Dominu vobiscum et Bach

It is November. I can obviously say I am not fond of the start of winter in Mississippi. Don't get me wrong - I do LOVE cold weather, but not when the days are fluctuating between the 40's and high 70's. It makes tuning pianos a bitch because the soundboards go in and out flexing the strings. When it's 80 degrees one day, and that night, it drops to 33 degrees. You can sure bet all of those pianos have gone flat.

I am still trying to get my voice and choir credits transferred from the University of Wales, Swansea. I figure it this way

Year
2004-2005 (UWS) - Voice semesters 1, 2
2005-2006 (USM) - Voice semester 3, 4
2006-2007 (USM) - Voice semesters 5, 6
2007-2008 (USM) - Voice semesters 7, 8

I will not be a happy person if I have to take 10 semesters of voice as A MUSICOLOGY major when Performance majors are taking 8. In fact, I would be pissed off beyond belief. And who wouldn't be? I also took choir over there, but unlike here, Choir is not a credited course. And the music courses I took were half practical and half theoretical. Trying to get my undergraduate coordinator to understand this is causing what seems to be unending anxiety.

Voice lessons are going good (as long as you don't get my professor on his high horse). My sound is becoming brighter, more fluid, and the vibrato is starting to become a regularity. I need to concentrate on keeping my vowels forward in the mouth, and between the two pillars (Nichols quote). Resonate! Forward! Tip of the tongue, teeth and the lips! Bright eyes!

Juries are coming up, and this will be my last voice jury if I can help it. I will be writing the Beast (thesis) next semester, and I will have enough pressure getting that done as it is. This means I have to change my voice lesson from 362 to 363 for the spring. And something has been bothering me. I asked my voice prof to pick my pieces this year. One of them is Gluck's O del mio dolce ardor. Nichols hates this piece, and complains every time I ask to run through it. So, my question is, why the bloody heck did he pick it if he's going to be a baby about it? I mean, damn!

Recorder is becoming a lot of fun. I enjoy lessons with Dr. Ragsdale. That woman loves her early music. I hope I am that zealous when I am her age. She is also very supportive of my wanting to get my advanced degrees in that field, unlike my voice teacher. I am studying a few anonymous pieces, as well as Susato, Praetorious, Morrell, and some Christmas carols. I also ordered in a large book with pieces from the Medieval and Renaissance periods, as well as an exercise book.

Piano Proficiency is coming up. I will be singing praises when I pass that test. Not because the material is hard (it's easy), but I am getting bored with it. No offense to Lolo. Next semester should be better because I'll be back with my concertos, sonatas, and suites. I'm also enjoying sight-reading the Bach Inventions (2 part).

Latin is interesting. My professor, Dr. Mark Clark, is a brilliant mind, who knows how to get off on a history tangent during class. I am considering doing a Latin minor, in addition to piano (which I will finish in the Spring). I am currently in LAT 101. Spring - LAT 102, Summer - LAT 201/202, Fall - Latin Poetry and an independent study on the Carmina Burana. This will be an interesting project since my thesis will have been completed by then.

Philosophy is philosophy. Not much to say on the topic.

Counterpoint is getting interesting. We are to start writing our inventions within the next week. And then on to the fugue!

Chorale is doing the entire Bach Magnificat in D at this year's holiday choral spectacular on December 4 at Main Street Baptist. Carillon is preparing for Spring tours and summer tour in Prague.

My thesis topic has been narrowed down, and now I am trying to break it down into chapters, so I can focus on one chapter at a time. I am studying Arvo Paert's Te Deum and Magnificat, and trying to determine how Paert appropriates the compositional style/techniques of Medieval/Renaissance into his late 20th century works. And why his music is different than other 20th century composers.

Next semester will be hard because of the thesis. Juries would only add additional stress. I plan to work on the beast a lot over Christmas. As soon as juries are over, it is thesis time! It humors me that most undergrad B.M.ed, and Performance majors would gawk at having to write a thesis.

About grad schools, I am applying to 5: University of Wales, Bangor; Cambridge University; University of Indiana at Bloomington; Yale University; and the New England Conservatory. Uni of Wales is number one because I have received the most enthusiastic responses from them. Also, the program in early music there is top notch. Cambridge has excellent choirs and I would enjoy the early music program and chapel life. Indiana is one of the top in the US. If accepted, I would go to Yale for free, and the NEC is a conservatory. Not to sound naive, but I've always wanted to go to a conservatory. I am wanting to get my Masters and Doctorate in Historical Musicology of Early Music, but I am also interested in getting just a Masters in Historical Performance: Voice (of the same period).

Anyway, that's what's up at the moment. And tomorrow is the final performance, for us anyway, of the William Grant Still music with the Mississippi Symphony in Hattiesburg. WOOT! (for the symphony!)