Event 1- Doctoral Comprehensive Exams

all doctoral students in every discipline dread their comprehensive exam. It's a major point in your degree, a make it or break it test. If you pass, you're "home free" to work on research and finish your dissertation (and any random courses you've got left). If you fail, well...you get multiple chances.

My DMA Comps was made up of 4 parts- a take home repertory essay, a drop the needle listening test, a "drop the score" theory exam, and major area questions. The test took my two weeks to complete. In those two weeks, I spent about 52 hours just taking the test. This doesn't include the 2 hours a night i spent "studying" for the listening exam.

the take home essay is, really, a full blown research paper. You're given a choice of topics Friday morning, and then have till Monday morning to turn in a 2500 word paper with bibliography, footnotes,  and title page. The 5 topics given were varied, and I think just about anyone taking the exam could find something they wouldn't mind spending time with. For me, I chose a question about the influence of 3 librettists of composers. Each pair had to be active collaborators and be from different time periods. If you know anything about me, then you know that this is right up my alley. As soon as I saw the question, I knew the pairings, though my brain totally died on the name of the librettist that did late Verdi. D'uh, Arrigo Boito, composer of one of my favourite operas, Mephistofele. So, I pumped that puppy out with time to spare. The other pairings were equally obvious- Da Ponte and Mozart, and Weill and Brecht. Turned it in Sunday night around 8, after a third revision. To do better, I would have needed a couple days off to get "fresh eyes."

The listening and theory were on the same day. For  the listening, everyone taking the test crowds into a large computer lab, plugs in headphones, and at the drop of 9am, the listening appear on blackboard. You then have three hours to identify nine examples- time period, genre, possible composer, and a couple paragraphs of style characteristics. The examples were drop the needle (meaning it starts anywhere in the piece), could be from any time period, by any composer...And judging from their choices, don't really have to be "representative" of a time period. You're given roughly 1-2 minutes of each excerpt.

A random test that includes all Western art music ever composed. There's no real way to study for it, just practice listening in general. I went to a couple sessions on that and felt more than comfortable with it. Then I read my Grout...namely the beginning through Renaissance. Once we hit common practice I'm fairly confident.

And boy, I thought I bombed that test. damn...completely insane. Nothing really prepares you for this...well...

Unless you had music history with Matthew Balensuela. Then you're fine. Luckily, I did...

After the listening, the proctor gives you a choice of scores to analyze, compare, and contrast. the range was again bountiful. I think there were 6 pairings to choose from? man, it's hazy. I chose a "new music" pairing, Xenakis Mists and Crumb Processional.

There were some particular bits we were told to look at, namely the use of time in the piece, as well as pitch content. Three hours to do the analysis and compare and contrast isn't much time at all. Both pieces were 10 pages long, so I went for a quick overview, tried to find some sort of major pitch structure, and then how they used the structures to define different time scalings. If i hadn't known basic background theory of each composer to begin with, I would have been screwed. Luckily, both were semi-straight forward pieces representative of Xenakis and Crumbs general style. I was definitely hurried like crazy, but I was able to pump out around the 5 pages they asked for and give some decent discussion.

The area-questions are what most people are used to- you have a panel, they submit up to 6 hours of questions, and you answer them. I decided on a varied group, Dr. Jim Mobberley for Composition, Dr. Reynold Simpson for Comp/Theory, and Dr. William Everett for musicology. Hell, if i have to answer questions, i might as well be entertained.

I tackled Dr. Everett first, since I felt like he'd be the wild-card. A few short questions were great: "describe your music in 20 seconds to a non-musician," and "describe your music in 20 seconds to a musician." I took him at his word, and each answer was about a third to a half of a page (general reading time is 1-1.5 minutes per page). Heck, i even timed myself, just to be sure.

The other two questions revolved around music, politics, and nationalism. I did a small amount of research for each. mainly, if i had to look up a bit, i cited it. I can never remember the furiant rhythm. heh. All in all, not a bad set of questions.

Dr. Simpson's questions were a series of "you should know this verbatim OR know exactly where to find it." I tried each question without looking it up then found the resource and listed things off if I felt behind. The only one that was a bit of challenge for "off the top of my head" was "find all the trichord subsets and pentachord supersets of this tetrachord." I missed a subset and superset from my own work. Thankfully i knew exactly where to look this up.

As for Dr. Mobberley, two questions, deep thinking about my future. Wouldn't expect anything less from the guru himself.

Area questions are "cake," in as much as they tend to cover what you've actually STUDIED in school. Yeah, i said it. I've got bones with the system, and generally think we should limit a comprehensive exam to just area questions. Just stipulate that you must have one faculty from theory, one from history/musicology, and one from your major area (so, theory has to have 2 theory, performance would have their private instructor). Then make the questions open ended- no time limit, etc, just have to coordinate with the comp head (that you choose). So, if a history professor demands that you right a rep essay in a weekend, no problem. With technology, I don't see this as a problem, as timing "tests" is cake. 

This all took my 52 hours (18 for area, roughly 28 for the take home, and 6 hours for the listening/theory). Do i feel smart because of it? that I somehow proved I learned all my lessons?

Nope, not at all.

Did I pass? Yep, even "High Pass" on the repertory essay.

Do I care? only that I now can just work on a dissertation and be test free.

All this, while finishing a Fulbright app (which i turned in between take home and listening/theory) and spending what seemed like endless hours organizing a concert (which included judging pieces the weekend i did the take home essay), and, ya know, taking classes and teaching. Life.

