Friday, July 1, 2011

So to Finishing That Music Degree...

I've been so focused lately on preparing for the arrival of our baby girl, that I almost forgot that I have to actually finish my doctoral degree really soon.

I'm still in college after 11 years.  I'm still in college after 11 years.  I'M STILL IN COLLEGE AFTER 11 YEARS!!




  (Sorry...  a little freak out moment there.)

I could have been a freaking brain surgeon by now, but after 11 years in college, I can't fix your brain, but I can sum up the past 2000 years in music history fairly quickly.

I'm a composer and music educator and I decided early on in my music studies, that I wanted to go all the way through and get all my degrees without pause.   Currently have a bachelors and masters degree in composition, while I'm about one year away from finishing my doctoral degree at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

After 200+ credit hours, 11 years, 400 papers, 2000+ years of music history, 526 concerts, the 243rd time of listening to Beethoven's 5th Symphony, and learning that all composers were crazy, you can pretty much see why I'm ready to get out of school and move on with my life.

Here's a pic of me doing what I do best.


Sorry... my stomach says that I might be better at eating than composing music, but I have to have something to show for these degrees.  I am guilty of that extra "sympathy weight" that most first time dads get.  Check out my story about that from an earlier blog.

So here's a pic of me doing my thing in the music world.  Well my back anyway...


Its really happening... and I love that feeling of not knowing what's gonna happen next.  I'm pretty sure that reading books, iPhone apps, and watching videos can't exactly prepare you enough for fatherhood.  The whirlwind didn't really hit me until yesterday, until I explained to someone on Facebook why I'm starting to freak out a little..

2011-2012 Checklist

1.  Start my new "first real job" at the end of Aug.  (Teaching 2 classes and private students)
2.  Take one more class to finish up my coursework
3.  Finish composing two 10min pieces of music for my final recital
4.  Find people that actually want to play my music for that recital
5.  Rehearse all that music
6.  Perform all that music
7.  Study for my two minor field exams
8.  Take those exams
9.  Study for oral exams
10.  Take oral exams
11.  Study for written exams
12.  Take written exams
13.  Start my dissertation
14.  Complete my dissertation
15.  Graduate

Oh... and have a baby too.  Sleep?  Haven't figured out where that fits in just yet.  

Just for your enjoyment, here's a pic of me tonight in our Bradley class trying to figure out the whole baby sling thing.

(The coolest thing about this picture is I kind of look like Captain America!!  Where's my shield!??)    


Thanks for checking out my blog and please comment below and give me any advice on how I can get through this next year!!!

Tim




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