital. It sounds like a lot (because it is), however I have a better idea of how I want to structure my time next semester. I need to create a schedule for myself- not because I don't get things done, but because if I simply create a to-do list and don't get things fully checked off, I start to stress out. So many of my "to-do"s are large projects that take much longer than a day, so instead of having a to-do list that never gets any shorter (because of these large projects), I am going to start scheduling my day. That way I can still "check off" that I dedicated an hour to this or two hours to that.
I do feel a bit uncomfortable now that the semester is ending. While I have things to do, the stress is lifted. I do not have to wake up tomorrow morning and schedule my entire day to get all the things I need to done. I will wake up at a decent time and go to school to work on things, but nothing is pressing. And tomorrow night? I get to spend time at home. Tonight I did some work but I also cleaned and got reacquainted with what it feels like to be at home and do needed chores. I may have to put effort into actually relaxing, but at least this is a start!
This is my last first semester as a student.
The most important thing now is for me to focus on recital repertoire. I have another meeting with my professor tomorrow- let's hope we can get the recital repertoire solidified. I want to spend quite a bit of time with it over break. I am so unbelievably excited about that. As soon as all is approved, I will start sharing my research on here.
In the meantime, let me talk about choral literature. Specifically, two pieces that I to which I dance "the robot." In hora ultima by di Lasso (de Lasso, di lassus, whatever). It's a short, English, sacred motet that talks about the final hour of the the world. However, after declaring all will perish at the final hour, the text names a bunch of joyful things: trumpet, flute, harp, dancing, singing, joking... and it is at the trumpet call ("tu-u-u-u-u-bae") that I like to dance the robot. I recommend listening to it. The second piece "robot" to is Das Gläut zu Speyer by Senfl. The melody gets traded off between some of the middle voices and the rhythm becomes off set and suddenly I'm doing the robot.
Next semester I am currently registered for 14 credits. 15 is the max for a graduate student. There is a good chance I will be adding one more credit. It's a history course I really want to take but can't, and apparently it's possible to take it as a 1 credit course and just do the readings for the class (and show up, of course). I will be interested to see how next semester shapes up. I have much more going on, but I have a better idea of how I need to do what. I still have the things I have to take: Choral Literature, Conducting, both choirs... I am also taking a theory (which is actually about the history of music theory), voice lessons, orchestral conducting, and hopefully the history course. Plus I'm giving a recital. It sounds like a lot (because it is), however I have a better idea of how I want to structure my time next semester. I need to create a schedule for myself- not because I don't get things done, but because if I simply create a to-do list and don't get things fully checked off, I start to stress out. So many of my "to-do"s are large projects that take much longer than a day, so instead of having a to-do list that never gets any shorter (because of these large projects), I am going to start scheduling my day. That way I can still "check off" that I dedicated an hour to this or two hours to that.
I do feel a bit uncomfortable now that the semester is ending. While I have things to do, the stress is lifted. I do not have to wake up tomorrow morning and schedule my entire day to get all the things I need to done. I will wake up at a decent time and go to school to work on things, but nothing is pressing. And tomorrow night? I get to spend time at home. Tonight I did some work but I also cleaned and got reacquainted with what it feels like to be at home and do needed chores. I may have to put effort into actually relaxing, but at least this is a start!
This is my last first semester as a student.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)