Vacation means...?

Writing 3 minutes of music of a commission for Trombone consort (still so much more to do)

Sending off a couple festivals apps

Going to Vegas and gambling a little (and thereby only losing a little). It was my bff's birthday, and we decided to do it in style. She'd never been to an expensive steak joint. Nor a joust. Both of these things were fixed.

Getting horribly ill (probably from Vegas or all the horrid flights.)

Mastering a CD (you'll find out more when it's released). Learned just how beautiful Waves plugins are. They were totally worth every single effing penny.

So that means I need to go back to composing--it is a commission after all. Plus that pesky semester has started.

Oh, and I made it past the first round of the Fulbright.

If I wasn't so horribly ill, I'd be all about celebrating.

Ruminations on another semester

Well, i'm one year into DMA studies at UMKC. It's been a helluva year. I thought i'd sum up the finer points

1) i learned the power of beer. good beer. and cheap beer. beer i like and beer i don't like. i dislike more than i like still. having good microbreweries in town helps.

2) life is a popularity contest. And i'm miss congeniality

3) Fixing laptop hardware can be beyond my abilities. As my currently flickering screen proves.

4) I still seem to have a knack when it comes to working with younger students. Hopefully i don't break too many hearts.

5) Guilt is an emotion i feel, but not over things you'd expect. Playing video games = guilty. not calling my family on holidays ≠ guilty. Perhaps i am a bad person...

6) one can learn a great deal about composition through trial and error. And even more from your colleagues. Lessons fall ranks fourth behind having someone play your music

7) Art is inherently philosophical.

8) I can still play jazz. and, in fact, i can solo better than i have before. Quite astounding

9) having a good dentist is incredibly important. if you do not have a good dentist, or do not a have any dentist, then problems will arise.

10) not all Steak n' Shakes are 24 hours. seriously.

11) Lists are so 2001.

12) Missouri Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Transportation are two of the worst maintenance services ever. 1.5 inches ≠ a blizzard. there shouldn't have been 1.5 inches of snow ON THE ROAD when it accumulated over 8 hours!

13) hidden chateaus may be the greatest invention ever.

14) life is neither simple nor easy.

15) relationships are even harder than that

16) life is worth living even when it's not

17) music is worth writing, even if there will be no performance

18) i love food

19) reaching even, easily divisible numbers is a bit of an obsession of mine

20) half of everything i say is BS in some fashion.