But that's another story...

What a couple months...

I disappeared for a while. For good reasons, I promise. It's been a crazy month...well, a bit over a month. The basic break down

1) Doctoral Comprehensive Exam- This ate 2 weeks of my life in early October, plus a few weeks prior studying

2) Fulbright application- Turned this puppy in DURING my comps. Yep, I finished my 48 hour essay, had a week of studying for my comprehensive listening test (meaning any piece from any time period, drop the needle style) ahead of me...and what did I do instead? Spent hours almost every night editing and rewriting a Fulbright proposal.

3) eight blackbird side-by-side concert- I organized this bad boy: Found the space, took all the submissions and organized sending them out, did initial judging of each selection (21 entries, done in one night), found the space, negotiated price of space and dealt with logistics, attended rehearsals, helped show 8bb around to all their various coachings (man, their schedule was NUTS!), loaded all the equipment and moved it to the space in a 24' box truck, set it up, tore it down, and then drank...This was a huge project that took lots of help from faculty and students (Shout-out to Joseph Kern for all his work with Musica Nova!)

Won't be doing that again for quite some time!

4) concert with KcEMA at La Esquina, Perceptions and Realities...this was an "easy" one

5) Installed an interactive installation designed with Bobby Zokaites called "The Machine the Sneetches Built," ran the opening, and had to set-up all the tech each morning, then chilled in the gallery in case anyone had questions. This was another huge opportunity thanks to ArtSounds, UMKC Conservatory, UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy, Kansas City Art Institute, and Charlotte Street. It was a resounding success in the community, especially on opening night! There will be photos and video up soon, hopefully.

So, I've been busy. All of these things deserve their own blogposts, and I think I'll get on that. Thanksgiving break starts tonight after we tear down The Machine, so maybe I'll write a bunch and time the posts, or something fancy like that. I mean, that can't be any harder than dealing with WiiMotes

huh?

I have no idea when i last posted. Not sure if i have any followers, casual viewers, or carrion birds waiting for my death hovering above this website...

Anyway, I have relocated, AGAIN

This time, i have run away to Kansas City, MO

I am at UMKC

I am a doctoral student. DMA: Composition

Classes: Lessons, Pedagogy of Compositon, Advanced Analysis III: Contemporary

AA III shouldn't be bad, but more work than i wish. the professor already told me "it's open to everyone, so we may go a bit slow for you." I'm no theory genius. perhaps i talked myself up TOO much trying to get into the class. but still, an unprovoked "we may go a bit slow for you" worries my slightly.

Anyway, I make no pretenses at being a theory god. I do alright for myself. and it's been a long time since i did "formal" analysis in a classroom setting. like...5 years...

Sadly, i didn't pass all my matriculation exam. If i had taken a day or two and read Grout, i probably would have. However, I have to take "Early Music Review" at some point in the next couple semesters. couldn't right now as its full. S'ok...maybe i'll do it over the summer. one month, every morning? sure...why the hell not? i taught a class like that. We had fun

I was also "recommended" to take History of the Classical period. not the review, the graduate class. I probably won't. getting the required history classes in may be difficult...though there was a great one called "Music of China" being taught this semester.

however, before i can take a grad history class, i have to take "Intro to Bib and Research"

Or pass out of it. I took the test. Got all the acronyms mixed up. LAME. I don't do well with acronyms actually. However, I submitted two well written and well researched papers from a graduate course in musicology. Hopefully that's enough weight to prove i know how to do research

anyway, i ramble. i'm just out of the house for a while this afternoon, which makes me a bit happy. it's been bitter cold and snowing since i arrived in KC. This should be an interesting 5 years...yep...5 years...

Pretentiousness

Quite frankly, I have trouble writing these blogs. Honestly, everything I write-after reading them a couple days later-just comes across as pretentious BS. Maybe I am too hard on myself, but while I don't blog about whiny drama like many blogs, all my writing seems to have just about the same level of depth. It's like listening to ESPN. seriously, no one cares about "Brett Favre getting revenge on the Packers" or any such nonsense. all they care about are getting the latest scores. analysis is not needed.

And that's pretty much how i feel about this blog. I go back and read about these ideas I've had, and, yeah, they seem like alright ideas. And then, i keep writing. and writing. and writing. and don't say a damn thing. really lame.

Again, perhaps I am just being too hard on my own writing. I'm far from an eloquent writer. Rambling is a huge problem of mine.

Still, here's the questions: Does analysis always come at the possible price of being perceived as pretentious? Is analysis worth the effort, is there some deeper truth attained by looking at every note, rhythm, dynamic, and its relation to every other? I don't know, the answer. feel free to comment.

As for a "news brief." Trying to do an electro-acoustic radio program for Electronic New York's International Electro-Acoustic Music Festival. should be interesting. Trying to do it from a radio station as well, not just a podcast.

One movement done of the HS band piece. hopefully i hear back soon regarding my "graded" writing ability. it's certainly a skill that needs much practice.

The extended vocal piece for David Whitwell has hit a standstill. Can't reconcile the story into a workable model for the piece. May switch direction in some way. Might go to some random number generation. When they mind can't make a decision, let the environment do it for you.

And i'm waiting to hear back from UMKC. hopefully i get into their doctoral program, but i have reservations about my own abilities and wouldn't be surprised if i wasn't up to snuff. If i was a professor, i would severely question the portfolio i turned in

and now, to sit and consider F. Scott Fitzgerald, haiku, extended vocal techniques, and various effect processing units